Satan’s Pilgrims
The Way In To the Way Out / Solar Flare / Journey To Eden
This single revisits the soundscapes of the brilliant Psychsploitation album. The attitude in the production of that record was different from most Satan’s Pilgrims in that the sounds were more layered, with more production touches, while paying homage to a semi-generic (meaning bandless) brand of instrumentals you might hear in B-movie soundtracks. Clearly they have a love for this splinter genre, and this 3-song 7” is a delightful return. After listening to the vinyl a few times through, I pray that the Pilgrims will record another long player the Psychsploitation vein!
“The Way In To The Way Out” features a beautiful compact organ bed under rich guitars. It’s slow and steady, economical, but with just enough movement and lift to give it a peaking optimism.
“Solar Flare” spawns from Byrds jangle, with an miles long Echoplex repeat and Ichykoo Park flange flaring in and out. Ted Pilgrim, known for being the consumate team player, really steps out on drums here. So many layers, all audible without mucking things up. This track is a psychedelic blast.
“Journey To Eden” creeps out on the “Slaughter on 10th Avenue” riff before taking you on a hallucinogenic ride to inner outer space. So many things going on here in two minutes– heaviness, shimmering melodies, intense organ, and the mind warping analog effects. Another superb piece of music.
Bloodshot Bill
Peeling / Shark Tank / Another Wave / Scattered Peaks
I never heard of Bloodshot Bill. He’s a one man rockabilly act from Canada, but clearly he has a woodie for surf music, especially the primordial low-fi variety. His songs can’t be called melodic, as the guitars work tightly with each other. What Bill does really well is mines the looseness of the teenage sound, the dawn of surf when Link Wray and Duane Eddy were an influential presence. Though this is a one man show, he really creates a, “recorded all at once,” band sound. He’s light on melody, but whacks at the heavy riffs, and has a great guitar tone. All the tracks sound great, and this slab really grew on me with repeated listens. A great find for Hi-Tide.
"Peeling" - A two note minimalist riff with guitars doubling in octaves, the overtones creating an accidental other-worldly sci-fi tone.
"Shark Tank" - A SoCal menace, a looseness, a lowlife turns into a romp stomp. The toms thud throughout and there’s some counterpoint in the guitars. Kinda reminiscent of Dick Dale when he wasn’t trem picking.
"Another Wave" - The most surf song of this set, though still minimalist. Bloodshot Bill has a great feel for the surf drums. You can practically hear the tape melting from the overdriven recording.
"Scattered Peaks"- Kind of a dirty stroll with the a Duane Eddy style lead over an acoustic rhythm guitar. Nasty stuff, like a knife-fight breaking out at the prom.
