Tucson-based Godhunter and local crew Anakim have teamed up for a brand new split seven-inch recording. While Godhunter is using this more as a teaser to their upcoming album, it’s still a good way to experience one or both bands for the first time. Being available from the trustworthy folks at the recently formed label/distro division of Earsplit PR known as The Compound, one could automatically assume these are two new songs from underground bands worth keeping an eye on, but is this a fair expectation?

Well, this effort does have it’s faults unfortunately. Both bands sound rather thin, greatly lacking the impact a Sludge Metal or Doom Metal band normally would have, especially for this brand of mid-tempo material. “Vulture’s Wake” by Godhunter finds a heavy bass presence with abrasive shouting vocals that are pushed back slightly, making it an overall heavy experience littered with solid hooks and grandiose rougher chords and bridges. While far from rich, the song gets its point across, which is a more than you can say for “The Whimper of Whipped Dogs” by Anakim. This is a much different experience, relying on cold, cleaner guitar chords to set an icy, depressing atmosphere that gets a little louder as it goes along. The vocals come in around two minutes with a good deal of layering, adding a little more substance and enthusiasm to a ly bland composition.

Sadly, this release with Godhunter and Anakim ends up a bit too crisp to be that effective. It’s clear Godhunter is trying to get a dirty Sludge Metal performance across to the listener, and Anakim a really depressive experience. Sadly both are too crisp, and even thin, resulting in two songs that sound like they have potential, but end up rather boring with very little impact or memorable qualities. It does, however, introduce two bands that seem to have the musical chops, but fell victim to the typical production qualities from modern recording studios. Either way, this split is still something to check out if you want to try out some new bands, just don’t go in expecting anything too spectacular from them, at least on this offering.

Digital review copy of this release provided by Earsplit PR.