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This is 'Liberation through Amplification.'
Almost two years since
their last appearance on THE
SLUDGELORD, Haunted
are back and are readying the release of their new album “Dayburner” which is available in a variet
of formats via Twin Earth
Records, Graven
Earth Records, and DHU Records. Forged in Catania in 2015, once again Haunted deliver their
s(low) sub-sabbathian doom and this latest chapter has been recorded
byCarlo LongoatNuevArte Studioin Catania and
mastered by the renowned producer Brad Boatright(Sleep, COC, Yob, Obituary,
among others)at Audiosiege Engineeringin Portland, Oregon.
Today THE
SLUDGELORD presents the exclusive reveal of the new single ‘Dayburner’
which you can check out below
On September
7th STONED JESUS will
deliver their next solid load of progressive stoner rock on Napalm Records entitled“Pilgrims”. With their fourth album the Ukrainian trio
offers much more than your usual Kyuss wannabe or your
average desert session band and let’s face it Kyuss hasn’t
but out a record for nearly 25 years and we need some fresh jams.
With
“Pilgrims”, STONED JESUS have delivered a multi-faceted album mixing
groove with noise rock elements, lots of proggy infusions and giant such as Mastodonand Melvinscome to
mind in terms of tone and texture. Make
no mistake STONED
JESUScan’t be pigeonholed and “Pilgrims” is very fine album
indeed. The band comments on the new
album:
"This record was inspired by our relentless touring and the feelings
you get - or more precisely you lose - because of it. It's weird how
disconnected one becomes when constantly surrounded by people. Musically it's
pretty different from what we've done, it's more song-oriented but
simultaneously more challenging than before - sonically and structurally"
Today THE SLUDGELORD is stoked to host UK premiere
of STONED JESUS’ brand new video for “Hands Resist Him” which you can check
out below
Blowing brains wide open since the release of an
early two track demo in 2014, Sheffield based atomsmahers Kurokuma have made quite
the impression on the doom scene, supporting the likes of Crowbar, Trap Them, Conan, KEN Mode,
Skeletonwitch, Goatwhore and Samothrace. As well as tours with Dvne and then Vinnum Sabbathi in
2017, it seems that despite the gap of almost two years since the release of their
acclaimed debut EP “Advorsus” Kurokuma have built a solid foundation based upon their devastating lives shows and unrelenting work
ethic. Now as we begin to the enter the
second half of 2018 and although they have never been away, Kurokuma are set to
make some big announcements and we felt it was appropriate to get the
scoop. I recently hooked with Kurokuma drummer Joe E.
Allen to chat about the roots of the band and what the future holds. Check it out below
Can you give us an insight into how you
started playing music, leading up to the formation of Kurokuma?
Joe:
Jake and myself have known each other since we met a long time ago at Corp in
Sheffield. After I moved back from Japan more recently we were hanging out,
smoking, listening to Electric Wizard,
jamming, you know. Isn’t that how all doom bands start? We also wanted to make
sure we were adding more exotic instrumentation and rhythms into the mix. We
found our exotic bassist, George through an online ad after our original one
left.
For those people unfamiliar with your
band, are there any bands on the scene past and present that you would use as a
reference point bands to describe your band, and who or what continues to
inspire you and push you to try new things?
Joe:
It was originally Black Tusk, Black Breath and other bands that start with Black. The
more primal, rhythmic elements came from listening to “Battle Against Clown” from the Akira
soundtrack, me playing the taiko drum in Japan and a shared appreciation of
South American electronic music. Also George being a percussionist as well
helps.
We
have pretty high and adventurous standards when it comes to what passes as
worthwhile music. Seeing off-the-wall bands like Granule
and Birushanah recently in Japan feeds the
creativity. Our music is meant to represent raw power at its core. All music is
an inspiration. In fact, anything at all is - you can draw that power from
anything and anywhere and then put it back out for the people.
Since the release of your well received
debut “Advorsus” in September 2016 can you summarise what you guys have been up
to over the last 18 months or so. Any highlights you’d like to mention and any
forthcoming announcements you’d like to share with our readers?
Joe:
A lot has happened since that. UK tours with Under, Dvne
and then Vinnum Sabbathi from Mexico. “Siege of Limerick” in Ireland last year
was our first show abroad, then earlier this year we did Japan with Conan and Granule, then Iceland
for the 4/20 weekend…
Japan
was just as dope as you’d expect. Probably more actually. The fans were
receptive to us and Conan, especially cos
it wasn’t a kind of music they were necessarily used to. We had a team of
people linked to “The Doom Doc”
following us round and they’re working on a short film. I’ve seen clips and
it’s gonna be a nice piece exploring touring, as well as Japan’s metal scene
and cannabis culture there. It’ll be out later this year.
