Squonk – S/T CS (Home Mort Records)

Yesterday we talked about GreenThumb, a doom/sludge band that roamed the Italian underground scene for a couple of years. The group ceased to exist after the recording of their second extended play called There Are More Things, so a couple of remaining members decided to start a brand new band named Squonk. The group relied upon a similar sonic expression as GreenThumb, but with a slightly polished sound that leans towards traditional doom rock music with more punk rock influences involved. Today, we’re covering their debut self-titled EP, which has been released by Home More Records a couple of months ago.

Right with the first beats of this material, it seems that the remnants of the GreenThumb decided to mellow their sound a little bit, so the Squonk went on a more polished sonic voyage than its predecessor. The articulations, sound, and rhythmical structures are nearly the same, but the group strives to mimic a rudimentary doom rock sound, which became quite popular during the years. The guitars are delivering a full specter of calmy melodies, slowed down to perfectly fit the moderate tempos provided by the excellent rhythm section. There are some stoner rock movements involved throughout the entire EP, but the group keeps them subtle as much as possible. A notable presence of fuzz distortion liberates an adequate dosage of dirtiness over the compelling riffages but also saturates the sounds of the semi-distorted bass guitar.

The bass guitar acts as a binding element between massive riffs and completely stable drumming performance. However, it also provides massive low-end tones to the already grimy atmosphere. Moderate rhythmical acrobatics are leading the entire band through the thoughtfully arranged compositions, which are leaving the impression like they’re mutually connected into an extended storyline. The vocals are more melodic, without unnecessary screams and growls, mainly because of the calmer articulations surrendered by the entire band. This harmonious singing technic perfectly fits the mellower sound of the group, but it also adds an extra layer to excellent guitar shreds. Squonk offers loads of entertainment if you’re profoundly into doom, stoner, sludge, and drone music. Perhaps their music is not as dark, depressive, and desperate as the articulation of their preceding group, but Squonk offers a more polished sound that will gather a broader auditorium.

This self-titled material comes on a white cassette, followed by trippy cover artwork. You can also check it out at Bandcamp if you more prefer streaming services. The cassette is available at Home Mort Records, so go ahead and check out the engaging sound of Squonk, which will unquestionably suit the admirers of proto-doom rock music.