FOR THOSE ABOOT TO ROCK: Riffs of Canada with Dopethrone (Montréal, Québec)

By: Mark Tremblay

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 25/05/2018

Label: Totem Cat Records

Dopethrone are the most consistent band in the genre, and this record further cements their legacy as one of the greats.

“Transcanadian Anger” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Planet Meth

2). Wrong Sabbath

3). Killdozer

4). Scuzzgasm

5). Tweakjabber

6). Snort Dagger

7). Killbilly Krush

8). Miserablist

The Review:

Dopethrone is a no frills stoner metal band that has nothing to hide.  “Transcanadian Anger” is everything you want to hear from the band, only further refined.  With each new release, Dopethrone further solidify themselves as the Mötorhead of their genre. “Transcanadian Anger” is all substance, and no bullshit.

Dopethrone slithers out of the gate with “Planet Meth” and “Wrong Sabbath”.  These bluesy riffs are the sonic equivalent of drowning in a vat of tar; a syrupy heavy tone only made possible by Dopethrone.   The miasma of thick sludge kicks into high gear with “Killdozer” and “Scuzzgasm”. These four tracks showcase Dopethrone’s ability to create such diverse music within their brand of stoner/sludge metal.

The overall production on this record exemplifies the band’s strengths; full of lush textures, and really pushing the low end tones to the forefront of the listening experience. Even though the vocals seem quite low in the mix, they have this ominous quality to them that work perfectly in creating the soundscape that Dopethrone aspires to.

“Transcanadian Anger” is must have stoner/sludge metal record, but the listeners already knew that. Dopethrone are the most consistent band in the genre, and this record further cements their legacy as one of the greats.

“Transcanadian Anger” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

INTERVIEW: Demonsmoke recreate the attitude of their surroudings on accomplished debut "Morphine Moonshine"

By: Stephen Murray

At a time when sludge fans are being sold their favourite tipple heavily cut and in short measure, Demonsmoke are the real deal and “Morphine Moonshine”, their first full-length, is an accomplished debut.

It draws directly and joyously from an esteemed musical heritage that takes in early Sourvein and the first two Eyehategod LPs, and draws alongside the sounds of Weedeater and Dopethrone. And like those heavyweights, Demonsmoke are steeped in hard living.

“We're from the slums of the [San Joaquin-Sacramento River] Delta,” explains drummer Mitch Groseclose, alluding to another Delta notorious for paradoxically serious partying and swollen grooves. “We just try to recreate the attitude of where we live.”

Demonsmoke grew up together in Antioch, California, mostly meeting in the local high school apart from bass player Boug Groseclose who is Mitch’s uncle. Eight years after high school, Mitch met guitarist Vinny Messina again at a party and soon after they began jamming together. Nothing was to come of that, but after the abrupt end of the band Mitch and vocalist Cam Salas were both part of, the way was paved for the three to come together, Mitch then bringing in Boug to complete the rhythm section.

“We love heavy shit and having a good time,” says Mitch. “We decided to start a band that sounds like the music we all love to listen to.”

Woozy, iron heavy guitarwork punching through feedback, lo-fi film samples lifted from Mitch's large VHS collection (notably Gummo, The Wild Angels, Apocalypse Now and GG Allin), and overlaid with reverb-sodden bong-gurgle vocals. There is no ambiguity as to the kinds of record collections that inspired the creation of “Morphine Moonshine”. The sound is unashamedly classic sludge, and the band are keen to point out the help they had in creating it from Greg Wilkinson at Earhammer Studios, Oakland.

“Recording the album was an amazing experience” says Mitch. “[He] really knows his shit!  We showed him the demo, recorded by Nick Masson at Blue Rock Studios two years earlier, and he was down to record the full length. We were super excited and all ears when we showed up in the studio. Greg made sure all of our gear sounded tits before we even put a microphone to them. Our vision of the album came out better than we could have hoped. Crispy, crunchy, fuzzy as hell, but you could still hear everything clearly. Greg is a super nice, down-to-earth guy and knows his shit about more than just recording. He dropped tons of wisdom on us and the whole experience was enjoyable as hell.”

Beyond the music, the record also adheres closely to sludge traditions thematically. The band name, album’s title and artwork, as well as individual song titles like 'Set in Stoned’ and album highlight 'Junkie’, signal the group's subcultural position unabashed.

