ALBUM TYPE: Cruelty, “There Is No God Where I Am”

 By: Peter Morsellino
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 30/04/2021
Label: Church Road Records

 
“There Is No God Where I Am” CD//DD//LP track listing:
 
1). An Introduction
2). A Lie That Makes Life Bearable
3). Spiritual War
4). Crimson Eye
5). Dead Culture
6). If There Is A God, He Does Not Believe In Me
7). Mine
8). To The Ground
9). Cut
10). Barren Land In Bloom
11). Starve
12). There Is No God Where I Am

The Review:

With an ever-shifting frenetic energy, Cruelty assaults the senses, taking no prisoners. Mixing expert musicianship with chaotic emotional frenzy, the sound here is a bit of a grab bag of intense grooves crushing weight and utter lunacy.

I am going to be returning often to the word chaotic in this review, because as I listen to Cruelty's swirling battery it is simply the only word that comes to mind. The music here brings up a picture of a mind on the edge. There is darkness, there is fear. There is confusion and there is laser focus. Its ugly and at once it is a very beautiful thing.

Cruelty is frantically searching for something that will never materialize. I think that's the best way I can describe it. It encompasses that panic and the cloudiness that results in a plan coming apart at the seams.

On the audio side of things, the production team simply must be praised for capturing such an unruly sound and presenting it as a crisp and clear product. The sound design throughout the album is gorgeous, and the musicianship is completely on point.  Only true masters of their craft could purposely create something so off the rails while leaving intact the intricacies of their playing. It is a wonderful thing.

I really wish I had more to say about this album, but it is simply something that needs to be heard. It's very difficult to describe in logical terms. But hopefully these abstracts have piqued your interest.  Definitely check this one out. It's an experience all its own.

“There Is No God Where I Am”” is available HERE

Band info: facebook || bandcamp

ALBUM REVIEW: Leeched, “To Dull The Blades of Your Abuse”

By: Jeff Anderson

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 31/01/2020

Label: Prosthetic Records

“To Dull The Blades of Your Abuse” CD//DD//LP track listing:

01.) The Hound’s Jaw
02.) The Grey Tide
03.) I, Flatline
04.) Now It Ends
05.) Earth And Ash
06.) Famine At The Gates
07.) Praise Your Blades
08.) Burn With Me
09.) Let Me Die

The Review:

What can you say about a band whose actions cover it all and leave little left to sell you on? In only 3 years and some change, Manchester UK's metallic hardcore act Leeched have managed to not only land on the highly respected Prosthetic Records and headline tours but have also (now) released three records; each growing darker and more manic. With almost no time in between releases and touring while avoiding steering themselves into blandness, the band has ascended itself into the same ranks as similar genre-buddies Full of Hell, Nails, and Harm's Way and doing so in about a quarter of the time. Which shows that the band's work ethic matches the ferocity of the music. If you can believe that.

The previous releases from this band include 2017's 'Nothing Will Grow From The Rotten Ground' EP and their 2018 full length record 'You Took The Sun When You Left'. While never abandoning the sound they love, which has always been sort of a Slayer meets Converge with a bit of Crowbar thrown in, each album has built off of the last one and adding a dash of something new every time while growing angrier and becoming tighter as a group. Never once does it feel like they're repeating themselves. It's a continuance that proceeds to get better and more emotional. Or emotionless?

From the visceral lyrics, to the mountain shaking bass, to the brick wall of Kurt Ballou sounding guitars, and the drums crushing your windpipe, Leeched has returned, exceptionally fast as usual, and with even more hatred than before. If the lyrics don't make you feel it, the music for sure will. If you could describe the sound of an apocalyptic, Mad Max-esque, no hope or care for the future type setting, this new record would be it.

Their latest release 'To Dull The Blades of Your Abuse' (due out January 31st, 2020 on Prosthetic Records), is a nightmare. And I mean that in the best way possible. This album builds on their previous tightly executed mixture of hardcore, sludge, industrial, and old school straight-up heavy metal and somehow manages to make it even more bleak and disgusting. While definitely not shying away from their hardcore and grind elements on tracks like 'The Grey Tide', 'Earth and Ash', and 'Praise Your Blades', this album does trek into the sludge side of things more than they have before. Tracks like 'Now It Ends' and 'Let Me Die' showcase the low and slow sludge elements this band excels at. As well as sprinkling it in almost every track on this record to my excitement. It's more raw, nastier, and more upsetting than they've ever been before. It feels like this album is trying to harm you. It wants you to feel the pain it feels. And I absolutely love that. Once the music hits on the opening track 'The Hound's Jaw', it's filled with squeals and cries reminiscent of Pantera's 'Hellbound', followed by 36 minutes of a claustrophobic dragging through scum, which only ceases at the very end of 'Black Sun Ceremony' with a swan dive into the blackest depths of your own hell.

