Slow Mass sounds like the moment a storm cloud finally breaks. Their music is built on a foundation of restless energy, moving between skeletal, clean guitar passages and massive walls of distorted sound. There is a distinct midwestern grit to their production, favoring a warm, live feel that makes the sudden shifts in volume feel physical and immediate.
What truly sets them apart is the interplay between Dave Collis and Mercedes Webb. Their vocals often weave around each other in a way that feels more like a conversation than traditional lead and backing roles. Musically, they borrow the precision of math rock and the raw emotional weight of 90s post-hardcore, but they apply it to songs that feel spacious and experimental.
Start with their 2018 album On Watch. It is the definitive statement of their sound, showcasing their ability to balance intricate melodicism with crushing, noisy crescendos. It is an ideal entry point for anyone who likes their rock music to be both intellectually stimulating and emotionally taxing.
Shares post-hardcore, noise rock, alternative rock (subgenres); basement show, urban night, solitude (atmosphere)
Shares tense, restless, cathartic (moods); basement show, urban night, solitude (atmosphere)
Shares analog warmth, dynamic range, live recording (production style); noise rock, post-hardcore, slowcore (subgenres)
Shares post-hardcore, noise rock, alternative rock (subgenres); dynamic range, analog warmth, live recording (production style)
Shares dynamic range, analog warmth, layered dense (production style); post-hardcore, noise rock, alternative rock (subgenres)
Shares tense, restless, cathartic (moods); basement show, urban night, solitude (atmosphere)
Shares dynamic range, analog warmth, layered dense (production style); basement show, urban night, solitude (atmosphere)
Shares post-hardcore, noise rock, slowcore (subgenres); tense, restless, cathartic (moods)
Shares analog warmth, dynamic range, live recording (production style); basement show, urban night, solitude (atmosphere)
Shares dynamic range, analog warmth, layered dense (production style); basement show, urban night, solitude (atmosphere)
Shares noise rock, slowcore, post-hardcore, cathartic (signature)
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