Album Review: Slowly Building Weapons - 'Nausicaa'

“Slowly Building Weapons”

is a name I have seen floating around for the last few years, but even

with the rising popularity of experimental Australian artists such as

“The Rivalry” and “A Secret Death” they don’t seem to have

reached the same kind of notoriety as their peers.  

All that will change with the release

of “Nausicaa” as SBW’s debut full length is 40 minutes of some

of the most epic, memorable and tortured music an Australian band has

put out in a very long time. 

After starting with a weird sample

and some white noise you are hit with opening tirade “Star Swallower”,

which sounds like Converge if they smoked too much weed and couldn’t

play fast anymore. This is a good thing by the way, as the song is more

intense than an evening with Johnny Depp circa “Fear And Loathing”. 

Second track “Opening And Sucking…”

has more of a punk feel to it and the layered vocals sound positively

maniacal (especially through headphones). Whilst I initially felt the

song’s clean passage killed the momentum of the first sixty seconds,

after a few listens it had become one of my favourite parts of the record. 

“Rotating Gears…” isn’t

as dense as the previous 2 tracks and has – dare I say it – a catchy

guitar riff and the speed picking through the bridge sounds great coupled

with the plodding bass line! 

With a release this strong, I

don’t see any reason why “Slowly Building Weapons” can’t move

further up the Australian metal pecking order… so spread the word!

1. Star Swallower
2. Opening And Sucking

   On Windows Of Your Fuselage

3. Rotating Gears Out

   Of The Ghost Womb

4. Codex Vaticus
5. Mechatronic
6. Intravenous Song
7. Harvest H