A standout track for me is 'Now It Ends' and if there has ever been a name that fits a song this is it. Nothing fancy, nothing overdone or overthought. Just a song that feels like despair and emptiness. This song to me feels like what a man spiraling out of control would hear in his head right at the end. All signs of sanity and happiness have slipped away and this is what rings in his head until he stops it by his own hand.

Leeched completely nailed it on this record. It's January and this is already going to be a competitor for top 10 lists in 2020 for heavy music. If you're looking for bleak, gross, ultra-heavy metallic/blackened hardcore then this record is it. Forever.
_____

'To Dull The Blades of Your Abuse' is available HERE:

Band info: facebook || bandcamp

REVIEW: Knaaves, "January" [EP]

By: Ernesto Aguilar

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 20/02/2018

Label: Independent

“January” is a defiant hardcore manifesto that feels unrelenting from literally the first five seconds out of the gate.

“January” DD track listing

1. January

2. Nine Lives Lost

The Review:

Although it is hard to call the two-song "January" an EP, Milwaukee's Knaaves emerge with a bellicose stance and plenty of reasons to keep an eye out for this viscerally tantalizing four-piece.

While the band is not exactly a supergroup, Knaaves has several explosive regional performers in its midst. It may be best known for the inclusion of Amanda Daniels. Bassist Daniels formerly played in hardcore act Enabler, which gained traction not too long ago. She departed the group in 2015, alleging physical and sexual abuse by former boyfriend and Enabler's chief songwriter and vocalist Jeff Lohrber. Dustin Albright, who toured with the band, issued a long Facebook statement then backing up Daniels' claims, including assaults he'd witnessed. Lohrber went on the offensive after Daniels' story broke, virtually denying the accusations and claiming a witch hunt against him. Shortly thereafter, however, Enabler dissolved into indefinite hiatus land. A few years may have passed, but it is evident Daniels' formidable bass work is as transcendent as ever.

The title song is a defiant hardcore manifesto that feels unrelenting from literally the first five seconds out of the gate. There are likely a dozen apt and favorable comparisons one could make to this sort of intensity. Suffice to say Knaaves represent themselves on the opener quite well. Andy Parmann is a volatile frontman, caterwauling hard against the jagged guitar riffs of Jamie Kerwin. Kerwin grabs you with his musicianship throughout, in fact; blistering chords at the start of the song melt into a wailing, anguished conclusion.

Drummer Antonio Ninham is also going to catch your ear on "January." He punctuates both songs from the beginning, and interpolates fast, aggressive beats with melodic playing that blends effortlessly into Daniels' bass lines. "Nine Lives Lost" showcases the experience in Knaaves' narcotic rhythm section, with Daniels blasting charcoal-black thickness to the music and reminding you why she's been appreciated for so long as a musician. Knaaves make the most of this song, which stays within hardcore conventions mostly, but still manages to be subversive and dystophic in the presentation.

Your only complaint is that these abrasive selections are quite scorching, and you want to know what else Knaaves has in the tank for more than two songs. There is much to like about "January" though. Now let's have the full-length.

“January” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

REVIEW: Yautja - "Dead Soil" [EP]

By: Mark Ambrose

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 10/11/2017

Label: Anti-Corporate Music Inc

 

This may be the best starting point for those who have not encountered the complexity, integrity, and badass head banging brutality of Yautja.

“Dead Soil” LP track listing

1. Dead Soil

2. Losses

3. Human Den

4. Denihilist (Live)

5. Teeth (Live)

6. Faith Resigned (Live)

The Review:

Yautja, for those not fully enmeshed with science fiction mythologies, is the technical term for the dreadlocked creatures in Predator – merciless hunters who live by their own savage code of honor.  Like their namesake, Tennessee’s Yautja have proven durable, dynamic, and bound by their own code.  A little background: the first three tracks of “Dead Soil” were the first post-demo recordings released by Yautja back in 2012 as part of a split with Enabler.  That band’s sordid breakup revealed a history of abuse that has been detailed elsewhere but, suffice it to say, has tainted practically everything they’ve been attached to.  Yautja have been vocal about reclaiming this out of print early material and giving it the presentation it deserves, bolstered by unreleased live recordings that shows Yautja as a brutal but progressive threat.

