Sludge

Karyn Crisis’ Gospel of the Witches – Covenant Review

By Grymm on October 25, 2019 in 2019, Ambient Metal, American Metal, Aural Music, Italian Metal, Reviews, Sludge, Ambient Metal, Sludge, 15 comments

“Over four years ago, Karyn Crisis released Salem’s Wounds, the debut album of her new project, Gospel of the Witches. While I found it to be an overly long, lopsided album, it was still awesome to see Crisis return to making heavy music again, and I was eager to hear more from this project. Fast-forward to 2019, and the Gospel are down to a tight three-person line-up, with Crisis once again teaming up with husband Davide Tiso, who handles the guitar, bass, and songwriting this go-’round, rounded out by Skinlab drummer Fabian Vestod. With four years between albums, are we looking at a stronger, more concise Gospel?” Out of the crisis, into the coven.

Opium Lord – Vore Review

By GardensTale on October 10, 2019 in 2019, British Metal, Noise, Reviews, Sludge Metal, Sludgelord Records, Sludge, 20 comments

“Vore, for the blissfully unaware amongst us, is one of the stranger fetishes the internet has given a home. It is the fetish for being consumed. Yes, like in Bloodbath’s “Eaten.” In their infinite wisdom, the internet has even made sub-categories to such a specific fetish, namely soft vore (being swallowed whole) and hard vore (to see your body ripped and torn). Now, I don’t know why Birmingham’s Opium Lord decided to name their sophomore album after this infamous fetish. Their nasty, noisy sludge is about as arousing as battlefield amputations.” Mouthful of noise.

Torpor – Rhetoric of the Image Review

By Cherd on October 5, 2019 in 2019, British Metal, Doom Metal, Medusa Crush Recordings, Moment of Collapse Records, Noise, Post-metal, Reviews, Sludge, Sludgelord Records, Doom Metal, Experimental Metal, Noise, Post-Metal, Sludge, 15 comments

“I have my own boxes to check as I look for the next Cherd friendly album, so when patterns emerge, I take note. Recent positive experiences with doomy, noise tinged post-metal from the United Kingdom packaged in black and white cover art, namely Sūrya and Bismuth, led me to take a chance on Torpor’s Rhetoric of the Image. Will the sophomore effort from this three-piece keep the hitting streak alive?” Post-gambling.

Cult of Luna – A Dawn to Fear Review

By Huck N Roll on September 17, 2019 in 2019, Hardcore, Metal Blade, Post-metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Sludge, Swedish Metal, Hardcore, Post-Metal, Progressive Metal, Sludge, 61 comments

“This summer saw a couple of top-notch releases from instrumental post-metal vets Russian Circles and Pelican. Both albums were worthy entries in the genre, but we should consider them appetizers, or warm-up acts, because one of the heavy hitters just walked in, and they have something to say.” Drink this Kool-Aid.

Transport League – A Million Volt Scream Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on September 16, 2019 in 2019, Hard Rock, Mighty Music, Reviews, Sludge, Swedish Metal, Hard Rock, Sludge, 13 comments

“If you’re like me, you’ve probably never heard of Sweden’s Transport League. Formed way back in 1994, they knocked out four full-length discs before breaking up in 2005. During this time, TL played an in-your-face sludge style that combined the hard knocks of Clutch with the ghoulish qualities of Rob Zombie and the Southern flavors of Down and Pantera. After dabbling in the industrial world for a few years with their band M.A.N., the boys decided to give Transport League another try.” League of the unextraordinary.

Void King – Barren Dominion Review

By Dear Hollow on September 14, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Doom Metal, Drone, Reviews, Sludge, Stoner Metal, Drone, Sludge, 14 comments

“Void King is a four-piece stoner doom metal band from Indianapolis and Barren Dominion is their sophomore effort. Paying homage to doom greats like Sleep, Electric Wizard, and Goatsnake, while channeling amp- and pedal-abusing monoliths, these fucking stoners are set to drown listeners in THC-saturated waves of distortion. Do they succeed? Or will they end up only being the bulls-“high” of endless stoner doom puns?” Fuzz bombs.

Pinewalker – Migration Review

By Carcharodon on September 14, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Sludge, Sludge, 10 comments

“Five years in the making, the Salt Lake City five-piece describe the recording of their self-released debut as a “form of catharsis for all of us … [following] painful realities and losing loved ones to cancer, we poured [out] every ounce of hurt, sorrow, mourning, remembrance, joy, and clarity…” And make no mistake, you can feel that emotion in the many moods of this record.” Riding the pine.

V – Led into Exile Review

By Emya on September 12, 2019 in 2019, Doom Metal, Post-metal, Reviews, Suicide Records, Swedish Metal, Uncategorized, Doom Metal, Post-Metal, Sludge, 23 comments

“V, a doomy post-metal band from Sweden, released their first album Pathogenisis in 2017 and are back this year with a six-track concept album. Inspired by a short story concerning the departure from the hustle and bustle of civilization into the wild and remote Finnmark in Dalecarlia, Sweden, Led into Exile chronicles a story of the hardships of living in Finnmark, a will to be secluded from the rest of the world’s insanity, and the ultimate disappearance of one who surrendered to the siren song drifting from the taiga-belt.” Lost in the woods.

Mizmor – Cairn Review

By Roquentin on September 11, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Drone, Gilead Media, Reviews, Sludge, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Drone, Sludge, 29 comments

“In Gareth Tunley’s haunting and haunted 2016 film The Ghoul, the whole of reality is bent and infected by the protagonist’s depression. He is trapped in a twisted, magically real manifestation of a Möbius strip. Here, all means of escape are soon revealed to be nothing but bottomless ladders that descend into the darkest craters of the human psyche. The beginning is the end is the beginning. There is no escape. But unlike The Ghoul’s main character who ultimately appears powerless, Portland, Oregon’s A.L.N. has the music of the project Mizmor (מזמור) on his side, both as a weapon and a vessel of catharsis.” WMDs for hope.

Soul of Anubis – The Last Journey

By Cherd on September 10, 2019 in 2019, Doom Metal, Hardcore, Portuguese Metal, Reviews, Seeing Red Records, Sludge, Hardcore, Sludge, 6 comments

“There’s a moment after a slow build intro, just shy of two minutes into “Beyond the Plague” that stands as a thesis statement for The Last Journey, the sophomore album by Portugal’s Soul of Anubis, if not for the entire genre of sludge metal: create a sound so thick and heavy, that when it fully hits, it causes a wobble in the Earth’s rotation. Thousands of years from now, scientists would trace the formation of the great Canadian deserts and Antarctic rain forests to that slight rotational wobble, and the “Anubicene” would enter scientific vernacular.” Earth mover.