Seum has never chosen the easy route. A sludgy Stoner Doom trio, Seum operates without a lead guitarist, relying instead on drums, bass, and vocals. And while they’re not the first to make that work (see Royal Blood for a mainstream example), they were one of the first we heard to completely forgo any sort of traditional guitar tone, as we heard in their debut album, Winterized.
Instead, Seum rides atop a towering bass, one that swings between fuzzy Stoner riffs and a sludgy wave of raucous Metal—all while vocalist Gaspard delivers his sharp, growling vocals. It’s not exactly an easy approach, but they’ve always made it work. And in their latest EP, Blueberry Cash, the band evolves even further.
A three-pack combo of songs they crafted during the Winterized writing sessions and a cover from Lord Humungus (Gaspard’s former band), Blueberry Cash showcases a band coming into their own, filing down the rough edges to offer their most accessible songwriting to date.
As a bonus, the band is going the extra mile here: For the 4/20 release, the band also dropped 10 hand-painted 10” vinyls with a “Blueberry Box”—a limited edition wooden stash box featuring the EP artwork and band logo!
About Seum
Seum is a Montreal band composed of Doom veterans. They are:
- Fred – Drums
- Gaspard – Vocals
- Piotr – Bass
All French ex-pats, the band members formerly played in Lord Humungus (Gaspard – vocals), Mlah! (Piotr – bass), and Uluun (Fred – drums).
Blueberry Cash EP Review
Release Date: April 20, 2022
Tracks: 3
Length: 13:42
Track 1 – Blueberry Cash
“Blueberry Cash” (a song we first heard on Live From the Seum-Cave) kicks off with a big, wavering bass line that, for a moment, calls to mind Sleep. But when the drums kick in, we find ourselves rooted in a bluesy Rock ‘n’ Roll—until Gaspard arrives on vocals. With his rough, screamed distortion that flows like spiked honey, the song transforms again into Seum’s brand of dark Sludge.
Near the end of the song, we hear an evolution in Seum’s sound: Although their music is written entirely with bass, drums, and vocals, there’s a small section that sounds like an electric guitar—which is something we’ll hear later in this EP as well.
Track 2 – John Flag
“John Flag” explodes out of the gate with a hip-swinging beat and Gaspard’s signature vocals. While undeniably heavy, there’s an underlying catchiness in “John Flag” that makes it fun, and that fact isn’t undercut by the complex bass sections Piotr explores on this track.
Track 3 – Hairy Muff
A cover from Lord Humungus, “Hairy Muff” is dark and heavy, even for Seum. Here, the band pushes their sound, and Gaspard’s vocals are cloaked in reverb to carry into the hectic void even further.
But after a brutal and brooding opening, the song shifts to a fun riff that would be perfect for cruising through the desert. And as with “Blueberry Cash,” we hear another faux guitar, and this one even breaks out into a short solo—a rare treat on a Seum track.
Final Thoughts On Seum’s Blueberry Cash
Final Score: 9/10
Standout Track: “Blueberry Cash”
Pros: Seum has always been a band that excels under scrutiny. Winterized was punctuated by a sort of twisted humor, and Live From the Seum-Cave was a bold live recording that captured the best tracks in the band’s catalog.
Here, Seum offers three excellent tracks while gradually evolving the Seum sound to cover a wider ground. Yes, this is still a doomy Sludge Metal band, but we see them embracing their genre’s sonic roots by occasionally slipping into the Blues and Rock ‘n’ Roll—though these moments are captured in Seum’s unique delivery—and pushing the boundaries of their bass tone.
Cons: Running under 15 minutes, this tiny EP is over as quickly as it started, especially since “Hairy Muff” spends the last minute or two exhausting its feedback. And while time isn’t as critical in an EP, it does prevent Seum from exploring its ideas a little further. “John Flag,” for example, spans less than 2:30, and it partially feels like a song cut short.
Still, Blueberry Cash is an exciting, unpredictable trip, and it’s definitely worth the listen.
How to Learn More About Seum
If you’d like to learn more about Seum, check out their Bandcamp page, subscribe to their YouTube channel, or follow them on social media (Facebook or Instagram).