Maegashira/Sowbelly/OSSM – Split
Review by John Pegoraro (StonerRock.com)
Blue Grass Records/Shifty Records
Release date: 2009


In the amount of time it took for me to cobble this sentence together, Maegashira vocalist JJ Koczan has probably written about half a dozen reviews for this site. I mention this partly as a marginally clever way of taking care of that necessary bit of disclosure, and partly because, quite frankly, I'm in awe of his productivity.

Color me even more impressed with the three Maegashira songs on this three-way split. Given that it seemed like the band had been working on their debut album for the greater part of a decade, I'm surprised they still had any good material left over. I described The Stark Arctic as Cable-esque, but “Adapting to the Noose” struck me as being more in line with Alabama Thunderpussy's first album – sludge-like riffs driven by a hard rock rhythm and a burly orneriness that you can only get when your sole goal is to get as primal as possible. That same sort of fist pumping awesomeness pops up about halfway through “Thanks, I'm Fine,” and I wish they had ridden it out to the end, rather than briefly returning to the more caustic swampy grind of the first half of the song. It's sort of like how the film adaptation of The Return of the King refused to end. “The Man Who Named God” is another solid offering, a little more straightforward in execution, with some nods to fellow Jersey scumbags Solace. Any three of these probably would've been a better fit on The Stark Arctic than “Hi, I'm from Jersey.”

Next up is Sowbelly, and compared to Maegashira, this Michigan band is a little slower, a lot more shouty, and not quite as dynamic. As a result, tracks “La Bate,” “The Portrait,” and “Perfect Sleeping Weather” sort of run into each other and make one molasses-like epic. Trying to discern the differences between the three is like pointing out the unique qualities of each rock in an avalanche. That you're under. In terms of music, that's good and overall the band's a decent second act on the album.

The split ends with Kentucky’s OSSM, and the most noticeable thing about them is the lower sound quality. “The Beer Halloween,” “Where's the Groove,” and “Good Grief” sound like live-in-the-practice room demos. This sonic change wouldn't be so jarring if the material rose to the occasion, but that's unfortunately not the case here. There are some good moments to OSSM's offerings – “Beer Halloween” is Grief-a-rific and “Where's the Groove” starts off with an almost hard-core like stomp, but overall I found their songs wanting.

Recommending this album based on Maegashira is going to reek of cronyism, but I'd say the same if there wasn't a working relationship between the band's singer and this site. This split puts its best foot forward, and the foot's going straight up your ass. Mostly recommended.
 
thanx again for the kind words