Review: Cegvera - Creations EP

Another day, another new label....and this is a good thing...it's proof that the DIY ethic is alive and well - this is why Punk lived and died for us (well, not so much died as grew old and started to smell funny). Seriously though, it is these labels that are the very life blood of the music scene, run by people who are truly in touch in with what people want,because they ARE those people....long may it live! The label in question is Dirty Filthy Records, a group of like-minded psych lovers from the South of the UK and I wish them a long and fruitful life as a label, because if their first release is any gauge, their output is gonna be pretty damned ace! At this stage, let's introduce Cegvera (the Spanish for blindness), a Bristol based trio who are as heavy as fuck but with a social conscience - a rare commodity in a scene (stoner/doom/sludge) that is rife with '420' references and every band has Goat, Wizard or Leaf in their moniker (yeah, I know, I'm generalising here). I love a bit of 'heaviness' of this type but I'm picky...there are so many bands out there that are very 'colour by numbers' and so lack any depth and meaning...but, and believe me this is a compliment, this EP from Cegvera is one that I would have picked up on regardless of promo submissions...it's very good!

From the opening squeal of feedback and the waves of Sabbathian riffs that roll ominously from the speakers, you know you are in for something heavy. Opener 'Centralia' is a beast of many different colours, the black hole dense riffs just cry 'doom' whilst there is enough fuzz present to keep the stoner/heavy psych freaks happy. My only complaint is that is too short...at three minutes you are just getting your nod on when it stops. However, it is followed by 'Iguala'...the roiling riffs of the opener are replaced by a cleaner guitar tone and it shapes into something very much like heavy post-rock. When the onslaught does appear it is with some guile and thought, interspersed with a sample of news reports outlining the plight of Mexican immigrants in the US...a political comment that puts the track into a new context...these guys aren't faceless longhairs 'playing' at being a band - they are living, breathing musicians with a salient point to make and make it very well. 'Aral Sea' opens with a long drone and some delicate, atmospheric guitar that brings the intensity levels right down before blooming into another post-rock shaped track...sections reminded me of Explosions In The Sky. Another spoken word sample heralds a distinct change...the guitars become heavier...much heavier... and again verging on full blown doom and the echo laden guitar is a joy to the ears. 'Mosul' ('nuff said) is introduced by another drone and some primal drums that evoke a scene of desolation and decay. The introduction of spoken word heightens the claustrophobic, dystopian vibe that is eventually broken by another tsunami of monolithic riffs. The wave breaks to reveal more beautiful guitar work...clean and rich, before another tidal wave rolls in. A cracker of a track that truly has something for everyone. The EP is closed with 'Latrun', another track with a post-rock structure, veering from the melodic to the 'kin heavy and back again...another belter that closes this EP in some style.

I dug this EP greatly...it is heavy music into which a large amount of thought and love has been put. The political/social commentary puts a shine on it and transforms it into something important, not just a generic 'rock' record but one with something to say, one with a soul. It is played exceptionally well and the artful way in which they mix and match styles and genres gives it a personality all of its own...a definite winner and much kudos to the Dirty Filthy guys for picking up on it. The vinyl will be up for sale on 10th November, with pre-orders starting the end of this month...head to the Dirty Filthy Webstore here. There will be a CD version released by 'Long, Slow and Distrorted Riffs (LSDR)'. The download is available (on a 'Name Your Price' basis) from the band's Bandcamp page here.