“Wouldn't be stoner rock without some stoners in the group!” says Cam.

Now that Proposition 64 has passed making the sale of recreational marijuana legal in California, surely life has never been so good for stoners.

“We're not political in our music, but personally I think legalization is a double edged situation,” Cam muses. “On one hand I’m glad to see more acceptance of weed, but on the other hand big business is going to try and get involved and I don't want it to get all commercialized.”

Mitch is also unsure about what the new legislation means. “Weed has always been my drug of choice. I grew up with ADHD and all those fucking speed pills, so smoking pot seemed like the natural medicine to me. I've had my medical card for nine years now and really enjoy the system. Prop 64 wasn't necessary, I think, because things were already set up if you wanted them to be.

“I've tried almost all drugs,” Mitch continues. “I had a big psychedelic phase. Mushrooms, LSD, DMT, 2C-I. I loved opening up my mind. Now I mostly just stick to weed and hash. I'm a big-time dabber!” he laughs.

While not all the band indulges, Mitch isn't the only member to have broader tastes in this regard.

“Well I used to pretty much do whatever I could get my hands on,” Vinny admits. “Went from smoking weed, droppin’ acid and eating shrooms to doin’ coke and oxy. Got into a lot of trouble with crank there for a little while, but now all I really do is drink. Got me a class A and I'm drivin’ big rigs now so I can't fuck up and come up dirty, ya know?”

Listening to “Morphine Moonshine” it's hard to imagine any of the band not coming up dirty. This record would impart a hazy high to even the most hard-bitten prohibitionist who ventured to listen to it and is a tonic for any hangover. It's as if the thing was crafted with an alternative harm reduction motto in mind:  Crush. Dab. Weight.

“Morphine Moonshine” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Demonic Death Judge - "Seaweed"

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 13/01/2017

Label: Suicide Records

The Finnish quartet deal in a potent blend of filthy sludge-encrusted riffs tempered by hypnotic stoner grooves and nasty gravel gargling vocals. The band conjure up the sound of a bar room brawl between Weedeater and Colour Haze.

“Seaweed” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Taxbear

2). Heavy Chase

3). Seaweed

4). Cavity

5). Backwoods

6). Pure Cold

7). Saturnday

8). Peninkulma

The Review:

There’s nothing better than a boatload of no-frills, weapons-grade riffage to blow away the January blues. Demonic Death Judge deliver the goods in fine style on new album “Seaweed”.  The Finnish quartet deal in a potent blend of filthy sludge-encrusted riffs tempered by hypnotic stoner grooves and nasty gravel gargling vocals. The band conjure up the sound of a bar room brawl between Weedeater and Colour Haze.

“Taxbear” kicks things off in punishing fashion. Gargantuan riffs pummel the listener into submission until they are enveloped in waves of swirling guitar noise and menacing samples. The pure low-end dirt of “Pure Cold” and the dangerously addictive “Heavy Chase” run “Taxbear” close for heaviest track on the LP but quality riffs abound throughout “Seaweed”.

Demonic Death Judge demonstrate that they don’t need to rely on constant hard-riffing to be effective. The title track begins the introduction of more melodic elements into the mix with suitably aquatic effects-laden guitars providing a hazy calm before the storm of the band’s arrival at full bore. “Cavity” sees the band explore this relaxed side further to achieve powerful psychedelic results while the brooding first half of closer “Peninkulma” creates an almost post-rock slow-burn before being crushed under one final tonne of leaden riffage.

“Seaweed” is a killer effort from Demonic Death Judge that strikes a good balance between no-nonsense sludge and minor excursions into more tuneful territory. In an often overcrowded genre, the band stick out by rocking hard while bringing their own distinct character to the fore. 

“Seaweed” is available here

Band info: Official || Facebook || Bandcamp

FFO: Cough, Dopethrone, Weedeater, Colour Haze

Battalions - "Nothing to Lose" (Album Review)

By: Hunter Young

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 21/01/2016

Label: Independent

Battalions laces up their good shit kickers on “Nothing to Lose”, ready to walk into a punk show, empty pool, construction site, whatever, and proceed to kick your collective teeth in and throw you into a handy wall until you buy a shirt or something, and rock the fuck out. This is heavy music, and QUALITY heavy music. These guys have crafted something that should get your soul to wake up and take notice. Get this album, and keep bands like this pumping up music to bother the neighbours with.

