ALBUM REVIEW: Depravation, “III:Odor Mortis”

By: Thomas Gonzales

Album Type: Full Length 

Date Released: 03/04/2020

Label: Lifeforce Records 

“III:Odor Mortis” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Casting Fear

2). Peitschenhieb

3). Misery

4). Beug Dich

5). Sickness

6). Amboss

7). Arrival

8). The Endless Night

9). Nothingness

The Review: 

Münster, Germany extreme music “DIY-ers” Depravation join metal label Lifeforce Records for the release of their 3^rd full album, “III:Odor Mortis”. Formed in 2011 Depravation are veterans of over 300 concerts across Europe, and multiple split collaborations spanning the musical stylings of Hardcore to Death Metal. They have sown success in the underground scene by sheer force of will, and the sweat from their collective brow; this relentless pursuit of aggressive song crafting, are translated into what may be their most brutal album to date. 

Free from the constraints of traditional Hardcore Punk and Crust, the framework for their latest release leans heavily on their Blackened Death influences. Full of aggressive blast beats, shrieking screams, and shredding riffs, “Odor Mortis” is a pulse pounding exercise in heavy music composition.  Amidst this slurry of genres, there are elements of Doom Metal and Grindcore, creating a sludgy and noxious soniscape, like moshing your way through a frozen field of viscera.  It is cold, brutal, and nasty.

It’s not all shredding riffs and pounding rhythms however, there are many “striking grooves and eerie melodies” throughout, which help to move the listener along a musical path. With “Sickness”, Depravation slow things down for a (mostly) instrumental track, accented only by a haunting denouncement of hatred spreading like a virus, choking out the light. The interlude is the only real break throughout the album, and it does a great job of setting off the final act. Concluding with pummeling drums, and mournfully distorted guitar parts, it gives way to probably the Blackest song on the record, “Amboss”. “Sickness” really feels like a transitional piece, as the latter part of the album is Blacker and Doom-ier than the more Hardcore start. It’s here that things seem to shift focus with the themes of the album.  “Nothingness” closes things out a somber Doom piece embracing the reality that there is no purpose, “nothingness unfolds”. It is bleak, and such a fantastic way to wind things down after taking the listener on such a tumultuous journey.

“I: Praedictvm EP” (2012) & “II: Maledictvm” (2013) are almost a decade in the past, and when you listen to them now, you can hear all the pieces coming together. The elements have carried through each project, and Depravation has acquired various techniques from their collaborators, and blended them into the band you hear today. Touring with Hardcore and Black Metal groups alike, has clearly influenced their song writing and helped them to create something all their own. Pick up “III: Odor Mortis” today from Lifeforce Records, and while you’re at, blast your way through their previous works.

“III: Odor Mortis” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: All Pigs Must Die - "Hostage Animal"

By: Ernesto Aguilar

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 27/10/ 2017

Label: Southern Lord Recordings

The riffs are ceaseless as Wentworth and Izzi vary from much faster chords into a war chorus of tonality. And the results are gripping at every second. It, like previous selections, is potent with APMD's militancy. Best of all, APMD made the wait well worth it.

“Hostage Animal” CD//DD//LP track listing

1.  Hostage Animal

2.  A Caustic Vision

3.  Meditation of Violence

4.  Slave Morality

5.  End Without End

6.  Blood Wet Teeth

7.  Moral Purge

8.  Cruelty Incarnate

9.  The Whip

10.  Heathen Reign

The Review:

Few albums have been more anticipated this year than the return of All Pigs Must Die. Much has been made over the years of the group's pedigree – Kevin Baker, Ben Koller, Matt Woods, Adam Wentworth and now Brian Izzi boast some of the best names in metal and hardcore among their curricula vitae – and, with each release, All Pigs Must Die has grown all the more challenging. Their combination of crust punk's most ragged strands, extreme music's most booming guitars and the sort of hostility that is aberrant even in a scene where aggressive themes are the norm has drawn the attention the band richly deserves.

When the band debuted in 2010, the term 'supergroup' got floated about a bit, even if the results were tentatively solid. With "God Is War" in 2011, APMD set itself apart thematically as well as with a fury fans today know intimately, However, you might be forgiven if you were distracted by the confrontational art of "God Is War," which instead presented more than a few complicated tales, including apostasy with the unfolding of colonialism ("Third World Genocide"), child soldiers ("Pulverization") and the illicit arms trade ("Death Dealer"). Momentum only built by 2013's "Nothing Violates This Nature." At this point APMD evolved lyrically into what can best be heard as a strong death metal influence. The imagery on "Nothing…" went from heavily topical to nihilistic and gruesome. The music's heaviness matched this approach. The slight swerve did not detract fans from following APMD to its newest stage.

