Brothers of the Sonic Cloth

Tad Doyle hinted at his project Brothers of the Sonic Cloth with a two-song demo and a track on a split 10-inch waaaay back in 2009 before finally releasing this self-titled LP. In musical terms, it's an eternity. Of course, that's nothing compared to the 14-year gap that preceded Doyle's most notable musical contribution, the heavy grungers TAD, who wore out their welcome back in 1995. Brothers of the Sonic Cloth makes up for lost time in a big way. Big. Remnants from TAD are stuck to the Brothers' (and sister, bassist Peggy Doyle) sonic sludge, but this thing is an entirely different beast. Opener “Lava” is pure metal fury, with riffs chugging and heaving under Doyle's lumberjack bellow. BotSC aren't necessarily breaking new ground, as much as they are keeping one foot firmly planted on the permasoaked ground of Pacific Northwest rock. There's a glacial chill that runs through the record's taut seven songs. The eight-minute “Unnamed” serves as the centerpiece and mission statement—pinned to the table with a bloody dagger—as an eerie opening acoustic chimes in the distance before being consumed by waves of molten metal. Brothers of the Sonic Cloth is unrelenting, and probably the heaviest thing Doyle has done. It's heavier than most other things as well.