Weakling

Weakling was an odd band, one that might be relegated to forgettable footnote save for the fact that their brief history makes for interesting reading, and because their one album is quite good. Formed in the late 90's in San Francisco and featuring numerous members from local bands (among them the Fucking Champs), the quintet rehearsed in private for a couple of years, very rarely played live, recorded an album, and quietly disbanded before the album was even released. Evidently making a name for themselves was not the goal, as there are reports telling of improbable tales such as releasing a single copy of the album and simply giving it to someone in Europe, or of burying copies in the ground and distributing maps to find them (!). Again, all of this would be academic except that the album, Dead As Dreams, is actually quite impressive. Clearly a tribute to the Norwegian old school black metal scene, the album slots perfectly in the old Burzum or Immortal mold, while at the same time avoiding any cloning or rehashing of old riffs by somehow putting their own unique stamp on the songs. With only five songs covering 76 minutes, there is plenty of room for drawn-out song structures to develop, with vocals on the sparse side (John Gossard doing a decent Varg impression, quite tortured vocals these are) and tempos ranging from the occasional blast beat to slower, semi-atmospheric interludes. Though far from the most well-known of albums, Dead As Dreams is an essential addition to a black metal collection.

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Discography

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