And
we’ve got a video diary we filmed ourselves in Iceland coming out very soon. We
were there for a 4/20 event with the Icelandic premiere of “The Doom Doc”. A lot happened that
weekend, including one of the members of Morpholith getting
arrested haha. So that video diary will be out at the start of June along with
the release of “The Doom Doc” on
DVD, finally.
Soon
we’re playing in an actual cinema down in Bristol soon for another screening of
“The Doom Doc”. That’s with 11paranoias, Under, A Horse Called War and Shrykull - five bands all featured in the film. That will
be sick, visuals and the lot
Then
we have our first release in over a year and a half coming out in August on Doom Stew Records. They’re based in San Francisco and run
by the drummer from Brume.
Does anything spring to mind when you
think about the completion of your upcoming record and how is the mood in the
camp at present?
Joe:
We’re enjoying everything that’s happening right now, soaking it all in. But
we’re very pleased to finally have some new music to put out, and on vinyl this
time. Feels like a very long time since “Advorsus”
came out and we don’t really play those songs much anymore. We’ve gone to town
with this new release - it’s a concept EP and it’s pretty special. I mean,
check the artwork for a start.
It’s
all based on the Dope Rider strip from High Times in the 70s. We got in touch
with Paul Kirchner - the creator and artist - and he was very into the idea so
he let us use any of the art. The lyrics in one of the tracks are from one
specific Dope Rider story, and that whole story is printed in full on the lyric
sheet insert. It’s gonna be a very nice thing to hold in your hands, especially
for fans of beautiful and surreal art.
What stands out as your overarching
memory from the recording sessions?
Joe:
We recorded it with Sam from Slabdragger down at “The Cro’s Nest” in Croydon. It was a
funny few days for a few different reasons which I won’t go into, but looking
back on the positives Sam has a really nice place where we stayed and the
weather was hot so it was a good, sweaty time.
One
thing that sticks out was having to dash to see this guitar tech guy after Sam
was hearing some weird notes on George’s bass during recording. This guy has a
little shop and has worked with bands like Judas Priest. After
getting it reset the bass was sounding perfect. We did a couple of experiments
with South American instrumentation as well, some of which made it onto the
final mix.
We
ended up taking the tracks to Chris from “Skyhammer
Studio” and he did a mix that left the two tracks sounding nice and big.
It’s been a very long process up until the release but that’s what can happen,
ya know.
With you new record in the bag, how is
your schedule shaping up over the next 12 months?
Joe:
This August we hit up Eastern Europe on tour, including Rockstadt in Romania
and Brutal Assault in Czech Republic. We’re playing with Converge
twice so I’m gonna ask Kurt Ballou if he wants to record our next release. Also
gonna get a photo with Danzig.
We
have a split EP planned with some friends of ours on a notorious Sheffield
label. We’re recording a cover we’ve been working on and some deep, dubby cuts.
Then
we do a UK tour with a dope powerviolence band from Japan, announcing that
officially soon. Then a handful of dates with Boss Keloid.
We’re on about going back to Japan, maybe Ireland again. We might be just about
ready to record an album at some point next year...
We
also have one more track left over from that last studio session so we’ll be
putting it out on a split with a certain Mexican band - you can probably guess
who if you think hard enough.
Finally, do you have any last words?
Joe:
Big up THE SLUDGELORD and the Sheffield sludge
crew.
Six tracks, all uniformly of a high standard and
with a production that suits the record perfectly. This is a fine modern
American doom album and will feature on many year end lists. This is doom for
the doomed!
“Desolation” CD//DD//LP
1). Bloodletting
2). Isolation
3). Flesh to Nothing
4). The Seer
5). Maw of Time
6). From Ruin
The Review
Colorado's
Khemmis
return with this, their third full length and follow up to the very well
received “Hunted” from 2016. This is
doom metal, for sure- proper doom; with real singing, melodies, dark sounds and
tempo changes in the vein of Sabbath.
