666 PACK REVIEW: The Best of the "666 PACK REVIEW" 2019

By: Nikos Mixas

If you’ve been paying attention, the 666 Pack Review is an abbreviated review column mostly focused on very new bands or bands that have submitted demo material to THE SLUDGELORD.  The basic premise is that 6 bands are critiqued using only 6 words and on a scale from 1 to 666.  What you see below is the best of the year 2019 for the “666 Pack Review”.  There were 8 bands that received the highest of ratings so please go show them some love by revisiting their music and their web pages.  We at THE SLUDGELORD hope great things come to them.  Congrats and hails to those bands that made the list!  May 2020 be sludgier and heavier!

January – There were two 666’s! (Does that make it 1332 or 121212?)

ILS “Pain Don’t Hurt” (Portland, U.S.A.)

This band won the Portland trophy. 

Yuxa “Yuxa” (Brighton, United Kingdom) 

If Godflesh kicked the industrial habit…

February

Seed of the Sorcerer, Womb of the Witch “Spell Book I: Ceridwen” (Denver, U.S.A.)

Guitar tone alone worth the 666!  

April

Mireplaner “A Mountain of Saola Hooves” (Finland)

Guaranteed to cardiac arrest old people.

May

Inhuman Nature “Inhuman Nature” (London, United Kingdom)

Sexy thrash ala the Bay Area!

August

Old Horn Tooth “From The Ghost Grey Depths” (London, U.K.)

God-doom fucking-tastic start to the month!

September

MUNT “Towards Extinction” (Melbourne, Australia)

Fucking hate on the barbie mate!

October

Adliga “Kali Paćjače Njeba” (Minsk, Belarus) 

Belarus for the win!  Отлично comrades!

6 NEW BANDS: THE SLUDGELORD's "666 Pack Review" (September 2019)

By: Nikos Mixas

Welcome to THE SLUDGELORD’s September 666 Pack Review.  Summer is OVER, so dust off your black hoodie collection and stow away your favorite pair of camo cargo shorts.  Winter is coming and so is the onslaught of review submission to THE SLUDGEORD.  If you’re new to this, each and every month we handpick 6 review submissions and critique them by only using 6 words, then we rate them on a scale from 1 to 666!  Check out our metal fashion themed rating scale below: 

1 – This is as exciting as…your bootleg Pantera shirt. 

2 – Wearing a kilt at a metal festival and this submission go hand in hand.  

3 – Anything camouflaged is pretty standard in metal fashion, this band can relate for sure. 

4 – Spikes, chains and leather are always a cool look…in fact, you guys are pretty cool too.  Four it is.  

5 – The hottest thing in metal fashion has to be the battle vest/jacket trend right now.  You guys should definitely make some patches.  

666 – Truth be told, being original and talented isn’t fashionable at all. THE SLUDGELORD doesn’t give a fuck how you look, only how you sound.  You guys killed it, congratulations!

Caveat:  Even though the 666 Pack Review is meant to offer humorous critique, there are no safe spaces here and your gripes will only make you sound like a bellyacher.  THE SLUDGELORD is a picky listener…and doesn’t care what you think of his opinions….

1). Wardomized “A Heated Exchange” (Belfast, U.K.)    Rating: 5

Napalm Death influence abundantly clear…aaaargh!!!

2). MUNT “Towards Extinction” (Melbourne, Australia) Rating: 666!

Fucking hate on the barbie mate!

3
). The Beginning and the End “Ourboros” (London, U.K.)    Rating: 3

was down until the vocals…

4). Cross Dog “Hollow” (Petersborough, Ontario, Canada) Rating: 3

Again, solid music…but the vocals…

 

5). Alienatör “Pariahs” (Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada) Rating: 4

Not the most original, but groovy!

6). Oktas “Oktas” (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.)   Rating: 5

Ambient without fashion…without trend

Band info: Wardomized || Munt || The Beginning and the end || Cross Dog || Alienator