REVIEW: Cult of Luna, "The Raging River" [EP]

By: Josh McIntyre

 

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 05/02/2021

Label: Red Crk Recordings

 

“The Raging River” CD//DD//LP track listing:

 

1). Three Bridges

2). What I Leave Behind

3). Inside of a Dream (feat. Mark Lanegan)

4). I Remember

5). Wave After Wave

 

The Review:

 

While listening to Cult of Luna’s “Salvation”, one of my favorite albums of all time, I had the sudden realization that the classic post-metal gem is nearly 17 years old now. I’ve closely followed this band evolve throughout the years into true veterans and masters at creating emotionally invigorating heavy metal. Sure my all time favorite LP might be old now but these Swedes are still quite active and continuously release critically acclaimed material. I feel that “The Raging River”, released more than two decades since the unit’s founding, is the apex of this feat.

 

I have to poke a bit of fun at calling “The Raging River” an EP even though it is 38 minutes in length but I suppose when you’re used to making 70+ minute monsters anything that can fit on a single 12” record would feel short. Each Cult of Luna release is truly its own journey; “The Raging River” is no exception. Songs tend to dirge and sway as they build up (or down), hypnotizing the listener in a way that feels like drifting on a river. While the current can shift between calming and tense it still flows nonetheless. It all feels connected.

               

There is nothing really ‘surprising’ here but that is far from a fault. We’ve come to expect Cult of Luna’s usage of ambience shifting into chunky guitars, the occasional and rather beautiful melody lines coming from either a guitar or keys, and the throaty growls that further remind us of the humanity behind the art. CoL has a method and they use it to near perfection. This is especially aided by what is some of the best production of any release of theirs. Purely from a sound quality perspective this EP sounds like an engineer’s dream. Every instrument, every piece of the music is crystal clear even when the band is at its most explosive. It is so much more invoking when the placement and purpose of every layer is apparent. It makes it so much more comforting to sit in the mist and explore its components, whether it’s the catchy groove of “Wave After Wave” that feels quite Can-ish or the uplifting soundscapes that come at the last section of “Three Bridges”. My one complaint is the middle track, “Inside of a Dream”, which features Mark Lanegan (of Screaming Trees fame). I can’t help but feel like a song that doesn’t evolve much musically, remaining a soft meander throughout, misses a chance to create a fully fleshed out post-metal piece with his distinctive baritone. In full honesty I was hoping for something more akin to his features on Earth’s “Primitive and Deadly” album with Mark’s full voice over roaring guitars. Instead it feels more like he was stuck on a functional interlude. However, one must not let that small loss distract from the other four brilliant tracks that absolutely stand up to the rest of the band’s discography.

 

“The Raging River” is the latest testament to the greatness of Cult of Luna. We’re over two decades into their career but whatever fire they have that is inspiring them is far from burning out. If anything we are lucky to be here to take part.

 

“The Raging River” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Cult of Luna, "A Dawn to Fear"

By Eeli Helin

Album Type: Full-length

Date Released: 20/09/19

Label: Metal Blade Records

”A Dawn to Fear” CD//DD//2LP track listing:

1. The Silent Man

2. Lay Your Head to Rest

3. A Dawn to Fear

4. Nightwalker

5. Lights on the Hill

6. We Feel the End

7. Inland Rain

8. The Fall

The Review:

Cult of Luna are a band that has always existed in this sort of a limbo state, at least from my view. Being honest to themselves and their fans about the realities of making music, impossibilities of traveling abroad and doing long tours because of their families and so on, the band has reached a state where they dictate their doings and schedules, and the fans accept that. However, the wait is always agony, and that feeling is greatly fueled by the presence of unpredictability. You never know of or when something happens, you also never know what to expect. As a band whose output has changed throughout the years, each of their albums have their own signature sound. I've repeatedly wondered how deep is the well from where they draw influence and material, and as it turns out, that well is a damn deep and wide one.

”A Dawn to Fear” is Cult of Luna's 8th album (when including their collaboration album with Julie Christmas and excluding the audiobook ”Eviga Riket”) and their first on Metal Blade Records, being released on September 9th. Prior to the announcement, they released the album's first track "The Silent Man" in early May, thrusting forth humongous waves of anticipation and expectations for the release. As the album consists of eight immense tracks adding up to 80 minutes of material, there's a lot to cover so I'll keep this introduction short. You all have heard about the band and should know their material in and out by now.

