Stoner rock is interesting to me because even as we see a glut in the market we also see that people are trying harder than ever to carve out their own specific niche. Such is the case with Brother Strange, whose latest EP, Witch Slayer certainly serves to advance their breed of so called 'Wild West Texas Stoner Metal.' With massive guitars that are reminiscent of bands like Plainride and almost Sabbathian vocals, the band revels in the murk and crafts hard hitting and frequently hard partying rock and roll.
Witch Slayer continually impresses because it overcomes many of its limitation, namely the production and the relatively short run time, in order to prove that they are something greater. This is a band who continually push over the top. There is a certain bombastic magic to a track like album opener 'Scorpion King' that makes it hard to turn this band off. Sure not everything is perfectly executed but that doesn't really matter when you're having a good time letting it rip with the Brother Strange guys. Witch Slayer might not come loaded with surprises, but what it does have is fun riffs and crippling grooves.
Brother Strange don't get lost in the self gratifying nonsense that makes so much stoner rock insufferable. Every track on Witch Slayer has a clear direction and even the silliest moments (I'm looking at you 'Love Trooper') have a certain pomp that makes them fun and over the top rather than sad and weird. Witch Slayer is a huge step up for the band and though they still haven't quite lived up to their potential, Brother Strange continually crunch forward with a smirk on their collective lips. Who can't get behind that?
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