TOP 16 ALBUMS: The Sour 16 (August 2017)

With English winter ending in July and commencing again in August, the summer as we know it, is over!  Now as we enter September, the sunshine may waver, but one constant source of light, is the inspiring music we embrace and celebrate. 

Mike Patton once said “what a day, when you can look it in the face and hold your vomit,” So to make things a little more bearable, allow yourself to indulge in a hefty dose of medicine, because it is time to present 16 of the best albums from August, it is time for your SOUR 16.

You know the drill by now, each month you the reader are unwittingly compiling a list of the top 16 records of the month, covering all genres of metal.  Is it not a chart, in which reviewers or contributors extol their opinion about their favourite music.  To put it simply, THE SOUR 16 are the records that have been trending the most at SLUDGELORD HQ.

The results are compiled based upon the amount of page views the reviews have received and are then calibrated into the list below. 

16). Cult of Erinyes - ‘Tiberivs’ (387)

In short, ‘Tiberivs’ is fully realized and wonderfully executed. Any black metal fans sleeping on this album are doing themselves a real disservice.

15). Mudbath - "Brine Pool" (397)

While firmly a doom metal group, Mudbath is not afraid to introduce different elements. With a shrieking vocal approach reminiscent of black metal and flourishes you might otherwise associate with drone, Mudbath manages to make it work.

14). Dead Cross - "Dead Cross" (405)

While Dead Cross don’t quite deliver the all-out face-melting insanity you may expect from their constituent parts, this debut is still an exhilarating burst of queasy punk rock mayhem that reminds most young pretenders who’s in charge.

13). Timeworn - "Venomous High" (408)

Some of the most engaging moments on “Venomous High” come when Timeworn move slightly away from their core sound.  “All Chiefs” finds the band at their most unhinged as they unleash an arsenal of spidery math-metal riffs with breakneck rock’n’roll abandon. Anyone missing Swiss behemoths Kruger will find a lot to enjoy in this killer track. “Venomous High” is a fine offering from Timeworn that takes an array of well-worn modern metal influences and blows them up on a grand scale.

 12). Nidingr - "The High Heat Licks Against Heaven" (414)

Given the amount of average extreme music that is available, Nidingr’s release is outstanding for such depth alone.

11). Geezer - “Psychoriffadelia” (424)

Guttural guitars and raunchy drums at the ready. Geezer delivers the intensity of the Melvins, one of the group's inspirations, while giving its own unique spin to stoner rock. While many others try, this is one band that is confident enough to step out and truly make this sound their own.

10). Sunrot - "Sunnata" (480)

Those who take the plunge into “Sunnata” will still be blown away by the fierce musical skill, emotional honesty, and undeniable potential of Sunrot.  Their truly exceptional full-length debut has set a high benchmark that, one hopes, is only the opening chapter of a lengthy, groundbreaking career.

9). Below The Sun - "Alien World" (533)

What you get is nothing short of spectacular. The soundscape intersects multiple metal subgenres, including funeral doom, black metal, drone and post metal. Moods throughout are bleak, as if the rumbling seas of Solaris are flicking gently at your mind and bouncing your hopes and fears to and fro.

8). Blues Funeral - "Awakening" (624)

Close your eyes and you can hear hints of Mountain and Blue Oyster Cult throughout "Awakening." The rolling title track is a true showcase for how these inspirations have shaped the Texas band. Such attention to the details most people probably never notice further ensures a level of quality that may surprise you. Not only is the music masterfully played, but nothing overpowers the composition

7). Red Mountains - "Slow Wander" (658)

...it is so refreshing to find a release that is all at once heavy, accessible and frankly beautiful in its construction.

6). Ledge - "Cold Hard Concrete" (700)

“Cold Hard Concrete" is that uneasy masterpiece you will value even more by year's end.

5). Pyrrhon - "What Passes for Survival" (796)

"What Passes for Survival" is an uncompromising album and you will learn that fast, right out of the gate.  It is impossible to listen to Pyrrhon's magnificent new release, without admiring the band's fearlessness and technical prowess.  This album is exactly what extreme metal doubters need to hear.