It
is not a million miles away from Sabbath or Dawn of Winter but perhaps
closer to Apostle
of Solitudein that it is
modern in sound and scope but with a firm grip on the genre's past. It is also
distinctly American in approach- no way would you mistake this for Witchsorrow
or Serpent
Venom. With “Bloodletting”s
slow slog to open, the listener is in no doubt that this is traditional doom. “Isolation” may be a few steps quicker,
but these Denver cowboys know how to ride a groove: not too quick and they are
able to make these songs swing a little rather than just plod. There is dark
fare on offer here- “Flesh To Nothing”,
for instance is as black as the title suggests.
The
rumbling of “The Seer” is impressive
and the band plays wonderfully through the changes. My personal favourite, “Maw of Time” (for obvious reasons) is a
monolithic slab of sorrow and dark doom with death growls. The nine and a half
minute closer “From Ruin” finishes
the album off before it outstays its welcome. Six
tracks, all uniformly of a high standard and with a production that suits the
record perfectly. This is a fine modern American doom album and will feature on
many year end lists. This is doom for the doomed! “Desolation” is available here
With a sound that is as brutal and evocative as it is soothing and
chaotic, this is a perfect pairing of two songs by two different bands joined
together on one split.
“Split” CS//DD track listing:
1). Aseethe, “Wrong”
2).
Snow Burial, “Sever The Bloodline”
The Review:
Coming
soon on cassette tape and digital release by Hand Of Death
Records is this split recording by two of the most impressive metal
trios the midwestern United States has to offer; Iowa City’s Aseethe and Chicago’s Snow Burial. The
cassette will contain one song by each band on each side and is due to be
released on 6/29/2018.
Aseethe’s contribution is a song titled “Wrong.” Howling amplifier
feedback fades in and then breaks into a classic four chord death march
complete with guttural vocals right from the strum of the very first
chord. The primitive brutality is given a modern spin by the backbeat
shuffle of the drummer which takes an otherwise straightforward part into the
realm of something that feels slightly askew, as the band is known for
doing. The second riff builds chaos and suspense with a sinister blend of
chords, chugs, and noise. After a short rest, the backbeat death march
returns but this time it’s with a howling vocal style which is a bit higher in
pitch. This gives the part a more tortured and tormented feel than it had the
first time around. A pummeling third riff brings the track to another
rest before a snare roll chimes in to lead the charge into the ending movement
of the song; a frenzied mesh of growls, howls, noise, and thunder.
On the subject of the split, the band states on their Facebook page that their
song “is a bit different for us.” If this is a new direction the band is
currently experimenting with, I would highly encourage them to continue on this
path because this is the most crushing Aseethe I’ve ever heard.
Now
for Snow Burial’s contribution; a song they call
“Sever The Bloodline.” Huge
guitar chords introduce the track before the other instruments kick in with a
thunderous blast of brute force. Once the vocals join the attack, you
know instantly that this piece of music is seriously pissed off. The mood
teeters back and forth between sludge and post metal throughout the entire
track and the inclusion of a laser sharp prog inspired middle section adds yet
another precise dimension to the already devastating mixture. The
pristine subtlety of the drums makes the song shine brightly during this
portion and lets you know that Snow Burial is
purposefully on track to turn some heads in a big way. Once the
impressive middle movement morphs into the closing segment of the track,
brutality and complexity coalesce in perfect horrifying harmony for a grand
finale that assaults all the senses at once and without mercy. The
flawless interplay of the bass and drums combined with the guitar and vocals
floating over the top throughout the entire song can be called nothing less
than mastery of their craft as the differing levels of aggression build and
break like ocean waves crashing against jagged rocks.
Each
band here is extremely aggressive in their interpretation yet uniquely
different in their delivery. Both outfits offer something that is sonically
massive and each one produces an atmosphere that is recognizable to me as
originating from the broad shoulders and clenched fists of the Midwestern
United States. As a resident myself, I am proud to share a time zone with bands
of this caliber. With a sound that is as brutal and evocative as it is
soothing and chaotic, this is a perfect pairing of two songs by two different
bands joined together on one split.
Swedish rockersIron Lamb
are set to release their third album, “Blue Haze”, on October
26th, 2018 via The Sign Records. Marking
a new chapter for the band, where dire soundscapes meet a grim sense of humour
and raising the bar for production, this album shows off Iron Lamb's multilayered songwriting and craftsmanship. Today
Iron Lamb is excited to unleash “Into The Light” on
the world which you can check out below.
