Ghold - 'Of Ruin' (Album Review)

Album Type: Full-Length

Date Released: 16/3/2015

Label: Ritual Productions

’Of Ruin’ CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Saw The Falling

2). Partaken Incarnate

3). All Eyes Broke

4). Pursed

5). Odic Force

6). Rid The Gleam

Ghold is:

Paul Antony

Alex Wilson

Review:

’Of Ruin’ opens up quite harmlessly with a quiet, reflective bass intro leading you into the fold. The duo themselves have said in interviews that they are most interested in exploring dynamics and this opening passage on ’Saw The Falling’ is the first hint of it.  Shifts between quiet and loud feature throughout the album, with either whispers or throbbing bass build-ups filling up the space between the vocal reprimands. During the more quiet parts the bewitching voices accompany you straight out of the dungeon, often suddenly growing to soaring heights and leading off into obliteration, going out in a blizzard of riffs and erratic drumming. When the vocals come in on the first track, they’re commanding of your absolute attention. Absolutely colossal  in size with the throngs of bass and onslaught of drums echoing in the background, providing suspense and seizing you for any hypnotism they might have in store for the remainder of the record.

A sense of urgency does not leave through the whole duration of the first two tracks. ’Partaken Incarnate’ features some downright savage shouting straight from the battlefield that seeks to punish. On this track the vocals seem to be somewhat of a shared duty, with some high-pitched back-up singing provided from behind the drums that barely reaches out beyond the principal voice but nevertheless amplifies the inflictions left on your grey matter. During the steady chant that is reminiscent of the battle calls of Uruk-hai the clean-sung vocals come up front for a moment, only to shift the pace yet again. Some unearthly background noise employed at the close brings this one to a mind-bending finish.

Most all tracks lead straight into one another, making for one cohesive listen and never quite letting the overall pace subside. So the chanting continues with ’All Eyes Broke’ bringing a third assault with off-kilter riffing that returns time and again throughout the track. There’s an interlude providing time to recuperate before the song develops into a rapid second section introducing an especially groovy bass into the mix. The strength of ’Pursed’ instead lies in the blitz you’ll find yourself amidst at the opening where the levels of distortion reach abysmal levels. Odd time-signatures and quaint chord progressions are galore on both tracks and really accentuate the ritualistic atmosphere. At times you could almost smell the steam coming off the cauldron as the ceremonial pummel endures.

Throughout the whole record I can’t help but draw comparisons from the vocals to fellow Englishmen of Conan, both sounding consistently gargantuan, largely undecipherable and in imposing form for battle. Ghold undeniably have a distinct blend of their own though and by the end of the album there’s a lot of fresh ingredients brought into the brew, as the band never seems to stay still for long.

Befittingly, the second to last track wears the title ’Odic Force’, which is indeed what they’ve employed throughout the record. By the accordingly titled track, Ghold’s signature brand of plodding agility is fully embodied. The tempo has slowed to a ridiculous dizziness-inducing slog as if the mighty Conan (the barbarian, that is) had picked up and ingested some curious fungus off the side of the path on his way to meet Crom on the mount and is now stumbling on his way up. To further entertain such a notion, the hypersonic coil that starts winding by the end of the track might signify the expelling of the warrior’s insides and his accompanying shrieks echoing off the side of the peak.

Rounding out the album is a towering feedback-anthem, the weight of Ghold (pun intended) trudges forth towards the final edge. Whereas the previous track retained some momentum with a hasty sprint towards the end, ’Rid The Gleam’ remains stubborn to be by far the most punishing one on the album, careening forth at a snail’s pace and seemingly shifting to move only under the release of its own tremendous mass.

It’s really no wonder Ghold have found a home on Ritual Productions alongside fellow sonic shamans that is Bong and its accomplices, as ’Of Ruin’ is one concoction that conjures up some strong imagery. With some added seasoning in the form of mastering by the ever-proficient James Plotkin, the brilliant power and grunt duo have themselves one entrancing and fiery brew for their sophomore effort that will definitely have them climbing high up on the list of ’bands to watch’ coming out of the British isles.

Words by: Joosep Nilk

’Of Ruin’ is available here

For more information:

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Acid King - 'Middle of Nowhere, Center of Everywhere' (Album Review)

Album Type: Full-Length

Date Released: 14/4/2015

Label: Svart Records

‘Middle of Nowhere, Center of Everywhere’ CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Intro

2). Silent Pictures

3). Coming Down from Outer Space

4). Laser Headlights

5). Red River

6). Infinite Skies

7).Center of Everything

8). Outro

Acid King is:

Lori S. | Vocals, guitar

Joey Osbourne | Drums

Mark Lamb | Bass

Review:

It’s been a decade since Acid King last released any new studio material. ‘Middle of Nowhere, Center of Everywhere’ is the bands fourth long player and sees the legendary three piece packing serious power and heaviness yet again. A product of the Bay Area, the band has constructed a well built new album choc full of hypnotic, repetitive fuzzed up riffs, laced with highly skilled drumming and esoteric vocals that shift you to another world.

