Welcome
to The Sludgelord’s ‘Sour 16’. Each month, you the
reader are unwittingly compiling a list of the top 16 records of the month,
covering all genres of metal, but predominately the best the doom, sludge,
stoner-psychedelic genres have to offer.
Is it chart? Not really. To put it simply, the ‘Sour 16’
are the records you guys have been most interested in over the last month and checking
out on this page.
So
here is the The Sludgelord’s ‘Sour 16’ for July 2015, the 16
records you’re most looking forward too or are currently checking out. Check
em out, spread the word and perhaps revisit some records you may have
overlooked.
The
results are compiled based on page views alone and calibrated into
the list below. So without further ado, this is the ‘Sour 16’. So
until next month, roll up, kick back, chug a beer and Hail the riff! All review
links, are held under the artwork. (Total views at the time of publication highlighted in orange)
16) = The Nepalese Temple Ball –
‘Arbor’ (245)
‘How this band is not a household name is beyond my comprehension,
but this album should go some way to making sure that happens.’
16) = Dreadnought – ‘Bridging
Realms’ (245)
‘The cinematic scope of Dreadnought’s music sounds like it should
take a small orchestra to perform it.’
14). Plaguewielder - ‘Chambers of Death’ (252)
‘Ominously named, and equally ominous with their execution,
Plaguewielder has no real give to their sound, the first track, ‘Existence is
Our Exile’, simply shreds against the walls of your mind, with the torturous
vocals raking like the nails of the dead against the inside of your skull.’
13). Vattnet Viskar – ‘Settler’
(254)
‘This record is DENSE! With a massively thick tone, these songs
sonically envelop you in billowing oppressive textures’
12). Freedom Hawk – ‘Into your
Mind’ (263)
‘Overall a very strong album that holds strong throughout; immense
riffs and licks, explosive drumming, engaging vocals and solid bass playing- it
doesn’t get much better.’
11). Hair of the Dog – ‘The
Siren’s Song’ (284)
‘The tone of the record is undeniably loud and heavy, but
incorporates an atmosphere which is vibrant, full of energy and represents a
band with a very bright future indeed’.
10). Abrams – ‘Lust.Love.Loss’ (294)
‘Blending spiky guitar lines reminiscent of These Arms Are Snakes,
plenty of weird Cave In style effects, angular post-hardcore aggression and
no-nonsense stoner riffing, Abrams have created a compelling and addictive
listen here.’
9). Tremonti – ‘Cauterize’ (304)
‘It is not metal like Celtic Frost, certainly, but it is as metallic
as bands like Black Label Society for instance.’
8). Fogg – ‘High Testament’ (311)
‘If you like your music with heavy riffs, fuzz pedals in overdrive
and mixed with various styles, Fogg are worth checking out.
7). Goya – ‘Obelisk‘(326)
6). Khemmis – ‘Absolution’ (334)
‘From the opening riff of the album you can pretty much tell
‘Absolution’ is great. Laying somewhere between Pallbearer and perhaps a
downtempo Ghost, Khemmis' first full-length is one of the best albums you will
hear this year, Period!!’
5). A Trust Unclean - 'Reality Relinquished' (341)
‘The whole EP is so energetic, inspiration seems to bleed from every
available crevice; here is a band basking in a creative flourish.
4). Weeed – ‘Our Guru Brings us
the Black Master Sabbath’ (343)
‘Be it in the album’s closing track or all the tracks preceding,
Weeed has made a potential classic stoner rock album that draws from familiar
elements of the genre and has enough experimentation to give them a sound of
their own.’
3). Sweet Cobra – ‘Earth’ (354)
'Earth' will sit nicely in any collection and would add some melodic
relief in between the usual tipple of sludge, doom, death metal and black
metal. Brilliant.’
2). Alustrium – ‘A Tunnel to Eden’ (409)
Listening to "A Tunnel to Eden" I get the feeling that
this might be the album that "makes" this band
1). Gorgoroth – ‘Instinctus
Bestialis’ (411)
‘Technical and precise, this album at times
has a subtle yet palpable progressive tinge…’
This list features reviews by Heather Blewett,
Chris Tedor, Chris Bull, Victor Van Ommen, Philip Weller, Brian Mclean, Kat
Hilton, Charlie Butler, Steve Howe, Hunter Young, Richard Maw & James Harris
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