SONIC SELECTIONS (((o))): The Records That Defined March (2026)

 

Welcome to Sonic Selections (((o))): March Edition — my monthly recap of the records that shaped my listening throughout March, defined the mood of the weeks gone by, and carved out their own space in the noise. This curated list is drawn from my listening habits, based on the key releases that became my ultimate earworm.

 Across this rotation, I clocked 2,100 plays, up from 1,562 in February. I pulled from 99 new artists (up from 87), 111 new albums (up from 88), and 493 new tracks (up from 347). Altogether, that amounted to six days and nine hours of total listening time — a full day more than February. Average plays per day rose 22% to 68, with a weekly peak of 150 plays on March 29th, a 29% jump.

 March was, even by my listening habits, a massive month for new music. What follows is the collection of albums that held my attention the most — the ones that shaped my sonic landscape and defined the emotional and aesthetic contours of the month. (Note: albums are rated based on individual track streams alone.)

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1) Rob Zombie – “The Great Satan” (107)

For me, the return of classic Zombie and his best record since “Hellbilly Deluxe 2”, and whilst I accept not everyone is a fan, (fuck the haters) “The Great Satan” is a super addictive chrome‑plated inferno of industrial sleaze, Zombie drags you through a carnival of rust, gasoline, and bad intentions. Every riff stomps like a steel‑capped boot to the ribs, every synth flickers like a dying neon sign, and his voice — that gravel‑throated snarl — feels like a sermon delivered from the wrong side of the grave. It’s grotesque, swaggering, and gloriously unhinged.

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2) Pipe Bomb – “Hell Hole” (102)

“Hell Hole” is a self‑recorded, self‑released burst of volatility, a release whose foundation is built from concise, zero bullshit tracks that snap with jagged riffs and sudden rhythmic collapse. The raw production gives the guitars a savage metal edge and the vocals, a  raw live immediacy, keeping everything sharp, punchy and abrasive. Despite the chaos within, there’s also a surprising structural clarity and addictive quality to the record, each song (at times) shifting direction but keeping the listeners interest piqued at all times and without falling into the genre trappings of unlistenable  harsh excess. “Hell Hole” a compact, hostile record that channels the essence of hardcore’s aggression into something sharp, intentional, and relentlessly compelling.

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3) Chamber – “This Is Goodbye..”(98)

Admittedly, mathcore can be hit or miss, but the new record from Chamber delivers the right amount of chaos without descending into an unlistenable mess. “This Is Goodbye..” continues their weaponised, incendiary hardcore — a pressure cooker of jagged rhythms, panic‑attack pacing, and riffs that feel like they’re collapsing in on themselves, yet somehow remains wholly accessible and addictive.  Yes, every track can disorientate, with lurching guitars, drums detonating beneath you, and vocals clawing their way into your psyche. And yet, beneath all that violence is a frightening level of control. After revisiting their full discography, “This Is Goodbye..” is unequivocally their most focused, volatile, and emotionally engaging work to date.

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4) Neurosis – “Un Undying Love for a Dying World”(98)

Neurosis return a decade after "Fires Within Fires" with a new lineup and, arguably, another genre‑shaping opus. Reshaped and retooled around the talents of Aaron Turner, the record carries that sense of obvious upheaval, yet none of the band’s core DNA is lost. "An Undying Love for a Burning World" keeps their slow, tectonic pacing but adds new layers — drones, synths, and keys widening the space around some of their most monolithic riffs. Themes of isolation, ecological collapse, and psychological strain run through the album, giving their first release in an age a heavy, lived‑in weight. It’s a monumental return, the sound of a band rebuilding from the ground up. The title mirrors a world collapsing around us, and it’s hard not to feel an undying pull toward a record with this kind of emotional gravity.

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5) Varials – “Where The Light Leaves”(97)

This is the sound of a soul cracking under its own weight. Varials weaponise despair, turning breakdowns into blunt‑force trauma and vocals into open wounds. The record feels like being trapped in a collapsing room — walls closing in, air thinning, every moment a fight to stay conscious. It’s metalcore stripped of pretense and left bleeding on the floor.

