Year Of Metal #032: The Lord Weird Slough Feg - Down Among The Deadmen
With a name like that and a musical approach taking influence from traditional heavy metal and folk horror, The Lord Weird Slough Feg (later shortened to just Slough Feg) were only going to go one of two ways for me. 2000’s Down Among The Deadmen was either going to be fantastic fun or something seriously annoying.
Luckily, it’s mostly the former. The Pennsylvania revivalists offer a beefy, full blooded record full of fantastical creatures, raging battles, excess, and lore. The whole thing sounds fantastic, weighted just right. Opener “Sky Chariots” comes racing out of the blocks with a tumbling, precise riff, quickly joined by Mike Scalzi’s impressive vocals. The only consistent member of the group, his voice is unusually rich and characterful without resorting to ticks and tricks. The band’s Thin Lizzy fandom shows in the first of many terrific twin guitar solos.
They cut loose on some particularly nutty songs with surprising effect. One of the highlights is “Warriors Dawn”, a lyrically questionable but undeniably gripping track about Native Americans. Aside from some of the stereotypes, it’s probably fair to assume Slough Feg are setting out to pay tribute to a proud people, and the track summons a frankly ludicrous degree of drama from its subject matter. The burrowing guitars can’t help but get you amped, and the chorus - while problematic - is delivered with incredible relish. When the track switches tempo and reaches full gallop, it’s heart racing stuff. The solos are perfectly placed, played as battle cries as the intensity peaks.
More silly still - but properly delightful - is “Troll Pack”. The album’s descent into fantasy role play, this is a deliberately lumpen track, with an ugly, almost discordant riff swapping between bass and guitar. Scarzi gets deep into character here, snapping and snarling in the guise of one of the titular monsters. You won’t hear too many songs with the refrain “chewing on flesh, gnawing on bones,” but Slough Feg are only too happy to oblige.
Not everything is played at quite such a heightened level. “Heavy Metal Monk” is an old school delight, with a swinging, melody-drenched riff and joyful, operatic vocals. It’s among the most likeable metal songs I’ve ever heard, I think, poppy and bright but with plenty of heft in the production and playing. “High Season” is another winner. It’s one of the more modern-sounding cuts on the album - indeed some of the harmonies have a bit of System Of A Down about them - as well as one of the heaviest. Again the production shines in a big way - everything’s clear and bright, but never to the point of being lame or overly polished.
There’s no getting away from the inherent daftness at the heart of Down Among The Deadmen, but that does come with the territory when you’re playing in The Lord Weird Slough Feg. Though the record is big on charm and played with a bit of a wink at times, it seldom strays into novelty territory, and that’s an impressive balancing act indeed.
