King Giant

Hailing from Pimmit Hills, VA, King Giant's deep Southern roots permeate Dismal Hollow. The crisp, fried guitar tone resists the weight of sludge. The record has a great sense of groove, an almost doomy lilt to the guitar riffs. Todd Ingram's leads are particularly fine, heading the charge during an up-tempo barrage or slowing down to a solemn dirge. Dave Hammerly's vocals snag and catch, a throaty drawl that often resolves into a defiant shout. Dismal Hollow is rooted deeply in the American, Appalachian South, both in terms of sound and also subject matter. Opening track, and one of the record's strongest, "Appomattox" is named after the location where the Confederate army negotiated their surrender at the end of the Civil War. Dismal Hollow is steeped in defiance and shame, alternating between plaintive, defeated guitar lines and resistant martial drumming. It's a rich and moving record, full of heat, molasses and blood.