Live Review & Interview: Magrudergrind @ Gallery 5, Apr. 20th 2016, Richmond VA

By: Mike Wilcox

Photos by: Craid Zirpolo

So my editor Aaron hits me up with this offer to live review and talk to Magrudergrind, the now Brooklyn based Power violence trio, about their newest album, ii, out now on Relapse Records. Naturally I jumped at the opportunity having remembered the sonic force of their live set from the 2013 Decibel tour with Immolation, Napalm Death, and Cannibal Corpse.

The band, however, had since undergone a line up change, released a new album following their hiatus, and one result was that there was an unrivaled energy surrounding this show. So I drove to Richmond. Arriving at the venue, a renovated old fire house, I sought to find RJ, the individual that I had exchanged very brief words with in 2013. Once I was able to track him down and get the interview out of the way I made a quick stop for lunch-dinner, Jamaican chow, and wandered amid the small but growing crowd for the opening sets.

Ramming Speed brought every bit of the intensity that you know them for, a non stop ride start to finish. Really rad dudes too. They had run out of tapes so I snagged some spiffy fresh shades. Yautja, I discovered, is a force that I simply could not have prepared myself for. In a set spanning about an hour, they held every moment of my attention. The perfectly executed riffs, the arrangement of dynamic within their songs, the raw power that exuded from them as they played. I made absolute sure to snag a tape from them before I hit the road again for the night. That tape has been on repeat in my car’s deck since the show.

Finally, around the break of the 22nd hour, 10:00 pm, Magrudergrind took the stage. The energy in the crowd was insurmountable. The only other time I have seen that much excitement for a set was the first tour that Godspeed You! Black Emperor had after their 6 year hiatus. Final checks done and Magrudergrind starts. I gave up on taking photos of the set because the energy was simply too great not to feed on and feed into. With this kind of music you aren’t going to watch and listen to a band, you’re going to become part of the show, to be part of that energy. I found myself head banging slowly, quickly, that one kind of head bang that you can totally do really fast but can only do it for a like a little bit cause then you get really rattled and tired….all of it.

Luckily, friend and photographer Craig Zirpolo was there to get some great shots of all of the action. To bear witness to the live presence of Magrudergrind was a catharsis, just as it was in 2013. Halfway through, Avi asks how many folks were seeing them for the first time. It seemed that at least half of the hands in the crowd went up. There has been so much passion and support generated from fans behind Magrudergrind, and I saw it come out, all at once on 4/20 in Richmond. There were a few shouted requests from the crowd, most notably, “BRIDGE BURNER!!!” to which Avi looks at RJ and Casey and said, “not even three songs in…” It would seem that they get that request a lot. Playing a decent mix of old and new, absolutely nobody was let down. I got kicked in the face a few times by crowd surfers and stage divers but it just made the show that much better. Magrudergrind are a band that is best appreciated live at very high volumes, celebrated with friends that are chaotically running around and into everyone and everything in their path. This is "get to know your neighbor" pit music.

Support your scene, Support the artists, Support the music, you’re a tool if you don’t make this tour, spend all of your dirty capitalism dollars on shits and tapes from these guys. Then at least your friends will think you’re cool. Seriously though, this is not a tour to miss. 

(Interview with RJ Magrubergrind)

Sludgelord) So what’s the direction of Magrudergrind right now? When I saw you guys a while ago you were kind of doing a different thing, I know there was a [band] and location change up…

RJ) Oh yeah, we all at one point lived in DC or right around there, Avi, our singer, moved to New York…about a couple of years back, I did the same thing about four years ago.

Sludgelord) where are you these days?

RJ) We both live in Brooklyn…all three of us live in Brooklyn actually…and then our drummer was still in DC and, you know, the distance was a little too much to do, and I don’t think he really wanted to be doing this kind of thing anymore so…he has other bands, so…Casey joined about two years ago and other than that there’s not really a new direction, keep writing the same songs.

Sludgelord) I listened to “ii” a few times through before the differences really clicked with me. I noticed that there weren’t samples, there seemed to be more of an emphasis on “hardcore”, forgive the overly generic label, it seems like the DIY feeling is still very much there, is there any real intention…like, is there emphasis from within, focused on any one thing more than another or is this just kind of what the group as of now is producing?

