ALBUM REVIEW: Stonekind, "Spirit of the Void"

By: Peter Morsellino

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 11/06/2021
Label: Salem Stone Records

 
“Spirit of the Void” DD track listing:
 
1. Ashes, Pt. 1 
2. Ashes, Pt. 2 
3. Spirit of the void 
4. Nowhere's home 
5. Untethered
6. Swamp stomp 
7. Dust 
8. Behold the stone 
9. Nomadic
 
The Review: 
 
Mixing a heavy progressive rock sound with a distinct stoner rock groove, North Carolina’s Stonekind offer up a uniquely haunting sound that must be heard to be fully appreciated. With a fuzzed-out desert rock base to work from, “Spirit of the Void” mixes genres into a finely balanced witches brew that is sure to delight anyone in search of a new sonic experience.  
 
Stonekind’s emotive sound stems straight from the heart, and that comes across fully on the album’s finished product. You can tell at first glance that the musicians involved threw themselves wholly into this project. Songs are masterfully crafted into full spectrum musical experiences that will take listeners on a journey. I can’t stress enough how much heart is presented in each bit of this album. It feels special and it invites the listener to become a part of it.       
Songs like “Swamp Stomp” showcase the band’s heavy grooves while offering up high doses of psychedelia for listeners to revel in. Grooves are infectiously catchy and easy to get into. This is an album that you can dance to all night long. Best experienced, in my opinion, in one solid listen, the musical experience that Stonekind  
offers up is simply extraordinary. It’s a sound that you can completely lose yourself in.         
 
I would recommend this one to anyone who might be suffering a bit of a lull in their musical enjoyment. This is exactly the type of thing that will get listeners out of the deepest of ruts. A varied mash of genres coming together to create something new and wonderful. Give it a listen. You will not regret it.       
 
“Spirit of the Void” is available HERE 

Band info: Facebook || Bandcamp || Instagram
 

6 NEW BANDS: THE SLUDGELORD's "666 Pack Review" (August 2019)

By: Nikos Mixas

 

Here’s the August edition of THE SLUDGELORD’s “666 Pack Review”.  What happened to July’s?  Fuck July, it’s in the rearview mirror now.  Yours truly was attending both Brutal Assault and Psycho Las Vegas during August so deal with it.  Most of you probably didn’t even notice anyways.  So, if you’re new to this, each 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 no one cares themed rating scale below: 

1 – No one cares!  At all!!!  

2 – Only your friends will pay attention to this nonsense. 

3 – Only 5 out of 10 listeners will care…

4 – I think you’ll get some of your Bandcamp followers to care. 

5 – I actually care about this, that’s saying a lot for this column. 

666 – THE SLUDGELORD cares so much that you’re getting a perfect rating.  This is definitely rare and something to be proud of.   

Caveat:  Even though the “666 Pack Review” is meant to offer humorous critique, there are no safe spaces here and your gripes will only make you sound like a bellyacher.  THE SLUDGELORD is a picky listener…and doesn’t care what you think of his opinions….

 

1). Old Horn Tooth “From The Ghost Grey Depths” (London, U.K.)    Rating: 666!

God-doom fucking-tastic start to the month!

2). Phantom Hymn “A Story of Days to Come” (Portland, OR, U.S.A.)   Rating: 4

Not really Sludgelord-y, but good nonetheless.  

3). Stonekind “EP” (Winston Salem, NC, U.S.A.)    Rating: 4

Desert grooves matched with scorching vocals.

4). MAIRU “The Sacred Dissonance” (Liverpool, U.K.)   Rating: 5

Fine example of instrumental doom working

5). The Lightness of Being “Stay” (single track) (London, U.K.)   Rating: 5

Deftones comparisons aren’t a reach here.  

6). Sleeping Giant “Sleeping Giant” (Bendigo, Australia) Rating: 4

Australian stoners out smoke Christian version…

Bandcamp: Old Horn Tooth || Stonekind || Mairu || The Lightness of Being || Sleeping Giant