Sunday 14 June 2015

Black Urn - S/T (EP Review)

Black Urn EP cover art

Album Type: EP
Date Released: June 09th 2015
Label: Self Released

Black Urn – S/T - Track Listing:

1.Teat of the Baphomet 12:02
2.Four Cornered Room 00:27
3.Black Urn 01:06
4.Empty Handed Lord 02:56
5.Taxidermis 10:10
6.Spore Huffer 03:13

Members:

guitar: Ryan Manley
guitar: Jordan Pierce
drums: Tim Lewis
bass: Alex Onderdonk
vox: John Jones

Review:

Black Urn are a Blackened Sludge/Doom/Grind Band that I recently stumbled across. They intrigued me right from the very start as their debut S/T EP is almost 30 minutes of blackened sludge metal encrusted with Doom, Blues and a splattering of Grind. The vocals are pitch black and feel they were forged in hell though the riffs feel they were created in the Holiest of Churches – The Church of BLACK SABBATH.

Opening track – Teat of The Baphomet – is a strange hybrid of Sabbath based down-tempo riffs and sinister death based growls. This is music that Satan himself will be listening to over and over again. And it's a fucking bruising encounter that lasts 12 minutes or so. This song has slow-paced despairing riffs with enough power to drive you to madness and it's a vibe you're more than truly grateful for. It has a depressing blues vibe as Black Urn wisely stay in the darkness and make you feel part of this violent world.

Black Urn then change into grindcore homicidal maniacs with the next few tracks as second track – Four Cornered Room – is a 28 second blast of intense fast paced grindcore beats. Before the third track – Black Urn – slightly longer splices grindcore violent riffs with down-tempo riffs from the opening track for an intriguing style of Doom/Grind
vibes.

Fourth track – Empty Handed Lord – is back to the heavier rhythms of the opening song as Black Urn have more time to play and impress you with. The track has some superb fast-paced riffs towards the end of the song. Lead vocalist – John – is impressive once again channelling all that pissed off fury. Black Urn return to epic territory with the stand-out song from the EP – Taxidermis – this is more of a companion piece to Teat of The Baphomet. As it carries on the same demonic style of Doom/Blues/Sludge/Grind worship to test your patience with.

Finally but by no means least is – Spore Huffer – that closes the EP on a mighty depressing high. This is a very bass heavy affair with pounding riffs adding real substance to the atmosphere. Black Urn have created a stunning, dark and depressing EP for all you doom and gloom maniacs to check out. Check it out. If you're feeling brave enough!!!

Words by Steve Howe

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