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6) Lamb of God – “Into Oblivion”(79)

Lamb of God sound sharp and assured, leaning into the mechanics that have always driven their best work. The riffs snap with purpose, the rhythms stay locked, and the pacing never drifts from its forward pull. It’s not a reinvention, but a tightening of the screws. A confident, momentum‑driven statement from a band that knows its footing.

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7) Moloch – “Bend.Break.Kneel.Crawl”(79)

Moloch’s new record moves with the slow certainty of something collapsing under its own weight, every track grinding forward with deadened resolve. There’s no lift or shift in momentum, just pressure tightening until it becomes the whole experience. The album feels like being pinned beneath the same thought until it loses shape. Bleak, disciplined, and completely unwilling to offer relief.

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8) Great Falls – “Conscription”(78)

First of all, I fucking love Great Falls — so when news dropped of a new release in the form of Conscription, my excitement spiked immediately. These purveyors of abrasion are among the best in the business. It’s not a traditional record so much as a collection of splits, EPs, and singles, yet as expected the tracks grind, gallop, and disorientate. Conscription is a short, punishing lesson in suffocating density, with riffs that psychologically erode your aural synapses.

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9) Bound in Fear – “A Mind Too Sick To Heal” (73)

Bound in Fear deliver a series of controlled, violent impacts, each track built around blunt repetition and suffocating weight. The band strip everything down to pure force, letting the heaviness speak without theatrics or buildup. It’s hostile in a way that feels intentional rather than chaotic. A record designed to bruise more than impress.

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10) Crouch – “Breaking The Catatonic State” (71)

Crouch’s debut full‑length marks a decisive shift from their earlier sludge roots, embracing angular rhythms, sharp pivots, and a more confrontational vocal presence. The trio’s background in Wiegedood, Oathbreaker, and Ventilateur shows in the precision of the playing and the confidence of the arrangements. The production is stark and unembellished, letting every jagged shift and sudden rupture land with full force. It’s a volatile, inventive record that captures a band in the middle of a deliberate transformation

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🩸 Top 10 Artists (minutes played): 
 
1). Neurosis (725)
2). GROWTH (424)
3). Chained To The Bottom of the Ocean (404)
4). Chamber (345)
5). Lamb of God (309)
6). Crouch (300)
7). Cryptic Shift (297)
8). Phasma (205)
9). Dwellnought (268)
10). Rob Zombie (267)
 
⚔️ Top Tracks (most played)

 
1). Portrayal of Guilt – “Human Terror” (20)
2). Portrayal of Guilt – “Ecstasy” (18)
3). Chained To The Bottom of the Ocean – “Execution” (16)
4). Chained To The Bottom of the Ocean – “An Abundancy of Mercy” (15)
5). Neurosis – “Blind” (15)
6). Chained To The Bottom of the Ocean – “An Adornment of Light” (14)
7). Chained To The Bottom of the Ocean – “Upheaval” (14)
8). Neurosis – “First Red Rays” (13)
9). Neurosis – “Seething and Scattered” (12)
10). Neurosis – “Mirror Deep” (12)

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⚔️🩸 Sonic Selections (((o))): March Edition (50 biggest tracks of the month)

THE NEW FLESH INDEX 🩸 Records That Defined My Week #13 Friday, March 20th to Thursday, March 26th, 2026

Welcome to The New Flesh Index #13 — a chronicle of the music that shaped the last seven days, whether on the work commute, dropping my kids at various clubs, walking the dogs, or catching a moment at home. Most importantly, this is the music that left its mark — a guide to the albums that cut through the bullshit and hit like a gut punch with real weight and intent.”

Across this listening window the numbers elevated ever so slightly higher than wk#12: 442 plays, drawn from 27 artists and 27 albums, with 94 new tracks entering my rotation. Total listening time reached 1 day and 11 hours, the daily average holding at 63 plays, and the week hit is peak at 120 plays on 20 March. 

Pipe Bomb lead the way during this listening cycle with 103 plays, followed by the enduring pull of Neurosis at 90. Beneath them, Crouch and MAGNITUDO held the middle ground with 60 and 58, while Dying Realm and Norna closed the week at 28 and 37 respectively. Overall, this week has provided a compact and heavy formation of riffs that had the most addictive pull.