"Hostage Animal" has been about four years in the making and marks a significant departure for the band. Its violent style, which has been compared over time to Slayer, Morbid Angel and even punk/noise legends The Jesus Lizard, is moving into a territory where APMD uses hardcore, thrash and speed as a base for a devilish sound in which it finds few peers. Its songwriting sees a similar kind of growth. The two paths it cut – "God is War"'s sociopolitical commentary and "Nothing"'s all-out anti-religion brutality – merge on the forthcoming album. Again, APMD has only a few worthy contemporaries in this regard.

The title track starts the recording off with breakneck speed and power. Kevin Baker's ferocious vocals from the jump are a refresher on why his style has been likened to prime (read: Scratch Acid-era) David Yow. His command of the mic on "A Caustic Vision" and into "Meditation of Violence" is spellbinding in just how searing Baker is. Lyrically, APMD intersect a few themes, but the standouts are Adam Wentworth and newcomer Brian Izzi, whose guitar work on the opening trio and then the rolling "Slave Morality" are the stuff of nightmares. The riffs are ceaseless as Wentworth and Izzi vary from much faster chords into a war chorus of tonality. And the results are gripping at every second.

Also turning in a blistering performance, and deserving a lot of credit for the power of "Hostage Animal" are drummer Ben Koller (Converge) and bassist Matt Woods (Bloodhorse). If you are familiar with those acts, perhaps one of the most underappreciated aspects was the respective contributions of Woods and Koller, who are gifted in ways few in heavy music are in terms of their ability to bring out the best in a song's foundations. They stun on "End Without End," where Koller lights the rhythm and Woods pairs up with the guitars and Baker's vociferous delivery. They also manage to shift their playing as "Hostage Animal" evolves. Hear a sturdily punk track like "Blood Wet Teeth" and a song like "Cruelty Incarnate," with its elements of sludge pouring into thrash and you get a real sense of how APMD's bass and drums anchor the release.

"Hostage Animal" closes with the record's most fascinating entry, "Heathen Reign." Not only is it noteworthy for its lyrics (which you will just have to listen to – no spoilers), but it slightly variegates the bludgeoning you get in the first nine tracks into a pensive conclusion. It even leaves you wondering if this may just be where the next release picks up. It, like previous selections, is potent with APMD's militancy. Best of all, APMD made the wait well worth it.

"Hostage Animal" is available to preorder/buy here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Grizzlor - "Destructoid"

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 15/08/2017

Label: Hex Records

“Destructoid” is a record that fully lives up to its title. Grizzlor have served up a sumptuous platter of riffs that effortlessly lays waste to the opposition.

“Destructoid” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Fruitloopville

2). House in the Woods

3). Tooth Pain

4). Miserable Jerk

5). Stupid Shit

6). Too Many People

7). Fighting Aliens With No Gravity

8). Wade’s Notes

9). Feeling Like Shit

10). Simulation

11). Quit And Die

The Review:

New Haven’s Grizzlor continue to carve out their own bizarre niche in the world of noise rock with debut LP “Destructoid”. The band achieve a perfect balance of lurid absurdity and nasty heaviness like opening up a kids comic book to discover it has been used to harbour dark top-shelf material.

The album lurches into life with the gargantuan “Fruitloopville”. Imagine a 50 foot Clutch after having their drink spiked by the Melvins and you have an idea of the monstrous, city-levelling riff Grizzlor unleash here. This sets the scene for the next thirty minutes of mayhem. While on previous releases the band have ripped through seven songs in ten minutes, here they have managed to lengthen their attention span in order to wring maximum impact from their bottomless arsenal of weapons-grade riffs. “Tooth Pain” and “Simulation” prove they can rock hardcore punk tempos without losing their edge but it is the relentless attack of closer “Quit Ad Die” that captures the band at their peak.