The album is bookended by Intro and Outro that appear to be the same jam, split into two sections. The whole album feels like one long jam session which shows a cohesive looseness in the playing of the band. Although there is a jam element, the songs are layered and build magnificently. ‘Silent Pictures’ melodic guitar line helps the song soar in its centre.

‘Coming Down from Outer Space’ feels just like that with the densely fuzzy main riff being shimmied along by the drums of Joey Osbourne. The vocals again, lift the song to a different echelon and are a superb accompaniment to the music. Lori S really is a visionary and is completely unique in her vocal and musical delivery. ‘Center of Everywhere’ sees Lori’s vocals distorted and unnerving alongside the music.

Each of the tracks on ‘Middle of Nowhere, Center of Everywhere’, move at a trudging pace with psychedelic overtones popping up throughout the duration. ‘Red River', 'Infinite Skies’ and the albums title track hook you in with their panache and grace. It is a joyous amalgamation of guitar and drum. ‘Infinite Skies’ main riff would sit on any Black Sabbath album in terms of its heaviness and repetitively dark tone, as the bass of Mark Lamb holds the whole album together in a very succinct and unassuming way barring the end of the title track where he takes centre stage to lead into the album closer.

There are countless stoner and doom metal bands around in the modern era, however when you get a band like Acid King that have been around for over two decades, you have to feel a sense of excitement over a new release. They helped write the book of stoner/doom/fuzz rock emanating from the early nineties, and their new opus is one of absolute greatness. The eight tracks on, ‘Middle of Nowhere, Center of Everywhere’, flow majestically and organically. This is an album that will only mature and sound better each time. As Lori S proclaims in the albums press release,

“We never played this music for popularity. There are no rules. We do everything how we want to. Acid King has always been driven by that.”

Amen. The album artwork is awesome too.

Words by: Dominic Walsh

‘Middle of Nowhere, Center of Everywhere’ is available here

For more information:

http://www.acidking.com/ | https://www.facebook.com/AcidkingSF

LINIE - Velocity Of Light - 7inch Single Exclusive Stream and Order Details.

Linie is a Desert Rock/Noise Rock band from Germany.

Band Members

Jörn // voc/git
Alex // git/voc
Ralph // bass/voc
Alex // drums/voc
Iggi // keys/electronics

Release Information

Linie will be releasing their excellent 7inch single - Velocity Of Light - which you can order here from BigCartel - The new single is fantastic and it won't be on their forthcoming debut album.The song is a strange and intriguing mix of Electronica, Stoner Rock, Desert Rock, Noise and Hard Rock. The guys have kindly have given us an exclusive stream of the new song. Check it out:



Thanks to Linie for the stream.

Words by Steve Howe

For More Information

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Space Bong And Beyond - An Interview with Kegan from Space Bong

When my friend Lachlan from Art Of Catharsis and Adrift For Days offered me the chance an interview wit Space Bong, I jumped at the chance. As Space Bong are one of Australia's premier and legendary Doom/Stoner Metal bands. They released a classic landmark album in 2009 with The Death Of Utopia – which has won praise across the globe.

Space Bong will finally be releasing their 2^nd album Deadwood To Worms in Sept 2015. Before then here's my interview with Kegan (Vocalist) from these legendery Aussie Doomsters where he discusses pretty much about everything in this epic interview. So get comfortable as it's time to venture into the realm of Space Bong!!!

Hi guys, How are things with you today. Thanks for doing this interview.

Thanks for giving a fuck to interview us, Sludgelord.

· Where have you guys been for the last few years? Seems you have been gone forever. Welcome back though as I’m a huge fan of your work.

Thanks for having us back! The main writers and motivators behind Space Bong have been playing in other bands for the past few years, namely Funeral Moon and Night Hag. I've also been preparing for a tour through the USA to undertake further education and experience in ecological building projects called Earthships. We’re also prone to having a revolving door of Adelaide’s grimiest musicians who, for various reasons, can’t handle the intensity of the bands music and dynamics. But, Space Bong has always been there, and until one of us dies, it probably always will.

· Can you give a brief history of how the band came together and where it is now?

Dave (guitarist and main song writer behind Space Bong) and I have been playing in bands and living together for over 10 years. As a few bands began to lose steam and we started being influenced by the more fucked up side of crust, grind and sludge, there was an obvious movement in the direction of the Space Bong sound. Everything around us screamed hate, drugs, FTW. Doom and sludge provided the creative outlet. When we began playing, punks and metal heads were starting to get along, going to the same shows, squatting warehouses, playing alleyway shows, generally fucking shit up together. We were lucky enough to be amongst things at that time.

The punk undertones of sludge and doom, the DIY ethos, are critical elements to our existence. When we shifted from a crusty grind sound to a deep sludge/doom vibe, people got it. The Death Of Utopia was a natural transition for a lot of people in our milieu. Things have continued ever since. Surprisingly, despite all the fuck ups, splits and down time, we've had the support of many good people who continue to believe in the authenticity of what we do. We hope that the honesty of our music cuts through, because it's basically a representation of who we are as beings in the world.