On “World’s Blood” Wayfarer
rises to be more transcendent than many of its contemporaries in the execution
of its new album and overall there is so much to appreciate on this Colorado act's return."World's Blood" is a dazzling listen
“World’s Blood” CD//DD//LP track listing:
1. Animal Crown
2. On Horseback They Carried Thunder
3. The Crows Ahead Cry War
4. The Dreaming Plain
5. A Nation Of Immigrants
The Review:
The beauty and bestial of black metal is that it is
today an expansive metal subgenre. At its best, there is something truly gauzy,
conceptually original and aurally memorable records. However, there is plenty
on the scene that is at times too derivative (first wave throwback movements,
anyone?), audacious and over-the-top in a way that can mask musical
deficiencies. Goat and pentagram iconography, and too much flourish – literal
and figurative – on song titles and imagery, can only carry any band so far. In
its most cringeworthy moments, there are more than a few unintentional parodies
of black metal.
Fortunately enough, Wayfarer rises to be more
transcendent than many of its contemporaries in the execution of its new album,
"World's Blood."
The Denver
band has been reliable thus far in its output, producing an LP every two years
or so. 2014's "Children of the Iron
Age" was well received by fans and critics. There might have been a
touch too much self-importance early on. Folk and atmospheric metal together
can be a bit tiring at turns. And the overlong tracks and intricate
storytelling may have felt out of place at first. As you settle in with the
band, though, you get a strong sense that Wayfarer is devoted to creating an experience.
There are many bands that arguably try to do the same. Wayfarer's iconoclastic approach
deserves a deeper look, though.
On "World's
Blood," Wayfarer provides a sound informed by a mélange of styles.
Black metal, doom and hints of sludge are central to the album. What makes it
most fascinating, though, is identifying the disparate inspirations. "Animal Crown" begins the recording
with a flash of spaghetti Western romp. There's immediacy to the noisier
guitars and rhythm section as the first track builds, with a pained vocal
wafting just above it all. The liner notes remark of how the band sought to
represent aptly the Western frontier that is part of its experience.
Inescapable to that tale is a picture of loss. Rarely has it been so stunningly
felt.
The band excels when its orchestration reaches an
almost polyrhythmic instance on songs like "On Horseback They Carried Thunder." What feels at first like
chaos rewards you as the song crests into a beautiful hybrid of black metal, where
pensive pacing strains just below the surface. Where it once drew out tracks
possibly a bit too much, Wayfarer's selection and overall production
this time offer a new focus. This attention to little things as well as major
arcs makes for a more sophisticated album than ever before. With "The Crows Ahead Cry War,"
thundering drums threaten from a distance. The balance between measured and
frenzied is a gorgeous tension you feel again and again on "World's Blood."
That flume of shot-a-man-in-Reno dirty Americana vibe peeks its
head out at the start of "The
Dreaming Plain," before laying waste into a mad sound space. "A Nation of Immigrants" flits past
this inspiration too, in a divergent manner. In all, "World's Blood" is a dazzling listen. One of their best? That's
up to longtime fans to judge, but undoubtedly there is so much to appreciate in
the Colorado
act's return.
Welcome to the inaugural edition of THE SLUDGELORD’s“Sludgecamp”.
I’ve
been doing my own weekly deep dives into the newest black and death metal
releases on bandcamp for some time through the joy of the site’s “Discover”
feature, so I thought “why not share what I’ve found with the rest of you”?
I’ll be covering new releases first,
followed by classic albums that have been recently added to the site, and
finally some notable pre-orders for albums coming out down the road. I hope you
find something to enjoy!
Released
the week of 15/6/2018:
Dryad,
“The Silurian Age”
My favorite discovery of the week
goes to Iowa’s Dryad. The band have crafted an absolutely
brilliant style for themselves with a combination of raw, primitive black
metal, hardcore punk, and moody keyboards. As of right now, it’s my favorite
release of the year, with the only negative being that I’m selfishly
disappointed that it isn’t a full length’s worth of material.
Forlorn Citadel,“Songs of Mourning”
The bandcamp page for this release
indicates that this is a remastered demo release from May, but is seeing a new
official release through Dark East Productions.
With that out of the way, this is absolutely essential if you’re a fan of Summoning. People have understandably heaped praise upon Caladan Brood’s‘Echoes
Of Battle’ from 2013 for its brilliant recreation of that classic Summoning sound, but Forlorn Citadel is
every bit as good at Caladan Brood, and
maybe even a tad better. They absolutely NAIL that buzzing, reverb-drenched
guitar tone, and the vocals are excellent as well.
