this song is just perfect for halloween!
slint was an odd, but extremely influential rock band from louisville, kentucky, formed in 1986 by brian mcmahan (guitar/vocals), britt walford (drums/vocals), david pajo (guitar), and ethan buckler (bass). slint disbanded in 1991 after releasing their album spiderland due to internal tensions. they never became famous, but over the years grew a cult following for their innovative style that managed to be both minimalistic and complex, using uneven time signatures and a loud-quiet-loud dynamic.
slint’s style, which was atmospheric, tense, and jarring, proved to be a huge influence on the math rock, post-rock, and post-hardcore subgenres. in layman’s terms:
- math rock -> rock with complex time signatures and songwriting
- post-rock -> atmospheric rock
- post-hardcore -> artsy, aggressive punk
what slint excels at is building tension and release over a long period of time, without relying on typical musical conventions like crescendos and tempo. instead, they rely on driving, shifting drum beats that change time signatures when you least expect it, dissonant, ringing guitars, and emotional vocals. “Nosferatu Man”, a song from spiderland, is a great example of all of these elements working together.
first off, the time signatures. the song starts in 6/4, but the chorus is in 5/4, and the other elements are in 4/4. it’s something you don’t notice until you start counting the beats- and in effect it gives the inexplicable feeling that something is off. mcmahan’s quiet, deadpan voice narrates from the perspective of a manipulative vampire during the verses, and the song snaps to jet bursts of distortion and angry shouting in the chorus.
“Nosferatu Man” does an amazing job at building atmosphere. for all the strangeness it has, it’s surprisingly controlled. even as the song transitions from the loud choruses to the quiet verses, it never settles: it stays eerie and unpredictable until the very end. it’s a thriller from start to finish!
back to song of the week
