Erick Serna And The Killing Floor is a one-man-band that crosses between the Black Keys and old-school Southern Rock. The songs have a lot of distorted guitar and heavy bass lines. Along with that they add elements of bluegrass, country, and southern rock into all of this to make a truly unique sound.
The Grip is an incredible compilation of songs. Some songs will sound country, others will sound heavy, and others will sound indie. You truly never know what to get with these guys, but no matter what it is, its awesome.
I didn’t know what to expect when I was told to listen to them. What I got is the farthest thing from what I expected, though. The self-titled track, “The Grip,” starts the album off with a fantastic mix of different genres. It felt like I was listening to the Black Keys with a southern twang. I had never heard anything more unique and perfect in my life.
“I’ve Been Walking” is a bass heavy song that is slow and quiet. It is a simple song with complicated guitar fills. As the song progresses, though, it builds up into a loud jam of a song, and at the end it goes back to the jazzy, mellow, bass-heavy song it was at the beginning. This song is a great song to just drive and bob your head to.
The album closes out with a slow, sing-along song called “Dear McKenzie.” This song is a change from the rest of the album. It is melodic, soft, and vocal heavy. The instrumentation is still impeccable, though.
With Erick Serna And The Killing Floor, you never know what to get. The Black Keys, George Thorogood, Alice In Chains, or straight up southern rock. It is fantastic and as unique as anything I’ve ever heard. These guys are going places, too. They shared the stage with Circa Survive this October at The Starland Ballroom in Sayreville. I recommend people go online and download “The Grip” from Erick Serna’s website because it is a great and engaging listen.
For more information on Erick Serna and the Killing Floor check out their Bandcamp, Facebook, and Twitter pages.