“These Beasts plays sludge of the stoner rock and noise rock-influenced variety—still nothing to do with dogs—right along the spectrum somewhere between the hypnotic pummel of early Melvins and the screeching chaos of The Jesus Lizard.” Bad dog!
Melvins
Obelyskkh – The Ultimate Grace of God Review
“Germany’s Obelyskkh have been knocking around for a while now, having dropped their full-length debut, Mount Nysa, in 2011. The Ultimate Grace of God is the band’s fifth album and comes five years after their last, with the intervening period seemingly beset by COVID- and cash-driven troubles that delayed it time and again.” Tardy but hardy?
Neker – Slower Review
“Hailing from Italy, Neker is the brainchild of… Wait a second. Neker? That’s… You’re sure that’s what you want to go with? Okay, so if any of you want to recommend this band to any friends or family, say it slowly and enunciate clearly. Maybe over-pronounce the K a little, just for safety’s sake. Neker is the brainchild of vocalist/bassist Nicola Amadori, with help from Daniele Alessi on drums and Alessandro Eusebi on guitars. The rest is all Amadori, and his passions lie with the roots of southern metal and sludge, speaking loftily of such renowned acts as Down, Pantera, Crowbar and Melvins.” Let’s get Neker!
Moonspell – Hermitage Review
“In these times of isolation, the band has come to the realization that their time is coming to an end. A statement that saddens me to read. But Moonspell feels they still have a little more juice left in them. This retrospection has resulted in a new focus—a focus to buckle down and use their remaining time as a band to pump out the best songs possible. Along with that, they”ve cut the fat off Hermitage. The keys, the sad vocals, the gothic melodicness still intact, it’s the orchestrations that are gone. Like the band’s good ole days. But, stripped to barebones, is the band even capable of recreating their greatest moments?” Waning crescent.
Dr. A.N. Grier’s Top Ten(ish) of 2020
Doc Grier has a Top Ten(ish) of 2020 worthy of fear. Grab a beer and peer into the unknown.
Shatter Brain – Pitchfork Justice Review
“When I saw the eye-catching cover for Shatter Brain’s debut full-length, Pitchfork Justice, I immediately assumed they were a thrash band. I was about 1/8th right, as this Australian act mixes sludge, grind, death and punk with speed for what can only be described as an unruly and boisterous sound. Pitchfork Justice is an album that wants to be many things, sometimes all at the same time, and this leads to some interesting moments to be sure.” The mob is revolting.
The Great Sabatini – Goodbye Audio Review
“One of the strangest things about entering middle age is that you are now old enough to see the cultural detritus of your formative years scooped up and reconfigured for new consumption. When younger people become enamored with the aesthetics of a prior decade and make new work in that vein, this can enliven the old aesthetic with a contemporary spin, or it can be lifelessly derivative (see: re-thrash).” Collect them all.
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.
The Midnight Ghost Train – Cypress Ave. Review
“The Midnight Ghost Train understand that they’ll find it difficult to survive in the avalanche of stoner-doom bands in existence these days, so they’ve taken a step back, dressed themselves in a morose southern armor, and decorated their largely hard-rock vehicle with funk, country, blues, stoner and sludge.” Watch for falling rock.
Slomatics – Future Echo Returns Review
“A blanket of smoke and incense billows from an attic-bedroom conversion as Electric Wizard makes a rare appearance from his occult abode to make a sandwich or to record an episode of Most Haunted. Conan sits in the garage and uses his sharp fingernails to shape mythical creatures out of wood, sporadically bellowing songs of war into the night, begrudgingly quieting down when his mother threatens to take away his copy of The Silmarillion. Slomatics is the younger brother of the two aforementioned doomsters. He spends his time gazing into the stars, reading Frank Herbert, Philip. K. Dick and H.G. Wells, and exploring the Moog that his father found for cheap at the car boot sale.” At home with the Slows.
