ALBUM REVIEW: Oryx - "Stolen Absolution"

By: Mark Ambrose

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 23/02/2018

Label: Midnite Collective |

Graven Earth Records

The escalating tension, heartfelt enthusiasm, and ripping tone coalesce to elevate Oryx’s sophomore record to an early contender for best sludge album of 2018. 

“Stolen Absolution” CS//CD//DD track listing

1. Intro

2. Blackened Earth

3. Born for Death

4. Abject

5. Interlude

6. Price of a Dollar

7. The World in Ruin

8. Stolen Absolution

The Review:

               

The two-piece metal group is a risky venture: for every stellar example that incorporates multiple registers, tones, and intimate dynamics (Bell Witch, NEST, Obsidian Tongue) there are a dozen that do not sound like anything except an inept demo tape (which I politely won’t call out here).  Thankfully Oryx, the Colorado by way of Santa Fe two-piece, fall solidly into the former group: a balanced collaboration that sounds like a symphony of savagery.  While “Stolen Absolution” is a sophomore release, this marks their first album as a two-piece – a sort of second debut, more distinct, assured, and unique than their prior effort,

“Widowmaker”.

               

The downtuned guitar takes center stage on this album, augmented by a layer of fuzz that’s thick but not impenetrable.  At the heart of the maelstrom there are riffs aplenty, gliding between gnarly sludge rhythm guitar and ethereal, high end leads.  Guitarist & vocalist Tommy infuses a lot of his playing with folksy twang, crafting a distinctly American take on blackened sludge.  But when he pulls back from the shimmering dulcimer-reminiscent elegies, the sour sludge pouring from the speakers is skin peeling filth.  Drummer Abbey serves as a propulsive force throughout the record – her feel for steady rhythm eschews flash without sounding simplistic.  The blast beats are fierce without falling into the weird idiosyncrasies of timing that befall lesser drummers, while the tribal might on tracks like “Abject” is as menacing as the drumbeat of an orc army.  In fact, the only thin moment on the record, the guitar-only Interlude, feels distinctly OK (rather than uniformly “excellent”) because of the absence of interesting drumwork.

               

Thankfully, the rest of the album more than compensates for this otherwise very fine bridge track.  “Blackened Earth” and “Born for Death” are sludgy little gems, and sound far more complex than many dual-guitar bands could hope for.  There’s a really effective contrast between low end murk and higher tones that Tommy manages to pull off on the record – I’m interested in seeing whether it plays as effectively in a live setting.  “Abject” is without a doubt the best track on the first half of the record – with the vocals altering between death growls and fried screams.  The agonizing intensity is remarkable.

               

The master suite of the record has to be the one-two punch of “The World in Ruin”, and the title track, “Stolen Absolution”.  On “The World in Ruin”, Tommy establishes a cinematic, poisonous spaghetti western track rife with menace and beauty in equal measure.  When Abbey’s drums slam in at the opening of “Stolen Absolution”, it’s a moment of genuine catharsis countered by immediate dread.  The prior themes on “The World…” sour and evolve, while Tommy’s unhinged vocal performance is flawless.  The escalating tension, heartfelt enthusiasm, and ripping tone coalesce to elevate Oryx’s sophomore record to an early contender for best sludge album of 2018.  “Stolen Absolution” would be an achievement for any band, and is even more impressive since it’s balanced on the shoulders of two savage metal masters.

“Stolen Absolution” is available here (CD) and here (Tape)

Band info: facebook || bandcamp

REVIEW: Bloodmoon & Trapped Within Burning Machinery - "Split"

By: Ernesto Aguilar

Album Type: Split

Date Released: 01/10/2017

Label: Midnite Collective |

Black Voodoo Records

“Bloodmoon | Trapped Within Burning Machinery” CD//CS//DD//LP track listing:

1. Bloodmoon, "Nothing is Special, Nobody Cares"

2. Trapped Within Burning Machinery, "Abysswalker"

The Review:

Literally hundreds of seven-inch singles come out every month. Extreme music acts in particular are quite prolific at this. So, why should another disc create any ripple at all?

In the doom landscape, Bloodmoon and Trapped Within Burning Machinery are perhaps two of the most emerging bands to enter the scene. In the case of Bloodmoon, whose doom metal is blended with some progressive and black metal influences, and Trapped Within Burning Machinery, they of doom with flashes of atmospheric metal and funeral doom, their sounds are rather divergent from one another yet oddly aligned in many respects. Both groups have received much praise for their work. It stands to reason that a double-barrel split like this – with the crews doing 11- and 17-minute cuts respectively – may keep expectant fans happy for the moment, if not hyped for future output.

When Bloodmoon debuted a few years ago with the divine “Orenda”, the California group received a lot of attention for its superlative progressive metal. It only ripened with 2013's “Voidbound”, soaking far deeper into the well of doom metal for music you do not hear every day. On the new split, Bloodmoon re-ups that doom faithfulness, along with paying homage to its progressive pedigree. “Nothing Is Special, Nobody Cares” is through this lens a strong return. Its pessimistic theme masks an optimistic one: that Bloodmoon is committed not to fame, but to doing the best music possible on its own terms. That idea is articulated often by bands, but you feel it here. You catch a more liberated group that delivers a song with its best musicianship yet. The production is well mixed, the guitars are technical without being mathcore-ish, and the rhythm section here provides a rich soundscape.

As you can guess, Trapped Within Burning Machinery has a high bar to reach. Fortunately enough, the group, known for its big concept recordings – 2015's “The Filth Element” was a tale based on the film, after all – is up for the challenge.

The California act's song, “Abysswalker,” offers more concept. It is based on the video game series Dark Souls. If you have never played the Dark Souls franchise, it is a fantasy in which the protagonist is, in so many words, a zombie cursed to resurrect again and again. An abysswalker are those who wield a special ability to walk into a plane of existence most cannot. The Abyss is occupied by darkwraiths, whose harness the Dark Soul within humanity. It is a gigantic theme for a song, just as is the Dark Souls universe.

If you are familiar with the Dark Souls mythology, it is a plus. However, the music is dazzlingly sharp all by itself. The guitars are immense. The vocals are monstrous, summoning imagery of darkwraiths and fearsomeness. Trapped Within Burning Machinery has long been a group that fully commits to a concept, like an esteemed actor throws her- or himself into a role. You get that turned up to 10 on "Abysswalker." The mood is dank with solitude. With the final notes, it is like you are pulled into the Abyss itself.

“Bloodmoon | Trapped Within Burning Machinery” is available here (CD//CS) and here (vinyl)

Band info: twbm || bloodmoon