Helmet

Spider Kitten – A Pound for the Peacebringer Review

Spider Kitten – A Pound for the Peacebringer Review

“Welsh oddballs Spider Kitten have been out there for over two decades now, dealing in their super eclectic brand of sludgy, stoner, groovy doom, heavily laced with prog, folk and more. With numerous releases to their name, you never know quite what you are going to get from Spider Kitten. You kinda know the ballpark but precisely what sport will be played in it is anyone’s guess from record to record.” Kitchen sink-core.

Somnuri – Desiderium Review

Somnuri – Desiderium Review

“Those familiar with Somnuri’s previous work can expect a similar Cobb salad of influences from early Mastodon to Helmet to savage NYHC. Somnuri and Nefarious Wave occasionally added passages of straight sludge doom in the vein of YOB, and the removal of these marks the largest shift in sound evident in Desiderium.” Sludge as a lifestyle choice?

KEN mode – NULL Review

KEN mode – NULL Review

“No, this album has nothing to do with our favorite sponge friend. Yes, this album has everything to do with FOUR angry Canadians now that KEN mode has promoted Kathryn Kerr, a one-woman wrecking ball of saxophone, synth, and piano prowess, previously guest-credited on 2018’s Loved. Did you think that KEN mode would go full saxcore after that experimental sludgeball? Well, I bet your 2022 bingo card is all kinds of fucked up at this point, so let’s make this one easy: KEN mode—or more accurately, primary bleeding heart Jesse Matthewson—hated the past couple years and it shows.” No dream house for you!

Famyne – II: The Ground Below Review

Famyne – II: The Ground Below Review

“U.K.-based “modern” doom act Famyne evaded my metal detector with their eponymous 2018 debut. I might have missed their sophomore outing too, had I not been desperate for some doom when skulking through the fetid promo sump on a dark and dreary night. Thus, I approached II: The Ground Below without context or expectation, and what I heard befuddled me for a good while.” Uncommon grounds.

Gorilla Wizard – Tales From the Cauldron Review

Gorilla Wizard – Tales From the Cauldron Review

“Long Island, New York is a strange place. Geographically speaking it’s the penis of the Empire State, and essentially a vast, sprawling suburb for New York City that runs from the rough n’ tumble boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens through the tony Hamptons and on to the picturesque Montauk lighthouse. Though city adjacent, it has a culture and vibe all its own. Think of a tense middle ground between The Jersey Shore and Goodfellas and you’re in the right zip code. It’s a place of rowdy attitude and stubborn pride, as depicted in the various lyrics by favorite son Billy Joel, and it’s not for everyone. But hey, if you don’t like it, you can fuck off back to whatever garbage town you crawled out of. From this raucous suburban jungle comes the silverback charmers in Gorilla Wizard as they peddle their unruly take on riffy stoner/sludge metal.” Professor Ape.

Lo-Pan – Subtle Review

Lo-Pan – Subtle Review

“It’s not easy to stand apart these days, especially when it comes to stoner metal. You can change up vocal styles as much as humanly possible, throw as many outside musical influences that your songs can handle, and go off the deep end lyrically to the point of needing either a severe dry-out period or even a full-on intervention from friends, family, and various loved ones. The fact remains that stoner metal, when you take a good, hard look at it, hasn’t evolved much, and it’s getting harder and harder to do something new. Which is fine, because we kinda like it like that.” Stones don’t evolve.

Final Coil – The World We Left Behind for Others Review

Final Coil – The World We Left Behind for Others Review

“I’ve never been much of a post and/or alt-rock guy, but the expertly crafted promo blurb for unsung U.K. act Final Coil captured my interest enough to review their 2017 debut, Persistence of Memory. It was an engaging little album too, mixing post-rock, restrained prog and grunge for a fairly unique sound. The album had its flaws, but I sensed a band that could go on to bigger things. Now a mere year and a half later, their sophomore effort The World We Left Behind for Others arrives with little fanfare, but that same sense of potential and promise.” What we leave and what we keep.

KEN mode – Loved Review

KEN mode – Loved Review

“What the fuck is that? A demented shadow person? A medieval executioner? The nightmarish specter of your father asking you why you haven’t eaten your Brussels sprouts? These are the questions you’ll ask yourself as you try in vain to fall asleep tonight, knowing full well that leering figure is definitely not standing right at the foot of your bed. In a way it’s fitting, because KEN mode’s music is equally likely to leave an impression.” Sludge monsters.

4 Days of Death: The Maryland Deathfest Diaries

4 Days of Death: The Maryland Deathfest Diaries

“Anyone who’s seen The Wire knows Baltimore can be a rough place, but on Memorial Day weekend every year, things get especially brutal. Hundreds of rabid metal fans from all over the world descend on ‘Charm City’ to participate in Maryland Deathfest, and the result is four days of moshing, headbanging, and partying like it’s 1989.” Death to all.