3 out of 5

Label: Southern Records

Produced by: Steve Albini

Quality tracks from the Battle Champions sessions that rather understandably didn’t make it on to the album – even though these are quality, they arguably have tonal parallels that made it onto the LP.

Hannibal is the superior out of the two, feeling more complete; it plays into the high / low layering and more subdued style that Dianogah started to develop on their sophomore release, and I think does some pretty interesting stuff emotionally (with the way it applies those layers) that could’ve been worth exploring. At the same time, because that’s not as present on the album, it might’ve stuck out for doing so.

A Bear Explains… is not unsuperior; it rocks. I’d just say it rocks in a way we definitely hear on the album, and its abrupt ending kind of reeks of the group not knowing how to find their way out of the fast-paced riff. It’s a smart B-side, but definitely repetitive in the larger context.