ALBUM REVIEW: Kadavar - "Rough Times"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 29/09/2017

Label: Nuclear Blast

The sound off the album is positively low-fi, the title track a noisy and lurching beast and “Into The Wormhole” sounds like a slowed down record being played through a torn speaker. There are sojourns into more proggy territory with “The Lost Child”, but for me it is when the band utilise the most Neanderthal sounds that they are most effective.  The verdict? A lot better than their first two albums and an interesting, engaging listen.

“Rough Times“CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Rough Times (3:38)

 2. Into The Wormehole (4:17)

3. Skeleton Blues (4:24)

4. Die Baby Die (4:18)

5. Vampires (4:48)

6. Tribulation Nation (5:04)

7. Words Of Evil (3:37)

8. The Lost Child (5:52)

9. You Found The Best in Me (4:58)

10. A L'Ombre Du Temps (3:57)

The Review:

Kadavar are Berlin's premier 70's retro rock revivalists and I have followed their career somewhat loosely since their 2013 “Abra Kadavar” album which featured a very seventies production in terms of instrument placement and a small dose of Sabbath to go with their Deep Purple, Budgie, Coven, Blue Cheer, Zeppelin et. al. references. Not doom, for sure, but not only classic rock... Since then, of course, a myriad of bands have come to the fore who deal in similar retro-nostalgia (Gentleman's Pistols are still the best outfit with a retro leaning).

With “Rough Times”, I have missed out on one of the band's albums so I don't know quite how this fits into their continuum but I do know that this is much rougher than the first two records- as the title may obliquely suggest. This is closer to the MC5 and The Stooges in terms of sound and aggression than it is to Budgie. The sounds is positively low-fi, the title track a noisy and lurching beast. “Into The Wormhole” sounds like a slowed down record being played through a torn speaker.

The rest of the record is just as gnarly- “Skeleton Blues” is a primal groove of distorted bass and guitar with reverb drenched vocals. The lyrics capture the Zeitgeist of fake news and confusion in prescient terms. As such, then, for a retro band Kadavar are remarkably up to date in themes and concerns- of the ten tracks, all sound like they could have been recorded between 1968 and 1975, but most of the lyrics could only come from the here and now- an odd combination, but one that makes their sound more alluring, at least for me.

Whether it be the lost innocence and cynicism of “Vampires”, the political sounding “Tribulation Nation” or even the straight rocker “Words of Evil” with its metaphors, all the songs are bang up to date: or could apply to any era of trouble and strife you could name. There are sojourns into more proggy territory with “The Lost Child”, but for me it is when the band utilise the most Neanderthal  sounds that they are most effective. There is melody aplenty in “You Found The Best In Me” and it features as the middle track in the closing triumvirate where the band spread their wings beyond the Berlin/Detroit axis and venture into more unusual sounds and styles. The final statement of “A L'Ombre Du Temps” is again current, retro and a departure for the band.

The verdict? A lot better than their first two albums and an interesting, engaging listen.

“Rough Times” is available here

Band info: official || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: USA/MEXICO - "Laredo"

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 02/06/2017

Label: Riot Season

This is the kind of garage rock where the car is still parked inside with the engine running, warping the bands minds with fumes.   “Laredo” is an awesome offering from USA/MEXICO, a perfect blend of dumb headbanging heaviness and tripped-out weirdness.

“Laredo” DD//LP track listing:

1). Possum Trot

2). Laredo

3). Yard Of The Month

4). Windsor Park Hardcore

5). Dumber Rock Riff

6). L.A.

7). Bullets For Pussy

The Review:

Sometimes it’s a beautiful thing when a record is exactly the sum of its parts. USA/MEXICO’s debut LP “Laredo” delivers precisely the kind of glorious sonic muck one would expect from a trio featuring members of Todd, Shit and Shine and Butthole Surfers.

“Possum Trot” sets the tone for a queasy ride into a nightmarish noise rock world, with the emphasis firmly on the noise. Punishing knuckle-dragging riffs pummel the listener into submission while unhinged robotic vocals and shrieking feedback heighten the air of unease. Imagine Part Chimp jamming with the robots from the Smash adverts and you have a good idea of the addictive insanity on offer here. The band hone this approach to perfection on “Yard Of The Month” and “Dumber Rock Riff” while the title track and “Bullets For Pussy” see the Shit and Shine influence come to the fore yielding maximum impact from relentless repetition.