Title track “Dead Soil” is a blistered assault of sludgy punk dripping with hardcore edge.  In less than two minutes, Yautja charge through rhythm changeups while spewing corrosive, accusatory lyrics. “Losses” turns the invective inward, riding palm muted guitar riffs that swap between left and right channels for a headspinning effect.  The track is furious but short and left me wanting more.  “Human Den,” the longest track (at over two minutes), is also the best.  There is an actual chorus this time, and Coburn’s beats are inhumanly fast.  The final riffs and vocals are chilling: “The waste leaks from my pores / And I try to dig deeper / For air that must be there / I have to dig myself a home.”

The live trio of “Denihilist”, “Teeth”, and “Faith Resigned” comprise the majority of the EP, and show Yautja has come a long way in the five years since the initial release.  All three tracks come from their only full-length release, 2014’s “Songs of Descent”, and have me jonesing for another full-length in 2018.  The impeccable dynamic of the live performance shows Yautja is a battle honed monster – a power trio in an era continually invested in “more is more” musicianship.  They manage to take simple ideas, like countering doom riffs with blast beats, and infuse them with undeniable intensity.  The sound quality is almost studio level, with only a few strained vocals and audience applause between songs indicating the live setting.  If nothing else, it made me furious that I missed their latest tour with Pyrrhon, and dead set on not making the same mistake twice.

       

On the surface, “Dead Soil” is a fans only affair.   As a mix of previously released material and unreleased live tracks, doesn’t seem like an ideal entry point for new Yautja listeners.  But this is actually my first listen of the band and I’m hooked.  In one release they showed they were a dynamic trio from the start, and the added live cuts are testament to their prowess and growth.  So with their personal ethos and remarkable musicianship on display, this may be the best starting point for those who have not encountered the complexity, integrity, and badass headbanging brutality of Yautja.

“Dead Soil” was released via Anti-Corp on 10^th November and is available here (this is a vinyl only release that includes a remix by Mikey Allred at Dark Art Audio and even better than that, it’s an etched record, with the amazing artwork of Caroline Harrison etched into the B-side by Dan Emery at Black Matter Mastering)

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

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

RIFF REWIND (16/5/2013): Hessian - "Manegarmr"

Well it has been nearly two years since founding Editor Steve Howe left the blog, and with over 4443 articles published over the last 6 years, even the most ardent supporter of The Sludgelord, will not have read every one.   A couple of years back I had the idea over the weeks and months that have since turned into years to present a retrospective rundown of the top reviews, free downloads, bands to check out, live reviews, interviews and much more as a tribute to what Steve started, what we continue to do and what we strive to achieve in future.

New and old followers may have missed a few albums over the years, so I’m going to make amends by trying to reactivate what I original intended to do, painstakingly delving through the archives and refreshing old articles to bring them up to date in line with our new and improved format, representing old articles in the hope of attracting new fans to awesome albums we have covered over the years. 

Therefore, as we enter the third week in May 2017, we rewind to 16th May 2013 and an album by Belgium’s Hessian, entitled, "Manégarmr".  This ominous metal/hardcore band would slightly revamp the band's moniker to Hessian A.D. as the band explained at the time.  "Due to legal reasons, we have been forced to change the band's name to HESSIAN A.D. on American territory. This, however, only covers U.S. territory; we will still continue to play under the old HESSIAN flag in all other parts of the world. Sadly this change is completely beyond our control and it's not very much to our liking. But, rest assured, we will continue to give this band and this music our all. Thank you all for your support."

Source http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/hessian-changes-name-to-hessian-a-d-for-american-market/#YJYoXblj1T14QQRH.99

You can dib into the album below.

By: Matt Fitton

Album Type:  Full Length

Date Released: 13/5/2013

Label: Southern Lord

Southern Lord keeps expanding its roster of talented and fast-paced groups, and the latest addition is Belgium's Hessian. They play a furious blend of metallic hardcore, laced with some black metal influence. Their debut record is 'Manegarmr', and it both shreds and kills in equally violent measure.

