ESSENTIAL METAL ALBUM (s): #WK41 Monday, October 6th, 2025 to Sunday, October 12th, 2025

This week’s essential metal releases shine a spotlight on a diverse group of bands pushing the boundaries of heavy music. From the progressive technical death metal intensity of Blindfolded and Led to the Woods to the uncompromising legacy of Today Is the Day, each album offers something unique for fans of the genre. Hooded Menace deliver their signature blend of doom and death, while newcomers Deathfuckingwound live up to their moniker and unleash raw, chaotic fury. Finally we get Antiversum bringing an atmospheric edge to this list, with their dark, immersive soundscapes, and finally rounding things out with Tan and Handsome dropping them Every Time I Die vibes with their new EP. Dive into these releases and discover the latest in cutting-edge metal.

 
⚔️ 🩸 Album of the week:
 
#285 “BALTTW have created an unparalleled God tier death metal release”
 
⚔️ Artist: Blindfolded and Led to the Woods
🩸  Title: “The Hardest Thing About Being a God is that No One Believes Me”
⚔️ Release date: October 10th, 2025

🩸 Genre/tags:  progressive death metal, technical death metal 

#281 “The pioneers of experimental metal, redefine themselves yet again and deliver abstract perfection”

 
⚔️ Artist: Today Is The Day
🩸  Title: “Never Give In”
⚔️ Release date: October 3^rd, 2025
 

🩸 Genre/tags:  experimental, noise rock

#282 “striking the perfect balance of crushing heaviness and sombre beauty."
 
⚔️ Artist: Hooded Menace
🩸  Title: “Lachrymose Moments of Obscuration
⚔️ Release date: October 3rd, 2025

🩸 Genre/tags: death doom 

#283 “grinding riffage and guttural vocals, delivered with unsettling dissonant menance”
 
⚔️ Artist: Deathfuckingwound
🩸  Title: “MMXXV” 
⚔️ Release date: October 7th, 2025

 
🩸 Genre/tags:  death metal, black metal, grindcore, powerviolence

#284 “a monolithic journey through cavernous death metal, enveloping the listener in suffocating atmospheres and relentless intensity.
 
⚔️ Artist: Antiversum
🩸  Title: “De Nemesis Omnes Et Omnia”
⚔️ Release date: September 19^th, 2025

🩸 Genre/tags: black metal, death metal 

#286 “Taking cues from Every Time I Die; "2 Tan and 2 Handsome" is as addictive as meth”
 
⚔️ Artist: Tan and Handsome
🩸  Title: “2 Tan 2 Handsome”
⚔️ Release date: July 11^th, 2025

🩸 Genre/tags: metal, post hardcore 

PLAYLIST: TheSludgelord's Weekly HitList #W41 October 3rd, 2025 to October 9th, 2025

 

⚔️🩸 THE SLUDGELORD’s Weekly Hitlist (Oct 3rd – Oct 9th 2025)

 

⚔️Total plays: 361
🩸 Total Artist(s): 33
⚔️Total Album(s): 40
🩸 New Track(s): 161

⚔️ Top Artist: Altarage 108 plays

🩸Top Album: Hooded Menace – “Lachrymose Monuments Of Obscuration” 39 plays

⚔️ Top Track: Antiversum – “Pulsar Feralis” 7 plays

⚔️🩸 THE SLUDGELORD Top 30 tracks of the week

ALBUM REVIEW: Today Is The Day, "No Good To Anyone"

By: Peter Morsellino

 

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 28/02/2020

Label: BMG

 

“No Good to Anyone” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. No Good To Anyone

2. Attacked By An Angel

3. Son Of Man

4. Burn In Hell

5. You're All Gonna Die

6. Orland

7. Cocobolo

8. Agate

9. Callie

10. OJ Kush

11. Mercy

12. Born In Blood

13. Mexico

14. Rockets And Dreams

The Review:

Today is the Day make their triumphant return with a glimpse into the mind of Madness. A diverse offering providing an intimate glimpse into the mental state of Steve Austin. It's beautiful, it’s ugly, and it’s goddamn fantastic. “No Good to Anyone” is a trip through the weird, with no shortage of brutal stops along the way.

