“O Zorn! plays a fairly straightforward style with elements of stoner and post-metal. Texturally the band has some similarities with a simplified Mastodon, not in the least due to the somewhat nasal drawl of the vocals. The big differences are the structure and pacing. Shying away from progressive leanings, the music is staunch in its adherence to verse-chorus constructions.” Stone the crow (and rabbit).
It’s becoming apparent that our filtering systems work quite well! The crew has done a fine job pulling filth from the workings and releasing the pressure to the system. A second too late and the toilets would have backed up.
“As 2022 winds down and I retreat into my hiding spot to catch up on releases from this year that I haven’t listened to yet while working like crazy, my city is currently in flux in terms of the weather. Sure, autumn’s turning the leaves brown and the skies grey, but it’s far from California dreamin’ weather here in Florida. In fact, for the most part, it’s still downright toasty here compared to the rest of the States. And speaking of California and all things toasty, that’s the vibe I got while listening to House of Falling Ash, the third album from Roseville, California sludge/doom trio Chrome Ghost.” Falling to cold.
“Once known as Priestess, this power trio of Brooklyn musicians recently reinvented themselves as Reverend Mother and released a self-titled EP. Led by frontwoman and guitarist Jackie Green, the band’s sound on debut full-length Damned Blessing is a testament to their love of classic rock and metal like Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, and The Doors.” Stone matriarch.
“I picked this album for its cover art. The delicately-drawn flowers and shattering animal skins have a tasteful appeal, and not just because the floral and fluffy have insurmountable draw for those of the female persuasion such as myself. Under the surface, Magnatar are just as tasteful, and a little more tough. Crushed—their debut LP—is an artistic mix of sludge, ambient, and post-metal in equal parts graceful and vicious.” Pretty but deadly.
“With their sound palette sorted, the most difficult challenge Blue Heron faces is one of momentum. Stoner doom is inherently relaxed and fuzzy, seemingly tailored for casual listening with or without accompanying recreational substances. Ephemeral appears to be perfectly content inside this mold, and as a direct consequence lacks the kind of excitement that more interesting bands like Wizard Rifle offer.” Desert winds, blue birds.
“There’s a Goldilocks Zone for musical complexity. If it’s too complicated, say, skronky dissodeath with lots of time changes, a certain segment of metal fans will feel like listening to it is work. They’ll deride it for being pretentious. Some will question, jokingly or not, if they’re smart enough to understand it. On the other side of the spectrum, certain folks will equate that with boring if it’s too simple. They may consider it too easy; low effort. Oddly, no one seems to wonder if they’re smart enough to understand what makes minimal music good.” Clever brutality.
“Summer is generally the time my musical tastes lighten up. It’s just not in my genetic makeup to blast funeral doom while sweating through a heatwave and running through the sprinkler. Summer is for barbeques and the party music that accompanies such (now, finally) socially non-distanced activities. Here that party music is generally throwback stuff, and that’s where Psychic Hit comes in. Their debut album Solutio is firmly rooted in 70s hard rock and metal, and these days even the most jaded of patio guests can get behind that stuff as long as it’s good.” So, so, Solutio.
“It gets a bad rap around here, I know, but I’ve admitted before to being a post-metal fan. I’m not alone in this among the writers but I won’t out Doom_et_Al or Sentynel or the other post fans in case they’d rather keep it to themselves. What do I like about post-metal, I hear you ask. Well, since you were so nice as to inquire, let me tell you. What hooks me about the best bands of the genre – the likes of Isis, Cult of Luna, The Ocean, Neurosis, to name but a few – is their ability build atmosphere and tension, layering delicate melodies and mellifluous harmonics in repetitive, swirling streams, before you slam into a wall of crushing guitars that rewards you for your patience. In some senses, it’s all about the pay off but, at the same time, that pay off feels so much greater because of the journey the band takes you on. With their sophomore effort, Harbinger, Miami trio Bleeth ask whether the same can be achieved in dramatically shortened form.” Harbinger of sorrow?
“Ontario’s Olde have been banging around the sludge scene for an unknown period of time, formerly as Corvuss until around 2014 when they decided to change their name to what it is today. I’m usually pretty good at keeping an ear out for quality sludge and doom releases, but I will admit I’ve never heard of Olde until the accompanying one-sheet bio claimed that they’re for fans of High on Fire, Trouble, The Melvins, and Entombed How do I say no to that?!” Olde and slowe.
