Lurk - "Fringe" (Album Review)

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 29/04/2016

Label: Independent

The overall atmosphere is incredibly oppressive and reminiscent of the finest sludge bands, their music kind of operates in a space somewhere between Serpentine Path and Electric Wizard or even Helmet at their most twisted.  Lurk have continued their trajectory with “Fringe”- that is now three great albums in four years. Well worth checking out for something.... different, not to mention very, very heavy

“Fringe” DD track listing:

1). Ostrakismos

2). Tale Blade

3). Reclaim

4). Elan

5). Offshoot

6). Furrow

7). Nether

8). Proteus Syndrome

The Review:

Lurk, Finnish doom/sludge/death/horrible metal music makers return with their third album. Releasing a record steadily every two years so far, the band's self titled debut was excellent. The follow up “Kaldera” was even better. Rest assured, the band have dropped not one notch with the quality material available here. It is creepy and dark- just as the first two albums were. Hooded Menace are the inevitable name check for all dark Finnish bands, but Lurk are nothing like them. Their music kind of operates in a space somewhere between Serpentine Path and Electric Wizard or even Helmet at their most twisted, perhaps.

There are huge riffs on the likes of “Tale Blade”, as well as more melodic but sinister passages. “Reclaim”, however unlikely this may sound, kind of swings in its rolling rhythms. The excellently titled “Elan” casts a hypnotic spell while the cavernous production really lets “Offshoot” rumble. The overall atmosphere is incredibly oppressive and reminiscent of the finest sludge bands- although “Fringe” is not a sludge record, being as there is a lot of doom and death present here too.

“Nether” is perhaps the best example of their style here lots of parts and changes, some huge riffs, some melody here and there, even. “Proteus Syndrome” finishes the record off nicely with a kind of winding down effect towards the end.

Lurk have continued their trajectory with “Fringe”- that is now three great albums in four years. Well worth checking out for something.... different, not to mention very, very heavy. 

“Fringe” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

Lurk - Kaldera (Album Review)

Album Type : Full Length

Date Released : 24/1/2014

Label : Doomentia Records

Kaldera, album track listing :

1. Below Flesh
2. Lorn
3. Ritual
4. 6 Feet, 6 Years
5. Sag Serene
6. Rest Unitaries
7. Cutting
8. Kaldera

Bio :

The four individuals hidden behind that ugly and ferocious monster known as LURK don’t like tags. Not only because it’d make them look as if they were actually looking at other bands for inspiration but also because it’d limit them. Sure thing, the words ‘dark’ and ‘fucking heavy’ are the most common words uttered with both admiration and fear about them, closely followed by ‘doom’, ‘sludge’ and whatever else suggest a form of music that takes a special pride in crushing its listeners until nothing is left but a vulgar mass of mangled flesh. But even more than their self-titled debut album released two years ago on both TOTALRUST (CD version) and SVART (LP version), their new creation ‘Kaldera’ dares taking another step into the unknown…

As they’re saying themselves, over the last two years, strengthened by multiple shows in their native Finland and around their home base of Tampere, they have developed into “a more complex beast, collecting more shades into our palette. The shifting, raw and at times very spontaneous manifestation of musical ideas is still the key, accompanying the determined and slow, crushing sounds of our doom.” Hell, there’s even shades of melody to be found in those dark ruins dedicated to humanity's failure. But first and foremost, what those eight tracks will prove with a hammer is how bloody catchy LURK has become.

Even if they might evoke to some a CROWBAR LP played at the half of its normal speed or maybe the depressing rumblings of ZATOKREV, those are just almost random points as LURK sound like no-one...but LURK. Enter ‘Kaldera’ at your own peril

Review :

Since reviewing the Lurk debut last year, it seems that the band has only gone from strength to strength. Finland is a dark place for much of the year and these Finns seem to have taken that to heart and imbued their music with a certain style of despair.

Doom, Sludge and a little black/death... all those elements are present again; this time with an even more expansive sound. The grooves of  “Below Flesh” are massive and ominous. The sound is thick and weighty. “Lorn” follows with glacial clean guitars and murky bass to start. The mix is murky in the best way for the style and the drums loosely hold the track together with some stylish. I noted the Crowbar influence in the first record, I believe- it is present again here and very welcome it is too.

Some keen dynamics keep things interesting before the gloom of  “Ritual” rears its doom filled head. Loud/quiet dynamics work well here with some serious and sombre guitar lines evoking despair effectively before a more weighty riff takes hold. The song-writing is well honed and shows how the band has tightened since their first record. Even in the seven minutes plus on this track, the band sound focused and unified.

“6 feet, 6 years” has strings, atmospherics and ideas in abundance- again, the sound is expansive and expanded from their first full length and the band seems to be spreading their wings and soaring higher and higher. 

