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This is 'Liberation through Amplification.'
“Curse of Conception” is a glorious
success and a dazzling evolution of an already excellent band.
“Curse of Conception” CD//DD//LP track listing:
1).
Earthbound
2).
Curse Of Conception
3).
To Fly On Broken Wings
4).
Starless Age (Enshrined)
5).
Graveside Invocation
6).
Spectral Savior
7).
Wakien
8).
Onward, Inward
The Review:
I
tend to approach reviews with a fair degree of two things: reservation and
resolve. Reservation, because it is actually pretty tough to write about music
you love and try to convey the message of why you love it to a broad audience
without jumping to superlatives in every sentence. It is a task I always
approach with trepidation, and this anxiety is in direct positive correlation
with how much I love the music in question. Resolve is obviously a corollary of
this: one has to steel oneself to 'analyze' what one really just wants to
'experience'. How can I accurately convey not just my enjoyment of art someone
else has created, but ultimately, share my profound appreciation with not just
other potential fans, but the artist or artists themselves? Particularly
without either missing the interpretive boat or engaging in sloppy ellipsis?
When
I was lucky enough to convince THESLUDGELORD to let me review Spirit Adrift's
“Chained to Oblivion”, I had already
been listening to it almost non-stop for several weeks. It was one of the
albums of 2016 that I was most excited about, that I found most profoundly
moving. It had and still has all the makings of a genre classic. That genre
being heavy metal, not one of the vast and ever- propagating subgenres. My love
of the debut album actually intensified some of my reservations about reviewing
“Curse of Conception”: was I going to
like it? Had Nate changed direction
substantively? Was it still going to be the band I had grown to love? And here
I default to throwing around superlatives: “Curse
of Conception” is a glorious success and a dazzling evolution of an already
excellent band.
I
would actually be hard pressed to say what 'element' I like most about Spirit Adrift on this album, but the vocals are again what
truly set the band apart. Nate's harmonies are
epic in every sense of the word, and they are brilliantly punctuated here by
cresting on top of a guitar tone that somehow retains the doom-heavy fuzz of “Chained to Oblivion”, yet brings in a
razor-sharp brightness that calls to mind the Metallica
with whom I first fell in love. The switch from Orange to the EVH tonal palate
works flawlessly, letting Spirit Adrift remain
deeply true to everything that made the first album stand out while allowing an
adventurous, exciting sonic reframing. Sabbathian elements are retained in
vocal passages like the title track without every descending into copy-catting
or worship. Spirit Adrift take their influences
seriously and respectfully, but there is never a sense of retread or
anachronism; this album is grounded in tradition but massively innovative in
approach. On tracks like “Starless Age”,
this growth expresses itself as a mature fusion of some beloved and sacred
moments in the metal cannon with a clear, decisive compositional voice.
And
lest I forget: the album is joyous, fun, revels in the interplay of the
aforementioned harmonies with spectacular riffage and never-without-purpose
soloing. Check out a burner like “Graveside
Invocation”; you know Nate knows
he's knocking it out of the park here. The peaks and troughs and dramatic build
from song to song work like the best film scripts: pacing is everything. Case
in point: the wonderful acoustic country-tinged psychedelia build of “Walkien”. I literally laughed out loud
at how perfect the change was here at 1:59. Epic, indeed. I've wasted
enough of your time: you should be listening to this album and not reading
reviews about it. Go get it. Remember why metal is awesome.
Let it be known fellow Sludgelordians, The Sour 16
returns. The Sludgelord presents the very bestDiabolus in
Musica to pour scorn on this desolate day and strike upon us the might of the
riff, to inject our veins with sin and guide us on journey of subservice to
doom, an act that goes against the very laws and teachings of populist culture,
and for those that wish to come with us on our quest, kneel with me as
we embrace the thunderous din that is, The Sour 16.
You know the drill by now, each month, you the
reader are unwittingly compiling a list of the top 16 records of the month,
covering all genres of metal. Is it not a chart, in which reviewers or
contributors extol their opinion about their favourite music. To put it simply, The Sour 16are the records that have been trending the most
at SludgelordHeadquarters.