The fact that Grizzlor can achieve this and maintain their unhinged acid-fried intensity is no mean feat. Key to this are the vocals and lyrics of guitarist Victor. His barked maniacal delivery is the perfect vehicle for his darkly comic rants on tooth pain, crippling paranoia and feeling like shit. The air of weirdness is enhanced by outbursts reverb-drenched lead guitar that lend the likes of “Feeling Like Shit” a warped surf edge.

“Destructoid” is a record that fully lives up to its title. Grizzlor have served up a sumptuous platter of riffs that effortlessly lays waste to the opposition.

“Destructoid” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Dead Cross - "Dead Cross"

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 04/08/2017

Label: Ipecac Recordings |

Three One G

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.

“Dead Cross” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Seizure and Desist
2. Idiopathic
3. Obedience School
4. Shillelagh
5. Bela Lugosi’s Dead
6. Divine Filth
7. Grave Slave
8. The Future Has Been Cancelled
9. Gag Reflex
10. Church of the Motherfuckers

The Review:

It’s impossible not to get excited about the talent gathered to form Dead Cross. Any new project from Mike Patton comes with high expectations, but throw in the mighty drum skills of Dave Lombardo, The Locust’s Justin Pearson on bass and Festival Of Dead Deer’s Michael Crain unleashing six-string carnage and anticipation goes through the roof.

What’s most apparent on the band’s debut LP is that they sound like they are having a total blast. Dead Cross’ blend of no-nonsense hardcore punk, restless metal and goth-tinged weirdness may be slightly more straightforward than the band member’s career peaks but it packs a real punch.

The highlights of this album come when Dead Cross switch between breathless intensity and slower sections within the space of a track. “Idiopathic” and “Obedience School” are sub-three minute epics that find the band ripping through furious riffs and sections of reverb-assisted grandeur. This backdrop of ever-changing sounds and moods give Patton freedom to unleash his full arsenal of vocal talents from smooth crooning to incomprehensible gurgles and screams. Most disturbing is his mumbled utterances of “Tampax” over the bizarre locked groove that ends “Gag Reflex”.

“Shillelagh” is the closest Dead Cross get to Faith No More territory with a strong “King For A Day...” feel to its ever-shifting punk rock churn. The second half of the album finds the band channelling the spirit of Pearson and Crain’s 31G Records past, particularly the off-kilter rock’n’roll discord of “The Future Has Been Cancelled”. The only slight misfire here is their cover of Bauhaus’ “Bela Lugosi’s Dead”. They deliver a spirited version of the track but its presence in the middle of the LP is jarring and disrupts its breakneck flow.

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.

“Dead Cross” is available here

Band info: facebook || bandcamp

REVIEW: Oak - “Your Mess As Much As Mine” (EP)

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 28/01/2017

Label: Truthseeker Music

The band deliver a breathless mix of Converge at their most knotty, mixed with a distinctly European brand of screamo/chaotic hardcore that hits hard. These tracks are really brought to life by some frantic, complex drum work that channels the spirit of Ben Koller.  “Your Mess As Much As Mine” is a brief but brilliant release from Oak that shows the band are more than capable of holding their own against the heavyweights of the genre.

“Your Mess As Much As Mine” DD//LP track listing:

1). Broken Bodied

2). Garden

3). For Better or Worse

4). Elsewhere

5). Family and Friends

The Review:

Oak’s new EP “Your Mess As Much As Mine” may only be seventeen minutes long but it makes a strong impact over its short duration.

The Gothenburg trio come out of traps hard with the fierce opening trio of “Broken Bodied”, “Garden” and “For Better or Worse”. The band deliver a breathless mix of Converge at their most knotty, mixed with a distinctly European brand of screamo/chaotic hardcore that hits hard. These tracks are really brought to life by some frantic, complex drum work that channels the spirit of Ben Koller.

“Elsewhere” sees the band ease up on the gas while maintaining high levels of spite. It’s a slower track that sees Oak introduce elements of noise rock and culminates in a crushing doom riff that is eventually overpowered by a rising tide of raw noise. “Family and Friends” provides a fitting end to the EP, five minutes of intensity that brings together the different elements explored over the previous tracks for a raucous finale.

“Your Mess As Much As Mine” is a brief but brilliant release from Oak that shows the band are more than capable of holding their own against the heavyweights of the genre.