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The Records That Defined the Week

1).

⚔️ Artist: Pipe Bomb 
🩸  Title: “Hell Hole” 

⚔️ Plays: 102 

 🩸 genre/tags: post‑hardcore, metalcore, chaotic hardcore

 

“Hell Hole” is a self‑recorded, self‑released burst of volatility, a release whose foundation is built from concise, zero bullshit tracks that snap with jagged riffs and sudden rhythmic collapse. The raw production gives the guitars a savage metal edge and the vocals, a  raw live immediacy, keeping everything sharp, punchy and abrasive. Despite the chaos within, there’s also a surprising structural clarity and addictive quality to the record, each song (at times) shifting direction but keeping the listeners interest piqued at all times and without falling into the genre trappings of unlistenable  harsh excess. “Hell Hole” a compact, hostile record that channels the essence of hardcore’s aggression into something sharp, intentional, and relentlessly compelling.

2) 

⚔️ Artist: Neurosis  
🩸  Title: “An Undying Love for a Burning World”

⚔️ Plays: 90 

 🩸 genre/tags: post‑metal, atmospheric sludge, post‑hardcore

Neurosis return a decade after "Fires Within Fires" with a new lineup and, arguably, another genre‑shaping opus. Reshaped and retooled around the talents of Aaron Turner, the record carries that sense of obvious upheaval, yet none of the band’s core DNA is lost. "An Undying Love for a Burning World" keeps their slow, tectonic pacing but adds new layers — drones, synths, and keys widening the space around some of their most monolithic riffs. Themes of isolation, ecological collapse, and psychological strain run through the album, giving their first release in an age a heavy, lived‑in weight. It’s a monumental return, the sound of a band rebuilding from the ground up. The title mirrors a world collapsing around us, and it’s hard not to feel an undying pull toward a record with this kind of emotional gravity.

3) 

⚔️ Artist: Crouch
🩸  Title: “Breaking the Catatonic State”

⚔️ Plays: 60

 🩸 genre/tags: post‑metal, sludge‑leaning, hardcore

Crouch’s debut full‑length marks a decisive shift from their earlier sludge roots, embracing angular rhythms, sharp pivots, and a more confrontational vocal presence. The trio’s background in Wiegedood, Oathbreaker, and Ventilateur shows in the precision of the playing and the confidence of the arrangements. The production is stark and unembellished, letting every jagged shift and sudden rupture land with full force. It’s a volatile, inventive record that captures a band in the middle of a deliberate transformation.

4) 

⚔️ Artist: MAGNITUDO
🩸  Title: “Materialism”

⚔️ Plays: 58

 🩸 genre/tags: sludge, post‑metal, atmospheric doom

“Materialism” draws its conceptual spine from the failed utopian city of Zingonia (according to the internet), and that sense of abandonment shapes the album’s oppressive, concrete‑heavy sound. MAGNITUDO build their tracks around monumental riffs and slow, grinding momentum, creating a feeling of urban decay rendered in sound. The atmosphere is thick and claustrophobic, settling over the record like dust in a derelict structure. It’s a bleak, immersive work that turns architectural ruin into a crushing sonic environment.

5) 

⚔️ Artist: Legbiter & Norna
🩸  Title: “Legbiter / Norna”

⚔️ Plays: 37

 🩸 genre/tags: sludge, post‑metal, noise rock

Legbiter open the split with a raw, serrated strain of sludge that leans into abrasion rather than atmosphere, riffs pushing  forward with a kind of reckless, teeth‑bared momentum. Norna answer with something slower and more oppressive, building their side around massive low‑end, tectonic pacing, and vocals that feel torn straight from the throat. The contrast between the two approaches gives the release its weight — one side frantic and scraping upward, the other sinking deeper into pressure and repetition. Together they form a bleak, heavy pairing that feels more like a shared descent than a simple split.

6) 

⚔️ Artist: Dying Realm 
🩸  Title: "Siege the Walls”

⚔️ Plays: 28

 🩸 genre/tags: death metal, UKDM

Dying Realm deliver a raw, battle‑scarred strain of UK death metal built on chainsaw‑edged riffs and direct, force‑first songwriting. The EP leans into themes of warfare, sorcery, and medieval violence, giving the tracks a theatrical sense of scale without losing their underground grit. The production is sharp and unvarnished, letting the vocals and guitars hit with unfiltered intensity. It’s a short, aggressive release that lands with the blunt impact of a siege engine hitting stone.

