In the Geezer Butler autobiography (Into the Void: From Birth to Black Sabbath and Beyond) Geezer remarks if it wasn’t for Tony Tommi’s factory accident where he lost the tip of his finger that resulted in the genius idea to make a thimble that led to his adoption of a different style of playing and chords, (and if Geezer himself had learned to play bass at college), Black Sabbath may have sounded far more conventional. It’s a mighty profound contemplation as to where our music world would have become/be without the riffmeister’s factory accident?
There have been many Iommi guitar worshippers over the decades and those formative years well of inspiration just never dries up and keeps on giving. Twin brothers Ryan and Elliot Cole are members of the UK’s best kept secret sludgy conjurers Desert Storm. Keepers of some very fine under the radar riffage who deserve wider appeal. Finding themselves furloughed and bored in their shared home during the pandemic, they turned their quality listening time to the first six Black Sabbath albums, as well as Elephant Tree, The Sword, Torche, High On Fire, Power Trip, Karma to Burn, Godspeed Black Emperor, and Radiohead into active inspiration. Channeling those influences into writing and then recording once society resumed at Shonk/Warehouse Studios in Oxford for a side project under the name of Wall. Brick by Brick is their debut album.
It consists largely of riff infused instrumentals, taking in post rock, stoner doom and sludge, while the brothers extend their love for Karma to Burn and Black Sabbath by covering ‘Nineteen’ and the closing ‘Electric Funeral’ respectively. The latter song is the only time vocals make an appearance. The album can’t quite shake off the scent of a side project, but its still one where the shackles are off to see where their creativity could lead them. While the journey has many pleasures, its destination though, always remains within the boundaries of their aforementioned influences.
The enjoyment of Brick by Brick will largely depend on how a whole album’s worth of stoner instrumentals (except for the Sabbath cover) are your type of beverage or not. Nonetheless, there are plenty of chugging riffs and the standouts work a treat all on their own. The High on Fire thrasher ‘Wraith of the Serpent’, plus the combination of melodic riffs, bruising power and grooves on ‘Legion’ reaches the sky with the application of some additional cowbell. Film buffs might recognise the American Beauty clip opening ’Masking My Contempt’, while ‘Avalanche’ advances with a nifty riff ’n’ roll, which once again recalls the Brummie legends. Elsewhere, the best song title award goes to ‘Fifty Donor Kebab On A Gut Full of Lager’, and it digests considerably better than the queasy song title might suggest.
As side projects go, it has served a good purpose for the minds and soul of the Cole brothers. That reason alone is good enough. But, Brick by Brick has enough highlights to be more than just for Desert Storm completists only. It also provides further proof that the duo have the means to find more nuggets deep down in the Iommi coal mine, but you still hope they don’t forget their other underrated sandy hurricane of a band.