“Manegamr” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Ascension
2. Serpent’s Whisper
3. Mourn The World of Man
4. Plague Monger
5. Father of Greed
6. Vamacara
7. Swallowing Nails
8. Hollow Eyes
9. Manegarmr
10. Mother of Light

The Review:

Southern Lord keeps expanding its roster of talented and fast-paced groups, and the latest addition is Belgium's Hessian. They play a furious blend of metallic hardcore, laced with some black metal influence. Their debut record is 'Manegarmr', and it both shreds and kills in equally violent measure.  Any album that starts with feedback is a plus for me. It's most definitely not just noise, and it has a justifiable place in heavy music. That said, 'Ascension' opens with feedback. Right before erupting into a cacophony of BM drumming and righteous hardcore fury. If this is a statement of intent for the album, then I'm sold.

Turns out it was. And I am.

'Serpent's Whisper' has some oddly timed and discordant riffs sewn within its structure that only enhance the mood. At its heart though is more of that virulent hardcore noise, so pure in its hatred that you cannot ignore it. This whole fucking thing is an absolute rager!!  I adored the layered and levelled riffs, they pound you into submission. This is the audio equivalent of a knee to the face.

Now, a special portion of this review will be dedicated to 'Mourn The World Of Man'. Bear with me, because I'm going to get positively pornographic over this bad boy. This is another contender for track of the year, every aspect of it is glorious to behold.  Aggressive vocals, heavy in the mid pace where it needs to be, but the real magic is found within the second half. There is this droning riff that escalates rhythmically, and then descends into madness with a DM taste. This thing is pure and absolute FILTH and I loved it. It sets the pulse racing, and you'll do that thing with your head and face where it looks like you're nodding in agreement.

'Swallowing Nails' is an absolute winner of a track title. The BM weighs heavier here than some other parts of the LP, but the riffs are still vicious and quite straight forward in their tradition. The breakdowns are immense, and you'll feel that the nails are in your ears rather than your throat.

'Hollow Eyes' is more of the same, all Slayer speed and Nails ferocity. This thing could incite a riot. It's so evil that haunted houses should be built upon it by accident, leading to some kind of bloodbath. And maybe better property planning.

This exercise in insanity winds down with 'Mother of Light', a colossal monument to sheer brute force. The eerie effect in the background perfectly complements the progressing heaviness of the riff in the foreground. It rolls on, devoid of relent or compassion. Which is nice.

Southern Lord keeps signing these bands and making a name for itself. By no means was Hessian a gamble, but a certified slam dunk.   Armed with 'Manegarmr', you'd be a fool to bet against them. Check it out the moment it becomes available in your area.

 

Band info: Bandcamp || Facebook 

CANADIAN RIFFS: BINGE & PURGE - Lilim - “Lilim” EP & Mad Trapper – “Moments Before Death” EP

By: Mark Tremblay

Lilim - “Lilam” EP (Toronto, Ontario)

The Review:

Lilim are a patriarchy-smashing, all-genre encompassing hardcore band hailing from Toronto Ontario. Lilim have a bit of everything for those into hardcore, black metal and sludge. Lilim switch between all of these genres at hairpin speeds, and in an unpredictable manner.

Lead singer Kirsten White breathes new narratives into the hardcore; writing songs that discuss burning patriarchy, validation of female pleasure, self-confidence, and land rights. Kirsten’s vocals are also well timed and not excessive; filling in the gaps where the music needs it, and at other times letting music breathe. If you are looking for something new in the realm of Hardcore, Lilim’s new EP is for you.

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

Mad Trapper – “Moments Before Death” EP (Toronto, Ontario)

The Review:

It feels like an end of era with Mad Trapper calling it quits. Although the band only had a run of four years, their body of work is one that will not be forgotten in the swarm of Toronto heavy bands. Mad Trapper have honed a tried and true formula; frenetic dissonance that smoulders into a bludgeoning sludge metal. Listeners of the band know what to expect of Mad Trapper, but the combination is just as satisfying every time.

The EP begins with “Creatures” a track that starts with a black metal riff, that then morphs into a ‘variation on a theme” sludge metal. As the song progresses, the riff keeps getting slower and more sparse. Creating a “slam your head through concrete” kind of heavy experience.

The listener is then taken to “Sad Shit” lending the ears a palate cleanser with a drum solo, before once again beating them down with heavydown-tuned riffs. “Moments Before Death” gives us Mad Trapper’s swan song; “PSP”. The song is their most tense and dissonant as a band, making the end swift and dramatic. Mad Trapper was never a band to tire out a good idea, and it has never been clearer than on this EP.

