REVIEW – SLUNG FROM A TREE ‘VOYAGE INTO COSMOS’

Posted on April 21, 2023 by Oran

Psychedelic metal is niche at the best of times. With the likes of bands such as Electric Wizard, Kyuss, and Isis in many a Palm-Desert metal fan’s collection, there aren’t many bands that would kick up such a huge furore in that neck of the woods.

But when you cross it with sludge or doom metal, in the vein of, say, Green Lung or Ireland’s own Ten Ton Slug for example, you get a much-needed boot to the face in the form of Slung From A Tree.

Hailing from Limerick and Kerry, after their 2018 release of ‘Live in Limerick‘, the southern 4-piece have followed their live release with their first full-length album ‘Voyage Into Cosmos‘, a 7-track wonder of both space and time.

Opening with ‘Blazed and Confused‘, bassist Eoghan Galligan lays down a groovy, distorted riff that sets the tone for the entire song. A heavy-hitting, and intrepid mix of guttural vocals, and guitars, from both Steve Loughnane and Aaron Loughnane (the latter on vocal duties) give whiffs of 1970s psychedelic rock solo exhibitionism, clearly influenced by the likes of Hawkwind or Grateful Dead.

In addition, a spattering of blues/groove hybrid licks can be heard throughout the album. This is clear in ‘Astral Gold‘ and ‘Low Frequency Disturbance‘, but drummer Andrew Hayes has his work cut out for him. Scientifically precise in his accuracy, he sets the pace for each and every song.

‘Low Frequency Disturbance‘ has a quick-witted, up-and-down progression that moves back and forth like the swirling of water in a bottle. Each track blends into the next, showing that the lads can play these tunes in each order they prefer. The production on this record is superb also, courtesy of Aaron Loughnane who recorded, mixed and mastered the entire album.

Even though the band is still in its infancy, the trust laid in the quartet is not misplaced, as the cohesiveness of this group is blatantly obvious. If you like a steady pace with your doom, I suggest cranking ‘Noise Pollution‘ to its fullest, and getting to work on lifting something heavy, or intense manual labour. Either way, they will help with the sweat.

‘Dim of Wit‘ and ‘Untitled‘ lend more disruptive harmony to an already tripped-out ride. This is driving music – electric blues licks lie all over the bass lines, and heavy rhythm section, as Aaron Loughnane spills his guts into the mic.

When we reach our final destination on this journey, ‘Voyage Into Cosmos‘ takes us into a deep trance, where one can just lie back and drift away. At almost 13 minutes long, it is a rhapsody of different vibes that take you up and down on a rollercoaster of crashing crescendos, and elongated chill-out sessions.

This whole album is stage-worthy, and it’s only a matter of time before SFAT is on many a large stage performing this album in its entirety. If you like your stoner metal, I suggest buying this A LOT sooner rather than later – it’ll be your loss if you don’t move on it.

Standout track: Low Frequency Disturbance

Rating: 4/5

Order your copy now via this link. Catch Slung From a Tree with Bongzilla in Dublin’s Grand Social on June 15th. Tickets on sale NOW.