Review from HELLBOUND.CA (December, 2011):
Hotel Wrecking City Traders & Gary Arce 12” LP
A two-song, 12” EP with ten minutes of music on each side, pairing two-man Aussie noise rockers Hotel Wrecking City Traders with Yawning Man/Brant Bjork riffmeister Gary Arce—this has potential, indeed.
A Side “Coventina’s Cascade” starts off in mellow psych territory, some lush, rolling riffs above a hard-hitting backbeat. The percussive pace picks up, though there still isn’t much urgency in the riffs, the super-clean tones belying a more intense attack. You know, this kinda reminds me of that OGOD (Over-Gain Optimal Death) band I saw open for Acid Mothers Temple a couple years back—if not a little bit of AMT themselves.
B Side “Traverse of the Oxen” starts off a little like its predecessor—minus the pounding percussion, mind you, which takes a little bit longer to come in. From there, it kinda goes to a darker place, the riffage thick and chunky, creating a more menacing feel. This tune sounds like it belongs on A Storm of Light’s latest, of which I’m a pretty big fan.
All in all, it’s a pretty cool post-metal release.
RATING: 7.5
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