Although the band may be calling it quits. Expect more music to come out from other members in the near future.

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Ides - "Born To Run in Place"

By: Rick Ahmed

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 18/12/2016

Label: Serenity Now Tapes

 

“Born To Run in Place” CS//DD track listing:

1). Rt.3 Treadmill Blues

2). Motormouth

3). Surfwax Britannica

4). NPC

5). Tumor

6). Born To Run in Place

7). Refuse Refused

8). Party Martyrs

9). Pound of Flesh

10). Vacation from Nothing

11). Accelerated Decrepitude

12). Grief Cycle

13). Sorry, Nothing

The Review:

“Born To Run in Place” is New Jersey's Ides 6th release, with the first pressing of tapes out via Serenity Now Records. 13 songs that each have a distinct personality of their own, where you'll find new things with every listen. The album title is an obvious homage to fellow New Jersey rocker Bruce Springsteen. It's clever and a very succinct way to sum up what seems to be the overall theme of the album; working your ass off to exist with little or no reward.

In their most basic form Ides are metallic hardcore with a strong thrash influence. They have a way of throwing in chaotic parts and dynamic time changes to keep their songs interesting.  “Motormouth” starts thrashy, gets almost post hardcore in the middle before getting hard ass then abruptly ending. “NPC” starts with a classic tough guy hardcore feeling before the song picks up the pace and becomes frantic. The drum sound on this album is awesome, the best example of this is a short drum break in the end of the titular track. Have I mentioned how no two songs really sound alike? Even the minute long speedy bangers stand out from one another. The last track “Sorry, Nothing” starts with whale call sounding feedback, before a melancholy indie rock sounding intro with some introspective lyrics. 2 minutes in, the song becomes completely chaotic. It's enjoyable and nice feeling.

The vocals are feral. The mind's eye pictures starving animals fighting over scraps of food. The emphasis isn't on sounding brutal or tying to be melodic though, there's no posing here. Singer Jill sells every single word on this thing with emotion. The lyrics are well written, which is refreshing in a time when a lot of singers are pretty fucking lazy about their words. In conclusion this album rules and is streaming off of their bandcamp, so check it out.

“Born To Run in Place” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

REVIEW: Deadwound - "Identity Shapes"

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 17/02/2017

Label: Black Bow Records

The South-West London quintet deal in a compellingly nasty blend of filthy sludge riffs, jarring discordance and searing bursts of d-beat fury. Tracks like “Crucifixed” and the crushing dirge of “Witch” come out of the blocks like “Remission” era Mastodon locked in a sweaty basement with His Hero Is Gone.  The band deliver twenty minutes of exhilarating noise that is equal parts barbed complexity and raw simplicity.

“Identity Shapes” DD track listing:

01. Crucifixed
02. Kult Warrior
03. Witch
04. Cruel Road
05. Babylon

The Review:

The prospect of members of doomed black metallers Bast and angular noiseniks Silent Front joining forces to unleash riff mayhem is a mouth-watering one. Deadwound’s debut EP “Identity Shapes” delivers five tracks of the quality you would expect from this heavyweight line-up. There are plenty of hints of the members other projects throughout but the band have already developed their own distinct identity.

The South-West London quintet deal in a compellingly nasty blend of filthy sludge riffs, jarring discordance and searing bursts of d-beat fury. Tracks like “Crucifixed” and the crushing dirge of “Witch” come out of the blocks like “Remission” era Mastodon locked in a sweaty basement with His Hero Is Gone. “Climax” sees the bands noise rock influences bubble to the surface, culminating in a razor-sharp Shellac-esque one chord assault. The conclusion to brutal parting shot “Babylon” takes an unexpectedly epic turn, slurred riffs providing the backdrop for a subtle but effective spacey guitar solo.

The impact of these tracks is helped by a perfectly pitched production job. It is weighty enough to capture the gut-punch of the band’s low-end heaviness but scratchy enough to showcase their ragged punk energy.  

“Identity Shapes” is an attention-grabbing opening gambit from Deadwound. The band deliver twenty minutes of exhilarating noise that is equal parts barbed complexity and raw simplicity. This is a release loaded with potential that whets the appetite for a full-length dose of carnage.

“Identity Shapes” is available here

Band info: facebook