RJ) It’s kind of circumstantial. I feel like we’ve been writing the same handful of songs for a long time, for better or worse, I can hear it myself, the record sounds different, the recording is completely different even though it’s the same guy…

Sludgelord) It’s got a polarized opinion…

RJ) yeah, it’s not as noisy, I mean yeah, there’s a lot of shit that’s different about it, but, to me, I think that people will focus a little bit more than is necessary on like kind of the surface level aspects, and then I think, the songs, the core song writing, is pretty similar. The samples, it’s just, you know, frankly we weren’t able to do that this time.

Sludgelord) I like them [samples], don’t get me wrong, but with “ii” I’m not missing them in your music. It seems like there are a lot of grind kind of bands that are slowing down lately. Pig Destroyer slowed down with “Mass and Volume”, Agoraphobic Nosebleed slowed way down for “Arc”, you guys came out with “ii” recently, and it just seems like the whole grind/sludge kind of stuff has just slowed down. Are you in favor of that?

RJ) Yeah. Perhaps…I mean...

Sludgelord) I mean you recently toured with Primitive Man, right? How was that?

RJ) It was great! We’ve made a habit out of touring with slow bands frequently; we all listen to that kind of music for the most part…

Sludgelord) Fister?

RL) yeah! Fuck yeah, dude! You know, it’s something that we all enjoy, so you bring a couple of friends of that into the fast stuff…

Sludgelord) Mix it up, get a little dichotomy going?

RJ) Yeah, I mean if it’s fast all the time…I mean, we’re not a dynamic band to begin with, and you lose any of that dynamic if you only have fast parts.

Sludgelord) How do you feel about John Cooke’s band, Corrupt Moral Altar?

RJ) Oh they’re great! We just got off tour with them.

Sludgelord) How was it working with Kurt Ballou at God City again?

RJ) It’s great. We go back to him cause he’s a good engineer, he gets good takes out of bands, he gets good sounds…you know, we intentionally kind of did different things with the guitars, we didn’t really have an end point, as far as like, to work backwards from…

Sludgelord) what are you playing with now?

RJ) Right now? Tonight I’m using a new set up, this is the first tour I’m going on with it, but it’s basically, it’s pretty simple shit, it’s like a really old mesa 200 watt all tube head for the guitar channel and then I also split off a bass signal, it’s like an SWR.

Sludgelord) Guitar?

RJ) I’ve always played SGs. I played Fernandez for a while but I only really ever felt comfortable playing an SG. Been playing the same guitar since I was pretty much fifteen.

Sludgelord) So to wrap it up, you’re confident in the direction, you like what you do, it’s about the music, all that jazz?

RJ) I wouldn’t really be here if we weren’t…the new album doesn’t really feel new cause we recorded it like 18 months ago…We’re stoked on playing these songs, we’re gonna try to put together a new record of some length this summer between tours…

Sludgelord) cool and many thanks for taking the time to chat about the current going ons with Magrudergrind! I can’t wait for the set!

Transmission Ends

Band info: facebook || bandcamp

Surgical Meth Machine - "Surgical Meth Machine" (Album Review)

By: Mike Wilcox

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 15/04/2016
Label: Nuclear Blast

“Surgical Meth Machine” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. I'm Sensitive (4:10)

2. Tragic ALert (3:36)

3. I Want More (3:51)

4. Rich People Problems (3:06)

5. I Don't Wanna (3:19)

6. Smash and Grab (2:49)

7. Unlistenable (4:54)

8. Gates of Steel (2:46)

9. Spudnik (2:33)

10. Just Go Home (2:51)

11. Just Keep Going (1:03)

12. I'm Invisible (5:01)

The Review:

Having the opportunity to get my hands on Al Jourgensen’s new project, Surgical Meth Machine and review it presented an interesting quandary for me: Do I review it and focus on the good aspects? The ripping speed, the furiously fast pace, the undeniable industrial roots, indeed Al had said in a Blabbermouth interview earlier this year,  “…it’s like I literally just put my foot on the gas pedal for this record.” I really didn’t know what to expect.  Ministry, Al’s former glory, is an interesting beast in and of itself, spanning decades, many albums, a massive fan base, and just as much polarity towards the band as one would expect.  With the death of guitarist Mike Scaccia during the wrap up of Ministry’s 2013 album, “From Beer to Eternity”, nobody, perhaps including Al himself, knew if the projects would go on, but Al took to the helm to present something different, a new project.  From these efforts we get Surgical Meth Machine, an album that is just as confusing as it is break neck.

