ALBUM REVIEW: Beggar, "Compelled to Repeat"

By: Peter Morsellino

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 03/04/2020

Label: APF Records

“Compelled to Repeat” CD//CS//DD//LP track listing:

1). Blood Moon

2). Anaesthete

3). The Cadaver Speaks

4). Black Cloud

5). Trepanned Head Stares at the Sun

6). Custody of the Eyes

7). Tenantless The Graves

8). Matryoshka Brain

9). Compelled to Repeat

The Review:

With groove laden riffs and demonic aggression, London four piece Beggar provide us with the soundtrack to the most fun apocalypse imaginable. A doom-laden slop that can be danced to all night, “Compelled to Repeat” is a party record for the rest of us.

Low tuned guitars and walls of distortion, a godless howl soaring high above an unforgiving back beat. It sounds familiar, doesn't it?  But just like discovering that your grandmother's cookies contain the same butter, flour, eggs and sugar as everyone else's, we realize that the raw ingredients make up only the basis for the thing we love so much.

So what is it, exactly?  Well, reader, I would have to say that just like the heaping spoonful of love that your dear gram tossed into her cookie dough, the answer lies much deeper than the genre standards presented here. I think the success of this one lies within the band itself and the good time that just can't be hidden by the grimy sludge piled on top of it.

Every riff on this album drips with swagger. There is a persistent groove to every fuzzed out, doomsday invoking riff. This is an all that just wants to keep you moving, regardless of the end times presented by the musical narrative.  You just can't help but feel the beat. It might be apocalyptic, but it's a really good time.

I for one have absolutely no problem with this. There will doubtless be purists who disagree with me, either shouting from their podiums that fun had no place in the doom and gloom that they have come to love, or even flat out denying the good times present in these delightful grooves. That's ok. Everyone has an opinion.  This is mine. 

With its fuzz drenched riffs, chest caving beats and chaotically screeched vocals providing imagery of fire and brimstone raining down on a world gone wrong, punchy grooves provide a medium for us all to dance ourselves out the door.

Beggar's “Compelled to Repeat” is the feel-good hit of the biblical revelation, and I compel you top give it a listen.

“Compelled to Repeat” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

TRACK PREMIERE: Desert Storm, "Pain, Grief & Suffering"

UK sludge quintet DESERT STORM have been making a name for themselves since they formed in late 2007. From the beginning the band have worked hard, with four albums and relentless touring of the UK & Europe with the likes of Karma To Burn, Nashville Pussy, Peter Pan Speedrock… and appearances at Bloodstock Festival, Hammerfest, Hard Rock Hell, Desertfest London and Berlin & Roadkill Festival. 

In early 2018, the band released their fourth album 'Sentinels’ to much acclaim and would see them forge a new relationship with upcoming  label APF Records.  Having spent much of the proceeding years on stage in support of the album, as well as members going to form the band The Grand Mal and releasing their debut (also on APF Records), the band somehow managed to enter the studio again in late 2019 and will return on 1st May 2020 with their fifth album 'Omens'. 

While 'Sentinels' was described as their darkest and heaviest record to date, 'Omens' sees DESERT STORM reaching a whole new level in terms of songwriting and storytelling. The five piece have found the balance between their trademark menacing sludge anthems and introspective, melody-driven moments. DESERT STORM’s new album ‘Omens’ out May 1st on APF Records and you can PREORDER now.  You can also check out the brand new track “Pain, Grief & Suffering” below, so turn your stereo up to 11 and watch your speakers die.

Matt Ryan had the following to say about the track "Pain, grief, and suffering" is that place where you are numbed to everything and so disassociated with life that you crave hurt just to feel alive. When you are completely lost, only the hardest emotions can make you feel again.”

Band info: Facebook || Bandcamp || Twitter || Instagram

REVIEW: Voidlurker, "Industrial Nightmare"

By: Peter Morsellino

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 31/01/2020

Label: APF Records

“Industrial Nightmare” CD//DD track listing:

1). Industrial Nightmare

2). Jeffrey Doomer

3). Rotten Seed

4). Bitchcraft And Misery

The Review:

Looking for some low tuned, slowed down, heavy as hell riffs that you can still dance too? Voidlurker have you covered.

With their first EP on APF Records, this three piece from Birmingham, England come ready to rock, with groove laden hooks to sink the doom into you.

