Back From Tour and Heavier Than Usual, Miami's Holly Hunt Comes to Sweat Records

Chugging along is one way of putting it. It sounds sluggish and lethargic, but it’s way more positive than that. It’s actually the only way to describe the continued success of local sludge band Holly Hunt. In six years releasing limited editions of vinyl, the group has built a considerable following.

Composed of drummer Beatriz Monteavaro and guitarist Gavin Perry, the band takes a minimalist approach to sludge-doom metal that ranks up there with historic acts such as Cavity and Floor. Indeed, Monteavaro had a hand in those bands.

After being on the road with Crud, Holly Hunt is raring to return to Miami and bring a bookend to the tour at Sweat Records — an experience Perry is looking forward to after an incident with a sound guy on the road who couldn’t handle their level. They also have a new slab of wax that was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Rat Bastard at his Dan Hosker Studio in Miami Beach and released by Sonic Titan.

“The recent experience with Rat was a learning experience,” Perry says. “He of us and us of him and his plethora of gear. It's as close as I've come to a traditional producer/artist relationship in the studio. Left feeling very stoked on the results and feel exceedingly confident going forward with him on our next project.”

The new 12-inch single “The Wait”/”Bowling Green” is a 45 rpm scorcher that turns every bit of their intent into mantric meditation. There’s a psychedelic undertone that helps in flux, but there’s still a solid sense of rhythm and rocking that propels the effort.

“We really liked the idea of being able to push the frequency range of vinyl for this release,” Monteavaro says. “Like in the '80s with the 12-inch singles that were made specifically for DJs to play at clubs — they were able to cut the grooves really deep and record the music with extra gain. It provides great low end and a subtle, pushed analog distortion.”

This release and tour were all about speed. After Crud’s original touring mate from Saint Petersburg dropped out, Holly Hunt took its place and still turned the demoing sessions they were doing with Rat into a finalized product. “Well, we didn't take six months to decide whether we were going to release them or not, for one,” Monteavaro confesses. “We recorded them a lot faster than we have before.”

Both are enthusiastic about the tour and are especially vocal over the camaraderie built on the road and the positive experiences and encouragement they received. After devastating the majority of the Eastern seaboard, they’re happy to announce they’ll give it to Oakland and Los Angeles in October.

In the meantime, the duo is back in Miami and ready to rupture your eardrums.

Holly Hunt and Crud
7 p.m. Saturday, June 3, at Sweat Records, 5505 NE Second Ave., Miami; 786-693-9309; sweatrecordsmiami.com. Admission is free.