Neurosis

Abraham – Débris de mondes perdus Review

By Dear Hollow on March 7, 2022 in Reviews, Doom Metal, Post-Hardcore, Post-Metal, Sludge Metal, 11 comments

“I have struggled mightily with Abraham. At its core, is it still Neurosis-core? Sure. Any post-metal release is bound to be. But there’s something especially tortured about its swaths of monolithic riffs and vivacious in its vocal variety, but above all, patient. It feels like an otherworldly ritual, as the drums pulse and the guitars plod with hypnotic rhythms to the beat of otherworldly suffering. While its former releases felt shining and hopeful, clean and precise, fourth full-length Débris de mondes perdus feels gritty, soiled, and unforgiving – but above all, hopeless.” Death of the sun/son?

Mass Worship – Portal Tombs Review

By Steel Druhm on February 4, 2022 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Grind, Sludge Metal, 42 comments

“Not being an especially spiritual bloke, I only took a flyer on Mass Worship’s sophomore platter Portal Tombs because they were tagged “death metal” in our greasy promo sump. Well, the promo sump sits on a greasy throne of greasy lies! These Swedish sadists are NOT death metal, and it’s actually a challenge to explain what they are. I can tell you Portal Tombs is a ridiculously heavy slab of extreme metal designed to smother and obliterate all light and joy from this cursed world. Their style rumbles through death, black, sludge, doom and grind genres like a nuclear-powered killdozer, and the band is more than happy to beat you with any and all tools they come across during their bloody rampage.” Portals and tombs but no cake at all.

Trenches – Reckoner Review

By Dear Hollow on January 17, 2022 in Reviews, Hardcore, Metalcore, Post-Metal, Sludge Metal, 20 comments

“Trenches is a band formed by Jimmy Ryan, former vocalist of Christian metalcore heavyweights Haste the Day. Releasing one album through Solid State Records, Jesus’ vacation home of all things -core, 2008 debut The Tide Will Swallow Us Whole instead opted for a Neurosis’ Given to the Rising-esque sludgy ‘n slow take rather than the second coming of When Everything Falls.” Jesus wept.

Heiress – Distant Fires Review

By Carcharodon on December 3, 2021 in Reviews, Post-Hardcore, Sludge, 32 comments

“”Heiress, wonder where they came up with that name,” snickered a member of staff called … um … Pronos, as I alerted all the writers who care Cherd to incoming melodic sludge. Now look, I get what Pronos was getting at but there was a time when Baroness were not a meme nor a byword for some of the worst production in metal alt rock. When split A Grey Sigh in a Flower Husk dropped in 2007, followed later the same year by Red Album, Baroness were offering something genuinely different and interesting, and there is a reason they have come to be such A Big Deal. Of course, they have now become a parody of themselves but that doesn’t mean other, less well-known acts need go down the same path.” Let them eat sludge.

A Secret Revealed – When the Day Yearns For Light Review

By Grymm on October 29, 2021 in Reviews, Metalcore, Post-Metal, 22 comments

“Contrary to popular belief, we adhere to some concrete rules around these parts. You always put the toilet seat back down when you’re finished. You never, ever speak to the whereabouts of former writers once they move on to greener pastures. Finally, you don’t swipe another reviewer’s band unless you get permission first. Long story short, I nabbed When the Day Years For Light by German post-metallers A Secret Revealed without realizing that Cherd tackled their last one, Sacrifices, just two years ago. That said, after profusely apologizing to the sagely-bearded one, not once did he fight me for reviewing rights.” Promo chess and poorly kept secrets.

Lotus Thrones – Lovers in Wartime Review

By Huck N Roll on July 29, 2021 in 2021, Reviews, 5 comments

“Heath Rave is the man behind Lotus Thrones. He was also the drummer for Wolvhammer and Across Tundras. This solo project came to be, as many have, due to last year’s many months of quarantine. Rave started Lotus Thrones to return to creating music, moving in directions not really related to his former bands but showing influence from acts such as Neurosis, Sisters of Mercy, and more.” Things to do during plague.

Myopic & At The Graves – A Cold Sweat of Quiet Dread Review

By Akerblogger on March 15, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Post-Metal, Sludge Metal, 7 comments

“Collaborations between artists are usually a tantalizing prospect. In recent years we’ve had a handful of high-quality collaborations: Cult of Luna and Julie Christmas, Thou and Emma Ruth Rundle, and Spectral Lore and Mare Cognitum the cream of the recent crop. Collaborations can be tricky, especially in the age of the supervirus and restricted travel. Communication of ideas is vital. A collaboration can either sound like a blissful mesh of an artist’s best traits or a haphazard collision of distant sound. Ben Price, the sole member of doom/sludge project At The Graves, has buried himself in a casket with the sludge/black/death/you-name-it three piece Myopic. A Cold Sweat of Quiet Dread is their first collaborative full-length.” Blood, sweat, graves, and bad eyesight.

Sarin – You Can’t Go Back Review

By Huck N Roll on February 4, 2021 in Reviews, Post-Metal, Sludge Metal, 17 comments

“For post-metal fans, the big release this week is the Cult of Luna EP. But other bands are working hard in this genre as well, one of which is Canada’s Sarin. Their third album You Can’t Go Back drops this week, and while they don’t have the marquee name to go with the release, that doesn’t mean they should be thrust to the side as we all rush headlong into The Raging River.” Breathe deep.

Yashira – Fail To Be [Things You Might Have Missed 2020]

By Grymm on January 16, 2021 in Things You Might Have Missed 2020, Sludge, 10 comments

It’s difficult to bounce back after a massive loss. Jacksonville’s Yashira were riding high on not only an excellent debut album in 2018’s Shrine, but also via fervent word of mouth about their abrasive live shows (including a coveted spot in that year’s Welcome to Rockville), and a split with metalcore legends Zao. However, with the tragic death of drummer Seth Howard later that year, you’d be forgiven if you expected Yashira to call it a day.” Failing upward.

Pale Horseman – For Dust Thou Art Review

By Huck N Roll on July 30, 2020 in 2020, Reviews, Sludge Metal, 5 comments

“Pale Horseman have only been around for eight years, but For Dust Thou Art is the Chicago sludge quartet’s fifth album and their 2017 effort, The Fourth Seal, showed enough promise that I kept their name on my radar. I’m a fan of the (rather typical) influences I could hear on that record – early Mastodon, Neurosis, High on Fire – and thought the band was onto something good despite the overly long compositions. I’ve been looking forward to hearing how they hone their craft for the past three years now, hoping to hear them set themselves apart from what can often be considered a very homogeneous genre.” All we are is sludge in the wind.