4). Weed Demon - "Astrological Passages" (1040)

Weed Demon is quite willing to show they can do a diverse attack that goes beyond a Melvins-ish crunch. It can definitely throttle you with heavy, sludged out guitars and drums. Yet, as you find on "Primordial Genocide" and elsewhere, Weed Demon can go from blasting to burrowing with its arrangements, zipping from fast to slow, metal to a variation on math rock, smoothly.

3). Devil Electric - "Devil Electric" (1097)

Although you'll not find a swerve or anything wildly disparate, Devil Electric is nonetheless entrancing. In particular, the group is guaranteed to energize any fan of heavy blues reminiscent of Black Sabbath, The Allman Brothers and similar bands.

2). Venom Inc. - “Avé” (1128)

This record, is a triumph. Venom Inc. have produced a record more than worthy of the Venom name and it contains some of the best and most “Venom” moments since the early 80's. I cannot praise or recommend this record enough to fans of Venom or just metal in general. The songs, performances and production all deliver.

1). Accept - "The Rise Of Chaos" (1407)

“The Rise of Chaos” is precise, prescient, presented superbly in terms of artwork and production and, more importantly, rocks as hard as anything I have heard this year. A tour de force.

A big thank you as always to our amazing writers, your dedication knows no boundaries and for that I am truly grateful.  August 2017’s SOUR 16 features reviews by:  Richard Maw, Daniel Jackson, Charlie Butler, Mark Ambrose, Mark Tremblay & Ernesto Aguilar

ALBUM REVIEW: Devil Electric - "Devil Electric"

By: Ernesto Aguilar

Album Type: Full-length

Date Released: 11/08/2017

Label: Kozmik Artifactz

Although you'll not find a swerve or anything wildly disparate, Devil Electric is nonetheless entrancing. In particular, the group is guaranteed to energize any fan of heavy blues reminiscent of Black Sabbath, The Allman Brothers and similar bands.

“Devil Electric” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Monologue (Where You Once Walked)

2. Shadowman

3. Lady Velvet

4. Acidic Fire

5. Monolith

6. The Dove & The Serpent

7. The Sacred Machine

8. Lilith

9. Hypnotica

The Review:

What is edgy rock music today? Such classifications are quite debatable, given where rock has meandered since the 1990s. Going from hard rock and beyond, sometimes comparisons are at best awkward and at worst ill conceived. Hence the contemporary metal fan might not classify Melbourne, Australia's Devil Electric as anywhere near the genre. Nevertheless its sludge influences are on full display on the quartet's self-titled debut.

And what a debut it is. Although you'll not find a swerve or anything wildly disparate, Devil Electric is nonetheless entrancing. In particular, the group is guaranteed to energize any fan of heavy blues reminiscent of Black Sabbath, The Allman Brothers and similar bands. In strains of "Lilith" you can hear Sabbath's "Hand of Doom." In "Hypnotica" you can get glimpses of Rainbow, among others. However, Devil Electric is not simply a homage or a tribute. Instead, it creates something very much up to date.

Devil Electric's premiere is exemplary much on the strength of singer Pierina O'Brien. Her presence and command of the material holds the listener's attention throughout this nine-song journey. With "Shadowman" and a few other songs, O'Brien is able to stretch out her vocals and add remarkable contours to the track. A precious few artists, such as Ute Plotkin of Aranya, come to mind as having this singular sort of charisma. And although O'Brien's specific singing range is not markedly expansive, she does quite a lot on these songs.

A sound like this does not succeed without a muscular rhythm section. And Devil Electric is fortunate enough to have bassist Tom Hulse and drummer Mark Van De Beek on hand to provide the sort of snap that guitarist Christos Athanasias needs to do his meaty best. Needless to say, while O'Brien is talented, it is the compliment of the rest of the group that helps trot out the best on this debut release.

“Devil Electric” is available to preorder/buy on vinyl here and digitally here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

THE SLUDGELORD PRESENTS: The Sour 16 for August 2016

SubRosa



It is time cast our minds back upon the month of August and digest the 16 albums that would become August’s sacrilegious ‘Sour 16’, the finest and most profane riffs around bundled together into a premium sized sonic soufflé.

You know the drill, each month; you the reader are unwittingly compiling a list of the top 16 records that we featured in August, covering all genres of metal.  Is it not a chart, in which reviewers or contributors extol their opinion about their favourite music.  The ‘Sour 16’ are the records that have been trending the most at Sludgelord Headquarters.

