SATAN'S DOZEN: The Best Unearthly Hymns Unearthed 2017

Compiled by: Andrei Moose

Artwork by: Josh Mashesh

When we started the SATAN’S DOZEN back in July of this year, for those folks new to the blog or this feature, the idea was to present the very best music the underground scene has to offer to you the reader/listener.  Whilst we make every effort to review every album we can, we also receive band submissions, not to mention the countless recommendations you send our way, so in practical terms it is just not possible to review everything.  

Therefore because we don’t want killer music to pass you by, each and every month Andrei Moose  painstakingly sifts through the music labelled “all killer  riffs” and chooses 13 of the best new albums released via bandcamp and bundles them together into the mightiest riff sandwich.

Whilst all the albums we included are top tier stuff, we have compiled the albums into a chart on a sliding scale of 13 - 1. So with the year coming to end, we thought it was appropriate to choose  our favourites of the year, in what we like to call THE BEST OF SATAN’S DOZEN 2017,  so we hope you dig our selections and enjoy The Best Unearthly Hymns Unearthed 2017.  

These bands need more exposure, so go “like” “share” and “follow” their pages, but most of all enjoy some of the best music the underground has to offer.  THE SLUDGELORD most sincerely approves.   Now, go heavy or go home.

13) Idlegod – “Idlegod” (Tuscany, Italy)

Stoner / doom / Sludge

12) Lord Crow – “Gods Among Man” EP (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Sludge / Stoner

11) Shadowmaster – “Shadowmaster” (Sundsvall, Sweden)

Stoner / doom / Sludge

10) AIAUASCA – “Rise of the Molecule” (Montreal, Québec)

Stoner / doom / Sludge

9) Have Blue – “Melted Mind” (Berlin, Germany)

Garage / psychedelic / blues / rock 

8) Presumption – “Presumption” (Le Mans, France)

Stoner / Doom / Metal

7) Masterhand – “Mind Drifter” (Oklahoma)

Garage / psychedelic / stoner / rock

6) Void Commander – “Shrooming Widow” (Karlskrona, Sweden)

Stoner-rock / hard-rock / doom

5) Coughdust - “Worldwrench” (Finland)

Stoner-doom / Sludge / death doom

4) DROID – “Province” (Melbourne, Australia)

Sludge / Stoner / Doom / Metal

3) Blame God – “Strategically Confined” (Oneonta, New York)

Noise / Grindcore / Powerviolence

2) Bone Church – “Bone Church” (Connecticut)

Psychedelic / stoner / doom / metal

1) Monte Luna – “Monte Luna”

Stoner / Doom / Sludge

Band info: Idle God || Lord Crow || Shadowmaster || Aiauasca || Have Blue || Presumption || Masterhand || Void Commander || Coughdust || Droid || Blame God || Bone Church || Monte Luna

ALBUM REVIEW: Coughdust - "Worldwrench"

By: Ernesto Aguilar

Album Type: Full length

Date Released: 01/09/2017

Label: Suicide Records

Coughdust stirs up a blend of doom and stoner riffs that may intrigue your musical sensibilities for their sharp contrasts – the doom stylings are most assuredly doom, while the stoner orientation very clearly recalls the psychedelic, even classic, chords associated with this subgenre. Coughdust's sounds can be truly refreshing and with an added death metal influence, you'll find some spellbinding music within.

“Worldwrench” CD//DD//LP track listing

1. Serpents of the Earth

2. The Second Principle  

3. Gripless

4. Worldwrench

5. Dead Calm

6. Blind

The Review:

Composed of players who have performed with death metal staple Deathbound, progressive/heavy band Lowmen and death metal group Corpset, Coughdust stirs up a blend of doom and stoner riffs that may intrigue your musical sensibilities for their sharp contrasts – the doom stylings are most assuredly doom, while the stoner orientation very clearly recalls the psychedelic, even classic, chords associated with this subgenre. Considering how often stoner can end up in form and function sludge in so many words, Coughdust's sounds can be truly refreshing. Add to this death metal influences and you'll find some spellbinding music.

The road for the four-piece has included a 2012 debut EP, a 2014 full-length and a 2015 split with fellow Finnish stoner/doom group Demonic Death Judge. With "Worldwrench," Coughdust follows up those outings with new evolutions of its brand of doom.