“Nothing to Lose” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). A Cowards Manifesto

2). Hoods up, Knives Out!

3). You Have Nothing to Lose but Your Son and Your Souls

4). Whisky and Wine

5). Blood Bed

6). Bog Faced Roy

7). Deadbeat Dad Beat Dead

8). Shitstorm Troopers

The Review:

Up on the offering block today is the new find from scorn metal merchants Battalions, “Nothing to Lose”. Pumping heavy metal fists into the air and throwing down some destructive riffs, Battalions lobs a ball of fun and heavy music at our faces, filled with 8 tracks of relentless Heavy Metal.

Battalions brings an arsenal of influence to bear upon this album, from crunching slowness to sludge stomping, southern raw to eerily close D Beat down riffage, Battalions want to scrape your face off in varying degrees of metallic mayhem. Heavy on the gain and drive, they play aggressively behind a singer drowning in his own scorn. Your ears will be raked raw as he belts out every word, punching like a rusted ice pick out of the speakers.

“Nothing to Lose” is a bounce house filled with metallic mastery, combining slowly building grooves with the crass stress of the vocals to plant some great payoffs. Slowly stomping towards you is the opener, “Coward's Manifesto”. This track leads off like a power hitter, dragging your through clinging bleakness, unrelenting and taking its own damn time. “…Manifesto” is a superb showing of what they do when just chugging along, but is not as vicious as the next track, “Hoods Up, Knives Out”.  Full of a punky energy, its mid tempo and establishes a vortex of energy that this band would draw live. It even has a sweet little lead and it honestly just gets more destructive from there, with the towering “You Have Nothing to Lose But Your Sons and Your Souls” slowly pressing down like a giant's foot upon your back. When these guys want to, which is constantly, they bring the heavy like they've been here for a few years.

Two of the biggest bangers though are “Whisky & Wine” and “Blood Bed”. With a hint of Dopethrone on a vicious whisky bender, grinding and chipping away with some of the most pendulous riffage outside of that genre blaze haze, dragging you naked across concrete soaked in beer and cigarette butts from the show. It'll be a hit at your next social gathering, trust me! As for “Blood Bed”, pure, blues bliss. This is where their stride could go for days, but sadly it only lasts 2 minutes and 23 seconds. This WILL get you to move with the beat. I don't know where they dredged this up, but it's southern as hell and it's the hit for this album. You can fight me, but I'll put you to sleep with this on repeat.

“Big Faced Roy” (unluckily) follows “Blood Bed”, and carries some of the same swagger, but follows more closely with “Whisky...;” and id another screaming meanie that has a mean riff streak running down its bared backbone. Sliding from there, we have “Deadbeat Dad Beat Dead”, which has the most diversified lead/riff of the album, and is reminiscent of Brand New Sin and Juggernaut (South African southern metal), with that brutal scraping vocal that has me with Stockholm Syndrome. It'll have you flailing along in no time!

Album ender, “Shitstorm Troopers”, is a heavy as hell doomtroopin good time, as they progress up and down the frets with power chugging and violence at the forefront. Battalions laces up their good shit kickers on “Nothing to Lose”, ready to walk into a punk show, empty pool, construction site, whatever, and proceed to kick your collective teeth in and throw you into a handy wall until you buy a shirt or something, and rock the fuck out.

This is heavy music, and QUALITY heavy music. These guys have crafted something that should get your soul to wake up and take notice. Get this album, and keep bands like this pumping up music to bother the neighbors with.

 “Nothing to Lose” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

"A Year in Review": The Sonic 6 of Sludge 2015

By: Aaron Pickford

As part of our review of 2015, over the coming days, I will present the definitive “Sour 16” for 2015 and this will be generated by looking at all releases throughout the year, however I thought it would also be cool to look at specific genres too and whilst I would have loved to have generated a “Sour 16” for each popular genre at The Sludgelord, that would have taken up an inexplicable amount of time. Of course we all gravitate to a favourite genre, however each has its own merit, therefore I thought it would be a good idea to highlight, “six of the best” releases of 2015 within our most popular genres.  So today, as we reflect upon an awesome year of music in 2015, we present the Sludge “Sonic 6” for 2015

The Sludgelord’s ‘Sonic 6’ for 2015 is compiled based upon page views alone and calibrated into the list below, we will be presenting further lists during the lead up to Christmas, but for today roll up, kick back and Hail the riff!  Check out the Sludge “Sonic 6” for 2015 (full reviews can be viewed by clicking the artwork and total views since the date of publication are highlight in red). 

6). Limb – “Terminal” (607)

All in all, Terminal builds on what Limb have already achieved and is ultimately better than their top notch debut. The tracks on Terminal are well crafted, and the whole piece is tighter throughout. Absolutely no time is wasted on the album with every note being completely integral to the success of the album

5). The Moth – “And Then Rise” (621)

“And Then Rise” is simply unmissable on every level.

4). Greenhorn – “Like Rows Of Crooked Teeth” (773)

Truthfully, my first listen to Greenhorn left an everlasting impression, they truly are a force in the UK doom scene and this album only strengthens that belief. Give this album a listen; let them leave an impression on you too, because what’s so brilliant about them is that as well as being seriously fucking heavy, you get a history lesson  thrown in too’

3). Torche – “Restarter” (833)

To scrape a nit comb over this record, there is little originality in the noises that rattle your eardrums here. There’s nothing we haven’t heard and felt from the Miami four piece before, but  I for one am just delighted to hear another Torche record and I have no doubt that the vast majority of the already converted will see ‘Restarter’ as faultless.

2). The Body/Thou – “You, Whom I Have Always Hated” (1240)

It’s exceptionally rare that an album, or a work of art for that matter, can effectively convey terror, but throughout this release I was struggling to think of comparable works of art and kept returning to masters of horror fiction: Poe, Lovecraft, Thomas Ligotti. Like each of these authors, The Body and Thou manage to create concise, compact stories of horror, which, when collected, should be seen as guidebooks to human terror and masterworks of nuanced, unbridled genius.

1). Dopethrone – “Hochelaga” (1560)

The album is, in a word, massive. Beware the listener that clicks play on this with cheap speakers. You'll soon need to replace them simply because of the sludgy, waxy build-up their riffs will leave on the speaker material. They play some of the nastiest blues you'll find outside of Satan's record collection, focusing on booze, rebellion, occult, sex, and of course, drugs.

Reviews featured in this article were written by: Hunter Young, Mark Ambrose, Phil Weller, Chris Bull, Steve Howe, Dominic Walsh

Lung Molde - 'Lung Molde' (Album Review)

By: Peter Man

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 30/10/2015

Label: Caligari Records

What makes Lung Molde particularly notable to me is the way they let chords ring out to the point of grisly decomposition; it is the essence of the album.  Drawing similarities to Dopethrone, Bongripper, and Weedeater, Lung Molde creates an obscenely gnarled sound that is very careful to not be too bold, furious, or trippy.  Their absolute despair, and yours, is always at the forefront of their music.

‘Lung Molde’ CS//DD track listing:

1). White in the Red

2). Witch Trench

3). Sunken And Drowned

4). Teeth And Tar

5). Vanquished

6). Skulls in the Acid Well

Lung Molde is:

JH |  Strings, vocals
MS | Hammers
AD | Strings

The Review:

Lung Molde hails from Portland, Oregon and unleashes their contaminated brand of downer doom on the world with 2015's debut, self-titled album.  This record contains six crushing tracks that are best listened to alone, with the lights turned down, in the middle of the night.  All vocals are done in a sort of low growl that prefers to subsist in mud.  While there are a few harmonizing riffs, guitar solos, and up-tempo grooves, they are infrequent.  Much of the album's time is spent grasping onto plodding riffs and slowly bruising them over and over until the remains are unrecognizable.  What makes Lung Molde particularly notable to me is the way they let chords ring out to the point of grisly decomposition; it is the essence of the album.

My personal favorite track, 'Sunken and Drowned', is the album's third offering and also its signature one.  It begins with a clean, yet warped guitar riff which morphs into a fully distorted onslaught that seems to be consumed by a forgotten cesspool in a scarred forest.  The main riff is endlessly beaten for almost four straight minutes before the tempo retreats into the band's trademark march of decay.  Track four, 'Teeth and Tar', is the only song to begin with an aggressive riff.  It features a couple of guitar solos and is a bit schizophrenic; it reminds me of the hybrid thrash/doom band Bison (bc).  The final track, 'Skulls In The Acid Well', surprised me with a duelling guitar feature that had a very classic rock feel.  It finishes out itself, and the album, with a tired whimper, accurately reflecting the band's goal of total surrender.  The other tracks dabble with some varied and familiar metal elements, but are equally as massive as the next, and force the listener to stay grounded in sorrow.