· Why did you choose the name Space Bong for the band?

Chrisfits, one of our original singers, come up with it off the cuff. Only later did we realise that he inadvertently stole it from a Jetsons episode that he watched as a child. But maybe, just maybe, he was high at the time.

· You released a classic debut album back in 2009 – The Death Of Utopia. Has it surprised you the response and praise it’s received over the years. As it’s classed as a modern classic.

You wouldn't believe how surprised we are. I'm not sure what happened. Anna Vo (one of the greatest human beings on the planet) from An Out Recordings, originally based in Sydney, Australia, released The Death Of Utopia for us. I don't know what she did, but something otherworldly occurred. People somehow heard it and vibed with it. We were all pretty messed up during and after that album, so no outreach was done to promote it from our side. We definitely played shows throughout Australia, but didn't push things besides that.

· Looking back then – Did you know you had something special? Would you now change anything about it?

I don't think we really knew what we were doing. Dave wrote really heavy long songs. I was in a pit of self-hate and despair. That was all we knew. The recording process, like all our recording processes, was torture. The lyric and vocal writing process was always last minute and sporadic. I've lost so many lyric sheets that I've nearly given up all together. It's lucky that The Death Of Utopia even exists, to be honest. The guy that recorded it last all the recordings on his computer. All we had was a rough mixed cd that Dave found after we realised that the original recordings didn't exist anymore. If it wasn't for that stroke of fate, the album would've been lost to the vortex of shit that seems to always swirl near us.

· How would you describe your own sound? Blackened Sludge, Doom Metal, Sludge Metal, Stoner Metal. Or all of the above.

I personally like the term blackened sludge because of it's relation to darkness and the dank aesthetic of hate and drug abuse. Musically, I think it's honest to say that we have definite elements of heavy stoner metal, which somehow become something else when brought together with our darker stuff. To me it becomes indistinguishable once lyrics and vocals are added. It's just heavy, dark and messed up.

· You’ve just released a new EP/Cassette Single – In Doom We Crust. Where the main point has to be the new single – Deadwood To Worms. And one that will be from your eagerly awaited 2nd album. What can people expect from the album? Is the album going to be as heavy as the new song?

Deadwood To Worms is definitely not the heaviest song on the new album. There is much heavier. The new album is very much a continuation of The Death Of Utopia, given that the songs were written not long after. Thinking about it now, it has a very similar flow, although the detail to song writing, structure and bleakness of the riffs are a step up. There is a little surprise at the end of the album to get peoples bleak rump asses bumping.

· Was it a hard or easy album to record for? And did you ever expect that it would take over 6 years to release your next record/album.

We've never been a highly organised band. We've always suffered from drastic fractures mentally and personally, making the writing and recording process painful and long. This album has been recorded for 3 years or so. It's taken us this long to settle down as individuals and a group. Now that we have, things are looking better for our longevity and productivity. We have every intention and the material ready to record our next EP before our long recorded LP is even out. All things remaining the same, Space Bong will have 3 new recordings out within the next 12 months.

· You’ve performed with some legendary bands over the years. Who has been your favourite to perform with and the reasons why?

It's always a kick to perform with the bands we have. Looking back I can't even believe that we've played with the bands we have. Not in my wildest dreams did I imagine we'd get the chance. I think the ones that have stood out for me are Neurosis, OM and Wolves In The Throne Room. These bands have provided us with the solace and inspiration that we all need to continue to create and focus on what inspires us about this world. To share this time and history with these musicians and music lovers is the greatest of honours that we'll go to the grave smiling about.

· It seems Space Bong can be a very hard band to be apart of at times. How do you all cope with the struggles of being in the band? Was there anytime you all thought – That this is the end of Space Bong as a band?

I don't think we've every truly considered breaking the band up. Giving up on Space Bong would mean giving up on music and ultimately, death. It's not that we take the band seriously or anything like that. It's more that we take living life seriously. There is no distinction between music and life for us. It's all the same game. While we may have very divergent lifestyles (now), we all understand one another, our pains and trials. When things were really, really fucked up, we were there for each other, experiencing the same shit, day after day, for no other reason than suffering and self-abuse.

Some of us have evolved and occasionally we get out of the swamp. But you can’t forget that sort of interpersonal intensity. You can look into a person a know if they know. There is a genuine friendship that transcends the petty bullshit. Whenever I’ve wanted to kill someone in the band, all it takes is to look at them and the hate subsides.

· You’ve been classed as one of Australia’s Best Sludge/Doom Metal Band. Do tags and descriptions like that ever become a burden and a hard thing to live upto?

I don't think we've ever seen ourselves as being one of the best sludge/doom bands in Australia. We've played the most disgusting, despicable of scenes and sets imaginable. And regardless of what anyone else thinks or says, we're just going to be what we are. Good or bad really isn't the thing. It's a spectrum where ultimately everything is just a slight variation on the same theme. We have good and bad days. What makes us good/bad, I don't really know. We are what we are. That seems to be enough.