USA/MEXICO deliver their own distinct brand of grindcore on the brief chaotic terror of “Windsor Park Hardcore” while “L.A” offers a vague nod to more melodic territory. Thankfully it’s only a minor concession though in the form of some lead guitar that lends the track a dirty Stooges feel. This is the kind of garage rock where the car is still parked inside with the engine running, warping the bands minds with fumes.

“Laredo” is an awesome offering from USA/MEXICO, a perfect blend of dumb headbanging heaviness and tripped-out weirdness.


“Laredo” is available here

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: 11Paranoias - “Reliquary for a Dreamed of World”

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 28/10/2016

Label: Ritual Productions

What sets 11PARANOIAS apart from other bands operating in the realms of psychedelic heaviness is the otherworldly atmosphere they conjure. Every note is enshrouded in a hazy fog that lends their music a darkly unsettling feel.

“Reliquary for a Dreamed of World” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Peripheral Metamorphosis

2). Destroying Eyes

3). Avallanius

4). Mutus Lieber

5). Meditation on the Void

6). Phantom Pyramid

7). Milk of Amnesia

The Review:

11PARANOIAS are a rare example of a super group that are as good, and possibly even better, than their constituent parts. Featuring Mike Vest (Bong, Blown Out, etc.) on guitar, Adam Richardson (Ramesses) on bass/vocals and Nathan Perrier (Capricorns) on drums, the band fully deliver on their impeccable heavy credentials, as demonstrated on previous LP “Stealing Fire From Heaven”. Expectations of greatness weigh heavy on new LP “Reliquary for a Dreamed of World” and 11PARANOIAS rise to the occasion and then some.

Opener “Peripheral Metamorphosis” wastes no time in getting down to business as the band launch straight into a huge, treacly riff. This track acts as a satisfying reminder of all that makes 11PARANOIAS great; minimal punishing riffs that bludgeon the listener senseless whilst elevating their consciousness to a higher plain, striking a delicate balance between hypnotic repetition and organic progression. What sets 11PARANOIAS apart from other bands operating in the realms of psychedelic heaviness is the otherworldly atmosphere they conjure. Every note is enshrouded in a hazy fog that lends their music a darkly unsettling feel. The band also show a rare grasp of dynamics, sometimes falling away to a hushed, restrained quiet that makes their ferocious onslaught all the more terrifying when it arrives.

11PARANOIAS marked themselves out previously by their inclusion of weirder elements that stretch beyond the standard boundaries of doom. “Reliquary for a Dreamed of World” sees them fully embrace these influences with incredible results. Monstrous, sixteen-minute highlight “Destroying Eyes” begins with their characteristic leaden riffs but as the track progresses the tempo slowly picks up until the track blossoms into a high octane stoner punk explosion. Relentless filthy baselines drive the track to ever-higher levels of intensity, a glorious racket that sounds like the Stooges jamming with Acid Mothers Temple as Yob set the controls for the heart of the sun. “Phantom Pyramid” sees the band embrace extended periods of clean guitars to create an ominously intoxicating two chord slow burn that eventually erupts into molten distortion. This track sees them move away from doom to a more psychedelic rock sound although still crushingly heavy, like an iron-clad Bardo Pond. This bleeds seamlessly into the storming finale of “Milk of Amnesia”. Based mostly upon one churning riff of almost garage-rock simplicity, the band throws everything they have into a four minute adrenaline rush of primal ferocity. Its impact is all the more devastating in contrast to the longer, drawn out songs that precede and its unexpected immediacy makes for a brilliant end to the album.

“Reliquary for a dreamed Of World” is an incredible release from 11PARANOIAS. It sees the band raise their already impressive game to another plane with a cosmic onslaught on the senses that makes all other psychedelic doom bands sound like Oasis in comparison. This is the album that should make the band member’s other achievements irrelevant; what matters is that they were involved in the creation of this monumental record.

“Reliquary for a Dreamed of World” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Make - "Pilgrimage of Loathing"

By: George Parr

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 15/07/2016
Label: Accident Prone Records

An encompassing album that sees Make drag the psychedelia and post-metal of their previous recordings into a sludgy realm full of menacing atmospherics and hard-hitting riffs, Pilgrimage Of Hate is sure to please those who like their doom dark and heavy, but less predictable than the average group.