The mix of sounds conjured on this album is astonishing. From the demonic cacophony of the title track to “Callie”'s mournful folk stylings, Today is the Day craft an eclectic brew of insightful tunes to keep the listener thinking long after the album's completion.  “Burn in Hell” offers up sulking southern sludge in stark contrast to the pounding assault of “You're All Gonna Die”. The seventies doom riffing of “OJ Kush” stands against the haunting ethereal vocals of “Attacked by an Angel”. Almost every point on this album is balanced by a counterpoint. A contrast that keeps things fresh for repeated listens. 

Production on “No Good to Anyone” is as good as can be expected from a Steve Austin effort. Instruments and vocals shift throughout the mix, crafting an ambience that will stick in your head as you try to wrap your mind around it. Bass cuts through the mix effortlessly while Austin's vocals shift between a slurred drawl and a furious demon scream without shaking the listener from the musical experience. The drum mix stands out with an expertly produced low end, creating an interesting tribal effect. 

“Cocobolo” is a great example of all these techniques in perfect harmony. Swampy blues riffs morph into jamming stoner chords. Steve's voice shifts back and forth like only he can. Bass holds down the ensemble expertly, while the rhythm section offers up one of the best kick drum sounds I've ever heard.

“No Good to Anyone” offers up a diverse mix of jams that are sure to delight the most discerning of listeners.  While Steve Austin's past body of work certainly speaks for itself, this is a more than welcome addition. Give it a listen, get weird with it. Get mad, get sad, be grateful he's back.

“No Good to Anyone” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM PREMIERE: Pennsylvanian sludge/thrash luciferians Buzzherd unleash their "Siege Machine"

Let’s all take a moment to appreciate and attempt to explain Buzzherd (sludge/thrash metal).  This is a band whose members run the gamut from ex-cons to prep school boyz; a band that never let congenital diseases or Rocky Dennis syndrome stand in their way from becoming the future Tony winners that they are today. 

Buzzherd’s origins lie in south eastern Pennsylvania, where the band took its first tentative steps towards true Krishna consciousness, now buried in time and dust.  Over the course of a multitude of shows, the band transformed from a powerful yet colicky baby to a full-fledged “terrible twos” toddler of mayhem and destruction.  Hearing their crushing odes to paranoia, dysentery, and Colt .45, it’s no wonder that the people who’ve experienced Buzzherd have come away seriously shaken by their brush with the teeth of a metaphorical Lucifuge. 

 And what of the individuals that make up Buzzherd?  All bring to the table their own unique skill and persona: Terry Payne, the golden yet nicely corroded throat of rage with a touch of childlike delight/hatred; Justin Dottor, bassist-architect of Crover-inspired metal fantasies and weird riff enthusiast;  Bryan Ferencz, whose vengeful stringed brutality has transformed crowds into legions ready to set your grandmother’s couch on fire, and Brad Jones, who combines a fearsome peach-flavored drumming intensity with a playfulness rarely seen outside of the monkey house.

In summation, Buzzherd will slice you apart, build you back up, and reassemble your mind in a way you never dreamed possible.  The songs are pretty good too and you can check out their brand new album in full with the exclusive stream of “Siege Machine” below. The record was recorded/mastered by Steve Austin of Today Is the Day(N.B. Jason West is on the album but left the band after the recording).

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

The Sludgelord Song Premiere - "Walk" by Milwaukee's Volunteer

By: Aaron Pickford

Today is another first at The Sludgelord, with yet another debut band, which is mandatory and malevolent earworm from Milwaukee’s Volunteer. For those not familiar with the band, since the release of the “Goner” EP in 2014, Volunteer whose sound echoes that of Unsane, Today is the Day and “Strap It On” era Helmet, have progressively and succinctly evolved.  Certainly with the addition of Kevin DeMars on drums and former drummer Mark Sheppard moving to guitar, Volunteer have arguably reached their musical zenith in 2016.

