ALBUM REVIEW: Firebreather - "Firebreather"

By: David Jupp

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 13/10/2017

Label: Suicide Records

Firebreather switch between galloped bludgeon, half-time bang and once Mattias Nööjd detonates the riff bombs, unsurprisingly, big ol’ horns occur

“Firebreather” CD//CS//DD//LP track listing:

1). Fire Foretold

2). Emerald Eyes

3). The Ice Lord

4). Release The Lava

The Review:

The manner in which you discover music is important, especially in this era of faceless Spotify playlists and algorithmic recommendations. Through these new channels the romance of discovering a killer band has sadly, to an extent been lost. Be it via a friend lending you his copy of a debut record or perhaps stumbling across a hungry support act at a show, the process of your introduction to music can often amplify your attachment to it.

For me, with Swedish sludge duo Galvano, it was the later. To be specific it was Desertfest 2015 and I was in the Black Heart killing time before Orange Goblin. I noticed a steady stream of beards heading upstairs to the small stage and figured I would see what all the fuss was about. What I was met with at the top of those stairs, was 40 minutes of the best sludge metal I had heard in years. It was brutal of course, but more importantly it was considered, intricate and progressive.

Galvano were a few weeks’ shy of releasing their sophomore triumph ‘Trail of the Serpent.’ So accidentally seeing a band perform, at their zenith, with such a juggernaut of sound was not only exciting but something special. After the show, I legged it to the merch-desk and parted ways with fifteen quid for a distinctly underwhelming and wonkily printed band-tee. This is a testament to how good that show was.

Fast forward almost year and I’ve devoured both ‘Two Titans’ and ‘Trail of the Serpent.’ Galvano are now firmly one of my favourite bands, but there is a deafening silence coming from their camp. Suddenly singer/guitarist Mattias Nööjd announces his new band ‘Firebreather’ and I’m not going to lie, I was gutted. I know it sounds adolescent, but because I had spontaneously followed that beard-highway to the dark, Galvano were my band, they were gone and I couldn’t believe it. I had only seen them once. So, over a year on, it is with trepidation and a hint of sadness that I approach Firebreather’s self-titled debut.

‘Fire Fortold’ stirs with blowing winds and a full-fat bass stagger. Seconds later Mattias Nööjd detonates the riff bomb and unsurprisingly, big ol’ horns occur. After another weighty tease from Kyle Pitcher’s bass, Tommy Hanning sets drums to flay and Nööjd’s guttural yell pounds into view. For the next seven minutes Firebreather proceed to switch between galloped bludgeon, half-time bang and most encouragingly, for any fellow Galvano fans still in mourning, interesting guitar interludes. Track one is an absolute rager.

‘Emerald Eyes’ opens with Pitcher and Hanning marinating in a low-end batter. Nööjd rapidly storms in with a descending riff that ominously misses the mark, luckily the verse makes a driving entrance and horns are restored. As the song reaches its peak Nööjd deploys one of his trademark guitar-runs and again the Galvano grief subsides. It’s this ear for melody in the fray that made ‘Trail of the Serpent’ such a brilliant record and Nööjd such an impressive guitarist. Whilst it seems like the proggier arrangements from his previous band have been replaced with a more direct approach, it is Nööjd’s ability to inject emotion as well as epicness into a song that set Galvano, and now seemingly Firebreather, apart. As ‘Emerald Eyes’ hits its sixth minute a flicker of musical familiarity kindles in the ear which I will come to later.

Lead single ‘The Ice Lord’ opens with Nööjd’s guitar hammer-on pulling at the reigns. Moments later Pitcher and Hanning’s rhythm-centaur breaks free and the albums stand-out beast hurtles forward. In a genre where tales of war and mythology are so often told, it requires a certain standard of song to not induce eye-rolls. Fortunately, the pace and pummel across ‘The Ice Lord’s six minutes is just outstanding. At minute four as the song flanks left, a slower interlude sees Nööjd roar ‘the oldest vision from this mountain, the eyes fill up the sky, a reign of blood.’ Just as Galvano knew how to accentuate their heft with the contrast of slow builds so do Firebreather and this ancient imagery sits perfectly in such a titanic outro.