At just twenty six and a half minutes, “Industrial Nightmare” grabs hold of you and drags you through the muck, keeping you dancing the whole way. From old school Crowbar like riffs to ultra intense funeral dirges, this band can stick a groove into just about anything. Vocalist Brad Thomas has a nice fry to his voice lending a hand to some of the more decipherable lyrics in the genre. All things considered, Voidlurker avoid the pitfalls of the slow jam game, creating an album that remains a good time from start to finish.

These tunes tend to lean a bit on the longer side, but the grooves and hooks do well to remove notice from this. This album, though slow as molasses at times, does not drag one bit. I've heard a lot of bands, big and small, grind through an eight minute song when they've clearly run out of ideas around minute three and a half. This is not the case with “Industrial Nightmare”. These songs are well crafted; put together with the utmost care. Time changes are well placed throughout and transition seamlessly. One word to describe this album keeps coming back to the forefront of my mind, and that is: deliberate.

Standout, “Bitchcraft and Misery”, kicks off with a tasty lead lick that would feel very well at home on any Sabbath album. It grinds slowly into a doomy riff-fest, without losing intensity, and with a breakdown that will have you fighting your friends in no time. At just four minutes-forty, this is the quickest track on the album, but it is in no way short on creativity.

“Industrial Nightmare” is heavy. It is slow and it is loud. Most importantly, it is a very good time.

Voidlurker have a good thing going here, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

“Industrial Nightmare” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Mastiff, "Plague"

By: Chris Bull

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 01/02/2019
Label: APF Records

If the universe implodes, "Plague" would undoubtedly be the soundtrack.

“Plague” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Hellcircle

2). Bubonic
3). Brainbleed
4). Quarantine
5). Vermin
6). Torture
7). Weep
8). Black Death

The Review:

Without sounding too cliché or lacking in imaginative use of vocabulary, 'Plague' by Mastiff is fucking heavy. I mean REALLY FUCKING HEAVY! If the universe implodes, this will undoubtedly be the soundtrack.

As the hellish screams and guitar scrapes and rumbles give way to the D-beat infused sludgy groove of 'Hellcircle' it's clear that this is the type of fairground ride you'd get in a village fete; terrifying due to its lack of adequate safety and rickety structure. The ride shudders towards the end of the circuit and then slows down...but it's not stopping...'Bubonic' and 'Brainbleed' see you taken around the circuit a couple more times, the safety harness is frayed and coming loose and it looks like one of the wheels is about to fall off, yet no matter how many times or how loud you scream for help, all you get is vocalist Jim Hodge bellowing at you.

'Vermin' sees sparks coming from the wheels as onlookers stare in terror. As it slows down, you're consumed by false hope; "please, just let me off the ride"...but it's no use, 'Torture' has other plans...the safety harness has completely torn and you're heading towards the loop-the-loop, all you can do is cling to the bar in front of you. Tendons are stretched and twisted as the ride hurls you in an upward trajectory then slams you back into your seat, rupturing your tailbone in the process. As you begin to weep, you realise that the onlookers are now smiling sadistically, seemingly enjoying your suffering. As the ride screeches to a halt, the throes of 'Black Death' ring out, nullifying your pain as just a part of your existence. As you're rushed to hospital, battered and bruised, with life altering injuries, you feel a sympathy with the people who did this to you. Much like Stockholm syndrome, you feel as though this ride has awakened you to the realities of life. Pain is inevitable, but everything must end.

“Plague” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

TRACK PREMIERE: Widows debut new track "P.S. Worry"

Hard Rock/Stoner/sludge quartets, Widows are a pulverizing juggernaut of deadly riffage drenched with impressions of Entombed, Black Sabbath, Motorhead, Down, and Eyehategod. Having spent several years laying waste to any venue that would have them, the band have made friends in high places; scoring stunning reviews and features in Metal Hammer, Terrorizer, Rock Sound and more importantly on this very site

Following on from the storming success of their third studio release, 2017’s “Oh Deer God”, Widows are back with their flattening new two-track EP “Ten’Yer” marking the final studio release with long time drummer Ze-Big and the first outings for new drummer Adam Sharrocks at their launch shows in February 2019.

Widows had this to say about their new release. “After a relatively quiet 2018, we’re glad to be back with these new tracks and excited to get them in your faces live! We are also stoked to be finally working with APF Records on the release too, the label has done a lot for the scene since it started up and we’re really happy we’re now a part of that.

“Ten’Yer” is a bit of a progression on what we did with “Oh Deer God” and expands on the nastiness on that record. There’s still that same vibe there but the focus was on trying to make it darker and more aggressive than “ODG” on all fronts. If you liked the last record, you’ll love what we’ve got in store for you come January 28th!”

