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Showing posts with label Black Bow Records. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Black Bow Records. Show all posts
By: Richard Maw Album Type: Full Length Date Released: 05/03/2021 Label: Black Bow Records
Split DD//LP track listing: 1).
Ungraven, “Defeat
The Object” 2).
Ungraven, “Onwards
She Rides to a Certain Death” 3).
Ungraven, “Blackened
Gates of Eternity” 4).
Slomatics, “Kaan” 5).
Slomatics, “Proto
Hag” 6).
Slomatics, “Monitors” The Review: So,
half an hour of the heaviest sounds and tones known on the planet... Ungraven is Jon Davis'
(Conan) side
project, Slomatics
are Northern Ireland's heaviest export. Ungraven is not a
million miles away from Conan,
of course, but is less about atmosphere and slothfulness (or High On Fire bits) and
more about beating the listener down with unbearable weight. Over
the course of the three tracks, Ungraven sound superb- heavy, crisp, weighty... I assume a
Foal Studios recording with the inimitable Chris Fielding at the helm. Simply
put, if you like Conan,
you'll like this. If you like Fudge Tunnel, you will like this. If you like.... well, you
get the idea. Slomatics are all about
heaping impossible weight onto the listener, in fact the material here is so
heavy you'll need to Eat Clen and Tren Hard to withstand it. It is certainly
downcast and moody- atmospheric in its blackness with impossibly low tuning. If
you haven't ever heard them (is that possible?) think Electric Wizard crossed
with Conan and
you are in the right ballpark, but Slomatics have a sound and style all their own. Over
the course of six tracks, each band gets a roughly equal playing time and three
tracks of each is enough to get a flavour of both, to decide if you to explore
further. Of course, where this is all
building to, is to say that it is great – if you like any of the comparison
bands mentioned here, this is a must.
Heavy, dark and pleasingly relentless. You
can purchase the Split HERE
Bast have certainly developed
creatively and have released another standout album in the world of heavy music
“Nanoångstöm”
CD//DD//2LP track listing:
1. Distant Suns
2. Far Horizons
3. The Beckoning Void
4. Nanoångström
5. A Red Line Through Black
6. The Ghosts Which Haunt the Space Between the Stars
The Review:
When
I heard Bast
had recorded and released their 2nd album 'Nanoångstöm', I knew I was the
right SLUDGELORD
to put my name forward for the review.
4 years have passed since the release of 'Spectres', in my opinion, one of
the best heavy records to be released this century, so Bast face an uphill struggle to
better, let alone match the benchmark they previously set. 'Distant Suns' immediately leaps for the aforementioned benchmark,
with the solemn bass intro, like a lonely astronaut floating through space,
gathering momentum and hurtling towards the epically heavy 'Far Horizons', where the contrasting vocals of drummer Jon Lee's
blackened growl and guitarist Craig Bryant's deep below overlay the Primordial
esque folk tinged black metal. The album ebbs and flows seamlessly highlighting
Bast's
penchant for the epic and enthralling, as 'The
Beckoning Void” and the title track deliver moments of brutality, subtle
tempo shifts and glorious melodies all wrapped up in progressive and finely
crafted song writing.
'A Red Line Through Black' harks
back to 'Spectres' building upon Bryant's moody guitar and vocal work,
through some heavy prog inspired riffing to create a sonic journey full of the
unexpected. By the time 'The Space Between the Stars' opening
tremolo laden riff and blast beats slow down to allow the song the room to
breathe, the unexpected becomes the ordinary as riffs, licks and screams leap
out from all corners, dragging you, towards the black hole they created.
While Bast's influences may be
apparent to some, with nods in the direction of a few of black metal's
proggiest bands, it's the personal touches and subtle nuances that forge the main
body of their sound. Bast have certainly developed creatively and
have released another standout album in the world of heavy music. Whether it
will leave as lasting an impression as 'Spectres' remains to be seen, but
several more spins will go a long way into that decision. Now, where's that
repeat button...
By: Mark Ambrose Album Type:Split LP Date
Released:
29/03/2018
Label: Black Bow
Records
Alter your mind, crank the volume, and worship
two of the best of doom metal shaman delivering one of the stand out releases of 2018
.
“Totems”
DD//LP track listing
1.
Mammoth Weed
Wizard Bastard– “The
Master and His Emissary”
2.
Mammoth Weed
Wizard Bastard– “Eagduru!
3.Slomatics–
“Ancient Architects”
4.
Slomatics– “Silver Ships into the Future”
5.