Until now Firebreather have taken a more even and direct approach to arrangement so album closer ‘Release the Lava’s sprawling lurch and climb is a welcome about face. In the songs final third Nööjd’s melodic runs rear their head again, only this time they’re accompanied by Hanning’s nomadic slag-bass. The song forges home on a thunder of half-time riffs, like a fatally wounded warrior desperate to outlast the beast. Adam Burke’s stellar artwork is particularly apt here.

Perhaps it is the romance of not knowing what awaited me atop those stairs back in 2015, or maybe it’s the marauding arrangements Galvano affixed to their riffs. But for whatever reason I had never noticed the striking similarity between Mattias Nööjd and Matt Pikes’ vocal. Much like Matt Bellamy of Muse’s breathing, it is something that once heard, is impossible to forget, and it’s only accentuated by Nööjd’s narrowing of the space between Firebreather and High on Fire’s sound. The question is if it matters?

For me that aspect of familiarity glimmers throughout the record but at no point does it feel like pale imitation. I can imagine that this is an issue that will be ignored or emphasised by previous exposure to Galvano. Firstly, any comparisons to High on Fire are always a compliment but more importantly for the Galvano fans amongst us, it is their ghost that flickers in the heart of this record. Luckily, it just a flicker as Firebreather’s debut bludgeons to its own beat.

I am sure that somewhere soon, a riff-nerd will look up from his beer and instinctively follow the beards. Up the stairs, into the darkness and on, to a killer new band: Firebreather.

“Firebreather” is available here

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Vokonis - "The Sunken Djinn"

By: David Jupp

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 09/06/2017

Label: Ripple Music

Whilst being undoubtedly heavy what makes this sophomore effort stand out is the variation employed in the bludgeon. By embracing less traditional doom landscapes ‘The Sunken Djinn’ has allowed Vokonis room to demonstrate the full raft of their audio-weaponry, and in doing so propelled them to the forefront of the heavy underground.

“The Sunken Djinn” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). The Sunken Djinn

2). Calling From The Core

3). The Coldest Night

4). Blood Vortex

5). Architect Of Despair

6). Rapturous

7). Maelstroem

The Review:

Ripple Music is a label in the midst of a purple patch. With both Steak and Mothership releasing standout records in recent months, so it begs the question, can Vokonis make it three in a row? As some biblical dude definitely once said: ‘asketh of the sludge gods and you shall receive.’ Well ask I did, and the reply that poured forth was 40 minutes of crafted, brutal and more importantly, interesting sludge-metal.

It has only been one solitary year since Swedish trio Vokonis dropped their debut long-player ‘Olde One Ascending.’ Hewn from the same doomy bedrock as genre titans Sleep, and with Iommi’s influence looming large, the record is about as strong a rebrand as is possible. Having previously released a well-received EP ‘Temple’ under the moniker Creedsmen Arise, the band became embroiled in a legal dispute over the name. Well what better way to stick it to the lesser ‘Creedsmen’ than with six psych-tinged bangers?

Album two ‘The Sunken Djinn’ ignites with its title track. Wasting no time, Vokonis drop the hammer in minute one. A half-time beast of a riff marshals in Simon’s trademark yell and Vokonis are back, the beast has risen. At minute four however, things get a little proggy. The first act gives way to a short meditative interlude, not to fear though the doom soon returns and Simon’s excellent lead-work takes centre-stage. The song closes out in epic fashion with a rousing call: ‘carry on into the sun…’ By the end of only the first cut it becomes clear that Vokonis have refocused their sound. Moving away from Sleep’s more traditional church of doom the band have steered their ship into sludgier, more progressive waters.

Next up is ‘Calling From The Core.’ Along with five of the seven songs on the record, it comes in at over six minutes long. Vokonis make the most of every second of the extended track-length. A slow build of restrained guitars and scattered toms explode into a crushing driven chorus.  Similarly to the title track the rage is then whittled down to another contemplative build with hints of Toronto sludge-stalwarts, Pyres. Having caught its breath momentarily the song then hurtles to a close on a platform of vocal harmony and articulate lead-work.