Ahead of the release next week, THE SLUDGELORD are proud to present a brand new track which you can check out below.  The band are also set to hit the UK over the coming months, and can be found sweating it out in the following cities:

Live Rtuals:

Fri 1st Feb – Albert’s, Nottingham, w/Ritual King, Mastiff, Barbarian Hermit

Sat 2nd Feb – Bread Factory, Manchester, w/APF Records Showcase

Sat 23rd Feb - The Freebird, Stoke, w/Mastiff and Silverchild

Thu 14th March – The Maze, Nottingham, Metal 2 the Masses Heat 5

9th June -Black Heart, London All dayer, main support

Sat 5th Oct - Bannerman's, Edinburgh Barbarian Hermit weekender

Sun 6th Oct - Trillian's, Newcastle, all dayer, Barbarian Hermit weekender

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Babarian Hermit, "Solitude and Savagery"

By: Richard Maw


Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 31/10/2018

Label: APF Records

“Solitude and Savagery” deserves serious attention and is undoubtedly one of the breakout releases of this year

 

“Solitude and Savagery” CD//DD track listing:

1. Enter the Hermitage
2. Black Mass
3. No Sleep
4. Beyond the Wall
5. Lifebreather
6. Reawaken
7. Laniakea

The Review:

Barbarian Hermit hail from Manchester and play crushing stoner/sludge/doom. This is a band that is not afraid to play aggressively- like High on Fire- but also slow; like any doom band worth their salt you can name. The opener, “Enter The Hermitage,” sets it out for you. Straight in, no messing about, just some huge and fuzzy riffs with some maniac (Ed Campbell- who showcases serious versatility elsewhere!) shouting over the top.

There is plenty of variety here, too. There are passages of more thoughtful and melancholy music, both in the first and second track and beyond. There is quite some range on display. Suffice it to say, that by track two (“Black Mass”) I was absolutely sold on this album. This is what is needed in the underground and beyond at the moment- a band sounding not like anyone else, but featuring the best elements of quite a few bands. There is something here for fans of many different bands and sub genres. You like Orange Goblin? Try these guys out. You like High on Fire, ditto. In fact, from Sabbath to The Sword and from Conan to Candlemass: Barbarian Hermit may just appeal to fans of all those bands.

There are shades of the likes of Raging Speedhorn and The Rotted in “No Sleep” (and Motorhead, of course) while the epic might of “Beyond The Wall” is crushingly powerful with a fantastic solo. Nothing outstays its welcome here; there are no short songs and most tracks stretch out over six minutes plus (the closing “Laniaka” is eleven epic minutes!) but it all feels like it flies by at a clip. The band's approach makes this happen; each track is different and brings a slightly different approach, while remaining consistent in vibe and feel. It's no small trick to pull off but the band achieve it with ease. This is a proper album and I think one that might become very influential going forward.

This is not simple two chord/two piece sludge and nor is it just Sleep worship or a cheap copy of any other band. The production, courtesy of the effervescent Chris Fielding at Skyhammer studio is immense and as usual Chris has achieved a crushing drum, guitar and bass sound. The clarity of the mix and the sheer weight adds a good deal of muscle to the album and, having worked with Chris myself, I can hear his audio-stamp of authenticity throughout the record.

The album is just as weighty down the stretch- “Reawaken” features a riff that Iommi would be proud of and some guitar work that Mastodon might find a home for on any of their better work. “Life Breather” before it is versatile and deft in its mood swings. The aforementioned “Laniaka” is eleven minutes of schizophrenic and groovesome riffage. It's a tour de force ending to one of the best albums I have heard in 2018.

Barbarian Hermit have it; that intangible factor that makes this album like lightning in a bottle. “Solitude and Savagery” deserves serious attention and is undoubtedly one of the breakout releases of this year. These guys could really fly the flag for the UK underground and reach the heights of Conan; as a singular band operating in a field of one. They'll spawn imitators, sure, but I know the real deal when I hear it. Superb.

“Solitude and Savagery” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

VIDEO PREMIERE: Barbarian Hermit deliver gravy thick riffs on "Black Mass"

Since their emergence in 2017, APF Records have set out to support the very best bands from the UK’s thriving underground doom scene.  Home to the likes of Ba'al, Battalions, Blind Haze, BongCauldron, Desert Storm, Diesel King, Mastiff, Nomad, Pist, RedEye Revival, The Hyena Kill, The Wizards Of Delight, Tronald, Under and Trevor's Head, label head Andrew Field exudes a sense of family within his ranks and is supporting bands that he himself enjoys.  In essence APF Records is about a love of music and is a platform for them to help nurture bands they enjoy.