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⚔️ Top Artist: Pipe Bomb (102 plays)

🩸 Top Album: Pipe Bomb – “Hell Hole” (102 plays)

⚔️ Top Track: Neurosis – “Blind” (14 plays)

⚔️🩸 The New Flesh Index Playlist #13 (30 biggest tracks of the week)

ALBUM REVIEW: Sleep, "The Sciences"

By: Mark Ambrose

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: April 20, 2018

Label: Third Man Records

“The Sciences” CD//DD//LP track listing

1. The Sciences

2. Marijuanaut’s Theme

3. Sonic Titan

4. Antarcticans Thawed

5. Giza Butler

6. The Botanist

The Review:        

How the hell do you approach a release like this?  Any Sleep fan had been hoping, expecting, waiting for a full-length to follow up the band-disintegrating opus “Dopesmoker”.  Even after original drummer Chris Hakius departed amicably after a series of reunion dates in 2009, there was hope of things to come.  The immediate live participation of Neurosis stalwart Jason Roeder, the sporadic trickle of new output like “The Clarity” single in 2014, and the ascension to “elder statesmen of metal” status of Matt Pike and Al Cisneros made some monumental future output all but certain.  And in a particularly keen bit of stoner humor, the trio dropped “The Sciences” on, of course, 4/20.  I actually feel pretty bad for anyone else dropping their own passion projects on a date that Sleep practically owns.  And beyond the particular bit of gimmicky scheduling, “The Sciences” is as appropriate a paean to smoke altered consciousness as stoner metal worshipers could have hoped for.

               

The introductory title jam is a wall of savage, droning fuzz.  It’s chaotic, gut churning, and LOUD even through a pair of earbuds.  Like a bongrip as rocket launch, the brief number propels into “Marijuanaut’s Theme”.  Cisneros’ bass tone and subtle variations is a welcome counter to Matt Pike’s signature MONSTER playing, and his brief solo breaks are invigorating.  Each speaker is palpable in Pike’s riffing, but he’s distinctly not hijacking as a repository for High on Fire castoffs, or vice versa.  His style with Sleep is looser and dirtier, less Fast Eddie Clarke and more Tony Iommi.  His ability to simultaneously melt faces in two distinct outfits should never be discounted, but here, with less autonomy, his soloing shows a joyfulness that you don’t often get in the gritty, paranoid shredding of the most recent High on Fire albums.  And, from a production standpoint, this is completely beholden to power trio methods – when Matt shreds, there may be multitracked lead freakouts, but there are no rhythm guitar overdubs.  The whole thing could be pulled off live and sound just as full as the record.

“Sonic Titan” is one of those long fermenting cuts that first saw life decades ago, appearing as a rough cut on the Tee Pee issue of the (still incomplete) “Dopesmoker” in 2003.  Anyone professing that the “original” is better, is likely trying way too hard.  This is a honed, heavy, beefed up track.  Plus, Sleep is all about that positively pornographic tone, and while the “Dopesmoker” outtake has a raw appeal, the warmth and fuzz crackling across my speakers is perfect.  Plus, this may be my favorite use of bass wah post-Sabbath.  In my brief scrolls through social media, Al Cisneros’ peculiar vocal delivery seems to be a divisive issue: for those who followed Om, Al’s style is not surprising, perhaps a trademark, and even beloved.  For others, the flat affect is confounding.  I’m of two minds here – sometimes it sounds like the vocals are just a little too high in the mix, but I also really love distinctive vocal cadences.  To hear Cisneros fronting Sleep is a joy – and the register of his chants on “Sonic Titan” is a welcome departure from the strained yelp of the earlier, live cut of the long gestating song.