The results are compiled based on page views alone
and calibrated into the list below. All reviews can be viewed by
clicking the artwork and we have included album streams wherever possible.
(Total views since their publication are highlighted in red)
16). Terrifier – “Weapons
of Thrash Destruction” (552)
Cranial have honed their
Earth-shattering attack to razor-sharp perfection and expand the scope of their
music to galactic levels of grandeur. The band are a relentless riff
engine, churning out a constant flow of thick sludge, like Neurosis channelling
the almighty crunch of early Mastodon. “Dark Towers / Bright
Lights” does not break down any musical barriers but it is poised to blow your
mind with its dark intensity.
13). Lizzard Wizzard – “Total
War Power Bastard” (612)
This album is defined by
tones as sweet as a glass of warm tar, sparse arrangements, sluggish tempos and
venomous attitude. To listen to “Total War Power Bastard” is to get lost in a
haze of looping riffs, humming amplifiers, grimy guitar fuzz and putrid vocals.
12). Lecherous Gaze – “One
Fifteen” (688)
Imagine what would happen if Howlin’ Wolf grew up in the 80s, spent his time jamming The Ramones and getting fucked up
on anything that came his way. If such prospect tickles your curiosity, then by
all means, jump on board the “One
Fifteen” train, Lecherous
Gaze’s new album.
The chemistry between the players – Paul Attard on guitar, Lachlan Paine
on bass and Frank Attard on drums – can be heard in each one of these cuts. In
fact, it’s not only heard, its felt, and that’s what makes this record sound so
great. The music is alive, it moves, it gels, and best of all, it’s both heavy
and psychedelic.
10). Demonic Death Judge – “Seaweed”
(741)
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.
09). Gloson – “Grimen”
(776)
"Grimen" keeps
getting better, the more you listen. It stirs the imagination with its ferocity
and complexity. From its excellent pacing to its subtle use of varied instruments,
it's a breathtaking achievement for a band that's just getting started.
08). Suma - "The
Order of Things" (837)
Suma have proved that,
over fifteen years on from their formation, they can still challenge listeners,
in terms of their expectations and their open-mindedness. This is a sprawling
record that impresses, uplifts, and imparts melancholia in equal measure. It’s
a feat, and one that makes it sorely apparent that the Malmo crew
deserves much more recognition then they are afforded.
7). Book of Wyrms - "Sci-fi/Fantasy"
(921)
The legendary Hawkwind would be happy with the sounds exhibited on “Nightbong”, while the darkness on “All Hollows Eve” is right in
sync with Uncle Acid et al. This is a good record which combines
some of the best of space/stoner/doom in one package. A band to watch in 2017.
6). Kreator – “Gods
of Violence” (1109)
There are so many great
riffs, solos, hooks and vocals over the course of the record that there is
absolutely nothing to complain about here. Kreator have produced another very
worthy entry into their impressive back catalogue. Fans of their later work will
love what is on offer here as it is a continuation of their most recent and
very impressive albums. This is a hooky, vicious, well produced
thrash record which is every bit as good as anything which has come out of America in
recent times. Recommended.
5). Goya – “Harvester
of Bongloads” (1015)
It is start to finish,
packed with massive fuzzed out riffs, deep despair and copious nods to the
sweat leaf that Goya pay homage to throughout the entire album. Small
wonder in the midst of our current political nightmare that Goya would drop a
jewel heralding the end, before escaping in the smoky haze of their own
retreat.
4). Bathsheba - "Servus" (1106)
The biggest strength of
the album is its tactful and haunting use of atmosphere. This is achieved
through the skilful use of dynamic contrast, organically unfolding transitions
and changes in the timbre of the music, particularly in the playing of
guitarist Dwight Goossens. Tracks such as “Manifest” and “Demon” see
Goossens change from chilling, ambient clean tones to rich, roaring fuzz tones
that could satisfy even the hardest to please doom fans.
