Local Review: The Ditch And The Delta – We Rust

The Ditch And The Delta
We Rust

Gypsy Blood Records
Street: 02.26
The Ditch And The Delta = Neurosis + Baroness

We Rust merges Elliot Secrist, Charles Bogus and Kory Quist together like an angry Voltron of SLC musicians rising from the desert waste, bringing forth their dirty stoner-prog gospel. Both Secrist and Quist share mic duties, giving the vocal landscape far more texture and nuance than usual (even if they are both screamers). Tied up among all the Sabbath-esque tones and earball-grabbing transitions is a dusty rawness to the songwriting that feels uniquely Western, almost like they’re carving out their own box canyon on the map of regional doom metal sounds. “Four Specters” was the standout track for me—I’m a sucker for the mournful, chugging foundation and faraway screams that feel more like desperation than anger. Their sound is tighter than a lot of doom/sludge out there, with shorter songs and more transitions, but it packs the same satisfying emotional punch as any 13-minute trip. –Megan Kennedy