Saturday 22 November 2014

ColumnIII - Forrotian (Album Review)

Forrotian cover art

Album Type: Album
Date Released: 15th October 2014
Label: Self Released

Forrotian – S/T – Track Listing

1.Disdain 04:17
2.Chamber 04:50
3.Custom to Bury 03:50
4.Not to Preserve 05:23
5.Forrotian 05:11
6.Self-abasement 09:56

Members

Ian Smith: Vocals
Alexander Helapitage: Guitar
Kazdin Ippolito: Bass Guitar
Josh Medina: Drums

Review:

ColumnIII is an experimental Sludge/Noise/Stoner Metal band who have just released their 2nd album – Forrotian. A strange sounding hybrid of different noises and riffs while still maintaining a familiar feel. Opening track – Disdain – is a noisy and weird as hell song offering nightmarish doomy Sludge apocalyptic riffs played at a slow pace. It does have some great riffs to check out amongst the experimental glitch and noises currently going on.

Second track – Chamber – sees ColumnIII carry on the experimental sludge metal vibe though with cleaner vocals compared to the first track. There is a cool Stoner riff in the background though the noisy experimental sludge/industrial rock sounds seems to be the main focus. ColumnIII maybe too experimental for some Sludge/Stoner Metal fans but if you want something different then these guys are definitely worth your time.

Forrotian is a dark and mysterious album as you don't know what to expect next. And that's one of the best things about the album. It has the element of surprise running through it's veins. ColumnIII expertly create a distrubing nightmarish world using Sludge, Stoner, Doom, Industrial and Noise as their main tools of destruction. The album sounds fantastic on all levels. The vocals are pitch-perfect and the instrumental work is damn near perfect despite the dark subject matter.

If you're into Godflesh, Ken Mode, Old Man Gloom and even Nine Inch Nails you will find a lot to admire here. It's good to see a band not sticking to genre conventions and trying something different. Vocalist Ian sings his heart out here as he puts his voice through an impressive vocal workout especially on tracks – Custom To Bury, Not To Preserve and Forrotian.

Forrotian is an excellent and impressive album if you're into the darker and stranger side of Sludge/Stoner Metal. I will be keeping a close eye on these guys as they have something special about them. Check it out for yourself as both of their albums are available on BandCamp Buy Now Download. Donate if you can.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

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