“Sag Serene” sets up quite a groove from the off with gnarly bass and drums combining to lay a bedrock for the quite excellent riff that follows. The vocals are again a highlight- Kirk Windstein and LG Petrov are seemingly combined in one throat that delivers Lurk's message with power.

“Rest Unitaries” uses sinister tones and notation in its intro that sets up a track of creeping paranoia that builds to confusion and rage. “Cutting” features another powerhouse of a riff and delivers the album's shortest and sharpest shock. The track lurches with power and efficiency over its three and a bit minutes of playing time.

  

The title track is saved for last and, sure enough, “Kaldera” is worth the wait. The band flex their muscles over the nine mutes and eleven seconds that finish the record. The riffing is excellent- using weight, dynamics and creepy note patterns to get the point across.

I thoroughly recommend this album for anyone who has ever had any interest in Crowbar, Dragged Into Sunlight, Eyehategod or any of the best sludge/doom/blackened etc. bands that you can name. Atmospheric and creepy and also very, very heavy- Lurk have delivered a superb second album and one that you must hear in 2014... or as soon as you can.

Words by : Richard Maw

You can pre-order here

For more information :

https://www.facebook.com/lurkdoom

http://lurk666.bandcamp.com/

Lurk - 'Lurk' (Album Review)

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 12/1/2012

Label: Total Rust

The riffing is taut and focused – indeed, the guitars throughout the album are a lesson in how variations on a theme make songs. This approach gives the record a unified feel.

‘Lurk’ CD//LP track Listing

1) Soar (07:58)

2) Unfinished (04:10)

3) Codec of Becoming God (05:13)

4) Fire The Blood Sky (04:47)

5) Pitch Beneath Eternity (06:18)

6) Deliverance (08:01)

Lurk is:

M. Reinikainen | Bass

A. Pulkkinen | Guitars, Synths

K. Koskinen  | Vocals 

The Review

The record kicks off with ‘Soar’ which, in a way, the track does. The drums are massive and reverbed with the initial groove being replaced by a massive chugging riff with vocals at the lower end of the register. One of the great things about the record is that the vocals shift up and down in pitch with the music itself. This lends an extra dimension to the songs in a genre which at times can be very singular in its approach. The music thus ebbs and flows over the course of the song. There is quite a lot of light to go with the shade on offer here- and the usage of it is very well constructed.  An almost shuffle type rhythm heralds in ‘Unfinished’. The vocals come straight in and an insistent groove is artfully introduced. The riffing is taut and focused – indeed, the guitars throughout the album are a lesson in how variations on a theme make songs. This approach gives the record a unified feel.

‘Codec of Becoming God’ is segued into from ‘Unfinished’. More great grooves here- the vocals are even almost hooky although the lyrics are pitch black. Maybe it's just me, maybe it's that the album contains a track called ‘Deliverance’, but there is something in the riffs here that reminds me of Pepper Keenan era COC- strange but true! Let's be clear though- this is dark, dark stuff and Finland is not one of the Southern States so there the comparison ends. Overdubbing of guitars is used well here as are unusual rhythms and accents within the music.

Just beyond the midpoint of the album lies ‘Fire in the Blood Sky’. The riff that kicks this one off is simply superb! It drops to a groove that is too subtle to be aggressive and has those dynamic shifts that break up the verses and songs that are a hallmark of the album. The structure, the shifts in the music; it all adds up to being a great “song” in the true sense of the word. The vocal delivery reminds me of LG Petrov of Entombed in the mid nineties in places, but again the delivery is varied- different types of sandpaper if you will! There are even some keyboard textures here and they add an effective variety to the sounds on offer.  More ebb and flow can be found within the unusual groove of ‘Pitch Beneath Eternity’. Again, the guitars offer nice variations and phrasing that the vocals match. The tone of the track is rather... grand- in a good way. The range of the vocals is rather impressive and some nice production effects are added around the three and a half minute mark to build the track up again after a shift in dynamic.

The album rounds off with the near eight minute aforementioned ‘Deliverane’, a slow Crowbar-esque groove lumbers into earshot and a great riff reveals itself as the track builds momentum. The paciest section of the album is yielded past the three minute mark and the guitar interplay once again stands out. A bleak black metal type feel takes over and Lurk prove they can't be predicted as they shift the pace to a certified doom cadence. The final two minutes of the record is a slow descent into howling feedback. It is a very fitting ending to a masterfully dynamic and varied release. If you like some variety in your sludge and worship at the altar of more than one genre of metal then this record is most definitely for you. Buy it and find out for yourself!

You can buy the CD here and vinyl here. 

Band info: Facebook  | Bandcamp