Starting the album up with a bang, after a feedbacky intro "The Silent Man" proceeds in a surprisingly vivid pace. The driving drum beat picks up the other instruments, and it is instantly clear you're listening to Cult of Luna. Reaching its culmination points in the three minute mark and toning down for a moment just to explode to your face again, the track induces feelings of melancholy not many can pull off. Adding a new level to that, the song falls into a quieter, more ambient washed passage before the shiver inflicting crescendo. "The Silent Man" is already a very familiar track to each of their fans, but that doesn't lessen the impact those final moments have every time you listen to the song. Even if the track has those guaranteed, distinctive characteristics of a Cult of Luna song, when viewed in the full album context, it's the most basic and regular one. When listening through it and getting back to the beginning, it feels weird that this one was picked to open the album, let alone be the first single released from it.

"Lay Your Head to Rest" opens with a few metallic drone swells before heading to a floaty passage led by octave chords. Despite the proggy approach and keeping the tension, the track is very structured. Being of the shorter length, the track feels atypical for the band which proves to be refreshing. At this point the listener also starts to notice the prevalent atmosphere and the production direction. I can't think of any bands uniting organic instrumentation with metallic (read: actually metallic, almost industrial-like) synths, ambients and drones in such an eloquent manner. Picking some reference points from their past, ”A Dawn to Fear” sounds like a mix between ”Somewhere Along the Highway” and ”Vertikal”. By that I don't mean it'd be a repetition of either, but the aesthetic aches to those directions. "Lay Your Head to Rest" is also simplistic in a similar sense as the first track, but is contagious, as you notice the main riff will get stuck in your head for quite a long while afterwards.

The sheer brilliance of this album however, lies ahead. The titular track opens a new chapter in the bands books, unleashing something the first two tracks held back. The titular track starts with a soft, almost jazzy southern rock part that goes on for a good while before introducing layered clean vocals. That moment is beautiful, and the most intimate one on the album. Progressing to a passage with only an organ and deep vocals with some passing high swells, it is with this song that the band touches a ground they haven't before. Getting back to its feet for a controlled refrain before exploding into a sludgy, doomy verse that unites the said southern feels with distorted guitars, that carries the listener to one of the greatest moments in Cult of Luna's history, the multi-layered outro that compresses all these different aspects into one. It takes a while to digest everything that's happening, but it doesn't matter.

Clearly picking up the pace, "Nightwalker" creates a haunting and eerie mood straight from the beginning, a mood that goes on through the few following tracks as well. Constantly getting flesh around its bones, the track explodes to a powerful passage topped with Johannes' vocals, who by the way sounds angrier and more pissed off than ever before. Staying true to their own sound, it's brilliant how they manage to introduce new and fresh facets yet sound exactly like themselves at all times. Even though sticking to the same pattern for a long, long while, it doesn't get numbing or dull at any point. It's that one particular second where everything capsizes  onto its head. You never realize it's coming nor can you expect it, but when the change arrives, it'll result in some chills and patent satisfaction. Going into a shuffle beat and synth lead, "Nightwalker" takes steps towards actual prog, which is definitely not unprecedented, but it's invigorating. You'll nod and sway along until the track returns to the main riff, wielding steadily to a slowly evaporating guitar outro.

Before you even grasp what just happened, "Lights on the Hill" seeps in daunting and frightening way, that makes you surveil and watch your surroundings, as if someone, or rather something, would be on your heels. The song evolves into a sad-toned passage, laying pressure on top of the listener until a tom beat carried crescendo, which turns out to be the single heaviest part on the album as a whole. Quicker rhythms burst out in a blink, leading to a funeral aesthetic outro as if it would prepare you for what's coming next. "We Feel the End" is a ballad like middle piece, calling in mind "Approaching Transition" from their previous album, minus the heavy as balls doom beating. This track relies entirely on emotion, throws in what sounds like a child choir and a vibraphone part. Someone could describe the clean vocals as frail or even weak if put harshly, but the fragile tone simply works time and time again, and there's zero need for anything polished or technically mind blowing in that sense.

