The Lion, Saturday 29th of February
Bloodslugs Sat 29th Feb
, The Lion, Easton.
Written by Jodi Super-Mare
Get fucking ready for Bloodslugs.
Don’t be fooled by the fact that this band consists of two members. Don’t be fooled by the fact the blood-slug is a cannibal with actual teeth and will feast on your bodily fluids before you even know it’s latched on to your skin, yet alone gone beneath it. These lads, this sound, this pure assault of expression is something to be seen, heard and swallowed to be believed.
My attention was first pricked when I saw the instruments propped up against the amp before the soundcheck – I had absolutely no idea what the fuck they were or what they would sound like. I was reminded of how accustomed I am to the shiny, generic-off-the-shelf range guitar models and how rare it is to feel challenged by the unknown potential of a stringed instrument.
These things looked like post-apocalyptic, handmade metal box guitars, each with four strings. Happy with being a long way from Kansas, I snaked through the crowd to get to the front.
Naturally and unconsciously, as humans, we scan for certainty, look for similar patterns we’ve experienced before, and we seek safety in the familiar. So the first impressions of what Bloodslugs presented to be. A two-piece (consisting of two lovely Welshmen), unusual ‘guitars’, a large pedal board with some custom bits here and there – but nothing we haven’t seen before right? And at first, the steel sliding sound of a country-esk twang eases you into tones you’ve (musically) probably heard before.
However, dear reader, this temporary feeling of ‘familiarity’ you’ll think you possess is the moment where Bloodslugs rip out the proverbial grenade pin: and you’ve got no time to hit the deck before you are absolutely dicked by the barrage of sound they so generously release.
The dense ferocity that comes out of so few items of equipment and humans is astounding. Structurally, the songs themselves travel through polarities of style – as an audience you are given brief moments of recovery, allowing you to focus on melodic vocals to try and make sense out of wtf just happened. The space in between the drum beats lasts longer and maybe you’ll be lucky enough to remember to take a breath.
But of course, the moment you do, a stamped guitar pedal releases the trap door you didn’t know you were standing on. You’ll find yourself flung instantly into a delicious fiery hell of rotting, fleshy riffs, crashing drums and screaming vocals that you will gladly sacrifice yourself to completely.
The Bloodslugs will hurl you around like this for their entire set, and for humans living in a very digital and dissociated world, I would over-prescribe tickets to see them live and the unbearably beautiful tension they’ll gift you. Get ready to be rubbed up the right way, rubbed back down and prepare for some aural blisters (lube sold separately).
Find their most recent album ‘One More Last Time’ on Spotify, and keep an eye on their Insta @Bloodslugs for upcoming gigs.
Cheers, Bloodslugs.