With around 16 releases to their name in an 18 month period, that is no small achievement, what’s more the standard of music has been extraordinarily high and that is set to continue on 16^th November and the release of “Solitude and Savagery” the debut album by Barbarian Hermit, a Manchester sludge five piece known for giving it some bastard and bringing the thick, Northern gravy.   Today we have been tasked by wonderful people at Hold Tight PR and APF Records to present the brand new video for the track “Black Mass” which you check out below.  But first check out what the band had to say about the track. 

Introducing ‘Black Mass’, the second single from our forthcoming album, “Solitude and Savagery”.  The track is a twisting, turning sonic assault that meanders through passages of tripped out psychedelia, pure Sabbath worship, thrash and trademark Hermit heavy groove, so it’s fitting that the video that goes along with the song is just as disorienting.

It was actually our old singer Si Prato-Scarlett that approached us to do the video, as since he parted ways with the band he’s been dabbling in film production, whilst also remaining a friend and supporter of Barbarian Hermit. He'd already done the video for “Widowmaker” back in the day so we knew he'd do a fantastic job, but he really knocked it out of the park with this one.

We filmed it over a few days at our practice studio at Brunswick Mill in Manchester, which is full of eerie corridors and weird and wonderful trinkets, which lent themselves perfectly for the dreamlike atmosphere that Si wanted to create.

Ed’s lyrics for the song were inspired by a dream/nightmare/vision he had of a dark figure, a black mass that hovered before him, filling him with fear. The song is about facing those fears head on and letting hope guide your way, though much like the imagery that Si has thrown into the video, the lyrics are very much open to the listener’s own interpretation.

"Solitude & Savagery" is set for release on 16/11/2018 via APF Records and orders are being taken link: HERE and you check out the video to “Black Mass” exclusively below

Live Rituals

November 10th – Cvltfest, Café Independent, Scunthorpe

November 16th – Album Lunch, Kosmopolitan, Manchester
November 17th – Ale Fest, Northern Monk Brewery, Leeds
December 22nd – Rebellion Christmas Party, Rebellion, Manchester

Band info: facebook || bandcamp

TRACK PREMIERE: Manchester sludgers Nomad debut "Feed"

Seeking to lay waste in an environment already dissolute, Nomad are a 4-piece sludge / doom band bred from Manchester, UK. Their aim is to send you on a bad trip or at least maim you along the way. Since forming in 2012, the Mancunian quartet has had the privilege of playing with some of the sludge / doom genre's heavyweights including Eyehategod, The Obsessed, Prong, Orange Goblin, Raging Speedhorn, Conan, Church of Misery, Bongripper, Dopethrone, Boss Keloid, BongCauldron, Gurt as well as three Terrorizer-sponsored UK tours.

Metalheads across the UK are under no illusions as to the ferocity of their live shows. “Feral” will be their first full-length album and it is set for release on thr 31st May 2018 via APF Records and today we have the pleasure of debuting a brand new track entitled “Feed”, which you can check out below.  

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Tronald - "Tronald"

By: Ernesto Aguilar

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 30/09/2017

Label: APF Records

…combining distorted guitars, chugging bass and flicks of vocal melody trapped under a crushing boulder of decomposing blackened death metal. It is raw and piercing in a fashion you cannot reasonably expect on a debut. But there it is, moldering for your delight.

“Tronald” CD//DD track listing

1. Tronald

2. Boss Keloid Are Shit

3. Obelisk Ov Hash

4. Dalnort

5. Gains (Prelude)

6. Vegan Gains

7. Get Your Grubby Little Hands Off My Bennell

8. Burgled Senseless

The Review:

Over the next four years, it is all but assured that you will hear the voice of U.S. President Donald Trump a lot more in extreme music than you ever thought possible. Some of it will certainly be based in outright opposition; there have been a trickling of music thus far critical of the new Commander in Chief by everyone from Prophets of Rage to rapper YG, whose "Fuck Donald Trump" last year gained the California native a lot more notoriety than he previously had. However, much more from metal will surely be inspired by Trump's strongman persona. His over-the-top threats and flowery promises from a world leader are the stuff of Megadeth and Queensryche concept recordings. Hearing President Trump's bluster on "Danlort," off Tronald's self-titled debut, you may be reminded that this period could musically be a very long four to eight years.