"Inland Rain" opens the last twenty minutes of the album with a feeling of cold grief, and a more striding flow, tambourines and all. In this track, one of Cult of Luna's greatest strong suits take the spotlight and continuously catch your attention, and that's the drum work. Having always been extremely strong on that department, the drums shine the brightest instead of being "just" the spine of everything. You'll pick up a ton of nuances and details along the way, and it takes few listens to even be able to focus on anything else. The track overall is a shapeless mass with a weight comparable to a neutron star. The grand piece of the album is the final track "The Fall". It's easiest to describe it as the perfect blend of everything the band has ever done, their whole career compressed to one track. You'll hear nuances from each of their earlier releases, and can draw straight lines to each in the right time. That is pretty much all I can say at this point, you simply have to hear it to believe it and to know what I'm talking about. After this track when the silence hits, after possibly the best individual song they've ever composed, I feel really empty. And you will too.

”A Dawn to Fear” is a humongous oeuvre that takes time to fully digest and to comprehend. It will match and probably surpass any and all expectations you might have for it. Despite the momentarily sluggish start, the first two tracks also blend better into the big picture when you replay the album. It's a lot to take in, but if you survived my ramblings this far, you will survive it too. After all, the flow is impeccable throughout. It doesn't matter if you're familiar with the band or not, it'll snatch your attention before you even know it, and keep you entertained through the entire eighty minutes. Not to prolong this any further, I'm confident to say that ”A Dawn to Fear” is Cult of Luna's best album so far, over twenty years into their career. And that is, pardon my French, a fucking beautiful thing.

”A Dawn to Fear” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

TRACK PREMIERE: The Road deliver apocalyptic post doom on “Gyro Electro Destroyer”

When you google search  today’s SLUDGELORD debutants, The Road, Cormac McCarthy’s novel of the same name is the top result.  A post-apocalyptic novel detailing the journey of a father and his young son, across a landscape blasted by an unspecified cataclysm, the duos (consisting of Rob Duncan (Guitar & Vox) and Steve Roberts) blend of crushing post doom could be the perfect soundtrack for that apocalypse.

Having witnessed The Road recently in the live arena, I was reminded of the short lived duo Adai and fans of the band have also rightly compared their sound to Sumac, Bongripper, and Cult of Luna.  I can testify to the fact that the sheer power of their music live has been transferred superbly to tape as they're primed to unleash their debut record “Reverence Redacted” on 23^rd August 2019

With a sound that is seemingly impossible for 2 people to make, The Road aim to bring their mix of doom, post-metal and raw emotion to all who seek truth in their music.  “Reverence Redacted” is available on LP can be preordered HERE.  With the album set to drop this Friday, we’re excited to debut a track from the album below.  Dial the volume up to 11 and check out “Gyro Electro Destroyer” which is streaming below

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

TRACK PREMIERE: Ølten deliver a titan of sonic manipulations on "Raus"

Formed in 2012, Ølten are a three piece armed with one guitar, one bass, and a drum kit, taking these individual elements they have coalesced into a titan of sonic manipulations, a trio that doesn’t always need to flex its muscles to display raw power. Their new record “Ambiance” is set for release via Hummus Records on November 2^nd,  and you can check out a brand new track entitled “Raus” below.  Preorders for “Ambiance” are being taken (HERE) and band offer some insight to the structure and sound of the track below

The intro riff shares similar sounds with our friends from Unfold, a Swiss band we've all admired for years. This track then continues with a long central part a bit "prog": two guitar notes, four moog notes. And finally, a trax whose brakes give out on the way down.

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

TRACK PREMIERE: YLVA debut crushing sonic leviathan with "Metadata"

What is it about the might of the riff, the fuzz of a distortion pedal and overwhelming volume that continues to move us?  Often simple, sometimes complex but for those that love heavy music particularly, we are unequivocally passionate and devoted it. To the wider populous heavy music is  only perhaps interpreted as noise, and angry noise at best, but like any great art, it is really only appreciated by those who understand it and that leads us nicely onto today’s SLUDGELORD debutants, Melborne, Australia’s YLVA. Drawing influences from a deep well, YLVA have created a fantastically challenging, deeply moving and overwhelmingly crushing sonic leviathan of an album, and further proof that as an art form heavy music continues to be at the forefront of the most innovative and challenging music on the planet.

With riffs driven by sonic slabs of sludge and the back beat of metronomic drums, YLVA have manufactured one of the stand out albums of the year, if you’re a fan of Neurosis, Cult Of Luna, Old Man Gloom and Pelican, get ready to meet the new masters of progressive forward thinking metal, YLVA have arrived and today it give us great pleasure to deliver your first taste, as we premiere “Metadata” lifted from their forthcoming debut "Meta” which is set for release via Pelagic Records on November 17^th (preorder here).  Check out this awesome band, like there page and buy there merch.  Bask in the riffs and but prepare to be crushed.  