“Antarcticans Thawed”, a Lovecraftian epic with shades of spaghetti western in the opening, is the best track, and features Al’s best, most intense vocal performance on the record.  In comparison, “Giza Butler” is a bit too restrained.  It sneers but never snarls, though the riffs and mystical cannabinoid is a damned bit of fun that should be adapted into its own issue of Heavy Metal (the fantasy mag, not the genre).  And if “Giza…” transports us to outer rim planets of continental nugs, the sweet, acoustic denouement of “The Botanist” is an instrumental sendoff that brings the most bleary eyed listener back to equilibrium.

So can it possibly live up to the hype?  Honestly, what could?  This is not “Dopesmoker” part 2, or even a follow-up to “Holy Mountain”.  But even though this is heralded as a comeback record, it’s really a new permutation of the gestating giant. From the first crashes and fills, Jason Roeder establishes his own identity as a new element of Sleep.  Whether here or with Neurosis, he’s a titan of the kit.  He, thankfully, doesn’t ape Hakius’ beloved style – peppered with idiosyncratic snare work and warped cymbal crashes.  In reality, anyone doing a “Hakius v. Roeder” rundown is playing a fool’s game: they stand not so much in opposition as distinctly powerful eras of Sleep – the playful, Loki style playing of Hakius and the muscular, Thor on drums mastery of Roeder. 

So it’s a bit of a cheat – Sleep but not the Sleep you expected.  But in the course of 6 prog-infused stoner metal jams, Cisneros, Pike and Roeder earn all the goodwill they garnered in the post-“Dopesmoker” wilderness.   If anything, their well honed prowess outmatches any expectations.  Wherever “The Sciences” is ranked in the Sleep discography, it stands as a testament to a band who had to wait nearly 20 years for the critical and music-buying public to catch up.  Or, more aptly to spark up, sit down, and thrust themselves into the hazy riff worship they’ve been peddling longer than nearly anyone still relevant in the metal game.

“The Sciences” is available here

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Path of Might - "Hallowed Gate Style"

By: Mark Ambrose

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 07/11/ 2017

Label: Encapsulated Records

With “Hallowed Gate Style”, Path of Might adds some melody and grace to the punishing might of their debut, but more importantly cements the trio as an act who, in time, could equal or even eclipse their diverse influences.

“Hallowed Gate Style” CD//DD track listing

1. Hallowed Gate Style

2. Locust Fugue

3. Infernal Orchards

4. House of Rain

5. Mega Magicka

6. Tea and Oranges

7. Locust Storm

8. Chapels to the West

The Review:

               

Path of Might’s 2015 self-titled debut drew a lot of comparisons to other sludge masters: Mastodon, Neurosis, and Baroness, to name a few.  Like these modern legends, Path of Might infuses sludge with prog flourish, and adds some Appalachian folk for good measure.  If that tidy half hour of power was just a taste, “Hallowed Gate Style” is a veritable smorgasbord of sludge.  Over the course of eight tracks, guitarist Spencer Medley, bassist Derek Rife, and drummer Adam Lucz pay homage to their forebears in metal and prog alike, while crafting a cinematic journey through time and space that invokes images of Kurosawa and Leone, by way of Timothy Leary and Aldous Huxley.

               

First and foremost, Path of Might are a highly skilled power trio, who lock into steady grooves without feeling stiff or mechanical.  There’s considerable production, with some distinct separation between guitar tracks for a nice, well rounded listen overall, but the organic tempo shifts and ineffable chemistry shines on the loose, jammy “Infernal Orchards”, or the swaggering, retro “Tea and Oranges”.  Spencer’s vocals push past the guttural barks of their self-titled album to move into melodies that are sometimes reminiscent of Pink Floyd, or, conversely, a younger Matt Pike.  While the lyrics are often subsumed by the heavy reverb or “chants field recorded in caves” qualities, it still works considering the hallucinogenic dynamics of Path of Might’s overall aesthetic.

               

The prog sludge infusions really cement the record as a serious step forward.  Even the interludes of “Locust Fugue” and “Locust Storm” incorporate American folk and vaguely “far eastern” qualities, even if they’re just cinematic flourishes.  The acoustic bridge of the title track, in particular, qualifies as its own little mystical journey.  For each of the progressive elements, there are lots of passages where the men of Path of Might reveal their classic rock hearts: “Infernal Orchards” feels like Nazareth, if they went full stoner metal, while the finale of “Mega Magicka” has a definite Thin Lizzy vibe.  The utterly savage “House of Rain” is the most indebted to Mastodon, with its rapid hammer-on, pull-off guitar riffing… but damn, Spencer manages to rip it up just as effectively as Brent Hinds & co.

