TOP 16 ALBUMS: The Sour 16 for May 2017

Nightbringer

Yes, it is that time again O ye lover of riffs, “The Sour 16” returneth.  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 16” are the records that have been trending the most at The Sludgelord Headquarters.

The results are compiled based on the amount of page views the reviews have received and are then 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 the red numbers)

16). Dodecahedron - "Kwintessens” (446)

At 41 minutes, “Kwintessens” is deceptively compact for the multitudes within.  Each track, even the instrumental interludes, displays remarkable prowess while remaining confrontational and almost unbearably anguished.

  

15). Longhouse - "II: Vanishing" (450)

The tone, mix and mood of the album is one of darkness, menace and depression. “II: Vanishing” will terrify your consciousness and haunt your soul into painful contortions

14). The Ruins of Beverast - "Exuvia" (461)

“Von Meilenwald has created a terrible, tremendous and frightening invocation of blight and the invincible progress of erosion and disintegration. More than its component parts, an album to haunt the dreams of Lovecraft and Ligotti alike. Recommended without reservation.”

13). Lord - "Blacklisted" (476)

In a genre often bogged down by soundalike bands, Lord offer a sharp shot of adrenaline in the form of “Blacklisted”. The band’s distinct blend of gnarly thrash and filthy sludge deserves to see them go far.

12). Space Witch - "Arcanum" (521)

The band still sound like a collaboration between Bongripper, Hawkwind and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop to create the ultimate sci-fi B-movie soundtrack, but  this latest release sees them develop their cosmic barrage further out into the void., they showcase a leaner, meaner Space Witch that still push the boundaries of heaviness but with a more streamlined attack.

11). Woodhawk - "Beyond The Sun" (522)

“Beyond The Sun, is overflowing with everything one could want from a great stoner rock record, thick, rumbling bass tones, sizzling guitar fuzz and infectious, mid tempo riffage, making this the kind of album that is very hard to stop listening to

10). Craven Idol - "The Shackles of Mammon" (567)

This new album does not disappoint, and capitalizes on a lot of the germinal promise that was present in spades on “Towards Eschaton”: zero bullshit, zero pretence, zero fucks metal.  Vocally it is  truly, truly spectacular and unique. Riffs are dynamic. Bass is deeply discernible and the leads are crazy, fiery and have a tone that reminds that metal solos can be a deadly weapon in the right hands, like a flail made of scalpels and razor blades.

9). Blaze Bayley - “Infinite Entanglement” and “Endure and Survive” (588)

Both “Infinite Entanglement” and “Endure and Survive” are the best work of his entire career, better than Wolfsbane, better than his tenure with Maiden and better than his past solo work.  Blaze's fire is burning brighter than ever

8). Sjelferd - ‘Fortid’ (619)

7). The Cosmic Dead - "Psych Is Dead" (646)

Somehow the band manage to make relentless repetition sound like a captivating journey into the unknown, packed with more subtle detail than a million prog metal odysseys.

6). Ghost Bath - "Starmourner" (686)

From the gentle piano intro of “Astral” to the vibrant and triumphant radiance of “Seraphic”, the tone of the album is pushed ever outward to match the theme of an infinite dream. It’s a theme that weaves its way through the whole album. There are certainly tracks that dive back into blast beats and hyper tremolo picking such as “Ambrosial” and “Elysian”, but the theme always returns to shimmering and heroic major chords.

5). Mouth of the Architect - "Time and Withering" (703)

Each new Mouth of the Architect release is my new soundtrack to oblivion, but revisiting “Time and Withering” is definitely worth your effort.  It has held up over time and is still as big and bold as it was 13 years ago.

4). Gurt - "Skullossus" (868)

This is some quality music that draws from many influences and I feel any metal fan should be able to enjoy it…. possibly even as the soundtrack to their next doom party.