Slomatics– “Masters Descent”
The Review:
Last
time I threw on a split album it was the fun, fast cross genre thrashing of Iron Reagan
and Gatecreeper
– one of those brief, appetite whetting samplers that made me want to search
out more of the contributing bands’ back catalogues.I really enjoy those kind of horizon
broadening splits, but the ones that may stick with me most are the LP length
collaborations by artists operating in even closer genre proximity.Take, for example, “Totems” – a formidable, surprisingly cohesive split from young but
powerful Welsh psychedelic doomsters Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard and the
long-running Irish stoner sludge trio of Slomatics.Both acts take similar spacey, prog indebted approaches to their massive
cuts so the LP stands out as a proper, unified album – but you can’t mistake
the unique methods and voices on display between the Mammoth crew and Slomatics.
Mammoth Weed
Wizard Bastard’s opening cut, “The
Master and His Emissary”, may be my favorite track on “Totems”.Starting with a
bass and synth intro, it plunges straight into space rock weirdness.The ascending, chugging verse riff balances
with ethereal, multi tracked vocals – largely those of bassist Jessica
Ball.Her delicate, clean tones,
contrasted with the gnarly dual guitar heft of Wez Leon and “Dave” Davies, makes for
an exciting, unique counterbalance of grim and graceful.The unique emphasis on cymbal work,
juxtaposed with persistent bass drum pounding from drummer James Carrington, is
another standout trademark that had me intrigued by MWWB.And just when I thought “hmmmm it would be interesting if they incorporated the synth intro
back into this piece” the ‘Bastard went and did it!Plus the closing guitar solo is just
thrilling.Unfortunately, after such an
exciting opening, “Eagduru” feels
like a bit of a disappointment.A
swaying, much more thudding doom dirge, it isn’t a bad cut by any means, but
feels less structurally satisfying and complex than the trippy first
track.Ball’s vocals are again haunting
and mystical – I’m impressed enough to want to explore the back catalogue.
Slomatics hardly need an
introduction at this point, with nearly 15 years and releases in the double digits
(including splits and a live LP).But
for me this is another gateway, as I’ve never taken the full plunge into their
formidable back catalogue – another grievous error I plan to address
immediately.The heavy doom verses of “Ancient Architects”, countered by
Fabrio Frizzi reminiscent synth laden refrains hit right in my
metal/horror/scifi/weirdo nerd sweet spots, and I was hooked.Drummer Marty’s clean vocals have just the
right amount of grit, while his kit work is spot on.Dual guitarists Chris and David are tone
masters, shifting to a militaristic trudge in the pummeling midsection, only to
crash everything to a tectonic crawl on the outro.The fuzzed out phaser effects make the whole
ending feel impossibly psychedelic, while retaining the paranoid edge of a bad
acid freakout.
“Silver Ships into the
Future”
is a perfectly serviceable instrumental transition, primarily clean, slightly
warped keyboards and some nice, menacing ambient tones.But “Masters
Descent” is a genuine work of stoner metal masters.The savage riff and gently processed, reverb
laden vocals is like a Kubrickian transit through time and space.Marty’s jazzy fills, partnered with what
sounds like Mellotron backing tracks, makes the doomy number sound like a
haunting mashup with early King Crimson.The chiming, synth laden, psych dirge latter half is a particularly nice
touch, and the vocal work is particularly moving – trust me when I say that’s a
disservice to the ineffable power when everything clicks into place for Slomatics.
In
short, “Totems” serves as one of
those effective entreaties to explore more from the contributing bands, but
also works as a powerful slab of metal, best enjoyed in one long, bleary eyed
session, or staring into space and envisioning the types of otherworldly
journeys Mammoth
Weed Wizard Bastard and Slomatics delve into with each new
composition.Alter your mind, crank the
volume, and worship the “Totems” of
these two linked tribes of doom metal shamans.
Throneless do not break any musical barriers on “Cycles” but their mastery of riffcraft and ability to create massive, awe-inspiring compositions sets them high above the competition.
“Cycles” DD//LP track listing:
1).
Born In Vain
2).
Cycles
3).
Senseless
4).
Oracle
The Review:
Right
from the opening subsonic bass rumble, you know you are in safe hands with Throneless. The Malmö trio’s new LP “Cycles” is a master class in monumental sludged-up doom bathed in
a cosmic glow.