For all the references to other artists, however, Path of Might is more than pastiche.  With their first album, they showed considerable instrumental prowess and fierce delivery.  In slightly more than two years, they’ve incorporated diverse elements without losing a bit of aggression, and battle hardened their sludge alchemy.  With “Hallowed Gate Style”, Path of Might adds some melody and grace to the punishing might of their debut, but more importantly cements the trio as an act who, in time, could equal or even eclipse their diverse influences.

“Hallowed Gate Style” is available here and physical copies here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

REVIEW: Cetacean - ‘Dichotomy’ [EP]

By: Daniel Jackson

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 16/11/2017

Label: Apes Who Looked Up

‘Dichotomy’ is dynamic, brilliantly composed and dense enough to keep giving you something new on repeat listens. It’s tough to nail down whether this is doom, post-metal, or something else altogether, but whatever label you want to place on it, it’s fucking powerful.

‘Dichotomy’ DD track listing:

1. Zephyrvs

2. Dichotomy

The Review:

The peaks and valleys approach isn’t an easy one to get right in a metal context. There are no shortage of bands implementing the soft verse/heavy chorus formula well, but where compositions are less rigidly formulaic; a lot of bands fall short or half-commit. Neurosis has been great at it for more than twenty years now, and there have been a handful of others too, but they’re exceptions to the rule.

Cetacean are a relatively new band, but they’ve absolutely mastered the art of building to big climactic moments. Right from this EP’s opening minutes, the band take their time, adding layers and heft as they go until the song explodes with scintillating melody and soaring lead guitar. From that point on, the music ebbs and flows; retracts and expands. When it’s loud, it’s some of the most beautifully layered heavy music I’ve heard this year. When it’s subdued, it comes at the perfect time, and it always does a wonderful job of setting the stage for whatever peak comes next.

Another area where ‘Dichotomy’ excels is in its use of less conventional instruments. The saxophone and organ work on the title track suits each moment perfectly. The saxophone comes in at the midway point, taking on a similar role to the instrument's used in Pink Floyd’s “Us and Them”, before returning in later heavier sections, providing musical unease when opportune. Even better is that these unique elements aren’t hamfistedly shoved into the mix of things for the sake of it, but rather as tasteful accompaniment and only under the right circumstances.

 Whether it’s bursting with color and melody or taking things into darker musical terrain, Cetacean take you on a journey over the course of these two songs and eighteen minutes. The valleys are alternately comforting or foreboding and the peaks are electric and satisfying. ‘Dichotomy’ is dynamic, brilliantly composed and dense enough to keep giving you something new on repeat listens. It’s tough to nail down whether this is doom, post-metal, or something else altogether, but whatever label you want to place on it, it’s fucking powerful.

Full Disclosure: Daniel contributed guest backing vocals to Cetacean’s previous release, ‘Breach | Submerge’.

‘Dichotomy’ is available here

Band info: Facebook || bandcamp

INTERVIEW: "If Carlsberg did dynamic power doom duos, Monte Luna would probably be the best in the world"

By: Aaron Pickford

As I am sure some avid followers of THE SLUDGELORD can attest too, it is our mission to present the very best heavy music the underground scene has to offer and recently I commissioned Andrei Moose from our Russian chapter to painstakingly sift through the very best albums released via bandcamp and compile the best into a chart.   For me and I am sure many of you agree, if you’re not at least attempting to release your music via this musical platform then you’re fucking up and you ain’t in the game.

Now hitting the no 1 spot back in October, were a band previously unknown to me, but holy shit does THE SLUDGELORD most sincerely approve? Hailing from Austin, Texas Monte Luna deliver towering molten riffs, bucketloads of groove and hypnotic vocals, in fact this two piece are so fucking awesome, their self titled debut album  is one of the most captivating and downright fucking monstrous records I have heard this year.  Clocking in a hefty 71 minutes, “Monte Luna” never suffers from lag, never repeats itself and just as Alice peered through the looking glass, you have no idea just what a fantastical journey is ahead of you when you press play.

