For a band with a reputation for a colossal sounding live show, the first thing about Shooting Guns’ second psychedelic doom opus ‘Brotherhood Of The Ram’ that grabs you isn’t its heaviness, but the pure grime and grit that emanates from its vinyl grooves. Then again, bucking trends seems to fit this instrumental quintet well: their self-released debut ‘Born To Deal In Magic: 1952-1976’ was nominated for the Polaris Music Prize (Canada’s equivalent of the Mercury), and ‘Brotherhood’ sold out its first pressing instantly.

“The tracks dictated volume and filth,” explains guitarist Chris Laramee. “When I got the test pressing home, I thought there was something wrong with my stereo. I’d also dropped it in the road before I got it home. The mastered version was dirtier than the final mixes, which is always a pleasant surprise. The material at hand deserved a rough slap and we gave it as big a shot as possible.”

Based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, in the middle of the Great Plains and far removed from any like-minded scene, Shooting Guns’ isolation, along with an obsession with doom, psychedelic rock, krautrock and space rock, has yielded a unique hybrid sound, which Laramee is quick to point out is … Read More