The Ditch and the Delta

Hailing from Utah, USA, The Ditch and The Delta have in their self-titled album the mission to redefine the concepts of sludge metal, leading us to a different perception of the genre - and, in fact, they achieved it.

Slowness doesn't mean boredom and excessive weight doesn't imply that there's a lack of technique. If on the one hand guitars don't escape much from what is sludge metal, with all those slow, heavy riffs that hover in the air until they disappear giving way to another attack, on the other the new drummer Brian Fell becomes an added value for the band with a percussion that fills all the empty spaces with constant drumming rolls fed by loud toms and cymbals, showing a powerful technique and invigorating notions of time and space.

Moving forward and still defying expectations, this band is also able to include hardcore nuances (“Exile”, “Tectonic Selves”) especially through vocals and some guitar leads, and chaotic noise because of the crackling distortion of the guitar. There's even room for a well-included bass line in “Molt”.

As for the concept of the message that The Ditch and The Delta want to convey, the lyrics offer us a depressive and desperate content with some hints of lucidity due to personal experiences, but also because they have the sensitivity of knowing they live in the darkest moment of anthropocentrism and in the heart of the Mormon community, which gives them sonic and lyrical blackness, as well as moments of anger nourished by screams and metal heaviness.

In short, what this trio intends to do to sludge metal is the same as what they intend to do to life: change, renew, improve and find encouragement to rejoice in times of hurt and bitterness.