By: Aaron Pickford
As
Christmas came and went, so too was the end of another memorable year of
crushing and sonically discordant riffs, but we can take comfort that 2016 is
already off to a blistering start with records from likes of Conan
only a matter of weeks away. But before
we get too headlong into the new year, we need to reflect that the month of
advent, delivered more outstanding records at The Sludgelord
.
Today
we revisit some of the best records not only from December 2015, but many of which that may have ended up
on many yearend lists. Yes, people The Sludgelord’s ‘Sour 16’
is back, you know the drill, each
month, you the reader are unwittingly compiling a list of the top 16 records of
the month, covering all genres of metal.
Is it not a chart, in which reviewers or contributors extol their
opinion about their favourite music, but simply, the ‘Sour 16’ are the records that have been trending the most at The Sludgelord and perhaps which you guys have been most interested
in over the last month.
So
without further ado, enjoy the ‘Sour 16’. Roll up, kick back, chug a beer and Hail the
riff! All reviews can be viewed by clicking the artwork. (Total views at the
time of publication highlighted in red)
16).
= Implore –
“Depopulation” (184)
Depopulation”
works particularly well due to the variety of tempos employed throughout the
record. Implore never let up on the volume and distortion front, but the
transitions between pummelling blastbeats and mid-paced grooves really work
well. There are enough interesting touches here to make Implore stand out
from their peers without compromising on aggression and attack. This is a
strong debut that hints at an interesting future ahead.
16).
= One Master – Reclusive Blasphemy (184)
There
is a lot of nuance and thought put into the peaks and valleys of these songs,
which is unique given their otherwise orthodox style. I still believe that
there is a lot from black metal’s early years that can be repurposed and
implemented in new ways, and ‘Reclusive Blasphemy’ gives that belief further
credibility. This is worth going out of your way to check out.
14).
V/A – “Morbid Tales” A Tribute To Celtic Frost (198)
Child
Bite, along with Phil Anselmo brings the biggest name to the tribute, and Phil
sounds like he had a blast trying Tom G. Warrior’s unique vocal inflections on
for size. He’s like a middle-aged kid blasting “The Usurper” in front of a
mirror, doing his best impression of Warrior while his parents are out of the
house, which kicks this album off with a really fun tone
13).
Crawl – “Old Wood
& Broken Dreams” (199)
Music
like this doesn't need to be complex or challenging to be brilliant, its
barbecue music for bloodshot eyed slackers, music to blare out the speakers of your
pickup truck on your way to buy more beer. The world needs music like this,
thank your chosen deity that Crawl are more than happy to oblige.
12).
Cryptopsy – “The Book
of Suffering – Tome 1” (201)
Every
song sees Cryptopsy firing on all cylinders, including Matt McGachy, who seems
to be channeling his inner Mike DiSalvo at certain points through the album,
resulting in his best performance to date. With this EP, Cryptopy finds
themselves as a band every bit as good as they were at their best. For a band
that just recently passed the twenty year anniversary of their debut, that’s no
small accomplishment. Cryptopsy are one of the finest exponents of
“extreme” on the face of the planet and dammit, I know real metal when I hear
it. This is as real and as extreme as it gets. Hail.
11). Forn – “Weltschmerz” (205)
The
distortion kicks in and reduces everything to rubble. Stylistically, it's
blackened funeral doom; depressing and bleak in it's melody but inherently evil
and completely devastating. The vocals are growled from the bowels of the
underworld and screamed from the edge of oblivion. , Fórn have
created something perfect for the end of the year; let it smash your 2015 into
oblivion like a biblical flood. You can start anew in 2016.
10).
Space Bong – “Deadwood
to Worms
This
is a craft of pure tar and it is of the purest quality. The dirge
stretches further and onward and you feel your essence stretched along with
it. You’re wading through molasses by the end of it. “High
Priests and Petty Thieves” takes you through an EYEHATEGOD spirited eleven and
a half minute trudge with extra on the stoner vibe. Space Bong are
onto something in addition to being onsomething and I want to
journey with them, wherever they might be headed. With “Deadwood toWorms”
it’s easy to understand why.
09).
Pigs – “Wronger” (227)
“Wronger” is a great album with a lot of great songs and
high energy. Not a ton of diversity in song writing but this is a pretty
powerful album that stays the course on annihilation
08).
=.Vastum – “Hole
Below.” (229)
Each
member plays so well into all of the others’ strengths that the album feels
more like one gigantic being, lurching and smashing in unified movement, rather
than five separate pieces trying their best to come together.
08).
= Pale Horseman –
“Bless The Destroyer” (229)
Pale
Horseman really hit their stride with the 15 minute monster “Bastard Child”.
Beginning at a satisfyingly snail-paced crawl, the band soon drop the volume
for the first time on the album to great effect. A blissed-out, bass-driven jam
ensues, reminiscent of Colour Haze at their most exploratory. The peace is
obliterated by the sledgehammer impact of a gold-standard stoner riff which the
band grind ever slower towards oblivion,
06).
Contrarian –
“Polemic” (247)
Far
more nuanced than Nile, this is a tour de force of modern tech death, done
in a way which recalls old school tech death(!). No blasting, no mindlessly
labyrinthine and continuously brutal riffage. What you get is jazz infused
death metal with the kind of subtlety not heard for quite some time.
05).
This Gift Is A Curse
– “All Hail The Swinelord” (272)
It's
very difficult to describe the music on this; such is the profound effect it's
had. Think Nails with Black Metal and Sludge influences and you'd be on the
right track. I can envisage a few end of year lists needing readjustment after
hearing this. A future classic? Time will tell.
04).
UN – “The Tomb of All
Things” (321)
If
you have any interest in doom, bleak atmospheric music of any type, funeral
type riffs and paces with a lighter touch in some of the instrumental passages
that brings to mind post metal and even black metal at times, then this record
is most definitely for you.
03).
Hooded Menace – “Darkness
Drips Forth” (345)
Hooded
Menace has delivered a powerful and dynamic record with plenty of doom, fully
informed with the approach of death metal of a more Euro/Scandi approach. For
me, there is nothing to dislike here and everything to enjoy. A fine and
focused record.
02).
Scientist – “10100||00101
(410)
Storming
opener “The Singularity” distils the key elements of this record into five and
a half minutes. Chittering harmonics give way to the sledgehammer impact of
furious, frantic riffing moving into anthemic sludge and finishing with an epic
post-metal flourish. Imagine the best bits of American Heritage, Clutch and
ISIS delivered with the seismic impact of Mastodon’s “Remission”.
“1010II0101” is a pioneering piece of research at the cutting edge of riff
technology that demands your attention.
01).
Baroness – “Purple” (579)
Baroness
have never written an album like this before and they probably never will. Fate
threw them an experience that shook them to their core. It saw half the band
leave, but what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and here the band are
channelling all the drama and the turmoil to concoct an album that is beyond
special. The ambition, complexity and painstakingly triumphant melodies that
drape this record like an emperor’s clothes has made them near enough
invincible.
This
list features reviews by, Chris Bull, Philip Weller,
Richard Maw, Daniel Jackson, Mike Wilcox, Dan Caycedo & Charlie Butler,