Drawing similarities to Dopethrone, Bongripper, and Weedeater, Lung Molde creates an obscenely gnarled sound that is very careful to not be too bold, furious, or trippy.  Their absolute despair, and yours, is always at the forefront of their music.

‘Lung Molde’ is available on DD here and cassette here

Band info: bandcamp

Dopethrone - 'Hochelaga' (Album Review)

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 13/04/2015

Label: Riff Dealer Records

/Totem Cat Records

‘Hochelaga’ CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Sludgekicker

2). Chameleon Witch

3). Vagabong

4). Scum Fuck Blues

5). Dry Hitter

6). Bullets

7). Riff Dealer

Dopethone are:

Drums | Borman

Guitar, Vox | Vincent

Bass | Vyk

Review:

I don't care how scuzzy you think you sound, you aren't Dopethrone. These guys are the drug problem in Heavy anything, and I am pretty sure they have a problem. Not the issue, because they have graced us with another slab of pure sonic ecstasy, their new catalogue of riffs entitled ‘Hochelaga’. This is a 7 song ode to brutal, smoke infused riffs, dripping with vicious intent to peddle. I am a lover of all things fuzzy and dirty, so this scratches my itch! Let’s dig in!

The album is, in a word, massive. Beware the listener that clicks play on this with cheap speakers. You'll soon need to replace them simply because of the sludgy, waxy build-up their riffs will leave on the speaker material. They play some of the nastiest blues you'll find outside of Satan's record collection, focusing on booze, rebellion, occult, sex, and of course, drugs. The threesome has been breaking shit and setting it on fire since about 2009, officially, with ‘Demonsmoke’, then a 2 year hiatus till Dark Foil in 2011, III in 2012, and now a further 3 years until this current miasma of debauchery, ‘Hochelaga’. The band is also named after album 3 from Electric Wizard, Dopethrone, which is also a must listen (in my opinion) of the stoner/doom/heavy blues pantheon. 

As far as the band plays, it’s as heavy and groovy as a well used vinyl in a second hand bin, and the vocals sound like they've been soaked in gasoline and then rehydrated with whisky and greased with dab wax. They make my throat hurt, even more so than grindcore. Vincent Houde (guitars/Vocals) throws his back into it, with a voice that sounds like  something lurking in shadows of the campfire. It's amazing, and fits the band like a jigsaw piece. Their sound is that of the genre, very fuzzy, downtuned and with heavy drive that blasts at you like a 12 gauge, accompanied by very deft drumming supporting them. Borman on the skins uses a heavy cymbal style, but its honestly not as bad as some prog or hardcore bands and the only reason I have noticed, is because I am looking for things, and they are smooth as 10 year old bourbon. They use samples from what sound like older movies and PSA stuff, mostly to warn folks that witches, bikers, slick haired vultures, drugs, and evil exists out there, and its agents are lurking around every corner you can't see around to take the youth. Just a perfect touch to their playing and adds a little menace into the mix, with ‘Hochelaga’, they paid attention to the details and your certainly not short-changed.

My highlight from this album is ‘Scum Fuck Blues’, song 4 on the record, simply because it’s absolutely the most pissed off track, and makes you feel like you wanna go wreck something. We've all been in those pitch black moods, where absolutely nothing is good anymore, and we want to simply just crawl in a hole and die. That's this song. It’s a bad mood and a bar fight put to sound, and the video that TheWhoreChurch did on YouTube is absolutely perfect. Using old footage, both movie and life, they capture the grit of the music, the brutality and passion with which Dopethrone lay down their drug fueled rhetoric. 

The album is topped with artwork that should have been a horror poster for an obscure 70s satanic ode, perfectly communicating what sonic ride you are about to embark upon. This album is perfect for the person who wants to dig deep in the grave for stoner/doom music, who wants something a little darker off the path of music. Or, if you've found Electric Wizard and loved them, want something new to spin. Grab it as soon as it drops!

Words by: Hunter Young

‘Hochelaga’ is available on CD and vinyl here

For more information:

https://dopethrone.bandcamp.com/ | https://www.facebook.com/dopethrone.mthell