“Born In Vain”
immobilises the listener with a ten minute onslaught of crushing riffs, each
one striving to reach a higher plane of heavy perfection. The reverb-laden
vocals and hazy atmosphere recall the rural horror of Electric Wizard’s
“Dopethrone” recast as a science
fiction epic. After this pulverising introduction, the title track initially
offers some respite. Beginning as a laid back jam, there is an almost
optimistic mood reminiscent of Colour Haze at their
most blissed-out. It’s not long until Throneless unleash the full power of their earth-shaking
backline once more, taking the track into lumbering Torche
style thunder pop territory.
The
second half of “Cycles” shifts
towards slower tempos with an increase in punishing heaviness. This
metamorphosis reaches its peak with the gargatuan “Oracle”. Over the space of fifteen glorious minutes, Throneless gradually build a sonic fortress of epic
proportions from huge slabs of dense riffage worthy of Bongripper.
Throneless do not break any musical barriers
on “Cycles” but their mastery of
riffcraft and ability to create massive, awe-inspiring compositions sets them
high above the competition. This is a hypnotic trip that will have you coming
back for more throughout 2018.
When you run out of superlatives to introduce a
band, sometimes you’ve just gotta cut the shit and let the music speak for itself. Today that is exactly what I am going to
do. Slomatics are back
barely a year after their monumental album “Future
Echo Returns” andtheir finest
album to date and what’s more they have exceeded themselves again, with vocalist
drummer Marty Harvey putting in his finest vocal performances to date, supported by
the sledgehammer riffs of Chris Couzens and David Majury, for me today’s track premiere is one of their best ever tracks. So enjoy “Masters
Descent”, the final track from their forthcoming split with Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard, entitled “Totems” which is set for release on 30th March 2018 via
Black Bow Records and is available to purchase here. Info about the giveaway below.
Nowif that track premiere wasn’t exciting enough, we have teamed up
with the band to give away a test press of the split. All you have to do is like the post of this
article on our facebook page. That’s
right. Like the post. The give away will
end in 5 days directly after the post and I will select a winner at random and
sent them a message notifying them they have won.
Australian
post-metal/doom band Hawkmoth will release
their imposing new album “Godless Summit” on December
14th 2017. The album is part 1 of a 2 part opus
Following
on from their highly regarded debut, “Calamitas”
, the instrumental 4 piece enjoyed support shows with renowned international
acts Boris, Pallbearer, Elder, Earthless and Acid King, all whilst developing their latest body of work
that sees them take their sound to even more extremes.
“Godless Summit”
will take listeners through the realms of post-metal and doom, whilst conjuring
cinematic imagery and atmosphere as well as primal emotive reactions. From sparse to crushingly dense, a unique
heaviness and depth is created by Hawkmoth on “Godless Summit”.
Recorded & mixed by Jason Fuck-Face Fuller @ Goatsound Studios and Mastered
by Brad Boatright @ Audiosiege, the album will be released digitally via Black Bow Records and on limited edition vinyl from the
band.
Today
with the release fast approaching we can exclusively reveal the opening and
album title track, “Godless Summit” and pre orders for the LP are being taken here
Within six months of forming back in 2013, TarLung had recorded their debut release, seven tracks of
fuzzy self-confessed Eyehategod and Church of Misery worship. Yet it took until late last year
before the next instalment of tectonic shamanism and their “Void”
EP, emerged. Now, after the release of
their full-length “Beyond the
Black Pyramid”, with a sound so
fat it is in danger of not being able to squeeze through your speakers, I threw
some questions at Marian, Rotten and Five about what they had been up to in the
interim.
Marian [drums]: [The debut] was
received very positively, so we just continued with writing stuff, playing
shows, and testing the new material in the live setting. It happened quite
organically that the tunes got longer, darker and more refined, while of course
maintaining the love for the gritty, fuzzy and noisy approach. So we found ourselves with an extensive bunch of material a year or so after
the first release and thought “an in
between EP might be in order, but a new full length album is basically there as
well…” So in the end we decided to go for one recording session for both EP
and new album. And we knew there was a bunch of material, but indeed it was
more than 90 minutes in total, which came as a surprise in the end… but we had
kept adding parts and going slower, so that just sort of happened! But yeah, the separation into “Void” tracks being closer to the desert
biker blues of the debut and “Beyond the Black Pyramid” consisting of
the lengthier, bleaker and more monumental tunes was settled before going into
recording.
Rotten [guitars]: In fact we
ended up with 20 minutes more than we anticipated before entering the studio.
The sound on “Void” and “Beyond...” feelunified, and
distinct from the debut. How did that sound come about? Was it organic? Do you
feel Lukas Haidinger captured
your sound well? Did the recording process go smoothly?
Rotten: Well, we recorded both
releases in a three-day session, so that might give the more unified feel. The
decision to hit the Deep
Deep Pressure studio again was an easy one for us as Lukas is a good
friend and he recorded our debut as well. He understands what sound we are
going after, as he is active in numerous bands including the Austrian sludge
outfit Underground Groove
Front (check them out, they are awesome!). Thanks to Lukas' great work, he was able to record all our songs live and in
three or less takes per song. Recording with him is smooth and doesn't feel
like hard work at all. There was always a relaxed atmosphere in the studio,
despite the burning hot weather, and we are very happy how he captured our
sound. This time we also used different amps than the first time, mainly an Orange Rockerverb MK I and an old Laney AOR
– these got the job done alongside cool fuzz and effect pedals to spice things
up.
Marian:Yeah, it was a great
recording experience, but a full day of live tracking drums in the midsummer
heat in a rooftop studio was indeed quite demanding… I was holding up somehow
during playing, but after each take I got quite close to passing out, drenched
in sweat. Mmmh, I must have smelled really good!
Five [bass]: Working with Lukas
is definitely a pleasure. It's like recording in your own living room, but a
lot hotter and louder. Lukas is also hugely technically adept in what he is
doing; he knows his recording stuff. We pretty much just said how we would like
to sound and that it should capture our on-stage performances – that was enough
for him to create a blueprint for our sound on the album.
“Beyond...” really
feels like a full-length. There seems to be a trend now of albums being
shorter. I wonder if that is to accommodate vinyl's time limitations now that
more bands have gone back to offering that format. What are your thoughts on
that? Do you feel bands should be offering more from their releases? What do
you hope to offer your audience when you set out to craft, record and release?
Marian:
Yeah, actually we would have loved to put out “Beyond the Black Pyramid”
on vinyl! Of course there is some sort of hipster hype about that format, but I
personally love to spin some wax; it’s just a more intimate way to pay respect
to your favourite artists. Alas, with 66 minutes running time, “Beyond the
Black Pyramid” would have had to be a double LP, so in the end the cost
factor was too off-putting for us. So it came to be good old CD format and
bandcamp, and Black Bow
Records did the digital release on other platforms like iTunes and
Amazon for us – courtesy of Jon Davis
of the mighty Conan.
Thanks, man!
But maybe, if there is the demand, we still could get this record onto wax.
Still would very much like to do it!
But about the running time: as mentioned before, it wasn’t really a conscious
decision, it just happened… and we had to roll with it! There are great albums
around the half hour mark which feel complete as they are, but others just need
the long running time… Sleep’s “Jerusalem”, Neurosis’ “Times of Grace”, Electric Wizard’s “Dopethrone”… so while not wanting to compare us
with those giants of heavy music, we hope that “Beyond the Black Pyramid”
feels like a long, exhausting march through the searing desert, full of
hallucinatory demons and visions of doom, which is just as long as it needs to
be!
Rotten:
If there is a big enough demand for a “Beyond...” vinyl we might give you one in the future, maybe with a
preorder of some sort. Also the whole artwork Alex Eckman-Lawn did for us is intended to be used for a vinyl
release.
Five:
As Marian said, there are shorter and there are longer records, really depends
on the music and the artist. While writing, for example, ‘The Prime of Your Existence’, I was well aware that this is now a
>10 minute song. If I would get bored playing that song again and again, for
example in band rehearsals, then there is something wrong with it. Cut it, make
a riff shorter, whatever. But so far I did not have this feeling yet on any of
the longer songs of the album. I can still get into a delirium-like state while
playing the longer riffs, and that's really important to keep up your
excitement. I hope it stays that way.
From the debut there were always elements
of a kind of melodic doom, but how much do you think “Beyond...” now leans towards minor melodies rather
than bluesy licks to communicate its bleak bitterness?
Marian:
I like to believe it was an organic transition, TarLung
still sound like TarLung, but we have definitely
shifted a bit from the NOLA style ‘slow man’s blues-punk’ towards a somewhat
darker approach. I also think this matches the stories the songs tell, but
apart from a few more ‘fun’ tracks like ‘Space
Caravan’ the darkness has already been there on our debut: It was not so
much ‘Drinking and smoking are fun!’,
but more ‘Drinking and smoking might be
fun, but you will fucking die.’ The same goes for the themes of apathy,
misery and depression – but they emerged more clearly in the image of the Black
Pyramid, which is of course a Lovecraftian motif, but at least for me also a
strong symbol for personal struggle… but it is about going “Beyond the Black
Pyramid”, not about wallowing in constant self pity, but about trying to
overcome the misery, while maintaining that life will always contain its fair
share of gloom.
Rotten:
The whole lyrics of the song “Beyond The Black Pyramid” are also loosely
based on different Lovecraft stories. For me the change was something that came
naturally and wasn't intentional at all. I guess we just got more pissed off,
or got a more disillusioned look on life as we got older.
Five:
The debut album was, in general, a lot simpler. The rhythms are faster, there
are much more accessible melodies, and the songs are much shorter. The tracks
on the debut album were mostly pretty old ideas, from even before TarLung really existed. Between
the birth of TarLung and the creation of “Beyond the
Black Pyramid” we had a lot of time to grow as musicians. Speaking for
myself, I have gained a lot of experience playing the guitar and using my
vocals. Meaning that as you get better as a musician, you can use your tools in
different ways than you would have ever expected. The message of our music
pretty much stays the same, but the language on how we communicate that message
changed a bit. Maybe we'll speak a completely different musical-language on our
next record. Who knows.
What have your adventures outside Austria
been like? Do you find playing shows further afield easy for you or a
challenge? Have you noticed a difference in how you are received in different
places?
Rotten:
So far we only had the chance to play in Germany. I think our music is received quite well in
most places and the audience always treated us well. We had to take trains for most gigs outside of Vienna as none of us owns a car
right now. It might not be the easiest way to do shows but our love for playing
loud music for a crowd is bigger than the challenge of public transportation.
But I'm sure we will be able to hit the road with a van sometime in the future
to play more shows and hopefully visit more countries and meet many more
people.
Marian:
Würzburg was great both times, never seen an audience so drunk and wild! Cheers
and thanks to Tommy Hellfighter, our good friend and supporter. And yeah, shout
out to promoters all over Europe and the world: We want to play your miserable
hellhole, get in touch, we want to make it happen!
Do you think stoner rock and sludge can
exist without the influence of drugs? How much of TarLung's aesthetic is drugs
based? Do drugs make for more creative work, or do they limit thinking and
musical expression?
Rotten:
For me drugs (including legal ones like alcohol or tobacco) aren't an important
part of my life, and I think you don't need a mind altering substance to enjoy
or write good music. I don't even get drunk before hitting the stage, maybe one
or two beers but that's it for me. After the show I more than once got pretty
shitfaced and we all had our fair share of partying so far.
Marian:
Drugs are definitely a big and important part in underground music, a symbol
for not wanting to be confined by the rules of the mainstream society, for
separating yourself. But it really depends then – drug culture can become sort
of conservative and restricting in its own way. So as much as I love Electric Wizard, Sleep and the likes:
You are not automatically making great music just because you are stoned, and
you don’t necessarily need to be stoned to enjoy “Jerusalem” or “Dopethrone”.
TarLung is about a reality that is there, people doing what
they do, partying and suffering. Not condemning it, but not glorifying it,
either. In the end, what remains from all the highs is a bunch of tar in your
lungs. That is the way of the world. A strange place to be, a strange life to
live… but definitely better if you got some really heavy tunes to accompany
your existence!
Five:
I don't think that drugs are needed in any situation, especially for something
creative like music, to really enjoy it. If I can only deeply listen to a
particular record under the influence, then the record is probably not that
good. Drugs may alter the experience of art, but I personally enjoy, for
example, Doom Metal or a good book just as much without any mind altering substances. I never understood bands who openly celebrate or promote drug use on stage. I
don't actually mind it, as it's really none of my business what they do on
stage, but this kind of music can be much more than just a drug induced fever
dream. Having a few beers before stage time to get into a relaxed mood, and
maybe one more beer on the stage to keep the throat moistened, is enough for
me. After we've done our set, there's usually enough time left to really start
partying.
I personally have never gotten intentionally "high" to write songs.
In fact, I think I've never written any song under the influence of drugs. I
like to focus on what I'm currently doing – if I'm sitting down to write a song
or some riffs, I'm doing exactly that. Our band rehearsals are also usually
very straight-forward: a few hours of focused music playing and song inventing.
This seems to work quite well for us. This doesn't mean that drugs are generally bad for doing creative stuff. Of
course not. But for me personally it doesn't really go together. Better keep
the fun stuff for after the work is done. All work and no play makes Jack a
dull boy, as we all know.