Starting the album off, “I’m Sensitive” introduces the listener to the very familiar drone note on top of a quick paced unchanging industrial sounding rhythm.  It goes on to deliver the full force of older Ministry as Al goes off on a diatribe of how he simply does not care about your feedback, your criticisms, your reception….he doesn’t care.  Listening to this it’s hard not to develop the opinion that this is simply the steam of an artist who has made enough acclaim to be able to release whatever they want simply because.  I would like to emphasize, however, that it is the lyrical content and themes that allow that feeling.  The music is completely solid.  As the album continues and you are bombarded with “TRAGIC ALERT…TRAGIC ALERT…”, and the next track breaks away and is carried with that token fast paced drum programming that we know and love Al for.  The word “EXECUTION” is shouted constantly and I’m reminded heavily of the Suicidal tendencies.  Frankly I could see Al donning a bandana for the song….ok maybe not, but the ST vibe is almost undeniable.  About two minutes into “Tragic Alert” the beat slows into a small break down of sorts, but quickly revamps with the anger and ferocity of industrial metal.

“I Want More” brings back the vocal filters that you might have heard Al use for albums like Ministry’s “Psalm 69”.  In fact, I could see this track following “Just One Fix”; however a guitar solo a little ways in reminds us that this is Surgical Meth Machine and not Ministry, but It kills just the same.  No breaks, no stops, no mercy.  “Rich People Problems” seems to be a hot air track; it’s amusing, but nothing more.  “I Don’t Wanna” gives us nostalgia for Lard as it features guest vocalist and former collaborator Jello Biafra.  It also ties in strangely to the former track, “Rich People Problems”, in that it seems to exemplify issues that well to do people might have.  “I don’t wanna go to your funeral, I just wanna cash my check…”  Life can be really hard sometimes I guess…

Marking the halfway point of the album, “Smash and Grab” actually reminds me a reasonable amount of Static X, though it seems to be more of a fill junk track than anything else.  The lyrics literally tell you, “Don’t listen to this, it’s nothing at all, it don’t mean a thing, blah blah blah blah blah…”  It’s a jamming’ track, but I just wonder what the point of it actually was.  Track seven, “Unlistenable”, I read elsewhere, is just that.  That wasn’t quite my take on it but I will stand behind the notion that it’s a more experimental track.  Those are my nice words, but, as we learned with the first track, Al does not care anymore. 

I have highlighted some of my favourite tracks here, rather than an exhaustive track by track review but after all is said and done, what the hell am I supposed to make of Surgical Meth Machine??  I enjoyed it more than not, and it’s not my intention to be critical, but I sincerely think that this album was an enjoyable personal effort from an artist that is clearly telling people that there are much better things to worry about than the tract of a given musician.  The lyrical content belittles society and exemplifies the little hills that we create mountains out of.  If you are expecting a return to the glory days of Ministry you will be let down.  If you buy the album because it says featuring Jello Biafra then you are a sap and will be let down.  If you buy this album because you simply wanted to hear it, to hear what Uncle Al is doing with his time these days then you might be let down, but I really do think that for the solid fans of Al’s former work across the board, there are many redeemable qualities to be had.  I’d give it a firm 7 out of 10.  But what do I know?  People don’t pay me for my opinions.  I just review albums and shit.  FFO Ministry, Al Jourgensen, Lard, Dead Kennedys, Suicidal Tendencies, thrash metal.

“Surgical Meth Machine” is available here

Band info: official || facebook

Magrudergrind - "II" (Album Review)

By: Mike Wilcox

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 12/02/2016

Label: Relapse Records

Now operating out of Brooklyn NY the newly revamped Magrudergrind release “ii” with every bit of intensity that their cult following had dreamed of. Yes the songs are short and painfully sweet. Yes the vocal work is scream-shouted relentlessly. There is still a very large grind element to the music. The first four tracks come across aggressive and violent and the listener is geared up to hit the ground running. As “Relentless Hatred” belts out and goes into “Sacrificial Hire” the style change is more evident. With a focus on the heavy riffs giving foundation for the blazing rhythm/vocal attacks that follow, the listener is able to fall into the groove, even if only for a second, and is then brashly escorted into chaos, a maelstrom of drums, guitar and everything in between.

