Khemmis to Release 7″ Split with Spirit Adrift

Oh, shit! Fans of doomy, spacey, desert riffs better start rejoicing, because Khemmis (currently one of my favorite doom bands) and Spirit Adrift (a band I’ve admittedly heard of but never really listened to until today) have a new split coming out called Fraught with Peril. The concept behind the release is actually really interesting, too. The groups are taking some popular Southern folk tracks and making them their own, with Khemmis performing “A Conversation with Death” and Spirit Adrift taking the helm on the iconic tune, “Man of Constant Sorrow.”

Here’s the official release info:

Doomed rock ‘n’ rollers Khemmis and psychedelic desert riffers Spirit Adrift have joined forces for a tribute to Southern folk music in the form of a split 7” entitled Fraught with Peril. Khemmis has transformed “A Conversation with Death,” an early 20th-century Appalachian dirge, into a sludgy, sorrowful contemplation of mortality; meanwhile, Spirit Adrift’s interpretation of the classic “Man of Constant Sorrow” boasts soaring harmonies and Neil Young-inspired guitar leads.

The physical  7″ wax has a number of different pre-order options, including black, red, and opaque. Each order will also include a digital copy. The split is set to release on June 16th via War Crime Recordings and you can get the split via Bandcamp here or directly from the War Crimes site here.

I’ve embedded some of the most popular renditions of both tracks for you listening pleasure below: