The Best Band in Delaware is Sloss
Back in August we asked you to help us find the best unsigned bands in America. After listening to hundreds of submissions, we’ve finally narrowed down our pick for the “Hi, I’m in Delaware” state. The best band in Delaware is a one man noise project called Sloss.
Your judges went hunting for metal in Delaware and ended up with something completely unexpected.
Sloss was originally started as a one-man instrumental death metal project (with vocals added later). You can check out his older work here. To be quite honest, it doesn’t do much for me. There are interesting ideas at work but the execution is lacking. Fortunately, Sloss (a man named Patrick from Milton, Delaware) has recently moved on to greener pastures with fantastic results.
In late August, Sloss released a 3-way split with similar ambient noise projects Ghost Beds and (endlight). According to the man, “I got bored with guitar and metal, so I wrote some dark ambient/noise stuff for fun… It’s only 6 minutes worth of material from Sloss, but the three songs are about a person going out for their normal swim and drowning.”
Take six minutes out of your day and listen to this very short song cycle. Listen to the subtle metal influences. Feel the water fill your lungs. It’s not anything that will make you bang your head. It’s not anything that will test your eardrums or patience. These songs are far more sinister.
Here’s what our judges had to say:
Christian Molenaar: Let’s be real here: Delaware has a dearth of good bands. Can you name a single Delawarean (that’s a word, I guess) musician from memory? George Thorogood? I think that’s it. This state is pretty flushworthy, so it’s a pleasant surprise to see something like Sloss popping up. Sloss seems most at home busting out riff after riff of the chunky death metal purveyed by their Furnace EP, but he really shines when he slows down to craft intricate, unsettling spacey drones as heard on their split with (endlight) and ghostbeds. To borrow a phrase from Snakefinger, “afterwards it’s like a dream. You can’t remember but it seems to stay alive inside your mind and prey upon your leisure time.”
W.: Sloss is a one-man noise project that originally produced metal tracks. The dark aesthetic and tangible heft of the previous metal leanings are still present, but now they manifest in a unique and ugly fashion. Pulsating drum rhythms batter while the sounds of rushing water pull you into a maelstrom of woe. This isn’t heavy in the typical sense but remains crushingly bereft of light.
Masterlord SteelDragon: Here’s something I never thought I’d say: I think it was a good move for this guy to stop playing metal and start making noise. There’s really not a whole lot of material to go off with only three short songs on Sloss’ split with Ghost Beds and (endlight), but it’s unsettling, it’s dark, and it’s interesting. Which is something I rarely say about noise. More of this stuff, Mr. Sloss.
Honorable Mentions:
Guilt – Formerly known as For Centuries, Guilt put out beatdown hardcore for mean kids. Check em on Facebook.
Scripted Youth – Your Editor in Chief has been circle pitting in his living room since finding this band. Here’s their Facebook.
The Toilet ov Hell is on an absurd quest to find the best unsigned band in each state of this glorious union. The purpose? To shine the spotlight on bands that deserve more exposure. Also, we’re going to determine once and for all the greatest state in the nation. Each state winner is decided by a collection of 25 judges. After we’ve announced the winner of each state, we’re gonna throw them all in a winner-take-all bracket and leave the votes up to you. Who will be the best unsigned band in the United States? Which state is superior? We can’t wait to find out.
Previous winners:
Alabama — Phylum
Alaska — Terraform
Arizona – Take Over And Destroy
Arkansas – Torii
California – Destroy Judas
Colorado – The Sleer
Connecticut – Autumn’s Eyes