3). Memoriam - "For The Fallen” (1012)

There is no huge introduction needed here. Bolt Thrower may be over, but Memoriam are very much here and ready to take up where Karl Willett's previous troop left off. You know what to expect from the names involved: crushingly slow grooves, like a tank rolling over piles of bones, bursts of thrash tempos and a sound that is thicker than tar.

2). Mutoid Man - "War Moans" (1113)

“War Moans” is fast, heavy and vocally arresting, it is an album that is certain to leave you breathless. 

1). Nightbringer - "Terra Damnata" (1160)

Remarkably, with Nightbringer approaching two decades of existence, they’re pulling off some of the best black metal the country has to offer, with a rabid intensity that, for all its darkness, remains inspiring.

A big thank you as always to our amazing writers, your dedication knows no boundaries and for that I am truly grateful.  May 2017’s “Sour 16” features reviews by:  Richard Maw, Daniel Jackson, Andre Almaraz, Mark Ambrose, Charlie Butler, Conor O’Dea, Phil Weller, Josh Nichols & Ben Fitts

ALBUM REVIEW: Gurt - "Skullossus"

By: Andre Almaraz

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 01/05/2017

Label: When Planets Collide

 

This is some quality music that draws from many influences and I feel any metal fan should be able to enjoy it…. possibly even as the soundtrack to their next doom party.

“Skullossus” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Welcome to the Shit Show
2. Gimme the Night, any Day
3. Battlepants
4. Double Barreled Shot-pun
5. The Crotch Wobbler
6. Existance is Pain
7. Broken Heart Heroin Man
8. Meowing at the Fridge
9. John Gar See Ya Later
10. The Balled of Tom Stones and Reg Montagne (Part 1)
11. The Balled of Tom Stones and Reg Montagne (Part 2)

The Review:

Gurt is a four piece metal band from London, UK. Their new full length album is called “Skullossus” and it is set to be released on May 1st, 2017. Gurt is a self proclaimed “party doom” band but based on this album alone (it is all I know of the band), I would have to somewhat disagree with that categorization. While it is true that everyone loves a good party and that this album gives off an air of playfulness and sleaze with its song titles, sound, and lyrics, to my ears, there seems to be only slight traces of doom to be found within this volume of their music. Instead, the sounds I hear on it are more like a mix of Black Breath, Pungent Stench, and Clutch; bands that are not very doomy but bands that most metal heads hold in high regard nonetheless. Subgenre classifications be damned - let’s get down to business…. 

The album opens with a short intro track called “Welcome to the Shit Show,” which consists of a cryptic spoken word message that warns of the end of the human race as we know it over what seems to be some type of warping carnival organ notes setting the stage for what is to follow. Shortly thereafter, the recording kicks off the embarkment with a boot stomper called “Gimme the Night, any Day.” This tune initiates their heavy buzzsaw sound and begins with a sludgy pounding groove before a middle section breakdown gives way to a storm of phasers that eventually leads us to a flurry of tortured screams and grim chords which sound like they could have been pulled right from a classic Swedish death metal album. This is a great, no nonsense opener to get the album rolling off to a good start. 

Third track, “Battlepants,” is a rock solid death march loaded with nothing but slam, stomp, and pound, that will pulverize your speakers in a militarized procession for the entire duration of the song. Some eerie and haunting background vocals in the post-chorus part are a very nice touch and give the song that little extra something to show us that Gurt is not just another one-dimensional, ugly face. Fourth song, “Double Barreled Shot-pun,” is another stone-faced groover of classic rock and roll revolutionary riffs. This one, however, has a bit more of a bouncy 80s crossover feel. Being a child of the 80s myself, the song quickly got my blood pumping and my feet tapping with its permeating rhythm. The fifth track, “The Crotch Wobbler,” has a sexy and seductive saunter to it. It is chock full of big stoner rock riffs and I can definitely hear this one being played at numerous strip clubs in the Southern and Midwestern United States as some freckled farmer’s daughter butters your corn cob amidst a back drop of soiled Confederate flags.

