Wolfhand, 'Fool's Gold'

(Self-released, digital)

Burlington rockers Wolfhand kick off their latest EP, Fool’s Gold, with a slow, churning slice of doom. On “Stagecoach,” guitarist Dave Mahan and keyboardist Mike Fried settle into a seriously heavy riff, riding drummer Adam Wolinsky and bassist Nick Wood’s steady, almost ominous groove.

Not your typical doom-metal act, Wolfhand represent a strange deviation, incorporating elements of psych and post-rock into their massive sound. On songs such as “Dust,” the band layers weeping pedal steel over a dirgelike chord progression, creating a swirling soundscape of building tension.

Wolfhand’s strength is in their restraint. The heaviness of their songs is palpable, but you can also feel how ardently the band holds it at bay with hanging notes and dark tones, letting open space do most of the work. They don’t need a bellowing vocalist or screaming guitar solos (though the ripper on “Stagecoach” is nothing to sneeze at) to convey their power.

Stream Fool’s Gold at wolfhandvt.bandcamp.com.