· Australia has a rising Sludge/Doom/Stoner Metal scene currently at the moment. Tons of great bands such as Adrift For Days, Aver, Shelfin, Horsehunter and Ya̧nomamö. Is the scene getting any better in Australia or do you get more recognition from abroad? How do you think the Aussie Sludge/Doom/Stoner Metal scene can be improved upon?

Australia has some of the most underrated extreme music bands in the world. Take three: Whitehorse (Melbourne), Drowning Horse (Perth) and Mounrnful Congregation (Adelaide). This is a master class of the most extreme music that can be heard anywhere. These bands have toured the world, or could easily do so. Each major city in Australia has at least one band that plays to an international standard and is recognised for it. I think the issue with Australia is that while we have such bands, there's a massive gap between them and the up-and-coming bands who are happy the fill the void without making any musical or artistic jumps into original creativity.

These genres are saturated with ambitious parasites and leeches, as in all areas of human life, that learn how to promote and show-pony before they learn how to become authentic, genuine human beings. As I've mentioned, I see no separation between music and life. When that distinction begins to be made is when the 'fake' begins to show. At that point, it becomes nothing but a false spectacle where everyone is acting for the sake of fame and drunken glory. Egos become more important, crowd attendances and sales become the object. It becomes a pissing and shit throwing contest. This is probably the most cynic view that anyone could have of what's happening in Australia.

We are a geographically large continent with an incredibly small population. Everyone knows everyone else. Rivalries and bridge burning between friends is a reality. But there is a genuine group of bands and individuals who are sincerely dedicated to their art and the spirit of cooperation for the higher goals of self-expression. The assholes and egos will be crushed as the honest caregivers of our art rise up to support the growth of new and young bands that carry on the human spirit into deeper, darker realms. For those that care, keep watch of Horsehunter (Melbourne), Tombsealer (Adelaide) and Drowning Horse (Perth). These bands own their variations of the craft.

· Which bands and artists influenced you all as musicians?

We were all originally influenced by the doom and sludge masters: Electric Wizard and Iron Monkey. Thrown in the mix with GG Allin, Turbonegro and grindcore. These days I'm more influenced by things like Corrupted, Primitive Man, ambient, black metal, esoteric buddhism/existentialism with a healthy dose of nihilism and deep ecology. We all have very broad tastes in music that take us from the extremes of classical music to Taylor Swift to Gorgoroth.

· You guys have been touring quite a bit recently. Do you play gigs in your home town or do you have to travel further away to perform regularly.

We've just returned from a stretch of touring which took us 5000kms ie. 3100 miles, in 6 days, playing 5 shows. In total we travelled 7000kms to play 7 shows. This is a decent tour by Australian standards. Australia is the hardest of all 'developed' countries to tour due to our geographic largess and small population. We don't have the density to make touring a regular, viable thing, unless you play clean jean stoner rock or lowest common denominator heavy metal.

We like touring. Staying in our home town results in psychic stagnation and a self-delusional, small town mentality. We've built up a very dedicated following over our 8 years which we appreciate beyond measure. We're even more surprised than ever by the support.

· In 5 words or less – describe the live Space Wrong experience.

Meditative doom misanthropy on punk.

· How important is a physical product to a band like yourselves.

As we refine our aesthetic and philosophy I think the physical becomes a manifestation of our deeper selves. Our past releases have been supported by the creative art of one of Australia's leading tattooists, Amy Duncan. Without her efforts on The Death Of utopia and The Passion Of The Crust, we'd be nothing. For future releases we'll be collaborating internally. 

The way we work is that I come up with the lyrics and themes, while our other singer, Jamie, comes up with the artwork given his day job as a tattooist. We're only just starting this type of working relationship, but are using the next LP release as the debut of our collaboration. We've got a good 5 months to work on it, so I'm really excited to see what we can come up with. As for other physical manifestations of Space Bong, I work with other Adelaide artists, such as Kerri-Ann Wright, using my lyrics as the creative direction.

· Where do you see yourselves in 5 years time as a band and individually. Or is that too hard of a question to answer.

Either dead or having done a fuck tonne of writing and touring. It could go either way. With the current line up and level of commitment, I think we can begin to indulge in the idea and planning to head overseas in 2016. There are those bucket list events, like Roadburn, Heavy Days In Doomtown and Maryland Deathfest, that keep people like us inspired. We're constantly on a knifes edge. Day-to-day I'm constantly struggling to balance my desire to live this doom life to it's logical conclusion.

There are multiple paths open to journey down, some more destructive, creative, painful and happy than others. At this very moment, I'm content to take the musically creative path. When the struggle of this commitment becomes too much to bare, I may choose another path that leads to an existence outside of society, living off-grid, self-sufficient in the bush with significant others. Until that point, I'm keen to live in the (un)civilised world to create music and culture that reflect these dark days.