Sixth track, “Existence is Pain,” is a playful little instrumental number, almost Primus-like in its funk and silliness. It also comes complete with a cameo appearance by none other than MTV stars, Beavis and Butt-Head to end the song. The track may seem a bit out of place, stuck in the middle of all these heavy ragers but fuck it - this is art and the artist is free to express themselves any way they choose. I salute the band for flying their freak flag high and letting everyone know that they don’t take themselves too seriously. Honestly, to me it’s a breath of fresh air in today’s modern metal climate, especially for a band this heavy. Rolling right along to the seventh track; “Broken Heart Heroin Man,” is a raging, straightforward punk blast that will blow your hat off as it stays in high gear energy for the entire eighty-three seconds of its duration. “Meowing at the Fridge” is a thick and chunky, slow to mid-tempo chugger. The vocalist really gets guttural on this one as he croaks, bellows, and screams his way through almost the entire four minutes of the song.  “John Gar See Ya Later” is another straightforward riff rocker with an extremely catchy chorus which I found myself inadvertently humming after the first listen. Its dominating chorus coupled with a funky and psychedelic middle section featuring some tasteful soloing by both guitar and saxophone making this one a unique and interesting stand out track of the album for me. Tenth track, “The Balled of Tom Stones and Reg Montagne (Pt. 1),” is where we finally get the doom side out of Gurt; death-doom to be more exact. The song is suffocatingly heavy with moroseness, and serves as another nod to classic Swedish death metal.

The closing track, “The Balled of Tom Stones and Reg Montagne (Pt. 2),” consists of little more than some faint gypsy music set to a background of howling winds and is an interesting way to bring the album to a close. It is the final brick in the shit house and brings to light yet another side of the band’s many faces. Although the heart and soul of “Skullossus” proves to be straightforward, lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek, rocking songs, the band also has many other distinctive sounds and quite a bit of depth when they feel like showing it off to us. Many fragmented bits and pieces of death metal, doom, punk, sludge, thrash, stoner, and funk also make their way into the album’s well rounded repertoire. I really enjoyed “Skullossus” and although many others may already be familiar with Gurt as they’ve apparently been touring and releasing material for the past seven years, I was not previously familiar with the band and I’m glad I was given the chance to review their newest offering and become enlightened. This is some quality music that draws from many influences and I feel any metal fan should be able to enjoy it…. possibly even as the soundtrack to their next doom party.

“Skullossus” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

TRACK PREMIERE: Self proclaimed party doomers Gurt deliver new jams with "John Gar See Ya Later"

GURT are proud to announce the release of their sophomore album "SKULLOSSUS", which shall see the light of day on May 1st, 2017 via When Planets Collide.

In true GURT style this album is an absolute colossal record and once again raises the bar for their extremely unique form of 'Party Doom', (is that a thing) anyways never mind genre stereotypes.  Up until now the band have never fully realised their potential  and truly expressed the full extent of their wide range of influences.  On their new album “SKULLOSUS”, this collection of 11 tracks encapsulates perfectly how they differ from every other band on the current UK DIY scene! Created over a week long period at 'Titan Studios' in Watford and crafted under the watchful eye of Producer Steve Sears and Co-Producer Tony Nigelson these songs feature a variety of big riffs, memorable hooks, massive choruses and some special guests too!

When Planets Collide is also proud to present a tour of mammoth proportions, bringing together not only GURT but San Francisco Doom Metal trio BRUME who venture to UK soil for the first time. But today we’re focusing on GURT and it gives us great pleasure to debut a brand new and exclusive track for your lugholes in the form of “John Gar See Ya Later” which you can stream in full below.  If you dig what you here, the album “SKULLOSUS” is available in a variety of formats and you can preorder a copy here

Live Rituals:

