Upon a short but trusted recommendation
from Gruesome Greg (ie a tweet) I decided to give
Atlanta's Sons of Tonatiuh a listen. Their second album, Parade of
Sorrow blew the doors right off my barn. Following the sludgy intro,
“White Wall” erupts with bassist/vocalist Mike Tunno screaming
the song title with all the pain of a chainsaw victim. His wail is
only one aspect of SoT's multifaceted approach. I envision Sons one
day finding a home with Hydra Head Records. Not only would they fit
on that label stylistically but Parade of Sorrow has as many voices
as the mythological Hydra itself. In addition to the aforementioned
sludge (very little surprise coming from Georgians. Not to
stereotype.) SoT bring doom and punk rock in to the fold. One moment
plodding along crushing anything in their path with Godzilla-like
weight, the next pounding out that unmistakeable punk beat while
telling tales of social injustice both new and old. It may sound like
this mix of styles may detract from the albums cohesiveness,
especially given how quickly they can shift between them but that is
far from the case. Across the entire album, the tone, the feel of the
output remains intact. It's only natural that the many heads of the
Hydra are fed with blood from the same heart. I keep making reference
to myths of old but Sons of Tonatiuh are far more current than that.
Along with guitarist/vocalist Dan Caycedo and drummer Tim Genius, SoT
bring a social consciousness to a genre I've not recognized much in.
Sludge and doom tend to be more personal or existential. Blending the
punk element in both a lyrical and stylistic way makes it different.
However, they do so without it sounding like an overt protest song.
There is so much aggression behind it that you really need to read
the lyrics. And THINK. Of course, you may be too busy tearing down
the walls of whatever establishment you find yourself in, but when
you're done, know that Sons of Tonatiuh are more than just crushing
doom, syrupy sludge and righteous punk.
For the record, it's pronounced
“Tahn-ah-tea-ah”.
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