· What is the songwriting dynamic in the band? Is it down to an individual or is it a group process.

Fundamentally, Space Bong is the musical brainchild of David Gibson. I'm his vocal accompaniment and rehab counsellor.

· If you could give your younger selves advice before starting the band. What would it be and why.

If I was my younger self, I'd tell my older self not to give my younger self any advice. The process is the process is the process. Nothing can or would be different. All is perfect and as it should be. All the chaos has been perfection. Maybe one piece of advice would be not to be such a snotty nosed piece of shit punk asshole.

· What is your musical setup when recording in the studio or playing live. Is it an advanced or basic setup?

We have a very basic set up when we play live. Recording is no different. We have very few frills. Although, we have done noise collaborations in the past with such artists as Die Like a God. In the future we'll be working with a well travelled harsh noise artist Default (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rm_AtYQwhs) on our LP tour in order to capture the complete depth of our recorded material.

· Apart from the new album, What else does 2015 have in store for the band? Anything you like to share with us.

We are setting up to release our LP, Deadwood To Worms, on vinyl in September through the label I've started, FALSExIDOL Records (https://falsexidolrecords.bandcamp.com/) and Sydney's Art As Catharsis.

We're also looking for overseas labels to help distribute in Europe and America. We're gonna back this up in October with a string of massive Australian shows with Adelaide doom/death band, Tombsealer, and the infamous Drowning Horse from Perth, who are also releasing an LP on FALSExIDOL Records.

We've got a couple new songs which we'll be recording mid-year to have ready for a release not long after the LP. Splits with other bands could be on the cards. Then, we've got a big one: a full length album entitled, Hits From The Bong, that will be a covers album of non-metal songs made doom. Bands will include the likes of Howlin' Wolf, Turbonegro, Syd Barrett and many more unsuspecting musical classics.

I'm also going to enter the international band touring game with my first tour of an American sludge band that is currently ripping humanity a new psyche. They're out done by none. Very excited for Space Bong and them to hit the road together next March.

· Finally do you have anything to say to your fans and our readers?

Thanks for doing this interview. It's been a long time coming, but we look forward to dooming in

warehouses, alleyways, clubs, crack dens and rehab clinics throughout the world in the next few years. Let's hope the reaper doesn't strike us down before then. Much hate and bless to you Sludgelord.

I want to thank Kegan from Space Bong to talking to us here at Sludgelord HQ. And for Lachlan at Art As Catharsis for arranging this interview. Space Bong will release their 2^nd album – Deadwood To Worms – in September 2015. You've been warned!!!

Words by Steve Howe and Kegan

For More information

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Interview with Gero from Argonauta Records

Today's guest has been a good friend to Sludgelord recently. His record label has provided stunning releases from Last Minute To Jaffna, Deaf Eyes, Witch Charmer, Beneath The Storm, Bantoriak, MAGI and Kayleth. Plus he's releasing future albums by one of my fave Italian Sludge Metal Overlords – NIBIRU.

The label I'm talking about is Argonauta Records who have had a stunning year releasing awesome albums by bands that have been acclaimed all over the world. The genius behind this label is Gero. A person who is passionate about music in general and the bands he signs to his great label.

I wanted to return the favour and get an interview with the great man as Gero is doing a killer job releasing great records and promoting some fantastic bands that I wouldn't of heard of. Bantoriak, Deaf Eyes and Kayleth being cases in point.

So lets get started with Gero.

Hi Gero. How's it going. Thanks for doing this interview. Much appreciated.

Thanks Steve! I’m following The Sludgelord since the beginning, today I can say it’s a dream comes true having this interview with you.

Can you tell our readers how Argonauta Records started and why you started the label.

Argonauta Records started as idea in 2009. I met up with a bunch of old friends after many many years. Immediately it was clear to all of us to start again a band we are involved in during the end of the ‘90ies. I decided this time that if we ever arrived to release any album, we should have a proper promotion and dedicated channels to make it available around. I can say the label almost started as a joke when in 2012 we printed our first album.

Immediately we got in touch with many bands, magazines and so, looking for collaboration. That moment is when I took the decision that Argonauta would have been not only a label for my band, but something more for other interesting entities. In almost one year I was able to care all the first details to officially start by the end of 2013 as a full time working label.

Why did you choose the name Argonauta Records. Any specific meaning. Unless you're a huge Jason And The Argonauts fan.

Of course I’m a huge fan of Jason and the Argonauts as well of each movie and creature born by the mind of Ray Harryhausen. Also I’m fond on Greek Mythology, where Argonauts came from. Not to mention also “Argonauta” is the scientific name of a kind of Octopus, so something related to the Lovecraftian world, which I’m confident with since I was very young.

Was it a hard experience setting up the record label. Looking back would you do anything differently.