Saturday 22nd April - SOUTHAMPTON Firehouse

Sunday 23rd April - BRISTOL Stag and Hounds

Monday 24th April - WEYMOUTH Finn's

Tuesday 25th April - MANCHESTER Rebellion

Wednesday 26th April - COVENTRY Phoenix

Saturday 29th April - DESERTFEST (***BRUME ONLY***)http://www.desertfest.co.uk/

Band info: facebook

The Sludgelord Presents: Riff Fest, August 29th @ The Alma Inn, Bolton (UK)

“With Riff Fest every band has been booked because we love them and believe in them. As long as the band has got a heavy, catchy riff then it’s cool. I’m very keen to stress, that all these bands could headline the event in our eyes.” – Adam Swarbrick

It’s a Sunday evening and, with a belly fun of ale, lager or whatever devilish nectar is your poison, the friendly debates shift into gear. Enthusiastic shouts of ‘that’s the best riff ever’ and ‘why aren’t that band bigger than they are, their new EP is killer’ and so on reverberate in the pub as dusk draws in.

We all love heavy music and the encompassing scene – indeed, the fact you are even reading this solidifies that notion – but for Adam Swarbick and Jim MacGranthin, the general manager of Bolton’s metallic watering hole The Alma Inn, love wasn’t enough:

“We were sat in the pub talking about the bands we love, great gigs, riffs and so on, as I’m sure we all do. I remember thinking ‘dude, let’s put everything we can into putting on the best show we can’. We planned the first Riff Fest [in 2014] about 9 months in advance, the idea being we’d have more chance of securing all the bands we wanted, being so far in advance. So we got to work, got a pen and paper, and wrote down all our favourite bands from across the UK, fortunately everyone said yes!”

Now preparing to launch its second edition of the festival – a free entry one-dayer featuring some heavy arse and frankly brilliant bands – the event can build on recent success seen around the country. From Desertfest’s continual growth and expansion to Red Sun in Cardiff, Yorkshire Riffer in Leeds and beyond, the scene is in absolute rude health right now. With a large contingent of this year’s line up being local to Manchester and the North West – Ten Foot Wizard, Nomad, Boss Keloid, Eyesaw, Pist, Barbarian Hermit, Mower, Arke & The Hicks – it promises to be a celebration of our area’s finest bludgeonings. That is, of course, alongside the unapologetic stomp of Gurt, Slabdragger and Raging Speedhorn, Trippy Wicked’s…erm…trippy wickedness and more.

So, with such a great line up, why are we allowed in for fuck all?

“I get asked a lot about this,” explains Swarbrick. “It was one of the first things we discussed, it being free. Unfortunately, myself and Jim have, in the past worked really hard to bring good bands here. Depressingly we realised a lot of folk were put off by a meagre entrance fee. So we thought, ‘fuck it! We’ll do it free’ so as to give people no excuse not to attend. We’re very keen on Riff Fest having a party vibe. I think all attendee’s from last year can attest to that. It was utterly rammed.

“The North West has always been a very active hive of great, passionate, hard-working bands. We will always keep local bands on. It’s so important to give the local bands a platform to display themselves on. Mower were first on last year, a relatively new band then. A year on and a lot of people are talking about them and rightly so.”

On the current blossoming of ‘stoner/doom’ festivals across the UK, Adam was quick to wax lyrical about the latest of these, Red Sun. “Red Sun blew me away and I made sure to personally congratulate the guys. They’d worked so hard on creating an independent festival. They succeeded.

“The scene is in good shape, although I must admit personally, I’m not a fan of the term ‘stoner/doom’, I think it covers such a broad spectrum now. In fact I think that’s why we called it something as simple as ‘Riff Fest’ rather than something more specific. As long as the band has got a heavy, catchy riff then it’s cool. We really wanted to book this solo artist on a steel guitar with a slide last year, so we’re quite open to bands style’s when booking. There really is a good support now; it doesn’t seem to be a flash in the pan either, which is obviously great. As long as we all (bands, fans, promoters) keep the faith, we’ll be here for a long time yet.

Obviously, from the punter/media angle, we only see the glory; the beers, the belting bands and the unforgettable, albeit blurry, memories. So what are the biggest challenges of putting on an event like Riff Fest?

