Wovenhand

Over the past decade, Wovenhand has delivered many an intense show as a trio fronted by David Eugene Edwards. While some of the band’s previous six recorded efforts wrangle a fair amount of that visceral energy, none come as close to capturing it as The Laughing Stalk, the act’s heaviest release to date. As a threesome, Edwards and company had no trouble creating muscular music fueled by Ordy Garrison’s Native American tom beats, but with a new lineup, which includes guitarist Chuck French of Git Some, bassist Gregory Garcia and organist Jeffery Linsenmeier, the sound is fuller and more dense, particularly on the opener, “Long Horn,” and on powerful cuts such as “In the Temple” and “King O King.”