It’s a hard experience, yes, especially because running a label is not a job like others. Had to do many considerations with the family as you have to be ready to give up to some certainties you are usually accustomed to. It’s not easy, but I did a pact with myself, to dedicate 100% to this new adventure with a primary concept: to NOT procrastinate anything anymore. I have now complete control of my life and business, working with the bands I love, spending my time the way I decide. To have done something different? Only a regret, I should have started this job years ago, I waited too much, ah ah!

You mainly focus on the Doom/Sludge/Stoner/Drone/Post-Metal scene. Would you release something from another genre such as Grindcore, Black Metal.

I think I can be defined a music enthusiast, I do listen everything I found interesting, no matter the kind of music, the name of the band and so. But with my label I prefer to concentrate my time on my first love in music. Doom, Stoner, Post Metal and related. It is where I came from, so I can care all the details at best as I can.

Do you have a set of rules and ideals that you stick to when signing a band. Are there things that would make you not sign a band to your label.

You have to know I have many interests in my life. One of these is the world of Super-heroes. You know, Spider-Man, Captain America, ... Music does not need super heroes. I like hard work, humility and at the same time having fun all together, with the unique purpose to make a good job for the label and our bands.

The thing I like about your label is even though your main focus is on the Italian music scene you still release albums by other great bands and artists around the world. How do you find all these artists. Do they submit material to you or do you find them browsing the internet and social media.

Yes, being an Italian label, it helps me to “give voice” to many interesting bands we have here, which is a cool thing indeed. At the same time the thing I love more is to discover by myself the talents across the world, I listen tons of music on daily basis and many Argonauta bands were contacted by me as first step. Also, I receive messages with YouTube links, demo and so by other people interested to collaborate with me. It is all very cool, I love to listen to everything I receive, to know new trends, different approaches. Actually I can say our bands are 50% discovered or contacted by me and 50% from submissions.

We have to talk about the Italian Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal scene. It's very highly thought of through out the world thanks to awesome bands such as Ufomammut, Zippo, ISAAK, Doomraiser and a ton more that I may of forgotten to mention. What is the scene actually like in Italy. Is the Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal scene on the rise in Italy. Or is it still firmly in the underground.

I personally know or am in touch with many Italian bands of the so-called “scene”. For this reason I hope to choose my words correctly, in English, to explain my standpoint, which is a POSITIVE opinion towards them: I see tons of interesting Italian bands working hard to make their music available... outside of Italy!

It happens because Italy could be a very weird and difficult country. Think for example of the difficulties to arrange a mini-tour in our towns. It could be so hard that the only result you get is to split-up the band. Of course there are also positive things, there is a lot of audience and dedicated people, but all seems to be still in the world of insiders only.

I want to thank you for sending some awesome albums my way and including some of my reviews on the advertising with Nibiru especially. That means a lot. So thank you. How helpful has the Sludge/Doom/Stoner Metal community been in promoting your work as your label is highly thought of.

I’ve to say it is a great thing, not expected at all this attention our releases receive across the board. Considering also we’re a very young label with still a lot to do day by day. And the Sludge/Doom/Stoner community help us to grow up and to search for better results in each moment. This is the main reason I sent around our releases, I love to get feedbacks, with reviews and so, and also talking privately when possible.

You currently focus on releasing products on CD/DD only. Are there any plans to release any of your albums on Vinyl in the future. Or is that too expensive to do at the moment.

You have to know I’m a huge fan of vinyls. But it is too expensive to do at the moment, and being a very young label I need to be very careful with each step I do, not affording the loss of resources and time. We already did our first vinyl the past year, with a great Swedish band, KOLOSS. Now, though the main format will be the CD version, we are working to have more vinyls in the future.

How hard is it for an independent record label like Argonauta Records to operate in today's markets. Especially with the download culture still sadly going on around us. Can it be an uphill struggle or do the positives outweigh the negatives.

The main problem is to see how people think it’s easy to get everything they need, stream, download and so. Everything is available everywhere. I remember when I was a kid, the great thing of being a music fan, is to search for your fave artists in the worst music shops around the world, haha! It made you think to have something special for your own or to share with your friends. Now it is totally different, but I understand progress IS progress, no problems. “Download” is not a problem on its own, the focal point is to make people conscious behind a record there is usually a lot of work, not only by the band.

Now a few people may not know but your a guitarist in Italian Sludge/Post-Metal Band – Varego. Which is a fantastic band in it's own right. How did you become involved with Varego. And what's the current status with the band.

Ahah, thanks for this question! Yes, I’m also a Varego guitarist. We are a band of very old friends. Accidentally, we met after so many years in 2009 and said “Hey, what about to resume the band?”. By the end of the ‘90ies we were a sort of grunge/stoner band. Just the time to find a rehearsal room, to keep again alive our instruments and then in a few months we were able to track down around ten songs.

I contacted legendary Billy Anderson asking him if he could be interested to work with us and so it happened! We were totally stoked, and decided to work with him also with our second work released in 2013, also featuring another legend of contemporary music, Jarboe, singing lyrics written by me on music of my band. I still can not believe it while I’m telling you, haha! Actually we are working on our new songs, we are not a very fast band I’ve to say, but we are on it. Maybe we will do a single release soon, to anticipate the forthcoming album. Let’s see.

