6 NEW BANDS: THE SLUDGELORD'S "666 PACK REVIEW" (THE 6(66) OF 2018)

By: Nikos Mixas

If you’ve been paying attention, the 666 PACK REVIEW is an abbreviated review column mostly focused on very new bands or bands that have submitted demo material to THE SLUDGELORD.  The basic premise is that 6 bands are critiqued using only 6 words and on a scale from 1 to 6(66).  What you see below is the best of the year 2018 for the 666 PACK REVIEW.  There were only 6 bands that received the highest of ratings so please go give them some love by revisiting their music and their web pages.  We at the THE SLUDGELORD hope great things come to them.  Congrats and hails to those bands that made the list!  

1). Estuary Blacks, “Estuary Blacks” (Swansea, Wales) (March)

Pelican meets Elder meets amber ale.   

2). Morpholith, “Void Emissions” (Reykjavík, Iceland) (April)

Really digging the vocals. Hails Iceland!

3). Magik Black, “Magik Black” (Nizhny Novgorod, Russia) (June)

Dumb name but shaddup and listen!

4). Ritual Earth, “Demo” (Philadelphia, U.S.A.) (September)

Shoe in for Psycho Las Vegas.

5). LMDA “Darkest Days and Rituals” (Strasbourg, France) (October)

Powerviolence, soundtrack to destroy things to. 

6). Vandampire, “You will be the bones” (London, United Kingdom) (November)

This is THE SLUDGELORD, you lost?

6 NEW BANDS: THE SLUDGELORD's 666 Pack Review (March 2018)

By: Nikos Mixas

Art: Joshua M. Wilkinson

Welcome to THE SLUDGELORD’s March 666 Pack Review!  We don’t know if it’s the weather or shitty timing or what, but the majority of the releases this year have kind of been…well, for lack of a better description, meh.  Thoughts on the new Judas Priest anyone?  Anyway, SLUDGELORD RECORDS has been releasing some killer material worth youR attention so check it out!  Besides the shameless plug, each and every month we handpick 6 review submissions and critique them by only using 6 words, then we rate them on a scale from 1 to 666!  Check out our awesome rating scale below: 

1). WTF! WTH? LOL! Do I need to spell it out? 

2). The leprechaun of sludge says “not really.” 

3). You’re average, just like corned beef and cabbage. 

4). Four is just one better than three.  Don’t get too excited…

5). You have reason to be proud…keep it up.   

666). The leprechaun of sludge says “Follow the dandelion tea toward the riff filled land!” 

Some of you aren’t paying attention to this part…take notice!  Even though the 666 Pack Review is meant to offer humorous critique, there are no safe spaces here and your gripes will be taken with a grain of salt.  THE SLUDGELORD is a picky listener…and doesn’t care what you think of his opinions….

1). Conteiner, “Conteiner EP” (Bilbao, Spain)  "Basque cheese?  No. Good Basque tunes."

 Rating: 5 

2). Iron Moth, “The Kill Room Journal” (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) "This moth is not so iron…"

  
Rating: 2

3). Clawing, “Spectral Estate” (Montgomery, USA) "Soundscapes to kick start your nightmares.2 

  
Rating: 4

4). L.o.W., “Bones” (Szczecin, Poland) "Sludge forced through a rusted grinder."

 Rating: 3  

5). Estuary Blacks, “Estuary Blacks” (Swansea, Wales) "Pelican meets Elder meets amber ale."   

Rating: 666!

6). Thra, “Mourn” (Phoenix, USA) "My speakers are begging for mercy."

Rating: 4

Band info: Conteiner || Iron Moth || Clawing || L.o.w. || Estuary Blacks || Thra