Vermilion Whiskey: Crimson & Stone

Formed in 2010 from Lafayette, Louisiana, southern-fried-stoner outfit Vermilion Whiskey take their name mostly from the Vermilion River which runs through Lafayette Parish. Though not the most prolific of bands, Crimson & Stone marks their third release and first since 2017.

The music here mostly consists of mid-paced, stoner-sludge riffs with gritty and melodic, bellowed vocals. Nothing is flashy or technical, just a lot of chunky, fuzzed-out grooves. I also like the cover art and find a blacksmith hammering away to be an appropriate representation of the music. Conceptually, each song tells part of the story of what has made VW the band and what their fans have grown to love about them.

However, my enjoyment of this album is primarily backloaded. The first half (tracks 1-5) kind of bleed together in terms of variety. "Down On You" is a decent rocker that kicks off the album after a brief intro. "The Get Down" and "Confidence" are more of the same and a bit generic. "Good Lovin’ " gives me vibes of what ZZ Top in a gator boat would sound like. Nothing bad here, just a bit too much swamp water from the same well.

"Interlude" starts to change the course. It begins as a mellow that eventually gathers steam to culminate to a slow-banging power driver. "Dissonance" comes across as the epic of the album and possibly my favorite track. I liked the vocal melody throughout along with the emotional atmosphere they impart. "Atrophy" keeps the momentum and delivers the heaviest song on offer. Great driving rhythm with sharply hitting chords that weave their way to a slow-stuck in quicksand-conclusion. "Hollow" ends the album nicely. Heavy, up-tempo with some cool lead work going on. Again, nothing technical, but great melody and atmosphere.

My biggest complaint concerns the audio samples. There are too many of them (one in almost every song) and I found them all to be tacky and take away from the vibe instead of enhancing it.

Overall, there are a lot of good grooves and swampy riffs here. Despite some early monotony (which still contains some solid material) this album ends with a string of tracks I thoroughly enjoyed. A solid effort from Dem Bayou Boys!

Favorite Tracks:
Dissonance, Atrophy, Hollow, Interlude, Good Lovin’

Lineup:
Thaddeus Riordan (vocals: lead; guitar: rhythm)
Ross Brown (guitar: lead)
Jason Decou (bass guitar; vocals)

Guest/Session:
Tommy Buckley (Crowbar/Soilent Green) (studio drums)

Additional Credits:
Vermilion Whiskey (music)
Thaddeus Riordan (lyrics & vocal arrangements)
Steven Yoyada (artwork)
Duane Simoneaux & Wade Perkins (produced)
Duane Simoneaux & Ross Brown (engineered)
Recorded at OCD Recording & Production (NOLA) & 10 South Productions (Lafayette, LA)
Mixed by OCD Recording & Production (NOLA)
Mastered by Alan Douches of West West Side Music (New York)

Release Date: May 26, 2023
Label: 10 South Productions
Length: 41m 10s (9 tracks)

Track Listing:

1. Intro (Instrumental) [0:30]
2. Down On You [4:49]
3. The Get Down [6:20]
4. Confidence [3:57]
5. Good Lovin’ [5:24]
6. Interlude (Instrumental) [3:42]
7. Dissonance [6:14]
8. Atrophy [4:35]
9. Hollow [5:39]

Added: July 5th 2023
Reviewer: David Kern
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 612
Language: english

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