The specter of power is one that metal has reflexively rebelled against, whether it is the doctrines of organized Christian faith, authoritarians of every stripe or the stricter social norms that define mainstream culture. Usually such aggression is answered with the sort of musical force that only metal can deliver.

For you, "Tronald" may be just that kind of soundtrack. No stress if you are already at peak-Trump, peak-knee or whatever outrage is happening at the second. The Manchester, UK namesake do not come across as an expressly political collective. Tronald is, however, well suited to deliver an assertive and uncompromisingly heavy recording. Just as exciting, the listener gets treated to an inventive group with a fiery first outing in its new self-titled release.

What makes Tronald so engaging to catch is the diversity of its approach. Ticking in at just under 20 minutes, the eight tracks on "Tronald" are one of the more interesting collections you will hear this fall. From practicing a chorus to the previously mentioned Trump snippets, Tronald mixes in its doom and sludge-heavy style a healthy dose of experimentation. Whether it is a hardcore/thrash chord or two in "Vegan Gains" or grinding pace of "Bennel," you hear a band that is crafting what it may eventually be in the future. Right now, Tronald does many things quite well, at least in small spurts – more than half the cuts are less than two minutes. Long enough to be intriguing, but short enough to make you wonder what comes next.

On "Obelisk," Tronald's longest song, you get perhaps a better sense of what the quintet is capable of. The doom track creates a humid scene around it, one that combines distorted guitars, chugging bass and flicks of vocal melody trapped under a crushing boulder of decomposing blackened death metal. You get the picture. It is raw and piercing in a fashion you cannot reasonably expect on a debut. But there it is, moldering for your delight.

Discerning fans will count several influences, and Tronald does not break particularly new ground just yet. However, the band gets off to a rousing start. And one has to feel optimistic about its future.

"Tronald" is available here:

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

REVIEW: Mastiff - "Bork" (EP)

By: Ernesto Aguilar

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 31/08/2017

Label: APF Records

The abrasiveness of the tracks is exceptional. Whatever you call it, this follow up to their 2016 debut "Wrank" is uncannily brutal. Cuts like "Nil By Mouth" and "Everything Equals Death" are chainsaws of sound, ripping into your head in ways you did not expect

"Bork" CD//DD track listing

1. Agony

2. Nil By Mouth

3. Everything Equals Death

4. Threats

5. Tumour

6. Eternal Regret

The Review:

There is so much to appreciate of artful metal and extreme music with a vision. Literally dozens of metal albums in 2017 have come to you with a message, a profound social commentary or literary and/or historical concept at its core.

Kingston Upon Hull, UK's Mastiff are not one of those bands. Mastiff lowers the sonic boom with angst and decibels. And it will give you a new appreciation for the sheer levels the band takes both.

On their new release, "Bork," the British group, which bills itself as doing an aggressive form of sludge, drills you with a sound so fierce that you just do not hear often, even in metal. You may not be sure where the sludge notion came from because "Bork" is as far from it as you can find. "Bork" is as methodical as any sludge classic in this sense. However, the sophomore recording by Mastiff feels more like an especially nihilistic form of thrash or hardcore. The abrasiveness of the tracks is exceptional. Whatever you call it, this follow up to their 2016 debut "Wrank" is uncannily brutal. With During the opening "Agony" and throughout this record, vocalist Jim Hodges and the band are inconsolably anguished. You hear fury and pain in every note.

Extreme music takes vocalists to limits few of us could even imagine testing our voices. Hodges is truly spectacular, literally killing each song with his inconsolable wail. At every turn, he seems to be giving everything he can to every note, and one has to wonder if there is a breaking point. However, Mastiff can offer range beyond growling. A song like "Eternal Regret" is a departure that Hodges simply outshines almost any other metal vocalist on. He's the centerpiece of this black orchestra, though the players all make it a happy torture throughout.

Mastiff's sound could seemingly only be this loud with two guitarists, and Phil Johnson and James Andrew Lee fulfill their roles with aplomb. Cuts like "Nil By Mouth" and "Everything Equals Death" are chainsaws of sound, ripping into your head in ways you did not expect. Mastiff has gotten a live reputation for its volume and the heaviness of its music. "Bork" does a great deal to confirm those reviews.

Fortunately enough, Mastiff is expected to hit the road in the near future. A performance of the songs on "Bork" done live is assuredly going to be a flailing and fun experience.

"Bork" is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook