MUSK is an interesting choice of name for this Oakland-based four-piece. The word itself alludes to the naturally-occurring pheromone male deer use to attract a mate, which has since been turned into a perfume additive. Attraction and beauty hardly seem to be the aim of this collective, however, as they use terms like “pained,” “stabbing,” “rupturing,” and “belligerent” to describe their bulky, occasionally destructive hybrid of hard-edged blues, spontaneous garage rock, and extra sludgy metal. Yet for numerous reasons, their apparent disinterest in appealing to folks has landed them a sizable following in the SoCal region, which they’ve bolstered with a string EPs and singles.
On October 14th, MUSK will release their debut self-titled album through Holy Mountain Records. Already they’ve shared the monster-sized dual lead singles “Last Stand” and “Rot Soft”; today, they let loose “Slow Bummer”. Though not as immediately frightening as its predecessors, this track nonetheless packs a lot of dissonance and chaos into three minutes. From the barrage of pulverizing percussion to the demonic wailing of guitars and frontman Rob Fletcher’s Danzig-on-steroids moaning, the track will beat you into the ground like a tent post. But because they’re such a tight-knit unit with a great sense of interplay, you’ll undoubtedly love every blow to the dome-piece.
Listen in below.
MUSK Tracklist:
01. Musk
02. Grandier
03. Funny Feelings
04. Drag House
05. Slow Bummer
06. Last Stand
07. Rot Soft
08. Devil’s Hand
09. Trash Roof
10. Combat Shock II
11. Knuckle Dust
12. Black Ice