Jonte’s outrageous bass tone initiates the trudging dirge of track three, ‘The Coldest Night.’  The song proceeds to haul itself through 5 minutes of sumptuous down-tempo sludge before delivering the heaviest moment of the record. Up until now the production has been typical of Ripple Music’s recent output, thick, warm and clear. But as the outro veers into earshot the guitar tone should just plain be illegal. The weight on show here would rival even Black Breath’s work and as Simon’s descending riffs collapse into a forceful chug, Jonte’s bass provides a sopping sub-hertz bookend.

‘Blood Vortex’ follows and serves as a quick-paced more traditional precursor to the sprawling masterpiece to come. ‘Architects of Despair’ takes in a chugging battle cry, emotive guitars leads and best of all some kind of cymbal/lead-pipe outro. Again more contemporary influences swim beneath the surface with evocations of “Red” era Baroness and early Galvano.

‘Rapturous’ employs a similar template and again Emil’s monstrous tom-work propels the song to juggernaut status. Like a dying beast wheezing its final breath after the battle, “Maelstrom”’s three minutes of white noise and distant drums are an apt curtain call to an outstanding second record

The craft that afforded Vokonis such acclaim on their debut has been refined and renewed. Whilst being undoubtedly heavy what makes this sophomore effort stand out is the variation employed in the bludgeon. By embracing less traditional doom landscapes ‘The Sunken Djinn’ has allowed Vokonis room to demonstrate the full raft of their audio-weaponry, and in doing so propelled them to the forefront of the heavy underground.

“The Sunken Djinn” is available preorder/buy here

Band info: Facebook || Bandcamp

The Sludgelord Sour 16 for May 2015

Welcome to The Sludgelord’s Sour 16. Each month, you the reader are unwittingly compiling a list of the top 16 records of the month, covering all genres of metal, but predominately the best the doom, sludge, stoner-psychedelic genres have to offer.

Is it chart? Not really.  It is merely the 16 records you guys have been most interested in over the last month and you have been checking out on this very page.

Our idea for this thing was to turn the power over to you guys, yes it would be easy for us to choose our favourite records of the months, however it is you the reader, the fans that support these bands, buy their records and attend their shows.  So here is the The Sludgelord Sour 16 for May 2015, the 16 records you’re most looking forward too or are currently checking out.  Check em out, spread the word and perhaps revisit some records you may have overlooked.  

The results are compiled based on page views alone and calibrated into the list below. So without further ado, this is the Sour 16. So until next month, roll up, kick back, chug a beer and Hail the riff! All review links, are held under the artwork.   

16) =    Space Metal – ‘Space Metal’ (260)

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/space-metal-st-album-review.html

The Exploding Eyes Orchestra – ‘I’

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-exploding-eyes-orchestra-i-album.html

14).      Ten Foot Wizard – Sleeping ‘Volcano’ (279)

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/ten-foot-wizard-sleeping-volcanoes.html

13) =    Feral - ‘Where Dead Dreams Dwell’ (280)

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/feral-where-dead-dreams-dwell-album.html

Weedeater – ‘Goliathan’

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/weedeater-goliathan-album-review.html

11).      Galvano – ‘Trail of the Serpents’ (318)

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/galvano-trail-of-serpent-album-review.html

10).      Demon Head – ‘Ride the Wilderness’ (326)

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/demon-head-ride-wilderness-album-review.html

9).        Obsequiae – ‘Aria of Tombs’ (329)

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/obsequiae-aria-of-vernal-tombs-album.html

8).        Arcturus – ‘Arcturian’ (378)

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/arcturus-arcturian-album-review.html

7).        Demon Eye – ‘Tempora Infernalia’ (409)

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/demon-eye-tempora-infernalia.html

6).        Cult Leader – ‘Useless Animal’ (421)

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/cult-leader-uselss-animal-ep-review.html

5).        Sun & Sail Club – ‘The Great White Dope’ (454)