Now despite releasing the album back in September, “Monte Luna’s” official album release is this Saturday November 18^th, so with the band prepping for this show, I managed to hook with band members James Clarke (Guitar, Bass, Vocal) and Phil Hook (Drums, FX, Synth) to get the low down about the roots of the band, the recording of the new album and amongst other things how they managed to score one Chris Fielding, he of Conan to master their debut record.  So check it out below.  

Guys, welcome to THE SLUDGELORD, the new album rules, but before we get to that. Can you give us an insight into how you started playing music, leading up to the formation of Monte Luna?

James: I started playing music when I was around 18. For years up to then I had always enjoyed singing but playing had intimidated me. I tried drums when I was 11 and it was just too loud for my parent’s house so it deterred me. Eventually I started playing guitar because I really liked singing along with my friends who played music. My first band I was in was this terrible band I made with some friends in the Navy. We played a few shows in Virginia Beach and we sucked. After I got out of the Navy I went back up north and started a band called Chronoscope. That is where I really started to make some cool noise. I was much more serious about playing guitar and singing. I did that for about 3 years until I got a job in Buda Texas building Aquaponics systems and green houses. I really wanted to find an area that is accepting and much more into heavier music than the area I was in. Austin drew me in and I never looked back. Ha ha

I actually met Phil via craigslist. I posted an add asking for a drummer who was into Neurosis, the Melvins, Shrinebuilder and the likes and he was the first to respond! Who would have thought!

Phil: I taught myself to play drums in the early 90’s and was in a bunch of different bands in the Indianapolis metal scene.  Around 2009 I moved to Austin, TX and started doing a lot of drummer for hire work, recording and touring for many bands and artists. A couple years ago I was feeling burnt out and stagnant artistically and knew I had to play heavy music again. So I creeped craigslist looking for some people to jam with, typed “Neurosis” on the search and the rest is history. Haha!

For folks unfamiliar with your band, are there any bands on the scene past and present that you would use as a reference point to describe your band, and who or what continues to inspire you and push you to try new things?

James: For me I have always admired the work ethic of the Melvins. I look to them on how a band should perform and run a business. I have also learned a lot of band business knowledge from our friends in Destroyer of light. Both the Melvins and Destroyer of Light put on phenomenal shows, and to me, it is all about keeping your audience engaged and hungry. As far as sound I really don’t have a specific point to reference. I like Matt Pikes tone but I didn’t really mold my tone to anyone. I just tried things until I felt it filled enough room. I’m influenced in general by bands like Eyehategod, Neurosis, The Melvins, The Beatles, Funkadelic, Black Sabbath and Rob Crow.

As far as who inspires us to try new things. I would say most of my peers in Austin and San Antonio. I love the bands we are playing with and coming up with and I could not be more thankful! Cursus for sure! And our friends in Spain, Ground.

Phil: My music influences are all over the place… I pull from Godflesh to Howlin Wolf to Sade. The whole creative process is what pushes me to try new things for sure. When I composed the instrumental segways at the end of “6000 Year March” and “Inverted Mountain”, I sampled multiple records on my turntables, added drones and synths.

What can you tell us about your new record “Monte Luna” and where do you feel it sits within the context of current metal scene?

James: The concept of the album revolves around a story I created based on this crazy universe that is loosely inspired by things such as H.P. Lovecraft, Bloodborne/Dark Souls, Kingdom Death Monster, Berserk, The Thing and Dungeons and Dragons (which I love by the way! I dungeon master! I’m a huge nerd).

 Let me just pull an excerpt from my lore here “Long ago in a distant time, unnatural pestilence consumed a world of peace. Father Arbitor has called upon the forces of the old ones to set this tranquil land a flame. After the burning of Elohim, a once great and powerful city, the people of the Nameless City are called upon as the only warriors brave enough to face Father Arbitor’s hellish army. Through their journey the warriors of the Nameless City will face perils the likes they have never seen. A 6000 year march across arid, decaying, plague lands. Climbing the impossible, the Inverted Mountain, reaching the Nightmare Frontier and facing the end. The orb of power glowing green with madness. What will end the cycle? Is the orb the true evil? Or does evil lie within?”. And yes the “Hound” EP does tie into the full length.