Band info: facebook || bandcamp

ALBUM REVIEW: Allochiria - "Throes"

By: Andre Almaraz

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 17/03/2017

Label: Art of Propaganda

“Showcasing a consistent ebb and flow of heavy riffs mixed with spacey passages, harsh to vicious vocals throughout, and a rhythm section who can stand up to just about any I’ve heard, “Throes” is a rock solid album and Allochiria are set to make a name for themselves in the international post metal scene.”

“Throes” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Thrust

2). Little Defeats, Tiny Victories

3). Cracking Fractals

4). Lifespotting

5). Counting Fives

6). Denouement

The Review:

Allochiria is a post sludge metal band from Athens, Greece. Their new album is called “Throes” and it is set to be released on March 17th, 2017. Fans of Isis, Rosetta, Cult of Luna, and Red Sparowes should definitely grab a copy of this recording. The opening track almost immediately ‘thrusts’ you into a mesmerizing groove that doesn’t let up for over seven minutes. Some clever playfulness between the bassist and drummer are prominent as they join forces to make this one stand out right away and serve as a perfect opener. The song swells and fades continuously, never staying with one dynamic for very long which works well to keep the listener interested.

 Second track, “Little Defeats, Tiny Victories,” starts off with an ominous yet groovy bass line that eventually brings us to a point where the whole band joins in and takes us to a much darker place which the first track had only touched on previously. The middle section of the song also has a nice passage where the bassist is given the lead spot and he rightfully owns it. The heavy stomp part at the end of the song leads into some pummeling double kick and then takes the listener into some soaring, celestial guitar work. With the third track, “Cracking Fractals,” we continue down the dark path we entered in track two and also receive a slight twist of fate in which the drummer takes center stage for the first time since the album’s beginning, and he nails it to the floor like a boss. His fluttering hi-hat work is impressive and a perfect accent to the dark jazz flavor of the song. After a couple minutes of spacey groove, everything kicks in and rocks the listener to his knees in a stunning disarray. The ending riff of this song is as heavy as anything you’ll ever hear. The vocalist, who up until now has remained rock solid and ever steady, rightfully answered the unrelenting call to change her tones in accommodation of this heightened viciousness.

 On track four, “Lifespotting,” we begin with a smooth groove which makes good use of some impressive ghost notes on the snare drum before the guitars begin to weep and mourn as they draw us in to becoming a part of this congregation. A mid-song break in the action gives way to more depressing guitars which sound like tortured spirits of regret, yearning for their story to be told. Track five, “Counting Fives,” begins with some swelling Moog like sounds which act as the harbingers of something monolithic that is about to unfold, as it undeniably does within the first minute of the song. More ghost notes and tasteful hi-hat eventually bring the slow boil to a violent head. The bassist is ever plodding along as the guitars soar and fade into oblivion. The mid-song break in this one gives way to some soul searching guitar chords before the heft returns to hit you in the face like a brick and slam you back into a full on attack of the senses.

 The sixth and final track is titled “Denouement” and starts off with a very rhythmic guitar passage as the drums join in shortly after. The drumming in this one is nothing short of brilliant and the melody is unshakable. The sheer grandeur of this song does not disappoint. The middle section has some very nice heavy chugging going on and sounds increasingly maniacal as if something is about to give way, but at over ten minutes in length, this levee does not break as easily as one might foolishly anticipate. Finally, the outro of the song strips away everything but the main driving force behind the entire album; the rhythm section, who have painstakingly proven to keep things punchy and interesting throughout the entire forty-six minutes of total running time. This staggering duet between bass and drums is a fitting and impressive way to end the album. Showcasing a consistent ebb and flow of heavy riffs mixed with spacey passages, harsh to vicious vocals throughout, and a rhythm section who can stand up to just about any I’ve heard, “Throes” is a rock solid album and Allochiria are set to make a name for themselves in the international post metal scene. 

“Throes” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Ortega - "Sacred States"

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 05/10/2016
Label: Consouling Sounds |
Tartarus Records |
Narshardaa Records

Ortega are not the first band to fuse post metal, doom and spaced-out sludge but they succeed by doing it bigger, better and heavier than most.  Sacred States” sees Ortega take their sound to the next level, delivering on the promise of previous releases and stretching out towards bold new horizons.