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/sun-and-sail-club-great-white-dope.html

4).        Entrails – ‘Obliteration’ (478)

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/entrails-obliteraton-album-review.html

3).        Mutoid Man – ‘Bleeder’ (672)

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/mutoid-man-bleeder-album-review.html

2).        My Sleeping Karma – ‘Muksha’ (758)

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/my-sleeping-karma-moksha-album-review.html

1).        Paradise Lost – ‘The Plague Within’ (1322)

Review: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2015/05/paradise-lost-plague-within-album-review.html

GALVANO - Trail Of The Serpent (Album Review)

Album Type: EP

Date Released: May 25^th 2015

Label: Candlelight Records

Trail Of The Serpent - Track Listing:

1.The Gathering

2.Following the Trail

3.Stench Of Prey

4.Driven Snow

Members:

Mattias Nööjd - Guitars/Vocals

Fredrik Käll – Drums

Bio:

From the deepest, nastiest recesses of Gothenburg comes crushing Swedish sludge duo Galvano. Now comprising Mattias Nööjd (guitars/vocals) and Fredrik Käll (drums), Galvano originally started out as a three-piece in 2005. Within two years a demo was released and live shows played.

Galvano embarked on their first mini tour in 2010 visiting Denmark and a set of German cities. That same year the band were asked to feature on a split so they went into the studio and recorded the epic single “The Librarian” which was mixed and mastered by the legendary Billy Anderson (Orange Goblin, Cathedral, Eyehategod). This was released as a 10” in 2011 on SM Musik from Leipzig, Germany. The release was then followed up by a full European tour.

After this tour the band said goodbye to their fourth bass player and decided to move on as a duo. Early in 2012 they teamed up with UK based label Devouter Records for the release of their debut full-length album “Two Titans”. The album was released on December 5th and was very well received by both fans and media.

Since then the band has played over 35 shows during several European tours including UK and Ireland and are confirmed to play this year’s Desertfest in Camden, London.

Review:

One spin of “Trail of the Serpent” was enough to add Galvano to my list of reasons (alongside Floor, Minsk and Black Cobra) why I should have gone to Desertfest last weekend. In recent times I’ve come to associate heavy bands from Sweden with the retro psyche and doom stylings of Witchcraft and Graveyard but this Gothenburg duo firmly shattered my preconceptions.

Right from the very start of opener “The Gathering”, Galvano let you know what the next 40 minutes is going to be about: a relentless onslaught of weapons-grade riffage. “Trail of the Serpent” consists of four weighty slabs of monolithic riffcraft that bring to mind all that is great in the world of sludge and doom. Imagine High on Fire at their most frenzied, squeezing their entire back catalogue into one album and you wouldn’t be far off the rich tapestry that Galvano weave here. There are also elements of Mastodon’s “Remission” glory days and the progressive crunch of early Baroness Eps.

The number of moments of quiet during this album can be counted on one hand. There are passages of gentle plucked calm reminiscent of Yob in “Following the Trail” and “Stench of Prey” but these merely act as the briefest of palate cleansers before the band roar back into full gear. While volume and distortion is very much to the fore throughout “Trail of the Serpent”, and the torrent of riffs never lets up, it is to Galvano’s credit that this album is always engaging. Each track traverses a number of different moods, tempo changes and subtle dynamic shifts so there is still a sense of light and shade even when everything is turned up to 11. The band also manage to avoid falling into the trap of writing long songs that sound like a number of unrelated ideas strung together under the guise of being progressive.

Everything here melds together perfectly with sections reoccurring and developing as the tracks surge forward.

This is a fine effort from Galvano that has got me kicking myself that I wasn’t aware of them sooner following their “Two Titans” debut back in 2012. Here’s hoping they make it back to the UK soon so that I can make up for lost time and experience this ferocious beast in the live arena.

Words by Charlie Butler

Thanks To Candlelight Records and GALVANO for the album promo. Trail Of The Serpent will be released on CD/DD from Candlelight Records from May 25^th 2015. Vinyl Version will be released by PelagicRecords from June/July 2015.

For More Information

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