It sets in motion the events as the hooded warriors kill father Arbitors faithful dog, thus starting the war leading up to the burning of Elohim. For those wondering, yes we sampled Bloodborne on 6,000 year march! I love that game!! Where does it sit? To be honest I don’t know, we aren’t really trying to be just one genre. We both love so much music we couldn’t say, but it’s certainly heavy meditative music. We want you to turn it up, smoke it up and feel the sound. Like you would live.

Does anything spring to mind when you think about the completion of your new record and how is the mood in the camp at present?

James: I think I’m just glad to be done with it and I am ready to move forward as a band. The concept of the album was a long and difficult process. We tried to capture as much live magic as possible on the recording because we feel that to experience us fully is to see us live. For the mood band wise I know I’m loving it. We just played some awesome shows in Indianapolis and I got to meet some of the guys in Coffinworm and Gates of Slumber so that was an awesome fan boy moment!!

We have received a lot of positive feedback for our album and we beyond humbled at the reception. I think that Austin has a phenomenal group of musicians that I am proud to call my brothers and sisters. We are all doing so much right now and trying to grow this into something for all of us. It just takes time, but it is a wonderful time to be playing heavy music in ATX and the surrounding area. The Lost Well is our home away from home and we are thankful for it.

Phil: We’ve always respected what each of us brings to the table as artists and humans and I don’t see that changing anytime soon….no matter what life shit happens.

What stands out as your overarching memory from the recording sessions?

James: I think what stands out most for me was how amazing the environment was. We recorded at Tommy Munter’s studio in San Antonio (Matador studios). He is a good friend of Phils and an excellent musician. We did 3 days in the studio and crushed it. I think the moment I knew we were doing something right was that within the first day, at like 6 p.m. the cops came and told us we had to turn down. I almost lost my shit! I couldn’t believe it was really happening, and it just happened to be the night of a crazy storm. My mind was racing and I was thinking well that’s that, were screwed. But the next day we woke up early, moved the bass cab into the bathroom and ripped that puppy a new one.

We recorded all the instrumentation in about a day and a half. Also, what really stood out was how receptive Chris Fielding was to mastering the album! And for him to say he loves the vocals made me swoon! Haha! I run a Matamp GT2 into a Worshiper 4x12 and ABY it with a GK 1001 RB into a Worshiper 2x15. I was happy to lay that down as we would live. Phil and I were able to be in the same room while recording so it allowed us to capture the energy we have. We did very little overdubbing.

Phil: The album opener, “Burning of Elohim” had a pretty cool moment in the studio. James and I tracked the album in the room together as we would for our live show and I have a pretty big drum configuration…Ludwig maples, 26 inch kick, 14, 16, 18 toms and a 14x8 steel snare. On the opening tom pattern I’m just beating the living shit out of my floor toms and the air pushing off the drums carried into James guitar pick-ups and created this cool guitar part. We didn’t even realize what happened until playback and James was like, “what the hell guitar part is that”? Of course we kept that magic on the album!

With you new record in the bag, how is your schedule shaping up over the next 12 months?

James: We are planning a 2 week, potentially 3 week tour in April/may (East Coast) and a smaller run with some friends overseas (They want to come here though, we will be in EU asap!) We are going to book a week for the studio this time and that should be right after we come off our 2 week tour. We want the album to really crush, keep some elements of what makes us Monte Luna but always evolve the sound forward and have fun with it! If we aren’t having fun we aren’t a band. We played a great show with Omotai and it felt great to be back home! We hadn’t played TX since June. Our album release shows are coming up on Saturday and we are doing a few dates in December with our friends in Forming the Void!

This year is going to wrap up nicely into a hectic but fun new year. Lets get to Europe sooner rather than later shall we?

Finally, do you have any last words?

James: I’d just like to say that we aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel here. More so, trying to invent an interdimensional space ship.

Phil: I’m going to borrow a quote from my friend Karl Simon (Wretch, Gates of Slumber)…the music’s not too slow, you’re listening too fast. 

The End

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