“Easy. The running order! Sometimes you go to a gig, and let’s face it, sometimes bands are billed in terms of popularity/how well established they are/how ‘good’ they are. With Riff Fest every band has been booked because we love them and believe in them. I’m very keen to stress, that all these bands could headline the event in our eyes.

And finally, what are the biggest rewards and personally, who are you most looking forward to about this year's event?

“It sounds cheesy, but simply everyone having a great time. It’s coming up 12 months since the last one, people still say ‘dude that was the best day of last year.’ Many people still talk about it, and also how excited they are for this year’s. So that’s all the reward we could ask for.

“Just look at the line-up, it’s gold!”

Words: Phil Weller

For more information:

Facebook event - https://www.facebook.com/events/1544541289134935/

GURT - D.I,Y.M.C.A. (EP Review)

Album Type: EP

Date Released: April 1^st 2015

Label: When Planets Collide

D.I.Y.M.C.A. - Track Listing

1. 8 out of 10 Cunts

2. Scrump

3. Scornmower

4. Baggy Trousers

Members:

Gareth Kelly - Growth - Mouth.

Rich Williams - Sedulurt - Riffmonster.

Dave Blakemore - Spice - Bassmaster.

Bill Jacobs - The Scorpion - Bashing.

Bio/EP Info

GURT have had the year of all years since the the release of their debut, having completed their first ever full Euro tour, destroying Bloodstock, crushing Hammerfest, and supporting 2 of their greatest influences Red Fang and Weedeater... but as always no relaxing has been done and the hard work has continued and less than a year since HORRENDOSAURUS comes their brand new release...

Punk + Party = D.I.Y.M.C.A. the brand spanking new EP from London’s filthiest party-doom bastards GURT!

A crushingly destructive combination of DIY punk attitude smashed together with a love for all things groove driven, these 4 songs are the perfect follow up to their epic debut HORRENDOSAURUS. Full of crushing riffs, groovy swagger and beastly vocals, these 4 songs are destined to become live favourites as they are unleashed on their upcoming UK tour.

Once again here to remind you that this is not sludge, this is not doom, this is GURT!!

Review:

London Sludge/Stoner Heavyweights - GURT - return with a surprise EP released on April 1st 2015 - April Fools Day. Yeah those sneaky fuckers sprung this EP on me very early on and here's my review of D.I.Y.M.C.A. As you can see the bands childish sense of humour is there for everyone to see. From the marvellous EP title and another joke is the band on the EP cover for D.I.Y.M.C.A.. Some people may have to ask their parents or grandparents what the joke is. Check out YMCA on YouTube if you need further help.

Don't worry as the rest of D.I.Y.M.C.A.doesn't feature any Disco/High Energy Pop jinks as GURT are here to play their style of heavy bruising Sludge/Stoner Metal riffs. First track - 8 Out Of 10 Cunts - feels like a number from their last superb album - Horrendosaurus. So nothing much has changed. GURT still live in the same violent and heavy world they always have but it's still a great number to immerse yourself with. Gareth's vocals are impressive as ever. They're more of the same Death based Grunt styles but at least their vocals you can easily understand. 8 out of 10 Cunts is another strong track from GURT for long-time fans to enjoy.

Second track - Scrump - is the EP's heaviest offering as GURT offer 6 mins of intense riffs and hardcore vocals that has a slight EHG vibe for good measure. When the band unleashes a blend of fast paced riffs towards the middle of the song, you can see why these guys are highly regarded within the Sludge/Stoner Metal scene. The instrumental work is the main selling point here and business is good for GURT especially when they start adding a distinctive Hard Rock/Blues Rock vibe.

Third track - Scornmower - is another epic offering from the band lasting 7 minutes. Though from the sound of it you would think GURT were playing a grindcore style song that will be over in 90 seconds or so. Not so as this is where GURT impressed me the most as they've managed to create different ideas to match the mood of the music. One minute - GURT play very fast and the next they play slower Hard Rock moments with familiar menacing brutal Sludge Metal riffs starting to appear as time goes by.