Tired Lord, “Demo”
Tired Lord
is apparently a one-and-done project out of San Francisco, and it’s a shame
they’re only ever putting out this one demo. This is black metal with a strong
emphasis on groove, which is all the more impressive when you consider that the
drums here are programmed. If you’re a fan of Cobalt or
Black Anvil, to cite a couple of loose comparisons, you’d
do well to give this a shot. Tired Lord, for their
ultra brief existence, were undoubtedly a riff factory. (Note: I’m cheating a
little bit here as this was actually released June 8th, but From Corners Unknown Records uploaded it during the week of
the 15th.)
Ashen Chalice,
“Kroz život sa razbijenim očima”
Croatia’s Ashen Chalice
are a bit of a mystery. No social media presence to speak of and the band seem
intent on drowning their music in reverb and fuzzy distortion. The focus here
is all on mood and atmosphere, as opposed to traditional songwriting and
memorability. Typically that wouldn’t be my thing here, but the ambient world
this album creates is so engrossing that I can’t help but recommend it. This is
the sort of musical alchemy that gets me to throw my standard tastes out the
window for the sake of getting lost in new sonic worlds.
Sanguinary Trance,
“Wine, Song and Sacrifice”
I had a hard time finding much info
on Austria’s Sanguinary Trance. The band seem to have a
thing for Dionysian mysteries, as it relates to wine and ritual. This is a case
where the aesthetic elements in the album cover and in the song titles set the
table nicely for the music, which could be called black metal with a sense of
drama, without crossing over into Cradle of Filth style
shlock.
Newly
available through Bandcamp:
Imperial Crystalline Entombment, “Apocalyptic
End in White”
A nostalgic pick here, as Imperial Crystalline Entombment originally released this
album back in 2004. The album’s a total blastfest, and acts as something of an
American counterpart to Cadaver Inc’s black
metal and grindcore hybrid from the prior year. For their part, the music mixes
in some Immortal (naturally) and a bit of death metal into the mix as well,
which makes sense for a project brought to us by members of Aurora Borealis.
Pre-orders:
Kosmogyr, “Eviternally: The
Remixes”(Out 13/7/2018)
A unique idea here, as Kosmogyr have commissioned various artists to remix their
excellent debut EP. The idea of a remix album isn’t unique on its own, but when
the original album is this kind of muscular melodic black metal, that can
change things quite a bit. I’m woefully underqualified to evaluate this sort of
project, but the idea warrants attention and investigation.
Hellish,
“The
Spectre Of Lonely Souls” (Out 31/8/2018)
Unspeakable Axe
is always coming up with the goods, counting Scorched,
Voidspawn, Act of Impalement and
more as some of the great previous and upcoming releases through their label.
Add Hellish to that list too, as their
particular brand of blackened thrash features riffs that are smarter and
catchier than you’re likely to find from your average 1st wave diehards, as
evidenced by the album’s advance track “The
Walker of Shadows”.
Gravecoven, “Coughing
Blood” (Out 11/7/2018)
Some strong sounding black metal
infused doom coming to us care of Transylvanian Tapes in
just a few weeks. This has the downtuned filth you love in your doom, coupled
with the chilling atmosphere you want in your black metal and Gravecoven pull the combo off nicely.
It’s
the June edition of THE SLUDGELORD’s666 Pack Review!
This month some of you might be going on
vacation or getting sloshed while watching the World Cup but the smart ones are
digging in deep at the jam pad/rehearsal studio/garage honing your chops. We can tell because THE SLUDGELORD’s
review submission inbox is constantly full and believe it or not, we really appreciate
it. If you’re new to this, each and
every month we handpick 6 review submissions and critique them by only
using 6 words, then we rate them on a scale from
1 to 666! Check out
our summer slacker themed rating scale below:
1
– You’re just like Panama in The World Cup.
You’re inexperienced and just happy to be here.
2
– Maybe the band should take a collective vacation to figure things out?
3
– You guys are average, kind of like Russia in The World Cup. You have potential to be great, but you’re
not quite there yet...
4 – I’d kick back on a beach
with an adult beverage in hand and listen to this.
5
– You’re the musical equivalent of team Brazil.
A perennial beast.
Goooooooooooooooaaaaaaallll!!!
666
– THE SLUDGELORD
awards you The World Cup Trophy for the month of June. Now go do something vile with it.
Caveat: Even though the 666 Pack Review is meant to offer
humorous critique, there are no safe spaces here and your gripes will only make
you sound like a bellyacher. THE SLUDGELORD is a picky listener…and doesn’t care what
you think of his opinions….
1).
Empty Friend,“Saltwater”
(London, United Kingdom) Rating: 2