3). Sepultura - “Machine
Messiah” (2115)
Will this convert
early-Sepultura-only fans? Unlikely. Will it convert Cavalera only Sepultura
fans? I doubt it, as those people have made their decision and won't entertain
that a Sepultura can exist without the Cavalera brothers. However, this is yet
another high quality entry into the Sepultura discography and is one of the
best records the band has made.
2). Dead Witches - "Ouija"
(3048)
This is another perfectly
fuzzed out slab of doom from a band that doesn’t seem to know any other way.
1). Soen – “Lykaia”
(3106)
On Soen’s third full
length record their own explorative hunger is satisfied in the most delicious
of ways, resulting in their most dynamically versatile but free flowing release
to date. An explorative and colourful record, there is a lot to take
in with this record, many dimensions in which to get lost in. Repeat listens
bear gorgeous fruits.
A big
thank you as always to our amazing writers, your dedication knows no boundaries
and for that I am truly grateful. January’s “Sour 16”
features reviews by: Richard Maw, Phil Weller, Victor Van Ommen, Jay
Hampshire, Ben Fitts, Josh Nichols, Charlie Butler & Dominic Walsh
It is start to finish, packed with
massive fuzzed out riffs, deep despair and copious nods to the sweat leaf that Goya
pay homage to throughout the entire album.Small wonder in the midst of our current political nightmare that Goya
would drop a jewel heralding the end, before escaping in the smoky haze of
their own retreat.
“Harvester
of Bongloads” CD//DD//LP track listing:
1).
Omen: I. Strange Geometry, II. Fade Away, III.
Life Disintegrates (20:07)
2).
Germination (02:18)
3).
Misanthropy On High (11:46)
4).
Disease (06:21)
The Review:
Arizona doom trio, Goya,
return with their third full length, and none to sublte, "Harvester of Bongloads". Following
closely on the heels of last falls EP, "Doomed Planet", “Harvester…”
continues to plumb the depths of their disgust for all life on this planet,
except perhaps for plant life, of which they are shameless proponents. It is
start to finish, packed with massive fuzzed out riffs, deep despair and copious
nods to the sweat leaf that Goya pay homage to throughout the entire
album.
The
entirety of side A is made up of "Omen", an epic twenty minute,
three part epistle on the end of days. Part 1, "Strange Geometry",
opens up to slow tribal drums and psychedelic warbling, courtesy of
their Boss Dr. Sample SP-303, before thick bluesy riffing slowly builds to
a fuzzy lament on pending oblivion. Part 2, "Fade Away", is
mostly a jam session, acting as a bridge between the first and third sections,
slowing down enough to gently croon the title several times before ripping into
Part 3, "Life Disintegrates". The third and final act of "Omen"
continues the downward spiral of heavy sludge doom in the finest tradition of Electric Wizard
and Sleep,
epic smoked out doom for the pending apocalypse.
Side
B dishes up twenty more minutes of meaty riffs in three more tracks, which sort
of act like another massive three part opus, but this time with breaks between.
First up is "Germination", just a couple minutes of slow heavy doom
that sets the tone and acts as an intro for the next track, "Misanthropy
on High". “Misanthropy…” is monolithic slow and
enormously heavy. Lyrically, the title speaks for itself, with each verse
making its escape from the waste of reality into dope fuelled release,
repeatedly echoing the double edged sentiment “waste away".
The
final track, "Disease", sees Goya wading back into more uptempo Sabbath-esque
doom. After two epic jams full of deep gloom, it's a welcome release when they
open up the jam and rock out a bit. While lyrically it's still dwelling on
oblivion, “Disease” is full of swagger, energy and a couple really killer
solos. It's a hook laden finish to a dank and heavy trip of an album. Small
wonder in the midst of our current political nightmare that Goya would drop a
jewel heralding the end, before escaping in the smoky haze of their own retreat.
“Harvester Of Bongloads” will be available digitally here
and other formats here from 03/03/2017
'Doomed Planet' is an EP executed with absolute ferocity. The first two
leviathans are earth-splittingly heavy and the varying in styles is notable,
with the dark acoustic elements in 'Sorrow' and the raging cover of Marilyn
Manson's 'Dogma'. Goya are definitely not messing around and in times of a
'Doomed Planet', the title is very apt.