 

The results are compiled based on page views alone and calibrated into the list below. So kick back, with a cold one and let the power of the riff compel thee! All reviews can be viewed by clicking the artwork. (Total views since their publication are highlighted in red)

16). Bossk - "Audio Noir" (364)

The shimmering soundscapes of “The Reverie” gently ease the album into life. The track glides through waves of serene guitar atmospherics, before being crushed under a slab of molten distortion. Even though the classic quiet/loud dynamics of post-rock are employed here, Bossk manage to avoid the obvious, telegraphed crescendos by taking a more understated approach, conversely when they crank up, Bossk prove that they have honed their riffcraft to perfection. “Heliopause” is a relatively short burst of stoner aggravation while “Atomsmasher” fully delivers on the cataclysmic power of its name. In summation, Audio Noir” is a triumph for Bossk that sees them comfortably deliver on their fans’ anticipation for a full-length.

 

15). Body Void - "Ruins" EP (371)

Sounding like a seismic shift, 'Swans' instantly obliterates everything. The riffs slowly and mercilessly attack the central nervous system while the vocals suffocate and strangle. At the tail end of this EP comes the even more epic and gigantic 'Ruins', if you can imagine Andy Dufregne's escape in ' The Shawshank Redemption'; slow, filthy, dark, foreboding, this track is the embodiment of it. Body Void have set the bench mark pretty damn high now, surely they will follow this up with something truly amazing.

 

14). Warfather - "The Grey Eminence" (397)

“The Grey Eminence” is a better record than Warfather's debut (which was in itself a good album!) and is a credit to those involved. This is a style of death metal I like a lot; a mixture of all elements of the genre without too much of any one thing. This is controlled force and a must listen for death metal heads everywhere.

  

13)= Earthship - "Hallowed" & Khünnt - "Failures"  (405)

“Hallowed”is well represented with monolithic riffs, multi layered vocal arrangements and in standout track “Monolith” it delivers one of the heaviest moments within the course of the album. To me it appears as if the band had held back on us up until this point, because they have unleashed a truly astonishing album, which pummels and pounds you with a thick narcotic groove. This album is sonic alchemy of all their best elements, making this album a great listen and one to be admired.

 

 

Khünnt create the kind of bleak racket that would make even Khanate cry themselves to sleep, echoing the ragged noise rock monotony of Shit and Shine it is strangely euphoric and completely crushing in equal measure. “Failures” is a bold step forward from Khünnt. It sees them maintain their reputation for sonic drudgery while finding new ways to subject the listener to aural torment.

11). Howling Giant - “Black Hole Space Wizard”: Part 1” (EP) (469)

Howling Giant come across as a confident band that are bursting at the seams with invigorating hooks that sound as familiar as they are new. They have the discipline to take their time fleshing out riffs without losing sight of the song, their energy and passion is felt throughout, which is the glue that holds this EP together.

 

10). Make - "Pilgrimage of Loathing" (526)

An encompassing album that sees Make drag the psychedelia and post-metal of their previous recordings into a sludgy realm full of menacing atmospherics and hard-hitting riffs, Pilgrimage Of Hate is sure to please those who like their doom dark and heavy, but less predictable than the average group.

 

09). Lord Vicar - "Gates of Flesh" (551)

For anyone wanting quality traditional doom, the purchase of this album is a no brainer. Lord Vicar represents the very best in the genre and this album is a focused and fulfilling listen.

08). Hexxus - "Tunguska" (577)

Hexxus brings something different from the word go, desolation lays in their wake, pain and fear tremble before their sheer levels of decibel destruction.

 

7). Yeti On Horseback – “The Great Dying” (583)

Soaring melodies, crushing and enveloping riffs, brutal vocals, “The Great Dying” has got the lot! It's beautifully downtrodden in it's make up and utterly captivating.

 

6). Devil Electric - "The God's Below" (EP) (647)

 

Hailing from the Melbourne, Australia, Devil Electric unleash abevy combination of, ‘riffs of old and new in a collision of unholy matrimony’.

