ALBUM REVIEW: Garganjua, "Toward the Sun"

By: Peter Morsellino

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 17/01/2020

Label: Holy Roar Records

“Toward the Sun” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Transcending

2). The New Sun

3). Mire

4). Transcendence

5). Light Bearer

6). Controlling Waves

7). To Ascend (Awakening)

The Review:

The true mark of an album of substantial creativity is the listeners ability to interpret it and form their own connection with it.  Garganjua's epic “Toward the Sun” provides a perfect example of one of those albums. While I cannot say for certain what the group was leaning into in creating this piece, it's floating highs and crushing lows certainly create a narrative that simply begs to be interpreted. In my opinion, this is an album about darkness, and how it can swallow us whole.  More so, it's an album about the light that peeks through that darkness, and how we can grab on to it.

Introductory track “Transcending” offers up a beautiful overture for the listening experience ahead. Solemn guitars create a dreamy atmosphere while an ominous voice over introduces the bleak tone of the album.  “The New Sun” continues down this path, offering glimpses of darkness with fleeting moments of light.  Anger consumes the deep sadness presented in the music before falling back into its persistent melancholy. 

Like angels intermingling with demons, this hard soft dynamic provides the centerpiece of the album. Beautifully melancholic melodies intertwine with crushing low tuned doom riffs.  Light, ethereal vocals float gently atop the crushing sludge.  All of this comes together seamlessly, painting a bleak portrait of the depressive mind.

Transcendence and transformation play a major thematic role over the course of “Toward the Sun”.  This is played to perfection in the penultimate track, “Controlling Waves”. With a much more triumphant tone than the preceding pieces, Garganjua sheds its darkness with a newfound fervor that carries into the beautiful closer, “To Ascend (Awakening)”.

“Toward the Sun” is an emotional onslaught of beauty and despair that begs to be interpreted. Give this one a listen and give it your full attention.  Garganjua want to show you something within yourself, and if you let them, you just might learn something.

“Toward the Sun” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Garganjua, "Through The Void"

By: Ernesto Aguilar

Album Type: Full length

Date Released: 11/05/2018

Label: Holy Roar Records

“Through The Void” CD//DD//LP track listing

1. Crushed Beneath the Tide

2. Adrift

3. Through the Void

4. A Distant Shore

The Review:

English progressive doom trio Garganjua came onto the scene not too long ago with fresh paint on a time-honored sound, to much conversation. Garganjua does a prog-infused stoner blend that is profoundly complex. While sounding familiar, there are many elements that are largely unexampled – languid chords that are more diverse than the standard stoner playbook, breakdowns that offer expansive arrangements that are mirthlessly heavy, and song compositions with three-part vocals that stay in a space where they manage to be long enough to tell a story without feeling bloated and exasperating. The band's debut EP "Trip Wizard" was well received when it came out in 2014. The 2016 full length, "A Voyage in Solitude," saw growing buzz for the young crew. The band closed out 2017 by announcing this four-song, 45-minute return.

"Crushed Beneath the Tide" launches Garganjua's newest. Its vibe is a forewarning of the forthcoming cuts, with a lingering build and formidable bass assault by way of Gareth Owen. At 12 minutes, this is an adventurous opener, but Garganjua keep your attention with a mix of clean singing and rawer vocals. Later on, the lyrical divergence pays off quite handsomely. "Adrift" relies on power chords to set the scene, before cresting on a slab of drums courtesy of Benjamin Weston, and devastating vocals. While shorter, it is one of the better cuts off the release.

In the title track, it becomes clear that Garganjua are a quartet that is trying to submerge themselves into new places with its music. This song feels more emotional and purposeful, a moody opening, into a clean and not-clean crescendo, then rolling into a valley of guitars. The song is a small detour as far as what Garganjua normally does, and it is a welcome shift. Now three records in, the band seems to be evolving in this regard. "Through the Void" as a song goes into some progressive metal riffage and pacing, for the better. As the track concludes, you have to appreciate Garganjua for being willing to expand what you know of them.

The album ends with "A Distant Shore," a more proggy conclusion of an engaging return. Here you will find the guitar work by Scott Taylor and Gazz Chambers is at its finest, creating an atmosphere that is vast and unfathomable. The first two cuts on this release are solidly stoner through and through, but it's the last two tracks that prompts you to consider what Garganjua can mature into. "A Distant Shore" is quite serene for the most part, but offers you something bolder as the song continues – its dirge is special compared to Garganjua's catalog. Where the group goes is anyone's guess, but this album is a powerful reflection of what Garganjua is and can become.

