A band who I first caught at the intimate Austin Terrorfest I have rapidly fallen in love with, The Ditch And The Delta have been going for the past few years. A group only just starting to get some legs on them, these guys polish sonically rich sludge metal into something strangely transcendent. Their first full length, Hives In Decline, is the sort of record that can't help but to speak to the human condition. These Salt Lake City boys have pulled out all the stops in crafting this release. It's an album that ebbs and flows, and touches on the unique despair and beauty that comes with being an alternative person in their hometown. There is an emotional depth to what is being done here that is hard to discount, and the ethereal beauty of their padded out guitar melodies and tortured vocals are perfectly contrasted with the reassuring, and enveloping, crush of the guitars. It's a record that takes you in and allows you to revel in the madness of the genre.
One of the things that really draws me to Hives In Decline, and has me spinning the record time and time again, is the sheer quality of the production. Recorded in Andy Patterson of Subrosa's quasi-legendary Boars Nest studios, there is a certain rich quality to the sound that can't help but to seduce the listener. The guitars sound massive and warm, the drums fill up the space and the bass creates a sort of beating heart that swirls through your mind. This is of course only enhanced by the depth of the arrangements, a testament to frontman Elliot Secrist's jazz composition background. While many bands in this genre struggle with breaking out of the conventional box of the genre, Hives In Decline shows that The Ditch And The Delta are a beast all of their own. It is an album that questions norms and pushes boundaries. As easy as it might be to say that sludge metal is dead, a victim of its own simplicity, The Ditch And The Delta have found a way to enhance that sound and develop something that is utterly otherworldly.
I encourage you to come and get lost in this record and appreciate all it has to offer. My only complaint is that it's still a bit too close to many of the genre tropes. Like I said, sludge metal is limiting in a lot of ways and you definitely see The Ditch And The Delta running up against that. There is a ton of raw talent here and I am curious to see how it ends up getting exploited down the line. Yet considering what a step forward this is from their debut EP, 2015's We Rust, I get the distinct impression that this release is just the beginning for the band. It seems to me that The Ditch And The Delta have what it takes to push their music to strange new heights with their utterly unique compositions and top notch production. If nothing else, this is a band to watch.
Score: 8/10