“Doomed Planet” CD//DD track listing:
1). Doomed Planet
2). Hood and Bone
3). Sorrow
4). Dogma (Cover)
The Review:
3-piece doom metal outfit Goya are back. Hailing from Phoenix, Arizona,
their new 4-track EP 'Doomed Planet' was released a few weeks back on
October 30th via Opoponax Records.
2016 marks Goya's fifth year as a
band and there is no slowing down from this absolute powerhouse of riffs.
2016 commemorates Goya’s
fifth year as a band, and will see their latest EP, “The Enemy”, getting a deluxe vinyl release through STB Records, who also released their 2015
full-length, “Obelisk”, "a thinking man’s doom metal record, that it keeps you on your
toes and always remains untamed, delivering uppercuts with complete conviction
just when you think you’ve sussed them out."
Whilst “The Enemy” an EP, which saw Goya "sounding creepier and more terrifying" has already been made available
digitally, there really is no better way to experience the record than via STB's glorious limited edition vinyl
treatment. STB's
latest outing features two exclusive LP-only tracks, including a mortar-thick
rendition of the Sabbath classic,
"Who Are You?" and is offered in the four deluxe variants for
which STB has become known.
With the vinyl release set to drop on Saturday 8th
of October, and with the band showing no signs of slowing down, there seem to
be no better time than to check in with Goya
main man, Jeff Owens and talk influences, his quest to write the perfect “Vol
4” riff and the prospects of a new album.
It is time to get Amped and Doomed,
with Arizona’s
finest riff slayers, Goya.
SL:
Welcome back to The Sludgelord, Jeff. Can
you remember who or what inspired you to pick up the guitar? Are there any bands,
guitarists, bassists currently on the scene that continue to inspire and push
you to try new things?
Jeff Owens: I’m sure I’m not the first to say this, but the
single person who caused me to be interested in picking up a guitar was Kurt
Cobain. My biggest inspiration lately has been my band mate and the mastermind
behind Spirit
Adrift, Nate Garrett. That dude is a machine. Aside from him, Pete Adams
of Valkyrie
and Baroness
and his brother Jake have both lit a fire under my ass to keep going and always
try to get better at my craft.
SL:
Who do you take inspiration from or do
you have any heroes in music and do you have 5 records that stand out as
favourites, what influence did they have upon you and what is it about those record
that particular resonates amongst others?
JO: I’m not sure that I have heroes per se, but there
are many greats who influence me, all of whom I will mention below. Choosing
less than 30 records that are favorites is always hard
because there are a couple hundred, so I’ll just
sort of throw out the first ones that come to mind with the caveat that there
is no way these are my six favorite albums (I’m doing six), but they are all
influential to me.
Nirvana – “In Utero”
To me, this is one of the most vitriolic albums
ever written. Just how disgusted Kurt Cobain was with a lot of things comes
through very clearly on this record in his lyrics, his delivery of them, and
his guitar playing. Plus, “Radio
Friendly Unit Shifter” is my favorite Nirvana song.
Metallica – “Master of Puppets”
This is probably my favorite metal album, arguably
the best metal album of all time, and one of the most finely-crafted albums
ever. The harmonies on it are top notch, and it is the perfect mix of complex
and relentlessly heavy. Having Cliff Burton, the best metal bassist ever, does
a lot for an album, it turns out.
Thin Lizzy – “Jailbreak”
Speaking of harmonies, this album has some of the
greatest harmonies ever written. It’s hit after hit after hit on this record. Thin Lizzy
are one of the great underrated bands, though it does seem that people have
been catching on over the past few years, which is great! I may not sing about
love in Goya,
but Phil Lynott’s love songs are the best love songs.
Queen – “Queen II”
Did someone say harmonies? I have listened to this
album more times than I can count and I still love it. I’d be hard-pressed to
choose a favorite Queen album, but I’m relatively sure “The
March of the Black Queen” is my
favorite Queen
song. Freddie Mercury was it. The Golden Voice. And don’t get me started on
Brian May. If I could go back in time and see one band that I never had the
chance to see, it would probably be Queen.