Volunteer alongside Minnesota's Buildings and set to release a split 12" EP featuring brand new material from both acts and is set for release via Triple Eye Industries on 26 August 26 2016 

On Volunteer’s side of the split, it finds them at their angriest and most aggressive, with bigger guitars, tighter rhythms and furious vocals. Buildings who will make their Triple Eye Industries debut have attempted to explore new sonic boundaries of what a trio can create and with it, the compositions contained herein are just as batshit crazy as they are sparse, resulting in an unhinged noisy and chaotic listening experience

With a release date set for August 26, we have teamed up with our buds at Dewar PR to premiere a track from Volunteer entitled “Walk” which you can check out below. You can preorder the release now on clear with blue splatter, opaque yellow or traditional black colored vinyl. Get it before it’s gone. Pre-order the split here:

“Buildings/Volunteer” Split 12” track listing:

1). Buildings – Something Better

2). Buildings – Burlap

3). Buildings – Snake

4). Volunteer – Dainty Hoof

5). Volunteer – Walk

6). Volunteer - Wrong

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

Uxo - "Uxo" (Album Review)

By: Chris Bull

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 29/01/2016

Label: Reptilian Records

This album is a great example of what can happen when two legends of the noise rock scene combine to pay homage to their musical influences. It's filthy, rough around the edges and it doesn't give a fuck. There are few bands out there that can truly say that.

“UXO” LP track listing:

1). Bitter

2). Trauma

3). Blind Suicide

4). Redlegs

5). Everything’s A Mistake

6). This Won’t Take Long

7). User

The Review:

When members of Unsane and Today Is The Day get together to jam, you can bet there'll be some noisy stuff going on. That's exactly what you'll get with UXO's first self titled effort. With the band having completed a mini North American tour, you can bet this ain't a throwaway side project, this is the real deal.

Sounding somewhere between 'Blood Run'/'Visqueen' era Unsane and Today Is The Day's Amphetamine Reptile trio of albums, this kicks and screams with flailing limbs; 'Bitter' has a laid back main riff and steady no frills drumming with Messrs Austin and Spencer trading vocal duties to great effect. The more energetic 'Trauma' with its driving rhythm and 'Blind Suicide' with its trademark Austin snarl and bone sawing chorus, kick things into hyperdrive.

'Redlegs' sounds like it could be on an early Unsane release (this is in no way a bad thing), it just has that one, two punch normally associated with them. Factor in some high pitch Austin screams and it changes the complexion of the track. Following from that is the filthy Helmet meets Mudhoney swagger of 'Everything's a Mistake' which has an almost downtrodden feel to it. 'This Won't Take Long' brings more trademark Spencer riffs on top of its pummeling drums before the finality of 'Loser' sounding like some amalgamation of Steel Pole Bathtub and Butthole Surfers. Both Spencer and Austin combine on the vocals to give it e very gritty and furious edge.

This album is a great example of what can happen when two legends of the noise rock scene combine to pay homage to their musical influences. It's filthy, rough around the edges and it doesn't give a fuck. There are few bands out there that can truly say that.

“UXO” is available here

Band info: facebook

'Might I suggest 'Keeping Your Opinion to Yourself': Official Video Premiere of 'Carcer' by KYOTY

By: Aaron Pickford

Formed in 2010, KYOTY (short for Keep Your Opinion To Yourself) a post metal band from Dover, New Hampshire are set to unleash their latest record "Geomancy I" on September 5.   Having plied their trade playing dozens of shows throughout the New England area with bands like Rosetta, Howl, Today is the Day and Doomriders, KYOTY released their debut full-length album the imaginatively titled ‘Undiscovered Country Of Old Death And Strange Years In The Frightful Past’ through Tokyo Jupiter Records (Japan) in 2012 and a subsequent split 7" with Host through Hydrogen Man Records (Philadelphia) the same year. After a 3 year hiatus, KYOTY are back and have forged their own brand with the inception of their Deafening Assembly Label imprint for the sole purpose of facilitating their newest material, which will form the basis of the first chapter in a three-record series entitled "Geomancy".