71TONMAN absolutely
bludgeon the listener with hammer blows of relentless doom
“Earthwreck” CD//DD track listing
1.
Lifeless
2.
Negative
3.
Phobia
4).
Zero
5).
Torment
6).
Spiral
The Review:
Subtlety
isn't something usually associated with sludge/doom, realistically, why should
it? Poland's 71TONMAN, the latest to signing for Jon
Davis' Black Bow Records, show no sign of straying
from the well trodden path with 'Earthwreck'.
'Lifeless' sees 71TONMAN
let you take a deep breath before absolutely bludgeoning with hammer blows of
relentless doom. The death growl vocals make the songs reminiscent of Winter but have more in common with the likes of Dismember and Entombed with the way
they echo into the psyche. 'Negative'
has more to offer melodically than most doom bands do on entire albums, without
losing the malicious, pummeling heaviness. 'Phobia'
toys with the sensibilities of the traditional doom fan; this is extreme metal
chump, save your talk of pentatonic scales for the millions of Kyuss/Church Of Misery rip offs! The sheer weight of the
track makes you hyper aware of gravity and just when you think you can nod your
head to the groove, they mangle the formula and have you gurning with glee.
'Zero'
offers brief respite as the industrial noise is penetrated by clean guitars and
syncopated drums before going whole hog with devastating riffs. 'Torment' makes great use of atmosphere
to season the heaviness and 'Spiral'
chops at your ear drums with its tremelo picking before smashing the weighty
yet wonderfully catchy, riffs. Excellent stuff.
I don't like to write negative points about bands, and I'm not going to here,
my only mild criticism would be that with 6 songs lasting 9 minutes each, the
slog can be difficult to manage. Luckily there are plenty of intricacies
throughout to keep your attention. I had the fortune of playing with these guys
in Warsaw a few weeks back and I can confirm that they absolutely slay. A
gem of a release.
If you’re a fan of heavy sludge, doom, and death/doom, I don’t see
how you could possibly not dig this album. The production is amazing and the
tone is ultra-heavy. The drums pound mercilessly, the bass hits like a 50 pound
maul, and the vocals pull it all together perfectly. Give this a listen now.
“Beneath” CD//DD//LP track listing:
1).
Guile As A Vice
2).
Succumbing
The Review:
Up
for review here is “Beneath,” the new
2017 album by Melbourne, Australia’s Merchant, which is
brought to us by in part (digitally) by the mighty Black Bow Records.
The album consists of only two tracks, but each one is almost fifteen minutes
in length so rest assured that there is no skimping on the sludge soaked
riffage that lies within the recording.
The
album opens with the appropriately titled “Guile
As A Vice,” which begins with some chattering feedback and then quickly
gives way to a solitary guitar strumming some somber yet powerful chords.
Before long, the drums and bass kick in and all is well with the world as the
syrupy groove grabs a hold of your soul and moves your bones in agreeable
unison to the soothing sounds….
But
then suddenly, after we’ve grooved out for about 5 minutes, the mood changes,
the vocals chime in, and just like that, things aren’t so smooth and syrupy any
longer. Now is the time when the vicious vocals spew forth their venom all over
our speakers like a sludge bomb going off in our faces and coating our remains
in a cryptic slurry. The track surges and then slows until we are taken by force
into a lumbering, crawling pace. Drums
pound and vocals wail away as duress and despair are the feelings evoked from
here on out by the rhythmic repetition and droning guitars which set the tone
for this ungodly apocalypse. As the song comes to an abrupt end, we are left
feeling as if a great burden has been lifted from our chests.
Enter
track two; “Succumbing,” which
indeed, I feel as if we already have. Havoc, hatred, and hopelessness pound us
into the ground from the opening blast. This song does not care to spend any
time easing us into the assault as was the modus operandi of the first one.
Again, tempos ebb and flow while never losing sight of their groove; an
admirable feat of musical dynamics. Billowing clouds of guitars waft over us
like we’re drowning in a sea of sanguine serenity. We have no choice but the
let the waves wash over us and pull us under the swirling tide. After almost
ten minutes, the barrage gradually slows to the bitter end as amplifier hum and
whirling feedback drift us out into the eerie unknown.
If
you’re a fan of heavy sludge, doom, and death/doom, I don’t see how you could
possibly not dig this album. The production is amazing and the tone is
ultra-heavy. The drums pound mercilessly, the bass hits like a 50 pound maul,
and the vocals pull it all together perfectly. Give this a listen now.
“Beneath”
is available on CD/LP hereand digitally here
