IF ONLY WE COULD FOLLOW THEM THERE: THE ATLAS MOTH GO FORTH AMONGST THE WEED FIELDS

Chicago dark-n’-crusty sludge/doomsters The Atlas Moth, a really good band I’ve slowly gotten hip to over the past couple of years, are releasing a digital-only covers EP this fall that promises to be pretty darn sweet. Titled The One Amongst the Weed Fields, it contains darkened renditions of “California Dreamin’” (The Mamas & The Papas), “Fearless” (Pink Floyd), “Golden” (Failure), and “Five to One” (The Doors). That Failure cover is currently streaming over at Stereogum, so you should definitely check that out, but the one I’m most excited to hear is “Fearless.” Long-time readers of this site should know I’m a huge Floyd freak, and I’ve always thought “Fearless” was ripe for a metal re-interpretation.

Guitarist/vocalist Stavros’ explains, “we have been thinking about doing a covers EP for a while. Thirteen-hour drives with only a radio to entertain you eventually takes a toll. But every once in a while we’d hear a song pop up that would strike us as something we all wanted to make into a ‘Moth song. These are the few we came up with from a terribly long list, and we are pretty proud of the outcome. It was a great way to have some fun, produce something new, and do a little pre-production for our new album which we hope to record later this year.” I’ve always liked the idea of metal bands doing non-metal covers (save ironic ones) because, like side-projects, they provide a glimpse into the band’s influences outside of the metal sphere.

Color me very excited to hear this album. That Mamas & Papas cover should definitely be interesting, and of course I can’t wait to hear “Fearless.” The One Amongst the Weed Fields comes out on September 28th via Candlelight Records.

-VN