GURT next song will delight and confuse many folks though it gives GURT a chance to show people they actually do have a wicked sense of humour. As the last song is a cover of Legendary UK Ska/Pop Band - Madness - classic track - Baggy Trousers. It's too GURT's credit they make the song sound so familiar and so very different at the same time. If you're a fan of this song wait until you hear GURT's take on this. It has a disturbing seedy appeal to it compared to the upbeat pop original. Gareth does his best - Suggs gone Death/Sludge Metal impression with the vocals.

If GURT decide to play this track on their forthcoming UK tour then I can't wait to see the videos on YouTube. Mainly to see what the audience’s reaction will be. A crazy out of control moshpit jostling and jousting to Baggy Trousers. Maybe it's another elaborate joke from GURT for people to become part of the action. Let's wait and see. D.I.Y.M.C.A.is an excellent EP that will only enhance GURT's growing reputation. Highly Recommended.

You can buy D.I.Y.M.C.A. from When Planets Collide now. Thanks to Gareth for the promo.

Words by Steve Howe

For More Information

Official | Facebook | BandCamp

Interview with GURT

I should of interviewed today's guests a long time ago as they have been one of the finest bands within the UK Sludge/Doom Metal scene over the last few years.

They have released a few EP's which has won them some acclaim with fans and critics alike. But it's their eagerly awaited debut album – HORRENDOSAURUS – which is going to take these filth ridden noise terrorists onto the next level. As HORRENDOSAURUS is pure evil. Plain and simple. Plus it's a brilliant debut album that has impressed the hell out of us here at Sludgelord HQ.

Ladies and Gentlemen, It's my honour to be interviewing GURT. You need more info. OK how about a quick recap of my review of HORRENDOSAURUS.

“HORRENDOSAURUS has a killer charm of it's own. GURT stay loud through out the entire album so you don't have to worry of there being a “LIGHTER/MOBILE IN THE AIR” type song as that ain't GURT's style. The band stay pissed off through out as they unleash a barrage of brutal songs to rock out to. Tracks such as Horrendosaurus, Eve's Droppings and Hoboreaper have a constant supply of dangerous riffs which the band expertly delivers time and time again.

If Gareth isn't scaring the hell out of you with his impressive death based growls then the action packed riffage the band lay down will have you begging for more. This is one hell of an impressive debut album. I haven't stopped listening to it since I received a copy to review.

This album is meant to be played as loud as you can. Who gives a fuck if it upsets your neighbours. Tell em you're partying with GURT and their monster of a record called HORRENDOSAURUS. And they ain't fucking invited. If the afterlife does indeed sound like this then I may never want to leave!!!!”

You will be hearing a lot more from GURT over the next few months as with their debut album release they are supporting Canadian Doom/Sludge Metal overlords – DOPETHRONE. Now that is going to be one hell of a fucking line-up. You can feel the pain now!!!

Anyway this is GURT's time. So lets get started.

Q1 – Hi guys. Thanks for doing this. How are things with you all today.

Busy, stressed but excited! Lots to do yet a load more to look forward to over the coming months!

Q2 – Can you tell our readers a brief history on how the band started and where it is today.

To keep it very brief we started in 2010 with a different line up, our original Guitarist Jamie McCathie and Bassist John Hughes now live abroad but the 4 of us created the band as we all like Iron Monkey and wanted to do something new (all but Gareth were previously in a blues rock band called ROWSE) Rich and Spicy joined the band in 2012 and have been awesome ever since. We have all been friends since the beginning and although we have Jamie based in America now he still is a big part of the band and helps with our writing process and we were lucky enough last year to play a show with him and Rich in Paris so we hope to do more work in the future with both guitarists but as you can guess the trans Atlantic thing does not help much! We also have Bill Jacobs (of Diesel King) that helps us out on drums now and then so he is also part of the GURT family too…

Q3 – So. How would you describe your sound. You must be sick of me calling you Doom/Sludge Metal. Or is that a pretty accurate term for you all.

That is probably best, we are most definitely a Sludge band but we have a vast range of influences, someone once referred to us as PARTY DOOM which we liked the sound of. We consider ourselves a bit more upbeat and fun compared to most of our peers so that what we most want to be known for!

Q4 – How did you all become involved with music.

Rich, Simo and Spicy all have a history of being in other bands over the years and have played instruments for many many years where as Gareth has blagged it…

Q5 – Why the name GURT. Any specific meaning behind it.

Yes, simple meaning really… it’s a Bristolian slang term for MASSIVE or GREAT!!!

It’s not all the other stupid meanings that’s you see on Urban Dictionary.

Q6 – So lets get talking about your new album. HORRENDOSARUS. What a brilliant album it is. Was it a hard or easy album to write and record for.

Writing is fairly easy for us in that we are all on the same page and nothing is over thought or overcomplicated. So the album came together pretty quick, a riff will be brought to the table and we will all work on it until it something fun is created! We think the worst thing people can do is over work something or try to deliberately write something that is DOOM or SLUDGE as it will be fairly obvious that it is forced. Most of the songs on HORRENDOSAURUS sound so different from each other and that is just how it is, we never intend something to sound a certain way.

Q7 – It's been a long time coming as GURT have released a few EP's over the years. Why the long wait. Plus I bet your glad the album is finally being released upon to the world.

EPs cost a lot less to produce and we do everything ourselves so it’s that simple really. We are more bothered on getting stuff out quickly but we felt it was about time we did a full length and we worked hard on ensuring we had the money to put out the best release we could, so its feels amazing to know we achieved what we could for ourselves. We just hope the rest of you like it too!

Q8 – What is the overall concept of the album for people that haven't heard it. As it's one mean angry pissed off album. I love the first track - “Gardening with Cthulhu”. That insane speech. WOW. Where did you find that soundclip.

For me (Gareth) lyrically it’s a collection of songs about angry and nasty things or situations but done in as fun a way as possible so I guess that is a concept in a way. Gardening with Cthulhu is literally about gardening but put together in such a way that it sounds like some bleak end of the world situation from which no one can escape, but its actually about harvesting a crop of Peas! The sample was found by Simo online from some mental Evangelical dude.

Q9 – Which bands and artists influenced you as musicians. Any particular band or album that stand out.

Everything from the obvious like Weedeater to Sabbath, but the best are the more obscure influences that we have that add a different sound to our band Primus, The Tiger Lillies, Mike Patton, Pink Floyd to name but a few and Gareth is a massive Nu Metal fan which we don’t talk about much!

Q10 – Love the album cover. Who designed the cover and how much input did you have with overall design.

The legend that is Dominic Sohor is the man that did our cover, we have worked with him on 2 of our best selling shirts (one of which was a limited design for Desertfest 2013) and we have noticed that a lot of other bands in our scene have started going to him now for work to be done, watch out as he is getting a lot more work in and we really expect him to get very big as his work is so amazingly detailed and he works damn hard too! We have as much input as we want into what it looks like but we trust him 100% to come up with something awesome so we leave him to it.

Q11 – What is the song-writing process in the band. Is it down to one individual or is it a group collective.

Always collectively, everyone has their say and if we don’t all agree it gets scrapped.

Q12 – How big of a help has BandCamp and the Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal community been in promoting your music.

Massively, as we are DIY all the way sites like Bandcamp allow us to look after our own back catalogue and control all the funds (if any) that we get from putting our material out there. As for the community, everyone helps each other out and that is vital from the larger London promoters like Desertscene and Human disease who we have been good friends with for a fair few years to the newer breed like the Southern Doom Crew in Bournemouth or Submerge and FOAD in Manchester we all keep in contact and we all help each other in ensuring the scene (and our music) thrives the best way it can!

