SALEM'S POT - Ego Trip b/w Yer Doom

Ego Trip is the latest in a string of recent records from Sweden's Salem's Pot. Their debut full-length Lurar ut dig på prärien didn't leave my turntable for weeks. It was claustrophobic, creepy, and just a generally awesome record (which I reviewed on Halifax Collect). If you're going into Ego Trip thinking you'll be getting another "Dr. Death" or Sweeden... You'll be surprised at what Salem's Pot has up it's sleeve. Both tracks are the shortest they've done but that doesn't mean they don't pack a punch. The title track is probably their catchiest yet. The slow doomy crawl is replaced by a much quicker pace with serious riffs. They waste zero time, immediately throwing the listener into a trippy atmosphere. Even with the unusually short track length, there's no filler. "Ego Trip" really hits it's stride around the two minute mark. It sounds repetitive, but those riffs... So good.

"Yer Doom" is over too soon, coming in at under three minutes. Put simply, it's like a spaced out country jam that sounds like nothing the band has done. Salem's Pot is one of those bands that I try and wait to hear on vinyl first rather than an mp3 so when I put Ego Trip on, "Yer Doom" definitely caught me a bit by surprise. Even with the prominent harmonica, it still has that level of uneasiness and creepiness that makes me enjoy the band so much. It could be the soundtrack to an acid trip spaghetti western.

Riding Easy put both tracks up on their soundcloud page so you can check them out and this is still available in the label's store. If it's anything like the split with Windhand then these won't last long. Support a great label instead of dealing with inflated prices on eBay down the line.

Ego Trip sees Salem's Pot tread into new territory but if this is foreshadowing the future, count me in. [Riding Easy Records]