As in its previous releases, Coughdust excels through the powerful and original vocals of Antti Murtonen, who has fronted bands like Ward and Conform. His particular microphone approach is faithful to how contemporary extreme music is visioned today, while remaining distinct in its timbre and intensity. "Serpents of the Earth," which kicks off the new album, helps the uninitiated get a handle on this cutting vocal, where agonized howls alternate with bitter lyricism. The listener also is drawn in by the violent drum work of Petri Hartikainen, who you may have heard as part of the Finnish death metal band Worthless. Hartikainen offers a death metal consignment to "Worldwrench," amping up the speed and pacing to match what becomes harder playing than standard doom.

Coughdust tends to be most unique in its atypical tracks. "The Second Principle" is a departure from the open and plants the stoner flag, much like "Dead Calm" later on the album. Both give a grinding, corrosive accounting for the group until settling in with a hallucinatory slog of guitars, noise and distortion. These avenues are quite unexpected, given the way the tracks begin, but are nevertheless impressive.

Considering the intersection of death metal with this group, you probably won't be shocked to hear these elements in tracks like "Blind." How they're composed is quite inventive. Heavy, asymmetrical chord progressions, fierce bass and the previously mentioned drum patterns are standout. The overall organization of songs and rhythms are paired well throughout, and will undoubtedly thrash you.

One of the only complaints about "Worldwrench" is its length. At just around half an hour, the album feels like it ends far too early, and you do not get more out of Coughdust as you might otherwise want. Nevertheless the group makes an audacious return, one that will please its base and lure in those curious about its emerging reputation for archetypal sound.

"Worldwrench" is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

SATAN'S DOZEN: 13 Unearthly Hymns Unearthed (October 2017)

By: Andrei Moose

SATAN’S DOZEN is our attempt to present the very best music the underground scene has to offer and whilst we’d love to review every band submission we receive, not to mention the countless  recommendations you send our way, so in practical terms that is just not possible.  Therefore because we don’t want killer music to pass you by, each and every month Andrei Moose will painstakingly sift through the music labelled “all killer  riffs” and choose 13 of the best new albums released via bandcamp and bundle them together into the mightiest riff sandwich.

Whilst all the albums we have included below are top tier stuff, we have compiled them into a chart on a sliding scale of 1-13. So we hope you dig our selections for October and enjoy 13 Unearthly Hymns Unearthed.  

These bands need more exposure, so go “like” “share” and “follow” their pages, but most of all enjoy some of the best music the underground has to offer.  THE SLUDGELORD most sincerely approves.   Now, go heavy or go home.

1) Monte Luna – “Monte Luna” (Austin, Texas) Released September 2, 2017

Stoner-Doom / Sludge

2) Coughdust  - “Worldwrench” (Finland) released September 1, 2017

Stoner-doom / Sludge



3) Shadowmaster – “Shadowmaster” (Sundsvall, Sweden) Released August 17, 2017

Stoner-doom / Sludge

4) AIAUASCA – “Rise of the Molecule” (Montreal, Quebec) Released August 18, 2017

Stoner-doom / Sludge

5) Swamp Ritual – “Sunchaser” (Missoula, Montana)Released September 15, 2017

Stoner-Doom/Stoner-Metal

6) Idlegod – “Idlegod” (Tuscany, Italy) Released September 3, 2017

Stoner-doom / Sludge

7) Mountainwolf – “Absinthe Moon” (Mayland) Released September 20, 2017

Psychedelic / Stoner-rock

8) Bonepipe – “Bonepipe” (Brussels, Belgium) Released June 6, 2017

Psychedelic / Stoner-doom

9)  Process of Guilt – “Black Earth” (Portugal) Released September 22, 2017

Doom / Sludge

10) The Witches Drum – “Adjust Your Receiver” (Cardiff, UK) released May 12, 2017 

Psychedelic / Stoner-Rock

11) Moral Void – “Deprive” (Chicago, Illinois) Released August 11, 2017

Crust/Hardcore/Grind/Sludge

12) Anvil Crawler – “Late Warning” (Lansing, Michigan) Released September 11, 2017

Instrumental/Progressive/Stoner/Metal

13) Taiga Woods – “Taiga Woods” (Oslo, Norway) Released September 15, 2017 

Stoner-Rock / Heavypsych

Band info: MonteLuna || Coughdust || Shadowmaster || Aiauasca || Swampritual || Idlegod || Mountainwolf || Bonepipe || Processofguilt || TheWitchesDrum || Moralvoid || Anvilcrawler

Taigawoods