The Louvins, the Allmans, the Followills of Leon — the South has a long history of brother bands. Wielders of cold, droning trance rock that churns like the river in Deliverance, brothers Van, Jennings, and Lain Carney (guitar and vocals, bass, and drums, respectively) aren't likely to be admitted into the Southern brother fraternity without first undergoing some kind of exorcism. Based in creepy rural Virginia, their band, Pontiak, is a study in blues distortion and beard maintenance that makes the deepest Black Sabbath cuts seem jaunty. Though they favor plunging, repetitive riffs, the Carneys don't come off as mindless stoners but rather as seasoned players who have studied all the chords and found that basic ones work best (preferably when detuned). Still, flashes of melodicism shine through on the group's latest, Sun On Sun — albeit not on the song that consists of three minutes of cymbal noise. In any case, the trio will be fine company for Lawrence's instrumental voyagers Black Christmas, with whom Pontiak shares the bill this Thursday at the Czar Bar.
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