Pink Floyd – “Obscured by Clouds”
Floyd is
another band I have trouble choosing a favorite album from, but I come back to
this one time and again. They are the masters of the melancholic triumph of
life, which is what I think the majority of true artists are striving to
depict, in one way or another. Gilmour’s lyrics are absolutely incomparable.
Look up the song “Childhood’s End” if
you haven’t heard it. It’s truly amazing.
Black Sabbath – “Vol 4”
Do I really need to explain this one? Iommi's
guitar playing on this record is something that had never been done before and
has never been done since. I am forever trying to write the perfect “Vol 4” riff, but it definitely ain’t
easy!
SL:
Can remember your first electric guitar, bass?
JO: Absolutely! I still have it. It’s a Peavey
“Predator”. Black with a white pick
guard.
SL:
What guitar(s) are you using today and how did you gravitate towards the guitar
you
currently use?
JO: In Goya, I use a modern Standard ’61 SG
that I believe is a GC exclusive. I started the band playing on a Les Paul “Smartwood”
(which I still have and use in my other band), but I decided there was a little
more low end in it than I wanted. I’ve always been interested in SGs because
of Tony Iommi and Greg Hetson. I bought one when I was young, but didn’t really
understand it, so I gave it another shot, and I haven’t looked back. My current
axe, Lady Lucille (not named after BB’s guitar), sort of caught my eye in the
store. I took her down and played for about an hour, and put her on layaway as
soon as I could!
SL:
What do you like about the guitars you currently use and has there been any
specific modifications to it?
JO: One of my SGs has BLK/TRI pickups, and I do love those! They’re
a great way to get a lot of power without any batteries. (Everyone knows
batteries suck.) Lucille is all stock and I have no plans to change that. I’m
actually a big fan of quality, stock Gibson’s.
SL:
What amps and pedals do you currently use? Do you use a combination of amps, or
a full
half
stack? Talk us through your set up both in the studio and in the live environment?
JO: Live, I’m currently using a Marshall Plexi (1959HW) and a Sovtek Mig 100,
each through their own full stacks. The Plexi runs into an Orange PPC412 and an Ampeg
cabinet loaded with BLK/
TRI/Ted Weber Ghost Series speakers, and the Sovtek runs into an Orange PPC412 HP8 and a
Randall cabinet
loaded with Celestial
G1265s.
For pedals, I use a Boss TU-3, Magic Pedals Magick Fuzz, Dunlop Crybaby
Classic, MXR Phase 90, Boss DM-2w, and a Radial
Twin-City ABY. I’m always trying to use less and less pedals, but I
just can’t seem to get away from delay, wah, and phase. In the studio, I’ve
been using the Plexi
into the PPC412
with the same pedalboard.
SL:
What one pedal could you not live without and why?
JO: Hands down the Magick Fuzz. I got this pedal
between the recording of “777”
and “Obelisk/ “Satan’s Fire. If you
listen to all of that, it’s very apparent that the guitar tone took a huge stepup between those recordings. The MF
is about as close to the 4th member of Goya as it gets.
SL:
What are your amp/ pedal settings?
JO: My amps are always turned up. The Sovtek
is generally dimed. The Plexi runs at about 6 or 7. I had it dimed
when I first got it, but I fried it and had to have it fixed, so that one would
be all the way up, but I want to keep her working. As far as my pedals, it
varies from track to track, excluding the MF.
SL: Do
you have any advice for up and coming guitars players, bands?
JO: You don’t get better by not playing, and there
will always be someone better than you.
SL:
Do feel there are deeply help misconceptions about being in a band?
JO: It’s tough to say, as I’m pretty out of touch with
what most people think. Maybe some people think it’s never difficult. I don’t
know though. Working my ass off in music-related efforts is the most rewarding
thing I have ever done, so it honestly seems easy and fun to me, whether I get 4
hours of sleep most nights or not. I don’t understand artists that don’t have a
burning desire to create something 24-7. This isn’t a choice for me; it’s a compulsion,
so it would be significantly harder to not do it, though it can get exhausting,
at times.