Q13 – What is your verdict on the current state of the UK Sludge/Doom/Stoner Metal scene. It has been thriving over the last few years. Can you see this continuing or do you see a natural decline when you're performing gigs at home or on the road.

Its beyond amazing and only going to get bigger if everyone works together, the bands like ourselves that have been around for a few years are now getting friends in Europe and beyond which is opening the doors to more exciting areas so if it carries on this way we can’t see it declining anytime soon.

Q14 – Gareth. More a question for you. The album is being released on your own label. When Planets Collide. How did you get started with that. The Label and PR Side of things. As you have released a ton of records by other bands this year. Plus is it a hard task combining your work with the label and the band.

When I started WPC it was (and still is) a way of giving newer bands a chance to play gigs with other like minded bands and help make the community grow. So the label I started with exactly the same ethos, obviously it was there to help GURT grow as a band too but bands that are starting out don’t have much support so I hope that a label like mine can give bands a hand with getting their material to an audience that’s knows that they are likely to enjoy what they hear. BUT yes it is VERY hard work and I can see myself having a nervous breakdown in the next few years ha ha!! I love it and would not change it for the world but work a 9-5 day job so ideally it would be nice to put all my effort into the band and label. But I guess thats the dream for everyone right?

Q15 – What is your musical set-up when playing live or recording your music. Any hints and tips would you like to give to the budding musicians out there.

Guitar, Bass, Drums and Vocals? Keep it simple and don’t overcomplicate things!

Q16 – We are massive Vinyl Heads here at Sludgelord. Are you vinyl fans yourselves.

Yes very much so and Gareth and Rich in particular spend way too much money on buying vinyl … but with pressing vinyl comes a lot of stress!

We have already had a 7 inch split with Dopefight out which is now long sold out and have the album out on vinyl too so can’t wait to get that in our hands!!

Q17 – Do you guys perform a lot of gigs in your home town or do you have to travel further afield to perform regularly.

We play a fair few shows in London but we are lucky enough to have played in many other towns and cities in the UK and Europe and obviously we have this 21 date tour coming up! We have more plans to do longer tours with our first full UK tour being planned for early 2015.

Q18 – Plus you have a European Tour supporting DOPETHRONE coming up. How did that come about. And what can people expect from those shows when they see you live in action.

We played a show in Paris last year for Stoned Gatherings and the promoter is also a booking agent (Dead Pig Booking) he loved what we do and we got on well so he has come on board as our European booking agent and literally a couple of weeks after the show he offered us this, as you can guess we were well up for it! With this being our first time in many new cities we are going above and beyond with these guys getting to be the first to see songs from our new album being played live, its going to be MEGA!

Q19 – What is your verdict on the whole crowd-funding scene. Where bands ask fans to fund their next album. Are you a fan of that platform. Would yourselves ever go down this route.

It’s very funny you should ask this question as we were very very close to actually using Pledge music to fund this album, with us being unsigned and DIY we thought it would be a great idea but when we worked out the math (they take 15% commission for doing very little) we thought it may be a risk but should we just put up the money ourselves and hope that we get enough pre-orders from our fans to mean that we don’t have to lose too much money before it is released. And fortunately for us IT WORKED!! We have had an overwhelming response and because of the various options we had on our bigcartel we made more than enough money to cover everything and for that we can’t thank our fans enough…

Q20 – If you could give any advice to someone wanting to start a band. What would it be.

Be patient, work hard and do everything yourself!! DIY FOR LIFE!!!

Q21 – The last thing before you go, Do you have anything else to say to your fans.

Thank you for the support, thank you for helping us release this album into the world, Come see us on tour, buy some merch and say hi!

Well guys. Thanks for doing this. All the best with HORRENDOSAURUS and the forthcoming tour with DOPETHRONE.

HORRENDOSAURUS will be available to buy from When Planets Collide Records on CD/DD/Vinyl from June 09^th 2014.

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Written by Steve Howe