Spirit In The Room is the brainchild of Louisiana-born and Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Dennis R. Sanders. He has a brand new five track EP `Flamingo` out this month on which he has provided vocals, bass, synth, and guitar. He was assisted by Kevin Sepriano on guitar, Phillip Bailey on drums and percussion with some additional guitarwork by Manny Nieto.
We are introduced to `Flamingo` with `If You Must` a slow burn with a sleazy grungy texture that has blistering guitar riffs on route and feels as if it`s about to explode but manages to restrain itself. It seems to express the dangers of an all-consuming relationship. We have grinding guitar riffs accompanying the screaming vocal delivery on `My Body/My Blood` which is a cracking unremitting unrelenting aural assault. A number that may refer to hitting the bottom due to possible substance abuse. Nevertheless it`s a blistering heavy garage come industrial metal banger.
The wonderfully titled `The Bird Of Paradise Alights Only Upon The Hand That Does Not Grasp` has a heavy duty riff running throughout and an electronic synth like beat shared occasionally. The lyrics were beyond me but I loved the edgy melodic vibe of the track, which had some quite captivating harmonies in the latter section. There was a sort of confrontational feel about `Venting` not only in it`s challenging musical delivery but in its lyrical content.
`I Used To Be A Machine` closes out this extended play with blistering crashing guitar riffs and shrieking quite vociferous vocals trying to compete. Around the half way mark it becomes much more sedate but retains that underlying tension before almost exploding in the last thirty seconds.
The singer has shared that these songs came out of his fluid or unstable living arrangements post the pandemic, so I can understand the sense of paranoia and emotion conveyed at times throughout these compositions. If you like your hard rock with a tinge of industrial and grunge running through it, Spirit In the Room will be the answer to your prayers while also giving you some potentially hallucinogenic nightmares.
Rating 8/10