Today at The Sludgelord it gives us great pleasure to present the debut video for their track ‘Carcer’ taken from their ‘Geomancy I’ EP.  Physical copies of the record and download will be available on September 5, so in the meantime show your support to the band, check out this killer track and visit their bandcamp page to familiarise yourself with their discography.  This is a record that fans of Pelican, Russian Circles, Disappearer will not want to miss.  Track listing and preorder links below

KYOTY is:

Guitar | Nick Filth

Bass | Nathaniel Parker Raymond

Drums | Rob Brown

‘Geomancy I’ DD//LP track list:

1). VIA

2).  CARCER

3). CONJUNCTIO

You can preorder ‘Geomancy I’ here

Band info: Official | Bandcamp | Facebook

Today Is The Day - Animal Mother (Album Review)

Album Type: Full-Length

Date Released: 14/10/2014

Label: Southern Lord Recordings

‘Animal Mother’ CD//LP//DD track listing:

1). Animal Mother
2). Discipline
3). Sick Of your Mouth
4). Imperfection
5). Law Of The Universe
6). Outlaw (Acoustic)
7). GodCrutch
8). Divine Reward
9). Masada
10). Heathen
11). Mystic
12). The Last Strand
13). Outlaw
14). Bloodwood

Today is the Day is:

Steve Austin | guitar, vocals
Sean Conkling | bass (2013–)
Jeffrey Lohrber | drums (2013–)

Review:

Today Is The Day (hereafter TITD) return with two thirds of the trio being new additions and an hour long (!) 14 tracks meandering through... well, uncategorisable territory. It is metallic, it is noisy, and it is alternative. It is perhaps easier to state what it is not: it is not straightforward metal that belongs in any sub genre and it is not really like Neurosis either. So those of you who are open minded, please read on

There is melody aplenty too; on the opening track and on ‘Outlaw (Acoustic)’. The album, as stated, is lengthy and covers a hell of a lot of musical ground over the 60 minute playing time. There is a hardcore sensibility to proceedings and vocals (if not song structures!) and unusual rhythms and time signatures. This is most certainly not the usual type of metal I listen to (as it is not old school, death, thrash or what have you) but I am enjoying listening to it hugely.

The production is relatively lo-fi (no triggers or pro tools sounds here) and thus the record has an organic feel. Songs such as ‘Sick of Your Mouth’ are rampaging in their metallic fury, but the band does not play things straight for long- instead they mix up the time signatures but also drop in catchy hooks too. Odd, but it works. I know that TITD have been around for quite some time, but this album is the first one I have heard by them. I cannot therefore compare it to their back catalogue and can only judge it on its own merits.

‘Imperfection’ is noise personified really- all hard snare shots and discordant guitars. ‘Law of The Universe’ is similarly hard to follow with a very punk-ish feel. The aforementioned ‘Outlaw (Acoustic)’ is a rather sumptuous high point of the album for me- it has an almost pop sensibility to it (think The Stranglers, not... a pop band). The album crosses the half way point with more noise and frantic beats (as exemplified by ‘Divine Reward’ or ‘Heathen’) and thus keeping momentum, and weird unpredictability going.

‘Mystic’ makes use of a repeating half riff and almost crooned vocals while ‘The Last Stand’ employs a similar trick but with higher energy and some interesting extra production elements. ‘Outlaw’ (no acoustic this time!) then crashes out of the speakers and sounds like something completely different!

‘Bloodswood’ closes the record with acoustics, keys and a rather unexpected dose of melody again. I did not think I would enjoy this album, being as they are not in the traditional (leather jacket and jeans/corpse paint optional) metal mould. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised and would urge anyone looking for some noisy alternative metallic experimentation to give this one a go. A fine record.

Words by: Richard Maw

You can pick up a digital copy here and a CD/LP copy here.

For more information:

Official | Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp