By: Richard Maw
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 29/04/2016
Label: Independent
The
overall atmosphere is incredibly oppressive and reminiscent of the finest
sludge bands, their music kind of operates in a space somewhere between
Serpentine Path and Electric Wizard or even Helmet at their most twisted. Lurk have continued their trajectory with
“Fringe”- that is now three great albums in four years. Well worth checking out
for something.... different, not to mention very, very heavy
“Fringe” DD track listing:
1). Ostrakismos
2). Tale Blade
3). Reclaim
4). Elan
5). Offshoot
6). Furrow
7). Nether
8). Proteus Syndrome
The Review:
Lurk, Finnish
doom/sludge/death/horrible metal music makers return with their third album.
Releasing a record steadily every two years so far, the band's self titled
debut was excellent. The follow up “Kaldera”
was even better. Rest assured, the band have dropped not one notch with the
quality material available here. It is creepy and dark- just as the first two
albums were. Hooded
Menace are the inevitable name check for all dark Finnish bands, but
Lurk
are nothing like them. Their music kind of operates in a space somewhere
between Serpentine
Path and Electric Wizard or even Helmet at their most twisted,
perhaps.
There
are huge riffs on the likes of “Tale Blade”, as well as
more melodic but sinister passages. “Reclaim”, however unlikely this
may sound, kind of swings in its rolling rhythms. The excellently titled “Elan”
casts a hypnotic spell while the cavernous production really lets “Offshoot”
rumble. The overall atmosphere is incredibly oppressive and reminiscent of
the finest sludge bands- although “Fringe”
is not a sludge record, being as there is a lot of doom and death present here
too.
“Nether”
is
perhaps the best example of their style here lots of parts and changes, some
huge riffs, some melody here and there, even. “Proteus Syndrome”
finishes the record off nicely with a kind of winding down effect towards the
end.
Lurk have
continued their trajectory with “Fringe”-
that is now three great albums in four years. Well worth checking out for
something.... different, not to mention very, very heavy.
“Fringe” is available here