 

5). Black Tar Prophet/Iron Gavel - "Black Tar Prophet/Iron Gavel" Split (636)

 

4). Castle - "Welcome to the Graveyard" (829)

This is fantastic heavy metal of the most traditional kind, forged, I can only assume, in the fires of hell

 

3). Shadow Witch - "Sun Killer" (915)

This record is a fine debut and places the band amongst the retro rock/doom/metal scene but shows that they have a unique sound and approach. If you have been enjoying bands such as Demon Eye, R.I.P, Uncle Acid, Satans Satyrs, Electric Citizen and so on, well, Shadow Witch are better then some of them and can mix it with the best of them!

 

2). Slomatics – “Future Echo Returns” (1608)

When a band's guitarist has their own signature fuzz pedal, it's a safe bet that they can cut through solid rock with their riffs; when both guitarists have an alternate version of the same pedal then prepare your eardrums for some serious, rock crushing heaviosity. The towering heaviness of the riffs and the images of the infinite, shimmering darkness of space is executed and captured perfectly. An amazing album worthy of any and all praise it will undoubtedly receives.

 

1). SubRosa - "For This We Fought the Battle of Ages" (2694)

If you love really emotionally charged hard hitting music, give this record a listen. I had very high expectations of this record, and those expectations were met and then exceeded.

 

A big thank you as always to our amazing writers, your dedication knows no boundaries and for that I am truly grateful.  August’s “Sour 16” features reviews by:  Richard Maw, Dan Brownson, George Parr, Charlie Butler, Chris Bull, Hunter Young, Eric Crowe, Victor Van Ommen  & Gerardo Pacheco

REVIEW: Devil Electric - "The God's Below" (EP)

By: Gerardo Pacheco

Album Type: EP
Release date: 06/06/2016
Label: Independent

Hailing from the Melbourne, Australia, Devil Electric unleash a bevy combination of, ‘riffs of old and new in a collision of unholy matrimony’.

“The God’s Below” DD//7" track listing:

1.Devil's Bells (05:42)

2.The Dove & The Serpent (05:19)

3.Confusion of Mind (03:56)

4.Holy Ghost (06:00)

The Review:

As society continues to rightfully empower women in all areas of gender equality, rock seems to be following the trend. Female fronted bands are nothing new in the industry, but the recent rise of groups such as Blues Pills, Psychedelic Witchcraft, Castle, among others, further proves it is increasing exponentially and welcome by almost everyone in the scene.

Hailing from the Melbourne, Australia, Devil Electric unleash a bevy combination of, I quote from their site, ‘riffs of old and new in a collision of unholy matrimony’. It may sound pretentious, but we all have to agree that when a week after releasing an EP you gain label contract attention, either they've sold their souls to the devil or they put their money where their mouths are. Home of fine acts such as Ruby The Hatchet and Mammothwing it was a no brainer putting pen to paper with teuton stoner label Kozmik Artifactz.

The rite is short for those keeping time, 21 minutes worth, which commences with “Devil’s Bells”, where the main riff lurks like a giant powering through a beer mile. Riding on top of that lumbering beast is evil sorceress Pierina O’Brien, leading the chant with some soulful vocal work. It is noteworthy to comment at this juncture on the production value, for which rookie Aussie native Tom Glover is responsible for. For this EP to be a self-release, the quality is very respectable. The track then takes a left turn near the end towards doom/prog territory, releasing us from the dark brooding atmosphere that crept thru the first minutes of the record.

We then move on to “The Dove & The Serpent”, which carries on with the doom mood to then bridge over to Christos’ guitar tip-toeing like a ghost on eggshells, until it reaches the chorus to bring us full circle with the opening structure. Like in "Devil’s Bells", a hard turn is made towards heavy metal grounds as the song progresses and unwinds, literally. A classic rock intro and an overall evil vibe coupled with what is an obvious spotlight on Tom Hulse’s offbeat bass we get the band lighting a church on fire with “Confusion of Mind”.

That leads us to the end of the left hand path with closer “Holy Ghost”, which to me gives us a glimpse at what the band can achieve when they commit to allowing the riff monster to breathe, developing longer passages with a tried and tested quiet/loud dynamic boiling over a stoner witch’s cauldron. So, occult rock does abuse a few elements such as the dreaded vocal enchantress, 70s Univoxs or Muffs and coven subject matter, but never forget that it’s not about believing in Satan, it’s about Satan believing in us.

Well worth bookmarking, check back when they release their debut LP next year.

“The God’s Below” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook