Showing posts with label Free Downloads. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Free Downloads. Show all posts

Saturday, 4 April 2015

Band To Check Out - Open Wide, The Sky

Live @ Jingle Balls Dec 20th, 2014 cover art

Members:

Vincent Fedetz - Lead Guitar |
Rob Saltsman - Guitar/Vocals |
Max Gillman - Drums |
Joe Carrere - Bass |

Bio

In 2010 "Open Wide, The Sky" began as a trio of like-minded musicians looking to play. As jam sessions became more frequent and our playing more and more cohesive, we reached the unanimous decision to step into bandhood. If Mastodon, Opeth, and Between the Buried and Me had a three way baby, that'd be us. So check out our album Monolith, a mixture of jazz, metal, rock, and a WHOLE lotta love!

Band To Check Out Info:

Open Wide, The Sky are self proclaimed – Progressive Space Metal Band. Interesting description as their music does fall under a lot of different categories. Progressive Metal, Sludge Metal, Jazz, Hard Rock and Space Rock. If that feels a lot of different genres to take in then I suppose it is but the band make this work in their favour. They play extremely fast when the time calls for it.

Parts Mastodon, Opeth and Between The Buried and Me – their bio briefly states and it's a very good description. Open Wide, The Sky is probably a band that won't appeal to everyone as their music can be very hard to listen to at times. Their latest release - Live @ JingleBalls Dec 20th, 2014 – is a live album no less. It's a challenging, frustrating and exciting album to listen to as Open Wide, The Sky venture off into 100 different musical directions and still sound so different to everyone else.

I wish I knew about these guys earlier as I'm became such a fan of their music within a short space of time. They are a very exciting prospect indeed if you dig Progressive Metal. My advice – Check them out as Open Wide, The Sky are definitely worth your time. All their music is available on BandCamp Buy Now. Their 2012 debut album – Monolith – is a fucking blast from start to finish. So you have no excuse!!!

Words by Steve Howe

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Wednesday, 21 January 2015

Familiars - S/T (EP Review)

Familiars cover art

Album Type: EP
Date Released: 19/8/2014
Label: Bandcamp

Familiars’ DD track listing:

1). Fire in the Sky
2). Beyond its Reach

Members:

Kevin, Ken, Jared & Jon

Review:

Familiars come flying by with a digital two-song release nestled sonically within Dozer’s stomping ground. No, Familiars aren’t Swedish, they’re Canadians, but they have an American-via-Sweden feel to their rawk and execute it very well. So don’t be surprised when “Fire in the Sky” opens with a liberal use of crashing cymbals and loud tom hits. The crunch of the guitars drive this bad boy home and the four string takes center stage in “Beyond Its Reach,” adding a tasteful bit of raunch to the whole shebang.

For stoner rock, these are perhaps *ahem* familiar characteristics, but the major attribute for this band is the melancholy delivery of the vocals; imagine a subdued Chino Moreno hanging out in the backseat. With no more than two songs available for the listening public there’s not much more to say about Familiars other than that a full length debut is certainly something to look forward to.

Words by: Victor van Ommen

You can pick up copy here.

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Wednesday, 10 December 2014

SONANCE - Blackflower (Album Review)

BLACKFLOWER cover art

Album Type: Album
Date Released: 06th December 2014
Label: Self Released

Blackflower – Track Listing

1.BELGIUM/BLACKFLOWER 15:55
2.BELGIUM 03:24
3.ATTACHMENT 04:16
4.CONICAL 03:43
5.TEARCE 03:51

Bio

So far comparisons have been made with with latter era Scott Walker/Bohren & Der Club Of Gore/Godspeed You! Black Emporer/Badalamenti/Janek Schaefer/Stapleton and Tibet/Gnaw Their Tongues/Abandon/Khanate/Corrupted

IKE GHOSTS comes in two halves, totalling just under 42 minutes. The record is available on Bandcamp (http://sonance.bandcamp.com/) and is currently drawing around 300 plays per day since being uploaded on 12/11/2012.

Each part is an atmospheric heaping of interwoven arrangements, detailed and droned stretches that subside into sludge filled chasms as the bass pushes you through the floor and lifts dust from the walls. The record was written and rehearsed in a confined practice room in which the waves of sound could literally be felt shuddering up through your lungs and out of your mouth

Members

Ben - guitar, screwdriver
Chino - bass
Jamie - drums
Will - guitar
Nick - visuals

Review:

Sonance finally return after a two year silence with their spellbinding new album – Blackflower. A 5 song and 30 minute opus packed full of bleak atmospheric Sludge/Drone/Post-Metal/Doom/Post-Rock/whatever the fuck you want to call it. These guys are huge faves of ours at Sludgelord HQ. So I was pleased when they told me they had released a new album.

The opening track – Belgium/Blackflower – is an epic nightmarish take on all things Blackened Sludge with hints of Ambient Post-Rock/Post-Metal being moulded into your worst nightmare. The vocals when they finally arrive are bleak and full of menacing intent. Sonance mean business here. I have called these guys – Sonic Terrorists – in the past and that's the best way to describe them. The way they create terrifying music has to be witnessed for yourselves. The Post-Rock/Ambient textures adds heavy crushing weight to the desolate world they have created here. Belgium/Blackflower will appeal to fans of Neurosis, ISIS, The Ocean and possibly Corrections House. It's a brutal and enduring journey in sound that will leave you breathless.