“Sacred States” CD//CS//DD//LP track listing:

1. Strong Eye (11:25)
2. Maelstrom (09:31)
3. Descending Ladders (05:24)
4. Crows (18:48)
5. Void (11:18)

The Review:

Ortega’s new LP “Sacred States” has been a long time coming. Anticipation has been high for the Groningen post metal quartet’s first full-length since their excellent 2012 EPs “The Serpent Stirs” and “A Flame Never Rises On Its Own”. They are not the first band to fuse post metal, doom and spaced-out sludge but they succeed by doing it bigger, better and heavier than most.

Opener “Strong Eye” begins with some insistent chugging before launching into fearsome, lumbering riffage reminiscent of a more immediate Neurosis. “Maelstrom” continues in a similar vein with melodic guitar parts echoing “Panopticon”-era Isis, while “Void” sees the band add some of Yob’s psychedelic crunch to the mix.

“Descending Ladders” marks the mid-point of the record with a swirling cauldron of noise and gut-churning heaviness. In contrast to the other epic compositions here, the track focuses on hypnotic repetition and minimal riffs to create a dark cloud of menace. This sets the scene for the 19 minute behemoth “Crows”. The track is Ortega’s finest hour and showcases their considerable song writing skill.

Often bands stretch tracks into double figure duration by stringing together unconnected ideas and relying on predictable quiet/loud dynamics. “Crows” is a fine example of a monstrous track that justifies its length, a sprawling journey into the unknown where each section flows naturally into the next. In amongst the crushing riffs and ominous clean guitar lines, Ortega also expand their post-rock side with a captivating and atmospheric passage in the middle of the song.

“Sacred States” sees Ortega take their sound to the next level, delivering on the promise of previous releases and stretching out towards bold new horizons. Hopefully the wait for their next opus won’t be so long. 

“Sacred States” is available on CD here, vinyl here, cassette here and digitally here

Band info: facebook || bandcamp

FFO: Neurosis, Isis, Cult of Luna, Minsk

ALBUM REVIEW: Mouth of the Architect - "Path of Eight"

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 07/10/2016
Label: Translation Loss

“Path Of Eight” is a fine demonstration of a band evolving their sound without losing sight of what made them great in the first place. Mouth of the Architect have come into their own with this record and hopefully it will gain them some much deserved attention.

“Path of Eight” CD//DD//LP track listing:

01. Ritual Bell
02. Fever Dream
03. The Priestess
04. Sever the Soul
05. Drown the Old
06. Stretching Out
07. Fallen Star
08. Path of Eight

The Review:

It’s been a while since I checked in with Mouth of the Architect, my last contact being their 2008 grand opus “Quietly”. Their new LP “Path of Eight” demonstrates that the Ohio post-metallers have undergone quite a metamorphosis in the intervening years.

The shimmering haze of “Ritual Bell” opens the album in subtly hypnotic style. Faraway vocals draw you in, alternating with restrained bursts of distortion to provide a quietly ominous start to proceedings. From here, the album begins to slowly unfold with the heavy psychedelia of “Fever Dream” and “The Priestess”. The bands post-metal roots are still evident on these tracks but the prominence of keyboards and cleaner vocals bring a more distinct character to their sound.

Things take a heavier turn with “Sever The Soul”. An intense combination of intricate guitar lines and outbursts of gnarly riffage, it brings to mind “Red”-era Baroness and sees “Path of Eight” shift up a gear. The second half of the album sees Mouth of the Architect ramp up the distortion while maintaining their new exploratory tendencies to great effect. “Drown The Old” wrings maximum results from the classic quiet/loud dynamic, tender melodic verses giving way to skull-crushing choruses, culminating in a punishing riff onslaught. The double header of “Stretching Out” and “Fallen Star” sees them hone their cosmic post-metal attack to perfection before signing off with the glorious title track. A four-minute distillation of this awesome album, it sees the band really cut loose and unleash some unhinged fretboard mangling.

“Path Of Eight” is a fine demonstration of a band evolving their sound without losing sight of what made them great in the first place. Mouth of the Architect have come into their own with this record and hopefully it will gain them some much deserved attention. 

