If you like your metal with thick fuzzy guitars played at a
mid-tempo slush, Spiritu is a band you may be interested in.
Bassist John, guitarist Chav, percussionist James, and vocalist
Jadd have created a short 41 minute opus. Three tracks are in the
nine-minute range, including the opener "Z (Noonday Demon)" which
clocks in at 9:01. James wails on his toms and creates a sea of
cymbals under which Chav and John riff heavy.
Of the six songs here, "Fat Man in Thailand" is as commercial as the band gets. The song clocks in at 5:49 and, while it hasn't replaced my (current) favorite gem "She Hates Me" from Puddle of Mudd, the song is memorable. "Clean Livin'" and "Woman Tamer" are two shorter songs that ramp up to the disc closer "Slump." "Slump" makes me think of a jam band, okay, I'll say the P word - Phish - who just play and construct and create tapestries of music that their emotions get painted upon.
"Glorywhore" is the third track, and I mention this song last, not because it is another long opus (which it is) with lots of Black Sabbath influenced riffing (which it has). "Glorywhore" is what turned the corner for me as a listener and music fan. The song starts with a slow simple riff and drum beat. Jadd comes in with cutting lyrics "If you're so smart then gimme some credit for figuring out a way to do what you never could." For it was as he sings those words that it happened to me: I realized that Jadd is no Ozzy and that he has his own story to tell. At that moment is when Spiritu becomes that much more appealing. I'll go out on a limb and call this one of the best of 2002, ranking right up there with Engine's Superholic, the self-titled release from Brand New Sin, and the outstandingly heavy In The Face Of The Enemy from Disarray. This band has many peer bands on the same label, like Abdullah, Atomic Bitchwax, and The Mushroom River Band, and all of these bands play a similar breed of heavy rock.
But there's something special about Spiritu. I think this band could go far in the underground heavy music scene. This release is a solid step forward in the right direction.