Formed in Chapel Hill, NC, the Curtains of Night take sludge/doom and distill it down to its simplest elements. The duo, made up of guitarist and vocalist Nora Rodgers and drummer Lauren Fitzpatrick, stick to the essentials, casting aside the swirling synthesizers that are becoming more and more common in the genre, and even bass, for the simplicity of thundering drums and thick, droning guitar played through homemade amps. The band captures the essence of Southern doom projects by luminaries like Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson (Khanate, Burning Witch, Goatsnake), creating music that draws the listener in with crawling, patient riffs that slowly unfold over the hypnotic drumming, only to pounce on them with Rodgers' anguished vocals. In 2008, the group released their full-length debut, Lost House, on Holidays for Quince. ~ Gregory Heaney