Do you find it hard to be apart of the band whilst still running Argonauta Records. Though I've heard a rumour you will be releasing the new Varego album on your label in the future. Can you confirm or deny that rumour. HA HA

Yes, haha, I’ll surely release the new stuff on Argonauta, haha! And it’s not hard to be a part of the band. I just care both things at best I can do.

When you started the label did you receive any help from friends telling you what you should do or shouldn't do.

Once an old friend of mine had for me some special words: “In this crazy world, if someone still have to open a record label, this someone is you”. I’m lucky to have friends like this. And I’ve many of them I can speak of my work with. And today too, I’ve closed friends helping me on different aspects, and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank a bunch of them, Gabriele (INFECTION CODE singer and my right-hand man), Barbara (running Argonauta Press Office) and Marco (of SHABDA and THEE MALDOROR KOLLECTIVE, doing many of our graphic work such as covers, posters or t-shirts).

There are a ton of great labels doing some major things within the scene such as STB Records, Ripple Music, Riding Easy Records, Pink Tank Records and Magnetic Eye Records. Have you had any contact with those labels. Are you a fan of their work. Or do you focus on your own thing.

I know all those labels, though I’ve been not in touch with them directly. I really love albums by Monolord or Summoner, just to name a few. So I can say I’m a fan of all their work and their attitude. I’ve planned to be in touch with them in the next future, unless they read this interview and think “Another crazy guy to take care of, no way!” haha!

This is going to be a hard question to answer. But which artist and band has been your favourite to work with so far. Or the favourite you've signed to your label. (You've already signed my fave Italian band – Nibiru – to your label. And their new album is fucking incredible. Damn. What a head trip. Review due soon).

I was quite sure you would have good feelings with the new NIBIRU, indeed a head trip! I’ve no favourite artists in the label, just because I carefully choose the bands to work with. Each artist I’m in touch with has his own methods to approach music and related things. This is the most interesting and thrilling aspect of this job, from my standpoint. I learn a lot by all of them, I want to learn and I’m pleased to do it.

What are future plans for the label. I know you have Denizen, Tovarish and NIBIRU albums being released soon. Can you tell us anymore future releases to look out for.

While answering this interview, I’m also taking care of Bantoriak preorders, shipping in few days. Denizen are now on the way. May will be the month of Tovarish and Nibiru, yes. Actually I’m working hard on final details for ARGONAUTA FEST, this is the first official fest of the label, a party with some bands of the family we hope it can be an annual event.

Then this year we’ll have highly anticipated new albums by SHABDA, BENEATH THE STORM and FROM OCEANS TO AUTUMN. While working on the reissue of “Ashes” by SUMA and on the album by LOWBURN from Finland, a really crushing stoner band managed by Battlelore members. And something more!

If you could provide any helpful information or advice to someone wanting to start their own record label. What would it be.

If this is your deep conviction, put all of yourself and do not give up if the first results will not be good. Find your way to perform the various aspects of the work and stick always to your guidelines.

Well Gero, Thanks for doing this. Really appreciate this. Keep up the excellent work with your label.

Thanks a ton to you Steve, to the Sludgelord crew and to your readers! It’s a pleasure to speak and explain more aspects of the label with people interested in our bands. Cheers!

I want to thank Gero for doing this interview. A great person who is running a fantastic label and promoting amazing bands for us to enjoy.

Words by Steve Howe and Gero Argonauta

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Stonebirds - Into The Fog... And The Filthy Air (Album Review) - Exclusive Song Stream

Album Type: Album

Date Released: July 2015

Label: Pink Tank Records

Into The Fog... And The Filthy Air - Track Listing

1.After The Sin

2.Angst Lover

3.Burned Flesh

4.Into The Fog

5.Perpetual Wasteland

Members:

Fañch : Guitar/Vox

Sylvain : Bass/Chorus

Antoine : Drums

Review:

This is my first time venturing into Stonebirds world of heavy psychedelic Sludge/Stoner Metal riffs. The band did release a debut album back in 2011 called Slow Fly which sadly passed me by as it's an awesome album you should hunt down. Though I'm here to talk about their eagerly awaited follow up album – Into The Fog... And The Filthy Air – that sees the band venture into murky Psychedelic Stoner Metal with hints of Sludge Rock giving this album a distorted Desert Rock feel.

Opening track – After The Sin – starts off like a warped psychedelic nightmare coming to life with distorted fuzz based riffs and grizzled vocals to match. It has an ambient feel to the music as Stonebirds wisely create their own musical path that sees an air of originality not seen for a long time in the Stoner Metal realm. Fañch's have a sense of mystery about them as he sings a mysterious tale that I even find hard to understand. It's the music that's the main attraction here as Stonebirds transport you to the legendary Desert Rock surroundings where the riffs only become heavier, crazier and packed with a whole lot more FUZZ. It's has a crazy psychedelic guitar solo that will put you in a trance as the band have written a truly hypnotic song.