“Your Mess As Much As Mine” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

The Sludgelord Exclusive - "Everything Went Black/Fister" Split 7inch Streaming in Full

By: Aaron Pickford

When any new release from St. Louis, Missouri heavyweights Fister comes along, you immediately know it should be accompanied by its own sick bag, given that their unique blend of sludge is likely to make you wretch under the drone of gargled misery.  A much celebrated band and one we champion more than many at The Sludgelord, my interest piqued at an upcoming release set for release via Encapsulated Records, a new split 7" featuring Fister and their buddies from St. Louis Everything Went Black.  Ladies and Genitals, this is not just any old release, these two filth dealers are not only doing a split, but take each other’s songs and put their own unique stamp on them, by covering each other's songs.  Indeed the resultant split invokes a feeling of, “why the hell, don’t more bands do this”. 

Everything Went Black tackle the track “Suicide Hessian” which was originally written by Fister and released on their album “Gemini”, whilst Fister have recorded “Card of Giants” written by Everything Went Black,  and released on the Rattletooth Split.  Today at The Sludgelord, it is an unbelievable honour to showcase this crushing 7inch and you can check it out in full  below with pressing info about the release.  

Pressing info:

100 Gold / Silver Inside Out (Only available in the 3 pack or at the release show)
150 Gold
250 Silver

Records pressed by Pirates Press

Jacket is printed with a matte finish and the band names on the back are printed in silver foil.

Records start shipping on April 10th, includes a digital download code that will be e-mailed out on April 12^th and they can be preorder here

Band info: facebook (Fister)| facebook (Everything Went Black)

Lunglust - "Repetition is Hell" (Album Review)

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 04/03/2016

Label: War Fever Recordings |

Against All Odds Productions

This is a killer release from Lunglust, a perfect balance of straight-ahead rocking and sonic ambition that will keep you coming back for more. Repetition may be hell but in this case it leads to sweet punishment for the listener.

“Repitition is Hell” CS//DD//LP track listing:

1). Sovereign Ends

2). Thirteen Excuses

3). Arrows

4). Broken Idol

5). Godless State

6). Silver Tongue

7). America Debt

8). Revenge

The Review:

Boston has a rich history when it comes to metallic hardcore. Lunglust continue this fine tradition with a sound that bares the influence of the past, whilst pushing high-octane, heavy music in exciting new directions.  Ripping through eight tracks in just less than half an hour, “Repetition is Hell” is a blistering ride. The band’s exhilarating brand of filthy punk rock blends d-beat, hardcore, hints of grindcore and pushes everything into the red. Imagine Coliseum’s “No Salvation” turned up to 11 with raw gravel-gargling vocals and you get a good idea of the carnage you’re dealing with. There’s a healthy amount of sludgy riffs on display too, particularly towards the end of “Silver Tongue”.

Lunglust throw in a few unexpected twists and turns along the way that add real depth to the album. “Arrows” takes their winning formula and stretches it out to epic proportions. The drawn out climax echoes Converge’s most intense moments, the insistent riffs building tension before giving way to the glorious release of the furious “REPETITION IS HELL” refrain.

“Godless State” adds an unexpected melodic edge to proceedings, echoing Envy’s grandiose wall of sound without compromising the band’s rough edges. The soaring lead guitar lines add an almost post-rock feel, it would be interesting to see the band investigate this further. The intros of “Sovereign Ends” and “Silver Tongue” hit the sweet spot between angular post-hardcore and frantic garage rock bringing a Drive Like Jehu/Hot Snakes fervour to the table that sits well with the band’s sludgy, heavier side.

This is a killer release from Lunglust, a perfect balance of straight-ahead rocking and sonic ambition that will keep you coming back for more. Repetition may be hell but in this case it leads to sweet punishment for the listener.

“Repetition is Hell” is available on LP here and Cassette here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

Classhole - "Classhole" (Album Review)

By: Dan Caycedo

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 01/01/2016

Label: The Compound |

Terrorcut

Straight up punk rock with super thick guitars and bass making it more hardcore punk with relentless battery than anything else. All the songs are short and sweet mostly around a minute and a half and it feels like the bass is cranked way the fuck up. This whole record reminds me of Slayer's earlier albums to where as soon as one song ends the very next one comes ripping through. The entire album sounds like the derailment of a freight train coming through a republican party parade.