Second track – Belgium – is a more subdued affair with the band focusing on Ambient based Post-Rock solitude rather than their violent heavy riffs. It's a beautifully played piece that shows Sonance know how to create a blissful song. Though it may disappoint some people who were expecting more heavy destructive riffs. Well the final 3 songs on the album will restore your faith in Sonance's musical vision.

Third Track – Attachment – starts in the realm of drone with clear/distorted vocals singing a haunting story. It's powerful and emotional stuff as Sonance crank up the tension with heavy bleak drone guitars hollowing in the background. The song comes to a sudden end when things started to become interesting. Maybe Sonance could of expanded this song for a few more moments as I was slowly getting more and more into the song.

There are no such problems with fourth track – Conical – which comes out you like an axe-wielding mad-man looking for his prey to feast one. The heavy as hell drums will send chills through your entire body. The vocals are terrifying as hell as Sonance venture further into the dark realms of Blackened Sludge Meal with hints of Post-Metal appearing towards the end.

Last but by no means least is – Tearce – which is a mixture of ambient based post-rock droned out riffs though evil is lurking around the corner with a sinister dronish noise waiting to turn things sinister one final time. Though it's more of a subdued drone ending than the heavy bombastic ending that you're expecting. It's a shame Sonance didn't include another song to this album as it would have been great to hear one epic violent finish. Other that that, Sonance have created an intriguing and superb new album that will only enhance their reputation.

Check it out for yourselves as Blackflower is available to buy on Buy Now Download on Bandcamp now.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words By Steve Howe

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Saturday, 1 November 2014

Flight Of The Seraphim - Band To Check Out


Flight Of The Seraphim is a one-man band focusing on Doom Metal, Sludge, Psychedelic and Stoner Metal. It's the work of highly talented individual called Sam Wallman. Sam is a one-man virtuoso who does everything on this project. Flight Of The Serpahim's music ventures from all of our fave genres that we cover on Sludgelord, so hopefully this should appeal to you.

Flight Of The Seraphim have released a ton of awesome releases to check out and download for free from BandCamp, with – The West – being their most recent release. And what a record that is. The West is a trippy and almost hallocegenic ride into the unknown. Doom, Sludge, Stoner and Post-Metal riffs combine for a truly haunting sound. Sam has outdone himself here as this release demands your attention. If you're a fan of Pelican, Sleep, OM, YOB and ISIS then is a great band for you to check out.

The West cover art

Sam has captured a whole range of human emotions that will leave you in a blissful state one moment and a shivering wreck the next. Take my advice and headover to Flight Of The Seraphim awesome BandCamp Page and check their music out. Just remember that Flight Of The Seraphim deal in epic songs that run from 8 mins to almost 18 mins in length. The earlier releases maybe a bit under-produced at times but with each release, Sam grows ever more confident into the unstoppable force of nature that he proves on with The West.


A brilliant band you all need to check out now. So get downloading and donate if you can so Sam can release more fantastic music in the future.

Words By Steve Howe


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Wednesday, 8 October 2014

PINEAL - Smiling Cult (Album Review)

Smiling Cult cover art

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 02nd October 2014
Label: Self Released

Smiling Cult - track listing:

1.Theta 03:53
2.ADL 04:23
3.Civil Obedience 04:01
4.Acerbic 05:14
5.Somatic 04:58
6.Tides 03:09

Review:

Holy Fuck. Where did these guys come from. Pineal is a Post-Metal/Stoner/Grunge/Whatever band that deals in dark and heavy riffs with dangerous vocals to match. Their debut album 'Smiling Cult' is 25 minutes of dark world weary vibes where the mood is drenched in sorrow and despair.

The vocals have a slight Layne Stayley influence running through out the album. It gives 'Smiling Cult' a sense of despair that Alice In Chains are masters at. Pineal can be described as Alice In Chains jamming with TOOL as the mood never changes course for the albums brief run time. By then Pineal should made you a fan of their haunting apocalyptic style riffs. Tracks such as Theta, ADL and Acerbic all have a bleak Post-Metal/Alt Metal mood though its the grunge aspect that impresses the most.

Hints of grizzled Stoner Metal vibes show up now and again especially on Civil Obedience. It's one of the albums standout tracks as Pineal craft the perfect balance between light and dark when the music shifts from one dark territory to the next. 4th track 'Acerbic' carries on the bleak mood and one that will take you over the edge. It's a dark and brooding tale that Pineal play with such style and grace that it's quite refreshing to listen to despite the dark subject matter.

'Smiling Cult' is a stunning debut release from this dark-edged Stoner/Post-Metal/Grunge collective. Lets see what they can do on a longer release. As Pineal have my attention.

You can download Smiling Cult on BandCamp Buy Now Download or CD.

Awesome. End Of.

Written by: Steve Howe



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