Godhunter is a growing force in the Southwest heavy music scene, having shared the stage with bands such as St. Vitus, Crowbar, Red Fang, The Sword, Intronaut, Black Tusk, and Early Graves. An ever evolving project, the band strives to deliver more crushing music with each release. No quarter will be given. The music is raw and unforgiving, peeling the back the fake mask of progress to show the world as it really is, a truly ugly place.
"Wolves"
Recorded and Mixed by Ryan Butler (Landmine Marathon, Exhumed) at Arcane Digital Recording in Chandler, AZ
Mastered by David Shirk (Mastodon, Soilent Green) at Sonorous Mastering in Tempe, AZ
Album Personnel:
David Rodgers- Guitars, Vocals
Charlie Touseull- Vocals
Ryan "Dick" Williamson- Bass
Ryan Clark- Drums
Matthew Davis- Keyboards
Guest Vocals on "Red State/Black Crusade" and "(Dead Hooker By The Side Of) The Road" by Sean Raines
Reviews of Godhunter:
"The four previous paragraphs of vague praise devoid of unnecessary detail and/or spoilers too specific that you don't need to listen to the EP yourself should suffice. If you're a fan of any of aforementioned genres of music, metal, beards, beer, or parentheses, I imagine you'll find something to love about the "Wolves" EP. 30+ minutes of great music for five dollars is one of the better deals you'll find these days, and the bros in Godhunter deliver just that. After over a dozen listens in the past couple of weeks, I'm still finding little nuances of the album that I enjoy, and I dig the album more with each listen. That gets it into my regular rotation, and a well-deserved 8/10." -Mosh N Hops Blog
"Tucson, Arizona’s Godhunter formed in 2008 and “Wolves” is the band’s second EP. The band play a heavy, sludgy, southern doom style that is big on groove on low on fat. Opener “(Stop being) Sheep” is groovy and heavy but also has a certain sense of meditative calm to the riffs that is more Shrinebuilder than Eyehategod. “Wolves from the North” comes with a kickass groove and some very tasty bass playing that’s maybe a bit low in the mix. “Red State/ Black Crusade” initially reminded me of Alabama Thunderpussy with its southern fried groove but the second half of the song goes off into heavier territory and kicks some serious ass. “Powerbelly” is the highlight of this EP. A killer doom riff opens the song and an infectious groove and vocal line for the chorus makes it very memorable. The EP closes with “(dead hooker by the side of) The Road”. The vocalist might be channeling a bit of Phil Anselmo and it ends things on a morose and downer note. Godhunter sound remarkably self assured and there’s a maturity to the song writing that’s rare for a band only on its second EP. You could pick out their influences but there isn’t any one band that they exactly sound like. This band is well on its way to finding its own distinct voice in a crowded genre. Bring on the full length I say. 8/10: Light up a fatty and press play." -Global Domination
"I had the chance to sit down and listen to the new release "Wolves" by the Tucson Sludge/Doom band Godhunter. "Wolves" is an elevated saga of fire-eating doom, Philistine in its riffs, and merciless to your ears with astonishing heaviness. The sophomore album is a stalwart follow-up to the "Teargas EP." The album has great "flow" and bang-up production. The album breaks in on the first track (Stop being) Sheep, with its ghostly guitars, grinding away like a sword at sharpening stone. Great album opener! Godhunter does a real good job at taking their time with this track just letting it percolate like a building volcano until it explodes into the second track, Wolves of the North. I hear a lot of Black Tusk in this album. Guitarist David Rodgers brings the heavy on Wolves to the North similar to Andrew Fidler does on Black Tusk's track Redline. My favorite thing about this album is the deep fuzzy guitars. Yes, I am a gear nerd. Luckily I was fortunate to have David share his gear breakdown. So here it is F.Y.A. (For.Your.Ass) David uses a custom 100 watt WHITE running through a custom built 260 watt Emperor cabinet made out of Marine Birch with four handwired Weber 65s. Passed down like the "Spear of Destiny," traveling through the hands of its dominate victors, the WHITE Amp has moved from owner to owner. It was originally built for Mike Scheidt of Yob, Then sold to Just Godfrey of The Abominable Iron Sloth, then sold it to David, But I digress...In Red State/Black Crusade, the album really gets into the "meat and potatoes" of the album. Charlie Touseull's vocals rip through this track like a mega-ton bomb clearing whats left after the brutal waves of E.M.P-esq heavy guitars. This track is groovin'! Powerbelly takes it's inspiration from a great friend of the band, Texan Joe Dudley McCoy. The 7:40 min Powerbelly is my favorite track on the album with slow sludgy two min intro dragging along like a snake belly on the brutal Sonoran desert. The pulsing background keys and big riffs make this track. (Dead hooker by the side of) The Road is an epic album closer! 7:44 minutes of some of the finest doom around. Local blues boozer Sean Raines, of Tucson's We Killed The Union, lends his gritty, bluesy vocals on this track, and on other parts of the album. Sean's vocals can also be heard sharing the lead on Red State/Black Crusade, and the chorus of Powerbelly. I love the breakdown at the 3:33 mark, with the droning guitars and Sean chanting the "I just wanna know you're dead" doom mantra. The lead at 5:52 is perfect, nothing flashy, but sends the track over the top. To sum it up, this is a great sophomore album by the Tucson natives. If you're in need of some heavy "Wolves" is for you. Currently the band is selling their album digitally at godhunter.bandcamp.com but is also available at all the online retailers; cdbaby.com, Itunes, Rhapsody and Amazon. The band will be doing numerous dates throughout the Southwest in early 2012, so don't miss your chance to catch this rising force in the Southwestern scene. Final Score: 8/10" -Luther Von Fuzz, Axe of Contrition Blog
“Godhunter/Methra - split 10" Two doomy, sludgy heavy bands from Tucson, Arizona. Godhunter plays a heavy slow hateful sound that could be found someplace between Eyehategod and Buzzov*en with a touch more stoner rock. There are a few things that set this apart. First, the lyrics seem centered around anti-god/jesus and the unhappiness of life. Second, there are some crazy guitar solos thrown in. Methra speed it up and have more of a hardcore influence. "Big Gulp" is a slow doom track. (Acid Reflux Records)”— Mike Howes, MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL
“Some bands give a shit. About, you know, stuff. Usually about stupid shit, like girls or cars or whatever the fuck Rob Zombie moaning on about. Whoa yeah. Godhunter though, clearly, doesn't give much of a shit at all. I think the only thing they care to point out to anyone is that the world is a completely fucked up place and we're all fucking stuck here until we die. So fuck you, deal with it. That, in a friggin' nutshell, is Godhunter. Put a mirror up to society and see it reflected in their misanthropic lyrics that are screamed at you at high volume, or in their completely wonderfully nihilistic live shows. Watch out for flying guitars. You have been warned. A lot of bands suck. This one doesn't. Make it a point to give them a listen!”— Satan's Left Hand, Lucifer's Press
"The Sonoran Desert is a cruel, harsh and unforgiving mistress. The music made by the Tucson band Godhunter perfectly embodies these qualities. They blend equal parts thrash, sludge and doom, then temper them under the unrelenting desert sun. The final result is a symphony of scorched earth, an opus in self abuse, apathy and rebellion. They may wear their hearts and influences on their sleeves, but the music is still incredibly honest. This isn't a death of a thousand tiny cuts. This feels like being dried out to a hollow husk under unforgiving skies. These guys are easily one of the most promising bands to come out of Tucson, perhaps the entire Southwest, in quite a while..."— Jesse Venoe, Lost Highways
Read more...