Begin The De-Machofication...

As the sparse light of late winter signals the rising of the fauna, the minor subterraneans scurry at the feet of an awakened behemoth-- new to us, but seemingly older than the damp hills which held it dormant. Its name is Cull...

Yes, it is another gift from the musical birth machine of Portland, Oregon. And I promise I am not just posting Cull's new CD because Jacqui has been kind enough to comment here in the past and might be one of the cooler people on the planet. This post comes mostly from my sincere love for all things darkly metallic and crusty, and from my new and instantaneous appreciation for this band. The tendency to compare slow and heavy bands to Neurosis is a bit tired, so I'll choose some newer candidates with regard to Cull. The overall experience reminds me of the dissonant guitar cavortings of another new favorite, Agrimonia, as well as the deep and blackened forays of melancholia explored by Asunder. The three tracks are long, but are in no way indulgent, nor will you find yourself consigning them to "background music." The songwriting is entirely too inveigling for that, as are the scathing and bewitching screams that punctuate its urgency. So, what shall we label Cull? As you can see from the tags below, such an enterprise is neither easy, nor necessary. I can imagine fans of "progressive metal" claiming them, but I can also foresee a fair number of modern crusties lured into the fray (especially fans of the more epic bands like Remains of the Day, Fall Of Efrafa, Wake Up On Fire, etc.). Basically, if the harmonious melding of beauty and ugliness is what you seek, you can add the name Cull to your personal repository.

The Cull CD (mp3)

The Cull CD (m4a)

This is what you could/should do to support Cull:

- Go see them on tour next month (and buy the CD!)
- Become myspace "friends" with Cull
- Comment here on how much you like Cull
-Bloggers: post this CD!
-If you run a label, offer to release the vinyl version