“II” CD//DD//LP track listing:

01. Imperium In Imperio
02. Divine Dictation
03. The Opportunist
04. Relentless Hatred
05. Sacrificial Hire
06. War For Resources
07. Black Banner
08. Hara-Kiri
09. Stale Affairs
10. Regressive Agenda
11. Incarceration State
12. Unit 731
13. Icaro
14. Husayni / Handschar
15. Pharmacide

The Review:

Magrudergrind – “II” "Expect the unexpected.” Words from Shane Embury on the upcoming Imperial Death March tour with the Melvins and Melt-Banana. I had reflected on these words when I first listened to Magrudergrind’s newest release on the heels of a six year hiatus and line up change. Now operating out of Brooklyn NY the newly revamped Magrudergrind release “II” with every bit of intensity that their cult following had dreamed of.

Kurt Ballou and GodCity Studio certainly had a hand in this (…”Ballou has done it again…” as I read elsewhere), but the true craft and shine of “II” comes from the meticulous intensity of its members. The notable difference in “II” and previous Magrudergrind recordings is that there is no longer the use of samples in the music. In fact, it’s much more of a “Bridge Burner” (Magrudergrind – “self titled”) feel overall. Yes the songs are short and painfully sweet. Yes the vocal work is scream-shouted relentlessly. There is still a very large grind element to the music. The first four tracks come across aggressive and violent and the listener is geared up to hit the ground running. As “Relentless Hatred” belts out and goes into “Sacrificial Hire” the style change is more evident. With a focus on the heavy riffs giving foundation for the blazing rhythm/vocal attacks that follow, the listener is able to fall into the groove, even if only for a second, and is then brashly escorted into chaos, a maelstrom of drums, guitar and everything in between.

The album isn’t about the fast songs in my opinion. With tracks like “Black Banner” and “Unit 731” intermittently throughout “II” the emphasis seems to be much more with the slow groove that is being spread among the faster acts. As I had touched on previously, Pig Destroyer gave us “Mass and Volume”, Agoraphobic Nosebleed is in the heat of a multi EP series featuring a focus on each member, and now Magrudergrind “slow down” with “II”. Slow isn’t the right way to characterize it, however. Structured. Intense. Deliberate. Everything that you hear was put there on purpose.

Magrudergrind’s” II” is an impeccable album in that regard. Time changes everything. Six years has given change to Magrudergrind. Typical to the polarization that comes with a band’s stylistic change, Magrudergrind’s revamped sound is not for everyone. Of course you’ll find purists wherever you go but there really is enjoyment for any fan in “II”. With the rebirth of a band comes tentative new territory, undiscovered styles and dynamics, a newly realized space for even more growth. Magrudergrind is back up and running and despite adopting some slower rhythms, they show absolutely no signs of slowing down.

“II” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

Agoraphobic Nosebleed - "Arc" EP (Review)

By: Mike Wilcox

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 22/01/2016

Label: Relapse Records

A solid EP and an exciting glance as the prospect to come. While it’s not the ANb sound that we might know, it’s absolutely a sound that anyone can jump into and with this effort we get grind turned Louisiana Sludge a la Eyehategod led by vocals from ex Salome member, Kat Katz. And what an effort is has turned out to be… Now go be a hypocrite and support capitalism and get your hands on “Arc”. Then turn it up really really fucking loud

“Arc” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Not A Daughter

2). Deathbed

3). Gnaw

The Review:

GRINDCORE IS SLOWING DOWN! GRINDCORE IS SLOWING DOWN! GRINDCORE IS SLOWING DOWN! GRINDCORE IS SLOWING DOWN! ONE MORE TIME! GRINDCORE IS SLOWING DOWN! Albeit a twisted reference to Iron Reagan, the message remains: the music by grind artists seems to be slowing down and taking a more sludge/doom approach. Pig Destroyer offered us “Mass and Volume”, Dc/NYC’s Magrudergrind are about to let loose their newest effort in 6 years, “II”, another notable departure from the previous grindcore format, and of course we have “Arc”, the recent album from the legendary and rather unique act that is Agoraphobic Nosebleed.

