Heavy, a bit screamy, slightly psychadelic and frequently slow, Dead Confederate are a five-piece from Athens, Georgia. Their songs here on Wrecking Ball live up to the album's title - they're big, bulky blunt instruments designed to pummel the listener into submission. Rarely do they conclude before the five-minute mark, in fact the turgid, sludgy nature of these songs is the main criticism I'd level at the album. "Flesh Coloured Canvas", for example, is an absolute monstrosity - twelve minutes of music in which barely a moment stands out, it's merely a gargantuan sloth of sustained menace, rather than the rampaging rock beast Dead Confederate frequently sound able to conjure.It's when the band are being more restrained - and, crucially, focused - that they score their genuine successes. It's always slightly disconcerting when a sticker on an album shows off the presence of one particular song, as my copy did with "The Rat", but thankfully that song is excellent, a slightly spacey meditiation on death with throbbing drums, pained vocals, and an XXL serving of repressive atmosphere. "You live inside of your Jesus dream... bang bang." Whilst very different, "It Was A Rose" is similarly interesting and accomplished. Starting off with one of the quietest sections on the whole album, starting a quiet/loud cycle that forms much of the song. The band's aforementioned pained, tortured vocals may out some off, but personally I quite like them - they're in keeping with the music.I'm less fond of the woozy, sluggish and painfully long instrumentals found throughout the album, even on the better tracks. Songs like "The News Underneath" and "Flesh Coloured Canvas" are sunk entirely under their weight - they represent a kind of musical aimlessness which, combined with the unremittingly heavy and slow nature of the band's music, can make the album extremely tiring within quite a short time. At 57 minutes, the entirety of the album is quite a challenge to listen to.Wrecking Ball is worth a look for fans of the genre - if you like long, pendulous psych-rock jams, there's a lot to like here - but for most of us, Wrecking Ball is a gruelling experience. 48%