FOR THOSE ABOOT TO ROCK: Riffs of Canada with Speaker (Toronto, Ontario)

By: Mark Tremblay

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 10//11/2017

Label: Independent

Toronto’s best kept secret come into their own on this release, showcasing the 'core noise they have mastered, as well as incorporating new sounds into their wheel-house.

“Murder and Create” DD track listing:

1). Plaster

2). Bleach

3). Catch 22

4). Conscious Sleep

5). Cocoon

6). Eve

The Review:

Toronto’s best kept secret in metal and hardcore start to come into their own with the release of their new EP “Murder and Create”. The EP showcases the refined metalcore that Speaker has mastered, as well as new sounds that they are incorporating into their wheel-house.

The first half of the EP showcases a master class in metallic hardcore. Songs like “Plaster”,” Bleach”, and “Catch 22” flex a unique versatility in frenetic energy and dissonant guitars. The stop and turn nature of these tracks maximizes the weight of the riffs, and keeps the listener on their feet. The second half of the EP is where we hear the band reach into new territory. “Conscious Sleep” and “Eve” see the band going for more of a Gaza/Cult Leader approach; trading in their hardcore roots for a more atmospheric and doom-laden approach to heavy music.

While not everything lands perfectly on this record, it is great to see Speaker flex their creative muscles, and venture out into new territory. It will be great to see what happens next for the band.

“Murder and Create” is available here

Band info: Facebook || bandcamp

REVIEW: Ilenkus - "Hunger" (EP)

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: EP
Date Released:  19/10/2016
Label: Independent

 

 

Ilenkus deliver a whirlwind blur of off-kilter riffage, pummelling blast beats and finger-mangling fretboard gymnastics.  Once the dust settles you will feel battered and bruised, but with a nagging urge to subject yourself to the pain all over again. 

 

“Hunger” DD track listing

 

1). Hunny Bunny

2). Pretty Secret

3). Exhume

4). The Romantic

 

The Review:

 

Galway quintet Ilenkus deliver an impressive riffs-per-minute ratio on new EP “Hunger”. The band tears through four tracks of breathless mathematical mayhem in just under fifteen minutes. Once the dust settles you will feel battered and bruised with a nagging urge to subject yourself to the pain all over again.

 

“Hunny Bunny” starts proceedings with a whirlwind blur of off-kilter riffage, pummelling blast beats and finger-mangling fretboard gymnastics. The effect is like a more ragged Dillinger Escape Plan with their clinical precision blunted by ugly sludged-up fury. “Exhume” is a similarly intense affair opening with a wild collision of blown out post-rock and grindcore worthy of Cult Leader. From there things take a progressive turn into weirder, spacier territory without relenting on the vitriol.

 

Even when Ilenkus slow the tempo, there is no let-up in heaviness and complexity. “Pretty Secret” opens with a crushing needle-skip chug before exploring quieter sections of restless math-rock. This builds to a lumbering, doom finale that provides the EP’s most punishing moment. “The Romantic” sees the band dabble in churning noise rock groove, shards of serrated guitar providing an odd respite before the track once again plunges into a cauldron of molten rage.

 

“Hunger” is an exhilarating ride that takes in more twists and turns than most bands squeeze into a career. Hopefully it won’t be too long before Ilenkus return with an album of glorious chaos.

 

“Hunger” will be available here

 

Band info: FACEBOOK || TWITTER || INSTAGRAM || BANDCAMP || SOUNDCLOUD

Anion - "Fractions of Failure" EP (Review)

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 20/05/2016

Label: No List Records

Huge riffs rain down on the listener from all angles, channelling the finest moments of the Hydra Head back catalogue and delivered with the venom of Gaza. The band occasionally pause for breath to allow their spacier side to dominate but these interludes provide brief respite before they lurch back into high gear, a perfect balance of crushing groove and mathematical complexity.

“Fractions of Failure” DD//LP track listing:

1). Gods Day Off

2). Old Wounds

3). The Widower

4). Work Ethic

The Review:

“Fractions of Failure” is the first release since 2013 from Vancouver bruisers Anion. The band have been in existence since 2010 and I’m kicking myself that it’s taken me this long to sample their compelling brand of noise.

From the filthy bass riff that opens “God’s Day Off” to the ear-ringing finale of “Work Ethic”, Anion launch a relentless assault on the senses. Huge riffs rain down on the listener from all angles, channelling the finest moments of the Hydra Head back catalogue and delivered with the venom of Gaza. The band occasionally pause for breath to allow their spacier side to dominate but these interludes provide brief respite before they lurch back into high gear, a perfect balance of crushing groove and mathematical complexity.

This EP marks the debut of vocalist Sean Bouchard and drummer Tristan Helgason, both of whom make a seismic impact here. Bouchard’s aggressive bark lends a paint-stripping intensity to these tracks while Helgason’s frantic work behind the kit provides the solid foundation for the band’s punishing onslaught. The breakneck “Old Wounds” particularly benefits from some stellar drumming. The track edges toward grindcore but dirty noise rock undertones make it a stranger beast, reminiscent of Cult Leader at their most furious.

“Fractions of Failure” is an addictive blast that demands you to press play again before the dust can settle. Hopefully there’s more to come from Anion soon as these four tracks are an enticing glimpse at their powerful potential.  

“Fraction of Failure” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

The Sludgelord Song Premiere - "God's Day Off" By Anion

ANION, is a band that literally fell into my lap less than a week ago and holy fuck does this band shred.  Formed in early 2010, their only desire was to create devastatingly heavy and ultimately ugly music. Riff driven and intense, indeed the music stands apart with an underlying foundation of ugly and intense hardcore, with healthy doses of abrasive noise rock and heavy sludge mixed in to create a unique sound. Make no mistake if you're a fan of Converge or Cult Leader, then you're gonna love this band

ANION's last full length LP, entitled “Without Solace”, was released in September 2013 via No List Records and was recorded with none other than legendary producer Matt Bayles (Botch, Mastodon, Isis) at Red Room studios in Seattle, WA

Having played with bands such as Indian (Relapse), Helm’s Alee (HydraHead), Thrones (Southern Lord), Black Elk (Crucial Blast), KENmode (Profound Lore), and Ghostlimb (Vitriol), ANION are back armed to the teeth and ready to knock you the fuck out with their new EP/7” record entitled “Fractions of Failure” scheduled for release on May 20 again via No List Records and features artwork by Demian Johnston (Great Falls/Playing Enemy). 

So with the EP set to be streamed in full via our friends at Exclaim! on Friday, 13 May, get ready to be sucker punched with this absolutely raging tune entitled “God’s Day Off” and if this track whets your appetite you can download "Without Solace" for free here

Pre-orders for the cassette and vinyl can be found here

Band info: facebook

Cult Leader - 'Lightless Walk' (Album Review)

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 16/10/2015

Label: Deathwish Inc

Cult Leader have created a monster here, a perfect combination of brains and brutality. There’s enough going on to suggest that “Lightless Walk” is just the start of an intriguing journey to the outer limits of heavy music.

‘Lightless Walk’ CD//DD//LP track listing:

01. Great I Am
02. The Sorrower
03. Sympathetic
04. Suffer Louder
05. Broken Blades
06. A Good Life
07. Walking Wastelands
08. Gutter Gods
09. Hate Offering
10. How Deep It Runs
11. Lightless Walk

Cult Leader is:

Michael Mason | Guitar
Casey Hansen | Drums
Anthony Lucero | Vocals
Sam Richards | Bass

The Review:

Once the cavernous thud and gut churning chords heralding the arrival of opener “Great I Am” have drawn your attention, there’s no escaping the dark gravity of Cult Leader’s sonic barrage. ”Lightless Walk” is the debut full length from this Salt Lake City quartet who count three former members of the fearsome Gaza in their ranks. The naked aggression of their past work remains intact here but the band is now pushing their art further into uncharted territory with spellbinding results. Once this beast has been let loose into the world, interest in previous band associations will soon crumble to dust.

Cult Leader combine furious grind, crusty hardcore, punk grit and the widescreen atmospherics of black metal to devastating effect. The majority of the tracks here are a dizzying breakneck assault on the senses, sounding like a psychedelic Trap Them or Converge set in concrete and sunk to the bottom of the ocean. Tracks like “Walking Wasteland” and “Sympathetic” manage to cover more musical ground during their brief duration than most bands do in an album at no detriment to cohesion. The finale of the latter particularly showcases the powerhouse drumming of Casey Hansen, a key factor in the success of this record. While the guitar and bass lock into a punishing one chord groove, the drums become the lead instrument, weaving around the riff and slipping in and out of the beat in sublime fashion. They provide furious velocity when needed throughout the album but demonstrate exquisite control when the tempo drops.

“A Good Life” and “How Deep It Runs” show that Cult Leader can slow things down and apply restraint with no impact on quality or intensity. Both tracks have a hint of the spaced-out post metal of Cult of Luna and provide real depth to this album.

“Lightless Walk” concludes with the monumental title track. Whilst this is the quietest track here in terms of volume it is definitely the heaviest in terms of emotional damage. The band craft a bleak funeral march worthy of the titular final voyage into the beyond, with Anthony Lucero’s low half-sung, half spoken vocals providing the haunting details. Lucero’s ferocious harsh vocals are the perfect accompaniment to brutal chaos, but when he employs his clean baritone here and on “A Good Life” it leads to something unique. As the vocals fade away, the music becomes slower and sparser, evoking an air of weary resignation reminiscent of slowcore heroes Codeine. 

Cult Leader have created a monster here, a perfect combination of brains and brutality. There’s enough going on to suggest that “Lightless Walk” is just the start of an intriguing journey to the outer limits of heavy music.