"Through The Void" is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

The Sludgelord Song Premiere - "Dungeoness" by Pensevor

By: Aaron Pickford

The constant and blossoming UK doom scene shows little if no sign of slowing down, indeed Hibernacula Records have been at the forefront, releasing some incredible releases from likes of Greenhorn, Tides of Sulfur and more recently with the magnificent debut by Garganjua. It is no surprise then, that another sludge infused colossus is but a few months away from causing your lugholes irreparable aural damage.

Hibernacula Records will release “Klothod”; the full-length debut by Pensevor.  Hailing from Farnborough, UK, their new album is described as eight tracks of doom-infused sludge that combines insane vocals with a back-end straight out of hell. “Klothod” is due to be released on May 6 2016 and is available for pre order here

In anticipation, the band has teamed up with The Sludgelord to premiere their new song, “Dungeoness.” Check it out below and let us know what you think in the comments!

Band info: facebook || bandcamp

Garganjua - "A Voyage in Solitude" (Album Review)

By: Chris Bull

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 29/01/2016

Label: Hibernacula Records |

Black Bow Records

'A Voyage In Solitude' bursts through the speakers triumphantly, like a lonely knight back from the Crusades, suffering, but ultimately glad to be back, 'Extinction' with it's solemn, sobering overtones, lays down meaty slabs of despair for the listener to indulge in. Some gut wrenching growls are also presented courtesy of bass player Gaz Owen and with the doom scene becoming a little stagnant of late, it's good to hear a band brandishing weapons of melody and having the balls to use them when the situation calls for it. A solid first album from these lot.

“A Voyage in Solitude” CD//DD track listing:

1). Witch Horder

2). Isolation

3). A Voyage in Solitude

4). Extinction

The Review:

Fans of majestic doom take note; this is an album for you! With only four tracks but measuring in at over 40 minutes, you know you're going to get something epic. Produced by the masterful Chris Fielding, this packs a weighty punch!

'Witch Horder' kicks things off with its low paced riffing and growling vocals repeating itself without being repetitive. Five and a half minutes in, we go double time and vocalist Scott shows off his impressive pipes. Following from this is the gloriously depressive yet uplifting 'Isolation'. Guitarists Gazz and Scott give us some Maiden - esque harmonies at a quarter of the speed...and I dare you not to get the vocal melody stuck in your head. Quite possibly the pick of the bunch here, this song has all the characteristics of an epic doom classic in the Candlemass/Pallbearer vein.

'A Voyage In Solitude' bursts through the speakers triumphantly, like a lonely knight back from the Crusades, suffering, but ultimately glad to be back. Lastly, 'Extinction' with it's solemn, sobering overtones, lays down meaty slabs of despair for the listener to indulge in. Some gut wrenching growls are also presented courtesy of bass player Gaz Owen. The clean delay heavy guitars break through like rays of sunshine through thick clouds. Don't abandon all hope just yet! Life can be good!

With the doom scene becoming a little stagnant of late, it's good to hear a band brandishing weapons of melody and having the balls to use them when the situation calls for it. A solid first album from these lot.

“A Voyage in Solitude” is available here

Band info: bandcamp | facebook

GARGANJUA - Trip Wizard - EP Review

Album Type: EP

Date Released: May 10^th 2014

Label: Self Released

Trip Wizard - track listing:

1.HUNTRESS 07:55

2.LAZY GREEN 04:33

3.TRIP WIZARD 06:49

Band Members

Scott- Guitars/Vocals

Gaz - Bass/Vocals

Neb - Drums

Review:

Garganjua is a heavy as fuck Sludge/Doom Metal band that play epic riffs and brutal vocals to match with a hint of distortion to stand out from the crowd.

Their debut EP – Trip Wizard – may not offer anything we haven't heard before but it's still a great EP showing what this band can do. First track Huntress offers heavy as hell sludge riffs with enough power to crack your skull open. It has a dark edge to it with the band offering unsettling violent vocals to give you the ingredients for the most perfect fucked up nightmare.

The EP has a great mix of Sludge, Doom, Stoner with vibes of Psychedelic Blues Rock popping up from time to time. If you're fan of the NOLA scene then this EP will speak volumes to you as the band pay homage to their musical heroes and that is never a bad thing.

Garganjua have released an excellent EP to check out their music. If you need more evidence how great these guys actually are then check out Lazy Green. A storming 4:33 minute track packed with heavy sludge/stoner riffs to rock out to. Garganjua is another welcome addition to the UK's rising Sludge/Doom/Stoner Metal scene. Lets raise our bong-pipes to that.

Excellent stuff!!

Trip Wizard is now available to buy on BandCamp now.

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Written by Steve Howe