Sofa King Killer
Stout-soaked Songs (Demo) 2000 No Label
This demo cd, that consists of eight tracks, was a pleasant surprise for me. Sofa King Killer plays a modern, groovy kind of stoner doom metal combining hateful, screamed vocals that remind one of Eyehategod and heavy, groovy guitar riffs drenched in the old Sabbath tradition, but with a production that holds to modern day standards. Heavy tracks like 'So was red' and 'The world is a better place without you' are alternated with up-tempo songs like 'Cajun lady'. Groovy riffs that remind of bands like Black Sabbath, Sleep and Electric Wizard, create an energetic, albeit heavy atmosphere which is certainly going to be appreciated by stoner fans but maybe also by other doom fans who can digest a lot of groove and vocals that tend to hardcore in their heavy mix. I for one, although I mostly prefer doom death, was positively surprised by the energy and power that the music of those guys emanates. The quality of the compositions is great, the production is outstanding and some samples that are occasionally used are very amusing. I don't see any reasons why this band should stay unsigned. If you are interested in the band, surf to their website, www.stonerrock.com/sofakingkiller/, or send an email to sofakingkiller@cuteandcuddly.com	1. Take me up on that 2. So was red 3. Cajun lady 4. Fearless shadow 5. Backdoor thang 6. Neris 7. The world is a better place without you 8. One more for the road Approx. 39 minutes
Reviewed by: Kostas Panagiotou
Lust Crime and Holiness (Mcd) 2002 At a Loss Recordings
Some time ago I received Sofa King Killer’s first demo ‘Stout-soaked songs’ for review. I remember being quite impressed with this demo and I predicted that it would get them a label deal sooner or later. And here I am about two years later, reviewing this band’s MCD ’Lust crime and holiness’ released by At a loss recordings! The MCD finds the band with new material, which is provided with a crystal-clear production and more unique and diverse compositions than its predecessor. The heavy, sludgy sound of this quintet is complemented by excellent bluesy (or dare I say country-style?) acoustic intermezzo’s that are way cool. Coincidence or not, the German traditional doomsters Shepherd, another promising groove doom band, have similar relaxed intermezzo’s. Fortunately the band did not abandon their witty song titles, groovy songs and hateful vocals that made their previous effort so enjoyable. My only complaint about this MCD is that it’s actually too short and just as you start enjoying it as listener, it’s over and you need to repress the play button. But I guess many a music fan would agree that this is hardly a criticism in an age characterized by mass consumerism, endless cloning of the genre’s icons and an overload of mediocre albums. Band contact: sofakingkiller@cuteandcuddly.com Distribution: www.stickfiguredistro.com	1. Die Like an Astronaut 2. Blues Couch 3. CLE 4. Burn the Fields Approx. 21 minutes
Reviewed by: Kostas Panagiotou