“Path of Eight” is available here

Band info: facebook || bandcamp

FFO: ISIS, Cult of Luna, Neurosis, Minsk

ALBUM REVIEW: Inter Arma - "Paradise Gallows"

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 08/07/2016
Label: Relapse Records

“Paradise Gallows” is a monstrous monument to Inter Arma’s colossal ambition that captivates for every second of its mammoth 70 minute duration. Few other bands blur the boundaries between genres as effortlessly while still delivering songs of this quality.

“Paradise Gallows” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Nomini
2). An Archer in the Emptiness
3). Transfiguration
4). Primordial Wound
5). The Summer Drones
6). Potomac
7). The Paradise Gallows
8). Violent Constellations
9). Where the Earth Meets the Sky

The Review:

There have been some epic records released so far in 2016 but nothing as mind-bogglingly huge as Inter Arma’s “Paradise Gallows”. The Virginia quintet’s new LP is a vast voyage on a galactic scale across the spectrum of heavy music.

 “Nomini” opens the record in subdued fashion. Soaring lead guitar lines ride above spacious acoustic guitar to create a haunting nocturnal atmosphere reminiscent of Pallbearer’s “Sorrow & Extinction”. The track fades out only to return later in “Potomac”, the album’s centrepiece. Organ and piano join the fray to elevate the song into a grandiose slab of raw classic rock.

Elsewhere on “Paradise Gallows”, Inter Arma take their music to entirely different places. There are abrupt shifts in sound and style from track to track that sometimes make you wonder if you are listening to an entirely different band. Sudden changes like this can be jarring and result in an uneven listening experience, but they only enhance “Paradise Gallows”. Every track on this record feels meticulously crafted and sequenced to be the logical next step in this bizarre journey into the unknown.

The relative calm of “Nomini” is destroyed by the onslaught of “An Archer in the Emptiness” and “Transfiguration”. Both tracks are epic fusions of lumbering sludge riffs, death metal intensity and insane drumming forged in a cauldron of cavernous reverb. Imagine listening to Mastodon’s “Remission” in an echo chamber with all elements apart from the drums slowed down to half-speed and you won’t be disappointed. The band hone this progressive approach to perfection for “Violent Constellations”, ramping up the complexity even higher with restless, spidery guitar work.

“Primordial Wound” and “The Summer Drones” see the band focus on relentless repetition of minimal one chord riffs. The hypnotic pull of these riffs increases with each iteration, weighty slabs of doom that draw the listener ever deeper into psychedelic oblivion.

Not content with having covered these bases, Inter Arma contribute a couple of contrasting ballads. The massive title track is a rumbling, Neurosis-style dirge split between passages of hushed, dustbowl soundscapes and explosions of crushing, spaced-out doom.  “Where the Earth Meets the Sky” is a different proposition, a sparse acoustic close to the record that provides a suitably powerful yet understated conclusion.

“Paradise Gallows” is a monstrous monument to Inter Arma’s colossal ambition that captivates for every second of its mammoth 70 minute duration. Few other bands blur the boundaries between genres as effortlessly while still delivering songs of this quality.

“Paradise Gallows” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

RIYL: Tombs, Cult of Luna, Neurosis, Rorcal

The Sludgelord EP Premiere: "Alteration" by Khaldera

 

Born from the embers of endless hours of improvisation; the music of Khaldera is the reflection of what is created on the spur of the moment. Something that is beyond the grasp of rational thought, Khaldera creates a distinct atmosphere with carefully designed guitar lines, visceral drumming and solid fretless bass playing. Mesmerizing and fateful drones with transcendental qualities swell into cathartic destruction just like a peaceful stream swells into a violent, cleansing river.

 

Situated seomwhere amidst the gentle hills of the Swiss Plateau, Khaldera self-released their debut EP “Relief” in 2013 (mixed and mastered by Aaron Harris and Chris Common respectively) before being signed to Czar Of Revelations and are due to releasetheir follow up EP “Alteration” on 26^th August 2016

 

With the release only a few short days away, today at the The Sludgelord, we are streaming “Alteration” in full and you can check it out below.  So if you’re a fan of instrumental pychedelic ambient rock and dig the sound of Russian Circles, Isis, Cult Of Luna, Ulver, Earth, Tool and Minsk, then this could be the EP for you. 

 

“Alteration” will be released via Czar of Revelations on 26^th August and is available here



 

“Alteration” CD//DD track listing:

 

1. Impending Tempest

2. The Inevitability Of Transition

3. Afterglow

 

Band info: bandcamp || facebook