Prior to developing a polarized judgment as everyone else is apt to do, it ought to be noted that “Arc” is one of a series of EPs from ANb meant to showcase each member. With this effort we get grind turned Louisiana Sludge a la Eyehategod led by vocals from ex Salome member, Kat Katz. And what an effort is has turned out to be… The first mental note that the listener might take is the extended song lengths. “Arc” opens with “Not a Daughter” clocking in at 7:00. The more EHG sounding of the three track EP, “Not a Daughter” has the feeling that can only be obtained through many drinks, smokes, a live show, or a combination of all three. It’s impossible to not jam along with the track. While the music isn’t especially technical, the biggest difference being the “simple” drum programming compared to Scott Hull’s previous work, the riffs and changes are played proficiently, seamlessly, and solidly. You feel the weight of the riff, the consuming force of the sludge.

“Deathbed” starts with what sounds like it could have been taken from a Neurosis or SUMAC set, heavy and pounding rhythms and singular loose and fat notes leading into a purge of sonic assault. Kat might as well be spewing tar into the audience. Again I am brought back to my initial though, it really does seem like grindcore is slowing down. I love it. Many friends and others alike do not. It seems to be getting a very polarized read. As “Deathbed” marches on the listener is again brought back to the NoLA sludge sound and style, which ANb once again delivers in spades.

As “Gnaw” kicks off and the album instils a kind of closure for this installation of the aforementioned project by ANb, thousand ton guitar riffs met with the gripping and soulful vocals of Kat Katz bombard the listener and again you can’t seem to stop jamming to this album. If you’re listening to it right now I can almost guarantee that you are headbanging, even if only a little bit. Even the sparse use of samples, usually at the end of the tracks, seems slowed down. Drunken sounding words of broken lives and broken systems compliment the tracks, but there certainly isn’t the sample heavy feeling that we know ANb and others for.

As the first of these releases, speaking personally, I am excited to see what else the crew puts out in the series next. I think that the reality of music is that you can get by playing the same gig, the same song, the same sounds, for so long until you get tired of it. For many artists there isn’t a breaking out of that mould, and for some when they do it, it is more or less a sonic disaster. With the advent of grind into sludge, or whatever ultimately irrelevant tags you would prefer to use, I see artists growing and expanding. Sometimes you have to change your approach in order to better get your point across. It seems that Agoraphobic Nosebleed does in fact know that, are employing that wisdom, and it is working really fucking well for them. A solid EP and an exciting glance as the prospect to come. While it’s not the ANb sound that we might know, it’s absolutely a sound that anyone can jump into and groove with. Now go be a hypocrite and support capitalism and get your hands on “Arc”. Then turn it up really really fucking loud.

“Arc” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

Nonsun - "Black Snow Desert" (Album Review)

By: Mike Wilcox

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 06/01/2016

Label: Independent

There is a unique quality to the music of Nonsun, one that keeps it drone and breaks that mould all at once.  At various points in the album, halfway through “Observing the Absurd” for example, there is a breakdown of sorts, things go quiet…quieter at least…and there is a dynamic that is volleyed between the guitar and the percussion.  It doesn’t divert from the path the song and album are forging, but offers a different look at it.  Furthermore, an intrinsic quality of Nonsun is that the songs feel as though they are created in a realm beyond time.

“Black Snow Desert” CD//DD track listing:

1). No Pity for the Beast, No Shelter for the Innocent

2). Ashes of Light, Demons of Justice

3). Crystal Empty

4). Peace of Decay, Joy of Collape

5). Heart’s Heaven Burden

6). Observing the Absurd

7). Rest of Tragedy

The Review:

Finding the space to listen to Nonsun’s “Black Snow Desert” in one sitting has been rather hard to accomplish.  I’m in love with the music, there’s no question about that, but the sheer length of the tracks in this dual CD album release make it such that a full listening is hard to accommodate.  It’s absolutely worth it, though.  In an effect that sounds like a mix between drone lords, Sunn 0))), experimental duo, Nadja, and some hint of a Mogwai style post-rock, the tracks simply blend into a single all encompassing dark mass that surrounds you, filling empty space until it consumes you entirely.  And you welcome it.