SL: Moving on a
little then, in terms of releases it has been a busy year, re releases of Goya records on your own Opoponax
Records, the demo release on Totem Cat
Records, but you have also established a great relationship with STB Records, what can you tell us about the upcoming
vinyl release of “The Enemy” and where do you feel it sits within the Goya discography
JO: I’m really excited that STB Records wanted to put this
record out! I was originally planning to do it as an Opoponax release, but I had so
many other things to put out, that it became clear it would be quite a while
before I was able to put it out, so when Steve and I spoke about it being released
through STB,
it was a total no-brainer.
I believe this one is going to be Steve’s biggest
pressing yet, so that’s a true honor. As always, there is some cool stuff lined
up for the die-hard edition. The vinyl will come with two tracks that have only
been made available on cassette so far, so for everyone that hates cassettes,
they will finally be able to hear the Sabbath cover we did last year!
Chronologically speaking, this release is the
follow up to “Obelisk”. Musically
speaking, this EP was extremely experimental for us. At the time, I was listening
to Black
Sabbath’s “Paranoid” a
whole lot, and that was highly influential in the creation of the songs on it,
particularly the title track. I really dig what we did on “The Enemy”, and I think people will look back on it as something
from our catalogue that stands out as a very unique release.
SL:
Does anything spring to mind when you think about the completion of the record
JO: This may seem strange, but the colors stand out
to me, for which I owe a thank you to the cover artist, Jesse Schaller. I
really see yellow and green (subtle nod to Baroness?) in my head when I think of the
record. I’m not sure what that means. Maybe another strange connection to “Paranoid”, and “War Pigs” in particular, with the green being that sort of
camouflage green.
SL:
What stands out as your overarching memory from the recording sessions?
JO: Using way too many different guitar tones, and
learning about the difficulties of recording to tape.
SL:
Yo’re never a band to rest of their laurels, what is in the pipeline in terms
of future recordings
and
how is your schedule shaping up over the next 12 months?
JO: Well, we just finished up at Switchblade Sound with Joe
Asselin recording our song for The
Planet of Doom, but
that won’t be out until the movie is. Right now, we are finishing up writing
our follow up to “Obelisk”, which will be titled “Harvester of Bongloads”, and yes, that is a nod to Metallica.
We will also be recording that with Joe at Switchblade
over Halloween, and I will be releasing that one through Opoponax Records in late
February or early March. We will be following the release with a couple of
weeks up and down the west coast. Originally, the plan was to take it easy
after “Harvester…”, and we will be
doing that for a couple of months when we finish recording. Knowing me though,
I highly doubt that we won’t be writing our next album by summer 2017, if not
by the end of the year. In fact, we have already begun to kick around ideas. “Harvester…” is intended to be sort of a
last hurrah to weed worship, as I am hoping for the band to mature and evolve.
I’m sure there are people out there moaning and
groaning as they read that line, but to those people, I would like to point out
that I think “Obelisk” is our most mature
material so far, and it doesn’t have a single drug reference on it!
SL:
As a band you have been active for
around 5 years or so, what stands out as some of your
fondest
memories
JO: Seeing King Diamond on Halloween in LA before playing
“Day of the Shred” the next day was definitely
a highlight. After the show, we came outside and it was pouring rain. A couple
of us had to buy new shoes the next day. We also did a short run up the west
coast with Bongripper
(shout out to all the Dales and Boogies out there), and that was a wild ride.
We definitely made some fond memories on that run.
When we played in Austin,
we made a point to go around and see some of the sites from “Texas Chainsaw Massacre”, and that was
pretty cool. Recently, playing at Psycho
Las Vegas was incredible. That whole weekend was amazing. We made a bunch
of new friends, and saw just as many old ones. Aside from playing music, the
best thing about being in Goya is travelling and meeting a bunch of
like-minded people! I can’t think of anything I would rather do.
SL:
Finally, do you have any final comments/word of wisdom you’d like to bestow
upon us?
JO: When you get interviewed, try to keep your
responses short…
The End
Goya "The
Enemy" goes on sale Saturday October 8th 12noon est. Album
includes two unreleased tracks by the band and will be available here
