As a lover of all things in the world of heaviness, there’s nothing that can compare to some well done sludge metal that manages to be more than a simple slab of heavy riffs and some screaming to really put a bow on the work as a whole. Even if the material in question is far more straight-forward than some crazy work from the likes of big names like Neurosis, it can still make for an insanely good time as we get a fascinating blend of undeniable heaviness adorned with a true plethora of hooks that really bring the melody to the forefront while never once compromising in its unrelenting presence. Seum has become known for bringing that exact kind of sludge forward with their performance up to now really showing us how potent it can be, and it’s as they persevere in the crafting of their upcoming full-length that they’re gracious enough to drip-feed us just a little bit more of that very excellence.

Just three tracks long, “Blueberry Cash” is almost painfully short. This is one of those bands with a rising reputation that’s far more than warranted with the overall performance of last year’s “Winterized” rightfully bringing plenty of new eyes and ears to the project, including my own, with plenty interested in what else Seum can bring to the table. As we wait, though, it’s with this EP that we get two tracks that didn’t make the final cut for “Winterized” as well as a cover of a song from the singer’s previous band. Now, that could easily sound like a cop-out as it’s always preferable to get brand new, non-recycled material on any new release from any band, but don’t you dare let that make you think that Seum is taking the easy way out with “Blueberry Cash” as if any of the 13-minutes of the EP are anything less than quality that wouldn’t help sate the appetite of anyone wanting more from Seum, even if it’s just a little bit. It’s the subtle follow-up that we could only as for after the potent album that we got last year with this very much feeling like a flavorful epilogue that’s all but immensely fitting for this band with these three tracks certainly having more than enough to hold us over as we wait for that next full-length from Seum that, surely, will be set upon by listeners like starving vultures wandering the desert.

A brief offering like this always reminds us to appreciate the fuller, more realized albums whenever they come around with even a small work like this really highlighting what’s awesome about Seum in the first place with this EP being a true best-case scenario for what it could be and could ever possibly bring to the table. “Blueberry Cash” is but a mere peek behind the curtains for what Seum is capable of, and I can only encourage patience as this does naught but wet the pallette for the performance that’s sure to follow it in the hopefully near future.

“Blueberry Cash” releases on April 20th!

LISTEN to Seum on Bandcamp here.

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