SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THOSE DARN GNOMES – CALLING WHITETAILS TO A TUNED BOW

Those Darn Gnomes
Calling Whitetails To A Tuned Bow
Nefarious Industries

Those Darn Gnomes might be on to something. That something is a beautiful mix of all genres, instruments, noise, singing., and production all wrapped up on an EP that runs almost forty minutes long. To try to describe this album will be a disservice to the actual experience of listening to it for the first time, so note spoilers ahead. To start the album, the song “Birds” lulls you into thinking this is a metal/noise band with off-time drums and ferocious vocals. However, half way into the song, it suddenly turns to a folk/meditative/Black Metal experience, capturing acoustic guitars with blast beats and chanting? It is legendary stuff. Speaking of vocals, I really appreciate the different types on display, for example, you have King Diamond highs mixed with clean, and then Napalm Death lows. It’s a feast that we do not deserve. The second song “Hall” is much slower and sparse. It is almost like taking a break from the intro. It is still crazy with repeated electronic vocals this time and almost an alien invasion vibe. This song turns into a drum circle song about halfway in.  Thirdtrack, “A Cliff in Our Garden” is a cleanly-sung, jazzy, downtempo number that has samples and almost new age synths throughout. A great palate cleanser. Lastly, “The Frail Stag” goes for it. Full blast, apocalyptic start while at the middle turns to Godflesh drone. This album is undefinable from a genre perspective but that is not important. The important part is the enjoyment one gets out of discovering that it even exists at all.

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