While this is the first full length release by Nonsun, comprised of its two members, Goatooth and Alpha, real names Bohdan Kozub and Andrii, the duo made waves in the drone/doom world with two prior EP’s, both to good reception.  The recent full length, “Black Snow Desert”, has a more evolved, mature feel to it.  Thundering swells of guitar and bass emanate from Goatooth while the rhythm from Alpha is patiently strung along, walking each slow and deliberate step with him, a seemingly herculean effort considering the slow trudge with which this music churns onward.  He does it with an exquisite perfection.  Each percussive note complimenting its guitar and bass counterpart in an endless macabre dance…and you can’t help but wonder what comes next…

As the collection of songs on disc one are taken out with a wall of feedback and noise, “Heart’s Heavy Burden” starts up almost without notice.  Immediately shaping the sonic space around you the track tells a story.  The genius of this brand of music is that the listener is privy to their own thoughts and conditioning and decides for themselves if it is a tale of harrowing hope, or a tale of desperation and loss.  Both work, and extremely well at that.  Experimental noise elements, shrieking strings and shrill feedbacks accompany the now more present rhythms and you are taken through the second half of the journey.  Similar to disc one, the tracks on disc two blend together seamlessly allowing for the continuation of the concept the listener has built from the beginning.  “Observing the Absurd” evokes the feeling of Sunn 0))), but with it’s own stylistic elements.  While Nonsun surely have influences this is original work, and I wouldn’t mind them continuing on their own personal exploration as such.  

There is a unique quality to the music of Nonsun, one that keeps it drone and breaks that mould all at once.  At various points in the album, halfway through “Observing the Absurd” for example, there is a breakdown of sorts, things go quiet…quieter at least…and there is a dynamic that is volleyed between the guitar and the percussion.  It doesn’t divert from the path the song and album are forging, but offers a different look at it.  Furthermore, an intrinsic quality of Nonsun is that the songs feel as though they are created in a realm beyond time.  A 15 minute song passes within what feels like a mere few minutes.   As the mammoth volume that is “Black Snow Desert” closes out with “Rest of Tragedy” the listener’s loose ends, if any, are met and they are taken just a step further than before, a nod past the lull they have crooned you into, a step into the void.  The album closes out with a static-y feedback and a drone wash that trails off whispering its sweet insanities as it goes.

A mammoth and extraordinarily well crafted effort from Nonsun, “Black Snow Desert” is certainly a must for any avid drone/doom fan.  Fans of the above mentioned as well as similar would do well to check this release out too.  This is Nonsun’s territory and they want you to join them in it.  With “Black Sun Desert”, what’s stopping you?... 

“Black Snow Desert” is available here

Band info: bandcamp | facebook

Major Kong - "Galactic Cannibalism" EP (Review)

By: Mike Wilcox

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 01/12/2015

Label: Independent

Whilst I listened to an array of different instrumental, sludge, doom, and experimental groups Major Kong stands out to me because it doesn’t feel like they are trying. They seem like they enjoy playing Stoner Metal and as such they do it well. “Galactic Cannibalism” rips like a bong and leaves your head spinning. If their next effort went more the route of stoner fuzz, power to ‘em. They’ll have no problem at all pulling that off.

“Galactic Cannibalism” CD//DD track listing:

1). Supercluster

2). Diabolic Mind Control

3). Morlock

4). Magnetar

The Review:

What an interesting and refreshing recent find Major Kong has been! Born from the ashes of previous project, Fifty Foot Woman, this three piece instrumental stoner/doom outfit has been churning out riffs from Poland since 2010. The listener’s introduction to the new album, “Galactic Cannibalism”, summons the feeling of sludge mixed with the nostalgia created by Stoner legends Sleep.

