An EP that packs a Double-Wide punch

BACK in the land that time forgot there were wee things called LPs. These were long playing records; vinyl records, 12 inches in diameter that played on a mystical 'deck' with a needle calling forth the sweet sounds of metal. Bands also released 7 inch singles. Occassionally when they wanted to pack more in they releaseed an EP - standing for 'extended play'.

There were also rarer beasts called 'mini-albums' with more tracks than an EP and less than a full album.

When Double-Wide's latest offering landed with a heavy thud on the doormat, the postman staggering away having shed himself of the heaviness, your editor here was expecting maybe four tracks; a sampling of where the groove merchants after their 18-Wheels Of Misery offering.

Well slap my face with a wet kipper and consign my soul to the torment of heaven, but the Heavy Oil EP crams in five full tracks and a two-minute instrumental - almost 30 minutes of monstrous sounds.

With the kick of a diseased mule to the balls the trio lay down a mighty sound. Southern metal influences like Pantera are there, but this Northern Ireland act have carved out a sound, marking them out as well worth some ear-battering.

Opener Roll On sets the riff-heavy tone, before Not Broken rips up the playbook, heads go down and hair goes a-flying - yep traditional headbanging approach needed for listening to this. And lyrically it asks a few pointed questions...

Title track sticks to the Double-Wide no nonsense approach; riff-tastic!

But this mini-album is not wthout its subtelty. Seven Roads to Hell claims the prize for a slow-burning potential live classic, while the acoustic version of Dead River tears up pre-conceptions with a deft touch and a tale worth telling.

Overall this mini-album, sprry EP, lays down a template for success. It is not without its flaws, not least a mix that puts the high end, especially the cymbals too bright at the expense of the vocals. Leave that aside, crank it like your ears deserve a treat and rock along like a smackhead with two speeballs and hyperactive metal glands. Heavy Oil? Best enjoyed loud, best enjoyed with Jack Action and several beer chasers!

For this EP we took a vote here at Metal Towers, and the result of the vote...one big HELL YEAH for Double-Wide