Sludge

Scientist – Barbelith Review

By Huck N Roll on April 17, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Black Metal, Post-metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Sludge, Black Metal, Post-Metal, Progressive Metal, Sludge, 34 comments

“Way back in 2016, Kronos reviewed Chicago-area band Scientist’s second album, the frustratingly-titled 10100II00101. Believe it or not, we had differing opinions on it. While our resident Lord of Brvtality wrote that the band featured “an effects-swamped bouquet of sludgy riffing, hoarse roars, and buzzing electronics,” I equated the album to an hour of average music with people shouting at me. Fast-forward to present-day, and here I am taking a shot at reviewing their third album, Barbelith, and for a number of reasons I find this effort much more palatable than their last.” SCIENCE!

Glorior Belli – The Apostates Review

By Akerblogger on April 10, 2018 in 2018, Black Metal, French Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, Black Metal, Sludge, 43 comments

“France: the last bastion of sophistication. Even its black metal has a sophisticated propulsion, its lyrical themes of the up-turned nose, deep in thought variety searing through deeply-challenging avant-garde compositions. I wonder why extreme metal continues elsewhere when France has sharpened the genre to the point of near perfection? The dissonant shock waves of the French scene should crumble the simple-minded bones of music in other countries, surely. But no – Scandanavia, America, Germany, Britain, South America and other such facile nations continue to churn out music that scratches the heart and offends the brain. This has to stop!” Running with Billy Bayou.

Eagle Twin – The Thundering Heard (Songs of Hoof and Horn) Review

By GardensTale on April 8, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Sludge, Southern Lord, Stoner Metal, Doom Metal, Sludge, Stoner Metal, 29 comments

“Mythology has always been a popular subject of metal. Of these, Norse legend is the first and foremost, to the point of cliche, by anything ranging from cheesy power to pummeling death metal. But Sumerian and Egyptian have their fans as well, and even a few Asian and South-American wellsprings have proven fruitful. One underused source of ancient stories is that of Native American culture, a loose collection of mythologies of the many tribes that once roamed the North-American continent, which often worshipped the great beasts of the plains and the elements that provided for them. Eagle Twin, consisting of singer/guitarist Gentry Densley (Iceburn) and drummer Tyler Smith, sought to correct this lack of appreciation with the Native American inspired The Thundering Heard (Songs of Hoof and Horn).” Tribal thunder.

Distances – Diableries Review

By Kronos on March 23, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Death Metal, Post-metal, Reviews, Self-released, Sludge, Death Metal, Post-Metal, Sludge, 42 comments

“Distances’ Diableries has a pretty cover, but one I’ll always remember for a subtle flaw. The Albuquerque-based post-metal unit’s new full length comes beautifully dressed in auburn hues, cloaked in North American fauna. Monarch butterflies cloak the figure, and wrapped around the neck — sorry, what kind of snake is that? Some unholy graft of king snake and rattler, it seems. Perhaps it’s a symbol — the harmless given fangs — though it seems hardly worth it to have a dangerous snake mimic a harmless snake that mimics a dangerous snake. Yet the album embodies these conflicting layers, shuttling its death metal riffing past a mournful violin resting on aphotic sludge muck. Is Diableries dangerous? Or is it a lonely soul, wearing another’s colors to ward us away?” Serpent surprise.

Vile Creature – Cast of Static and Smoke Review

By GardensTale on March 8, 2018 in 2018, Canadian Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Sludge, 32 comments

“Why do we love music of such a harsh, ugly aesthetic? Once, during my college years, I was asked this question by a project coach. It wasn’t the first time I heard the question, but it was the most memorable, as for the first time it wasn’t asked as an attack but of genuine interest. I found I did not have a satisfying answer. “It has a furious energy, a certain power that gives me a rush for all its darkness,” was the best I could say. But at the time, I did not yet listen to doom metal, and if I had, it might have complicated my search for a genuine answer further. Because how would I describe the appeal to bands like Vile Creature, a duo who makes deliberate, hideous music that is slow and steady.”

Treedeon -Under the Manchineel Review

By Kronos on March 6, 2018 in 2018, Doom Metal, Exile On Mainstream, German Metal, Sludge, Sludge, 46 comments

“The Berlin trio practice a caustic form of sludge that draws from the filth of the NOLA scene and the crawling pace of doom, a music more intent on shredding vocal cords than guitar. Their choice of album title couldn’t be more appropriate – what could be a better metaphor for their environmentalist angst than the baneful swamp tree that killed Juan Ponce De Leon? In terms of North American plants, only the parsnip and chain cholla compare in viciousness, a characteristic with which Treedeon heavily identify.” Tree thuggers.

Huntsmen – American Scrap Review

By GardensTale on March 2, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Progressive Metal, Prosthetic Records, Reviews, Sludge Metal, Progressive Metal, Sludge, 6 comments

“On their debut American Scrap, Chicago quartet Huntsmen blend Americana with a progressive take on searing sludge metal. But can they do justice to the self-proclaimed Greatest Country in the World?” Born in the U.S.A..

The Atlas Moth – Coma Noir Review

By Saunders on February 20, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Prosthetic Records, Reviews, Rock, Sludge, Stoner Metal, Rock, Sludge, Stoner Metal, 2 comments

“Shape-shifting Chicago act The Atlas Moth exorcised some particularly nasty personal demons on 2014’s bleak, The Old Believer album. Although failing to hit the glorious highs of predecessor An Ache for the Distance, it proved a mature, emotionally raw and harrowing chapter in the band’s career. Not content to repeat themselves, The Atlas Moth return in a decidedly more chipper mood, by their despondent standards, serving up an energetic and refreshingly upbeat collection of tunes that widens the scope considerably beyond the psychedelic sludge tag they are frequently saddled with.” Like an Atlas Moth to the flame of judgment.

Coffin Torture – Dismal Planet Review

By Grymm on February 16, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Sludge, Sludgelord Records, Doom Metal, Sludge, 0 comments

“It’s always cool to see another website put down the pen the keyboard and help a band out. In this case, the good folks over at The Sludgelord have done just that by creating their own self-titled record label! For their debut, they’ve released Dismal Planet, the debut full-length by South Carolina’s sludge duo Coffin Torture.” Coffin up a lung.

Philip H Anselmo & The Illegals – Choosing Mental Illness as a Virtue Review

By Master of Muppets on January 27, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Death Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, Sludge, Death Metal, Sludge, 89 comments

“I try not to expect much from you people, but I think it’s safe to assume that one or two of you just may have heard of one Philip H. Anselmo, and this being the case you may (the ‘may’ is silent) have an opinion regarding the man. I don’t particularly care about any of that, but he definitely does, and this is painfully clear on Choosing Mental Illness As a Virtue, Phil’s second full-length endeavor with The Illegals.” Philling in the gaps.