“Supercluster” lets listeners know that they picked a good album and that they are in for a ride…about half way through the opening track the guitar work of Michal Skula ascends the mix and lulls you like a siren calling your name. The riff emphasis returns and the song is taken out, closing with pushed yet un-distorted playing. “Diabolic Mind Control” follows “Supercluster” but this time takes you almost directly into the land of riff and honey. You can’t help but headbang when it’s playing. I find myself headbanging in traffic listening to this…in the back of my restaurant…before I go to sleep….it’s a real problem!  Actually it’s a sheer joy.

These aren’t simply riff heavy songs; they have dynamic and depth in them. Shrill feedback reminds the listener of EHG and the like, and the album’s third track, “Morlock”, has introduced itself. While I hear parts where I would expect vocals or think that maybe some vocals would help to deepen the mix, Major Kong is one of the bands that can pull off an instrumental approach. “Magnetar” takes the album out, and in my personal opinion is the most impressive and enjoyable cut on the 4 track album.

Whilst I listened to an array of different instrumental, sludge, doom, and experimental groups Major Kong stands out to me because it doesn’t feel like they are trying. They seem like they enjoy playing Stoner Metal and as such they do it well. “Galactic Cannibalism” rips like a bong and leaves your head spinning. If their next effort went more the route of stoner fuzz, power to ‘em. They’ll have no problem at all pulling that off. If Major Kong’s next effort is more on the side of Post-Metal, power to ‘em. They’ll have no problem at all pulling that off. Whatever they decide they are doing, they’ll have no problem pulling it off. These guys are having fun and they want you to join in. All you have to do is listen.

“Galactic Cannibalism” is available as a name your price download here and CD here

FFO: Sleep, Belzebong, Dopelord, Thorun

Band info: bandcamp | facebook

The Sludgelord's "Sour 16" for December 2015

By: Aaron Pickford

As Christmas came and went, so too was the end of another memorable year of crushing and sonically discordant riffs, but we can take comfort that 2016 is already off to a blistering start with records from likes of Conan only a matter of weeks away.  But before we get too headlong into the new year, we need to reflect that the month of advent, delivered more outstanding records at The Sludgelord .

Today we revisit some of the best records not only from December  2015, but many of which that may have ended up on many yearend lists.  Yes, people The Sludgelord’s ‘Sour 16’ is back, you know the drill,  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, but simply, the ‘Sour 16’ are the records  that have been trending the most at The Sludgelord and perhaps which you guys have been most interested in over the last month.

So without further ado, enjoy the ‘Sour 16’. Roll up, kick back, chug a beer and Hail the riff! All reviews can be viewed by clicking the artwork. (Total views at the time of publication highlighted in red)

16). = Implore – “Depopulation” (184)

Depopulation” works particularly well due to the variety of tempos employed throughout the record. Implore never let up on the volume and distortion front, but the transitions between pummelling blastbeats and mid-paced grooves really work well.  There are enough interesting touches here to make Implore stand out from their peers without compromising on aggression and attack. This is a strong debut that hints at an interesting future ahead.

16). = One Master – Reclusive Blasphemy (184)

There is a lot of nuance and thought put into the peaks and valleys of these songs, which is unique given their otherwise orthodox style. I still believe that there is a lot from black metal’s early years that can be repurposed and implemented in new ways, and ‘Reclusive Blasphemy’ gives that belief further credibility. This is worth going out of your way to check out.

14). V/A – “Morbid Tales” A Tribute To Celtic Frost (198)

Child Bite, along with Phil Anselmo brings the biggest name to the tribute, and Phil sounds like he had a blast trying Tom G. Warrior’s unique vocal inflections on for size. He’s like a middle-aged kid blasting “The Usurper” in front of a mirror, doing his best impression of Warrior while his parents are out of the house, which kicks this album off with a really fun tone

13). Crawl – “Old Wood & Broken Dreams” (199)

Music like this doesn't need to be complex or challenging to be brilliant, its barbecue music for bloodshot eyed slackers, music to blare out the speakers of your pickup truck on your way to buy more beer. The world needs music like this, thank your chosen deity that Crawl are more than happy to oblige.