Second track – Angst Lover – sees Stonebirds change musical direction as they go for a heavier and more bombastic approach with the Psychedelic noises taking centre stage that gives Fañch centre stage to show off his impressive vocals once more. It starts off as slow-paced affair with plenty of distorted feedback and hazy riffs appearing every so often. Give it time though as the band bring the heavy thunderous Sludge Rock riffs and it's another exciting ride that sets Stonebirds off to a righteous path of greatness. Stonebirds can give Mastodon a run for their money in the progressive sludge metal volume stakes on this song. WOW!!!

There is a lot more to Stonebirds sound as they combine Grunge and Ambient Noises to their music so this album will speak to a wide range of people across the musical spectrum. It's a powerful album that will end up on a few Album Of The Year Lists and it's a good job that the band still have 3 songs to impress you with. 3^rd song – Burned Flesh – is a more gloomy affair compared to the opening tracks as Stonebirds become more accustomed to their doom and gloom surroundings. The music is more direct and stripped back that gives the rhythm section of the band their chance to impress in the spotlight.

Fourth Track – Into The Fog – is pure Stoner Metal/Desert Rock territory with Fanch delivering his most heartfelt performance on the album. Shades of Kyuss appear but it's still an original sound that the band deserve credit for. The song combines Fuzz/Desert Rock vibes with a bleak Sludge Rock vibe. It's one of the albums standout songs that you will be listening to over and over again. The 2^nd half of the song is of the heaviest parts of the album and its still beautifully played from beginning to end.

Last but by no means least is – Perpetual Wasteland – a haunting and sombre affair where the band take you on a heartfelt journey with drone based signatures and riffs that could last a lifetime. It's too Stonebird's credit they have written songs that are all very different to each other. As you get a different musical experience with each and every song. Sure it's firmly rooted in Sludge/Stoner Metal but it[s the overall musical journey that Stonebirds that take you on. This song is one of reflection, loss and forgiveness.

The production on the album is flawless through out as the album is loud from the start. Stonebirds have delivered a brilliant and highly original album. Kudos to Pink Tank Records for signing them to their roster. This album is going to win Stonebirds a huge range of admirers within the Sludge/Stoner Metal community. Into The Fog... And The Filthy Air is a must have album. End Of.

Need more proof – Well Stonebirds and Pink Tank Records have kindly let Sludgelord HQ exclusively stream – After The Sin – from Into The Fog... And The Filthy Air. Check it out.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Pink Tank Records for the promo. Into The Fog... And The Filthy Air - will be available to buy on CD/DD from Stonebirds and Vinyl via Pink Tank Records from July 2015. Pre-Orders will be available soon.

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Opium Lord - 'The Calendrical Cycle: Eye of Earth' (Album Review)

Album Type: Full-Length

Date Released: 23/2/2015

Label: Candelight Records

'The Calendrical Cycle: Eye of Earth' CD/DD track listing:

1). Challenger

2). Pink Mass

3). Crystals

4). Black Libraries

5). Azazel

6). Ghost Singer

7). Krocodil

Review:

Given the city's size and formidable history in metal I often wonder why Birmingham fails to produce more touring extreme metal bands. Luckily Opium Lord have briefly allayed these concerns with the release and touring surrounding their latest release, 'The Calendrical Cycle: Eye of Earth'.

Straddling that line between doom and sludge that makes the doom nastier and psyches the sludge out, Opium Lord hit the sweet spot. Whilst obvious in theory, the reality is that it is exceedingly tricky to make this type of music that tweaks the doom to be less boring and the sludge actually aurally edible. Few bands manage it; many get mired in a half baked mix of both genres. The guitars here growl rather than fuzz or screech, the songs prowl rather than plod. The tones are weighted to being more mid and bass heavy, more mix desk worship than amplifier worship. Hell, you can hear the bass through the mix from the sheer force of its frequencies, it's crushing.

Whilst not a very long LP, the album uses it's run time well. Sludge/doom has never been one for dynamics, the tropes of the genre limiting its range of expression, but Opium Lord use this well to create an unrelenting and smothering blanket of oppression that characterises the album. Whilst certainly not lacking in the song writing department, the strengths of this album lie more in it's sound and feel; yet the production is what ultimately gives it the life it has and makes it worth repeated listens to allow the rich heaviness to soak past your ears and into your brain.

Perhaps it is the guitarist in me speaking, but whilst the drums keep well paced in the lower mid part of the mix and the vocals perform perfectly adequately, it is the huge monolith of heavy sound created by the bass and guitar that steal the show. Root notes move with the weight of continents rarely heard since 'Dopethrone'. Discordant ringing strings in the higher register abound, the high point being on closing track 'Krocodil' with it's searing guitar leads that could be mistaken for distant tortured screams.

Opium Lord has been touring the UK with Primitive Man recently, so catch them if you get chance.

Words by: Jake Mazlum

'The Calendrical Cycle: Eye of Earth' is available here

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