‘Lightless Walk’ is available here

FFO: Converge, Gaza, Swans, Trap Them

Band info: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Ambassador Gun - 'Tomb Of Broken Sleep' (Album Review)

By: Chris Bull

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 17/07/2015

Label: Independent

'Tomb Of Broken Sleep' by Ambassador Gun may be one of the most intense and in your face albums of 2015'.  Heart of Corruption' shoots first and asks questions later. A grinding d-beat masterclass, sounding at times like Converge at their most furious but with extra HM-2 pedals

‘Tomb Of Broken Sleep’ DD track listing:

1). Heart of Corruption

2). Narcotic

3). Invaders

4). Once Upon The Sauce

5). Tomb Of Broken Sleep

6). Fire at Will

7). Mighty Steed

8). County Fair Massacre

9). Karamazov

10). Smoke Crack/Worship Satan

Ambassador Gun is:

Patrick | Drums

Tim | Vocals, guitars, bass

Luke | Vocals, guitars, bass

The Review:

'Tomb Of Broken Sleep' by Ambassador Gun may be one of the most intense and in your face albums of 2015. The Minneapolis power trio (POWER being a key word) have been around for some time, lurking beneath the radar, waiting to fire.

'Heart of Corruption' shoots first and asks questions later. A grinding d-beat masterclass, sounding at times like Converge at their most furious but with extra HM-2 pedals. 'Narcotic' and 'Invaders' are akin to firing sub machine guns into a crowd, blasting straight at the eardrums, briefly taking stock to reload. 'Once Upon The Sauce' has all the subtleties of a mafia hit. Point blank, boom! Brains splattered all over the wall. The title track loads the gatling gun to lay waste to everything visible, a tremendous song with it's chest beating, head nodding moments towards the end. 'Fire At Will' does exactly what it says on the tin. I wouldn't want to be Will, whoever he is!

'Mighty Steed' is Lee Harvey Oswald, taking aim from above and pulling the trigger at the opportune moment. The comparison to Converge maybe a lazy one but definitely fits. 'County Fair Massacre' is the longest track of the 10 on offer here but still retains all of the merciless fury of all the shorter songs. For some reason 'Karamazov' reminds me of 'Lifesblood' era Mastodon but with D-beats. Some interesting guitar licks make this stand out. On to the final song, 'Smoke Crack, Worship Satan' has some Pig Destroyer esque riffs but does not disguise the identity of the 3 men, armed to the teeth, on a mercy killing spree. It chugs and grinds in all the right places and is a perfect way to kill off the album.

I fucking love this album, a truly ferocious affair and one I will turn to when I'm bored of listening to the slow stuff.

‘Tomb Of Broken Sleep’ is available via their bandcamp

FFO: Pig Destroyer, Converge, Mastodon, Cult Leader

Band info: facebook | bandcamp | store

The Sludgelord Sour 16 for May 2015

Welcome to The Sludgelord’s Sour 16. Each month, you the reader are unwittingly compiling a list of the top 16 records of the month, covering all genres of metal, but predominately the best the doom, sludge, stoner-psychedelic genres have to offer.

Is it chart? Not really.  It is merely the 16 records you guys have been most interested in over the last month and you have been checking out on this very page.

Our idea for this thing was to turn the power over to you guys, yes it would be easy for us to choose our favourite records of the months, however it is you the reader, the fans that support these bands, buy their records and attend their shows.  So here is the The Sludgelord Sour 16 for May 2015, the 16 records you’re most looking forward too or are currently checking out.  Check em out, spread the word and perhaps revisit some records you may have overlooked.  

The results are compiled based on page views alone and calibrated into the list below. So without further ado, this is the Sour 16. So until next month, roll up, kick back, chug a beer and Hail the riff! All review links, are held under the artwork.   

16) =    Space Metal – ‘Space Metal’ (260)

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/space-metal-st-album-review.html

The Exploding Eyes Orchestra – ‘I’

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-exploding-eyes-orchestra-i-album.html

14).      Ten Foot Wizard – Sleeping ‘Volcano’ (279)

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/ten-foot-wizard-sleeping-volcanoes.html

13) =    Feral - ‘Where Dead Dreams Dwell’ (280)

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/feral-where-dead-dreams-dwell-album.html

Weedeater – ‘Goliathan’

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/weedeater-goliathan-album-review.html

11).      Galvano – ‘Trail of the Serpents’ (318)

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/galvano-trail-of-serpent-album-review.html

10).      Demon Head – ‘Ride the Wilderness’ (326)

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/demon-head-ride-wilderness-album-review.html

9).        Obsequiae – ‘Aria of Tombs’ (329)

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/obsequiae-aria-of-vernal-tombs-album.html

8).        Arcturus – ‘Arcturian’ (378)

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/arcturus-arcturian-album-review.html

7).        Demon Eye – ‘Tempora Infernalia’ (409)

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/demon-eye-tempora-infernalia.html

6).        Cult Leader – ‘Useless Animal’ (421)

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/cult-leader-uselss-animal-ep-review.html

5).        Sun & Sail Club – ‘The Great White Dope’ (454)

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/sun-and-sail-club-great-white-dope.html

4).        Entrails – ‘Obliteration’ (478)

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/entrails-obliteraton-album-review.html

3).        Mutoid Man – ‘Bleeder’ (672)

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/mutoid-man-bleeder-album-review.html

2).        My Sleeping Karma – ‘Muksha’ (758)

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/my-sleeping-karma-moksha-album-review.html

1).        Paradise Lost – ‘The Plague Within’ (1322)

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/paradise-lost-plague-within-album-review.html