12). Cryptopsy – “The Book of Suffering – Tome 1” (201)

Every song sees Cryptopsy firing on all cylinders, including Matt McGachy, who seems to be channeling his inner Mike DiSalvo at certain points through the album, resulting in his best performance to date. With this EP, Cryptopy finds themselves as a band every bit as good as they were at their best. For a band that just recently passed the twenty year anniversary of their debut, that’s no small accomplishment.  Cryptopsy are one of the finest exponents of “extreme” on the face of the planet and dammit, I know real metal when I hear it. This is as real and as extreme as it gets. Hail.

11). Forn – “Weltschmerz” (205)

The distortion kicks in and reduces everything to rubble. Stylistically, it's blackened funeral doom; depressing and bleak in it's melody but inherently evil and completely devastating. The vocals are growled from the bowels of the underworld and screamed from the edge of oblivion.  , Fórn have created something perfect for the end of the year; let it smash your 2015 into oblivion like a biblical flood. You can start anew in 2016.

10). Space Bong – “Deadwood to Worms” (220)

This is a craft of pure tar and it is of the purest quality.  The dirge stretches further and onward and you feel your essence stretched along with it.  You’re wading through molasses by the end of it.   “High Priests and Petty Thieves” takes you through an EYEHATEGOD spirited eleven and a half minute trudge with extra on the stoner vibe.  Space Bong are onto something in addition to being onsomething and I want to journey with them, wherever they might be headed.  With “Deadwood toWorms” it’s easy to understand why.

09). Pigs – “Wronger” (227)

“Wronger” is a great album with a lot of great songs and high energy. Not a ton of diversity in song writing but this is a pretty powerful album that stays the course on annihilation

08). =.Vastum – “Hole Below.” (229)

Each member plays so well into all of the others’ strengths that the album feels more like one gigantic being, lurching and smashing in unified movement, rather than five separate pieces trying their best to come together.

08). = Pale Horseman – “Bless The Destroyer” (229)

Pale Horseman really hit their stride with the 15 minute monster “Bastard Child”. Beginning at a satisfyingly snail-paced crawl, the band soon drop the volume for the first time on the album to great effect. A blissed-out, bass-driven jam ensues, reminiscent of Colour Haze at their most exploratory. The peace is obliterated by the sledgehammer impact of a gold-standard stoner riff which the band grind ever slower towards oblivion,

06). Contrarian – “Polemic” (247)

Far more nuanced than Nile, this is a tour de force of modern tech death, done in a way which recalls old school tech death(!). No blasting, no mindlessly labyrinthine and continuously brutal riffage. What you get is jazz infused death metal with the kind of subtlety not heard for quite some time.

05). This Gift Is A Curse – “All Hail The Swinelord” (272)

It's very difficult to describe the music on this; such is the profound effect it's had. Think Nails with Black Metal and Sludge influences and you'd be on the right track. I can envisage a few end of year lists needing readjustment after hearing this. A future classic? Time will tell.

04). UN – “The Tomb of All Things” (321)

If you have any interest in doom, bleak atmospheric music of any type, funeral type riffs and paces with a lighter touch in some of the instrumental passages that brings to mind post metal and even black metal at times, then this record is most definitely for you.

03). Hooded Menace – “Darkness Drips Forth” (345)

Hooded Menace has delivered a powerful and dynamic record with plenty of doom, fully informed with the approach of death metal of a more Euro/Scandi approach. For me, there is nothing to dislike here and everything to enjoy. A fine and focused record.

02). Scientist – “10100||00101 (410)

Storming opener “The Singularity” distils the key elements of this record into five and a half minutes. Chittering harmonics give way to the sledgehammer impact of furious, frantic riffing moving into anthemic sludge and finishing with an epic post-metal flourish. Imagine the best bits of American Heritage, Clutch and ISIS delivered with the seismic impact of Mastodon’s “Remission”.  “1010II0101” is a pioneering piece of research at the cutting edge of riff technology that demands your attention.

01). Baroness – “Purple” (579)

Baroness have never written an album like this before and they probably never will. Fate threw them an experience that shook them to their core. It saw half the band leave, but what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and here the band are channelling all the drama and the turmoil to concoct an album that is beyond special. The ambition, complexity and painstakingly triumphant melodies that drape this record like an emperor’s clothes has made them near enough invincible.

This list features reviews by, Chris Bull, Philip Weller, Richard Maw, Daniel Jackson, Mike Wilcox, Dan Caycedo & Charlie Butler,