“Classhole” CD//DD track listing:

1. Bloodshot
2. Breathing Down My Neck
3. Shut You Down
4. Whole Lot Of Nothing
5. Gunned Down
6. Frustrated
7. Corrupted
8. World’s Gone Weak
9. Full of Hate
10. Right Between The Eyes
11. Burning Pain
12. Obsolete
13. Time’s Up
14. For The Indolent
15. Taste The Chaos

The Review:

Classhole is the finest New Orleans hardcore act to destroy ears since Soilent Green or EHG. Consisting of Paul Webb slamming beats (runs his own music shop in Nola and is a fucking legend), Gary Mader the guitar shredder (also plays bass for none other than EHG as well as guitar for Hawg Jaw), Matt Muscle on vox (also runs the crust punk hideout known as Siberia) and Gran Tom on bass.

Right into the thick of it they start off with “Bloodshot”. From here on out I knew it was going to be cathartic and brutal. Straight up punk rock with super thick guitars and bass making it more hardcore punk with relentless battery than anything else. All the songs are short and sweet mostly around a minute and a half and it feels like the bass is cranked way the fuck up. This whole record reminds me of Slayer's earlier albums to where as soon as one song ends the very next one comes ripping through. The entire album sounds like the derailment of a freight train coming through a republican party parade. My favorite track by far is “Frustrated” as it has a stop and go feel throughout the song and breaks up the monotony that usually makes hardcore bands difficult to enjoy. The album cover is also one for the books. It's perfect for this band as a constant reminder that you don't fuck with New Orleans. Fuck the police. Always and forever more...

Get this one so you don't become the asshole who says... “Classhole? Never heard of em.”

“Classhole” is available here

Band info: facebook

Hell Night / Cathedral Fever Split EP (Review)

Album Type: Split EP

Date Released: May 02^nd 2015

Label: Pissfork Anticulture

Hell Night Cathedral Fever Split - Track Listing:

1.Internal Bleeding (Hell Night) 02:35

2.Head Bag (Hell Night) 02:23

3.Libations Imbibed (Cathedral Fever) 02:15

4.Mansion Symposium (Cathedral Fever) 04:46

Hell Night Band Members:

Mike Craft - vocals

Andy White - Guitar

Eric Eyster - Bass

Adam Arseneau - Drums

Cathedral Fever Members:

Spencer - Drums

Derek - Bass

Jerry - Vocals

David - Guitar

Review

Well this Split EP from Hell Night and Cathedral Fever came very much as a surprise to me. I wasn't expecting much as I didn't know a great deal about both bands. Well apart from that the members of both bands are part of other projects such as TILTS and Path Of Might.

So what do we get here. You get 4 tracks of pissed off Hardcore Punk/Thrash/Stoner Rock riffs with sheer brutality to match. Both bands offer two songs on the split EP. Each showing what both bands are all about. Hell Night's songs are more of the pissed off Hardcore Punk variety but I can detect Andy White's familiar guitar riffs from TILTS so you get a nice sideline in almost Stoner Rock territory. Opening track – Internal Bleeding – is a punk/stoner/thrash hybrid that wants to party with you whilst kicking the utter shit out of you. It's got some fantastic Stoner/Thrash Rock riffs that I didn't expect.

Hell Night second track – Head Bag – carries on the same violent carnage from Internal Bleeding with lead vocalist Mike – having the time of his life on this track. The riffs are the best thing about Hell Night as they're so damn catchy despite the psychotic violent rock carnage that Hell Night ultimately bring to the party!!!

Up next is Cathedral Fever – And this is where things take a more darker and sinister turn as these guys play a more dangerous blend of Stoner/Thrash/Doom/Punk Rock and they're the most exciting of the two bands. No offence to Hell Night as they're a great band but Cathedral Fever are the most exciting of the two bands. As they don't FUCK about here. The two songs – Libations Imbibed and Mansion Symposium – that Cathedral Fever offer here sees the band venture into more violent and dangerous territory. Mansion Symposium is the standout track here as it's a thrilling style of Hardcore Punk, Doom, Stoner and Thrash with traces of Psychedelic Rock lurking in the shadows.

All in all this is great split EP to showcase the talents of two superb bands to check out especially if you're into Dark Aggressive Hardcore Punk. Though I would love to see a full-length record from both bands in the future. Just to see if these guys have the vision and talent to create something more longer on offer here.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks To Andy from Hell Night for the promo. Hell Night Cathedral Fever Split is available to buy on DD and Cassette now from both band's BandCamp page..

For More Information

Hell Night

Facebook | BandCamp

Cathedral Fever

Facebook | BandCamp