“Pilgrimage of Loathing” track listing:

1). The Somnambulist

2). Birthed Into A Grave They Made for You

3). Two Hawks Fucking

4). Human Garbage

5). Dirt

6). Nothing

The Review

Breaking out of metals overpopulated underground with previous release “The Golden Veil”, North Carolina’s Make are ready to turn even more heads just a year later with what will be the group’s second full-length since reforming in 2015. Evolving significantly since “The Golden Veil”, which was in any regard a great post-metal album with elements of doom-soaked psychedelia, “Pilgrimage of Loathing” sees Make more substantially embrace the gloomy world of sludge.

Immediately more dark and sombre than the group’s previous material, it is an album drenched in a layer of thick grime that makes every guttural yell and hazy riff even more bruising. That’s not to say Make are a one-trick pony, however, as the more sinister and atmospheric ‘Two Hawks Fucking’ or the post-rock tinkerings of closer ‘Nothing’ will testify. Most impressive, though, is The Stooges cover ‘Dirt’, a filthy rendition of the Iggy Pop and co track that re-appropriates the original’s infectious bass-lines to create heavy, Sleep-esque grooves that are ominously overlapped by a juxtaposition of gritty vocals and soaring cult-like singing.

In many ways, “Pilgrimage of Loathing” is more straight-forward than Make’s previous releases, with its raw, acidic nature providing a more in-your-face level of mean heaviness. However, don’t mistake this as a run-of-the-mill sludge release, as the intricacies of Make’s previous recordings remain present. Blackened doom riffs frequently dominate proceedings, but swirling psychedelic undertones are an occasional source of transcendent wonder, whilst injections of post metal elements allow Make’s often weighty sound to soar now and then, rather than stay confined to its murky home.

Whilst some will see “Pilgrimage of Loathing” as a huge shift in musical direction that all but completely abandons the meditative sound Make’s previous releases were built upon, the alteration into a darker, more melancholic band has undoubtedly yielded a hugely positive result. Whether accidentally or otherwise, the psychedelic post-metal we heard on “The Golden Veil” just one year ago has been buried, but not silenced, under a layer of muscular, blackened sludge metal, inadvertently making Make one of the doom scene’s most exciting and unique bands.

“Pilgrimage of Loathing” is available here

Band info: facebook

The Sludgelord Song Premiere - "Round And Round" by Lacertilia

Lacertilia are a tripped out rock n roll machine from South Wales that brings together the manic stomp and wild stage performance of The Stooges, the fuzzy desert sounds of Kyuss, the weird psychedelic frequencies of The 13th Floor Elevators and the proto doom of Pentagram . . .

Their influences clearly shine through in their music but this isn't some derivative bullshit trying to recreate the sounds of the past . . . instead their alchemy of styles blend together perfectly to create something unique and refreshing. On the 29^th July their sophomore release “We’re Already Inside Your Mind” will hit the streets and today we’re thrilled to debut a brand new and exclusive track “Round And Round” for you listening pleasure, so sit back take a hit and behold the riffs.  But before you do, here is what singer Fry had to say about the track:

"Round and Round is about having lots of ideas in your head and acting upon the good ones, helping one another: family, tribe, and passing on messages of positivity. It's about doing things now instead of putting them off. The song has become a regular in our live set and we feel it gives a good representation of the Lacertilia sound. It was the last track we wrote for the album and is, co-incidentally, the last track on the record. Huge thanks to The Sludgelord for hosting Round and Round, we hope you all enjoy it as much as we do!”

“We’re Already Inside Your Mind” is available to pre order here

“We’re Already Inside Your Mind”CD//DD track listing:

1. Inside Your Mind Part 1
2. The Wired And The Weird
3. Tangled Up
4. Never See The Sun
5. Ride With Us
6. EARTH
7. Journey To Agartha
8. Fire Up The Engine Of God
9. Round And Round
10. Inside Your Mind Part 2

Band info bandcamp || facebook

Pentagram - 'Curious Volume' (Album Review)

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 21/08/2015

Label: Peaceville Records

Overall, for my money, Curious Volume is a better album than Last Rites- more focused, more inspired and it crackles with life, it really does. It is the best album from Pentagram in a long while and for that we should all rejoice. Legendary for a reason!

Curious Volume CD//CS//DD//LP track listing:

1. Lay Down and Die

2. The Tempter Push

3. Dead Bury Dead

4. Earth Flight

5. Walk Alone

6. Curious Volume

7. Misunderstood

8. Close the Casket

9. Sufferin`

10. Devil`s Playground

11. Because I Made It

Pentagram is:

Bobby Liebling | vocals

Victor Griffin | guitar

Greg Turley | bass

Pete Campbell | drums 

The Review:

Pentagram are doom royalty, no question about it. Their debut (albeit not released until the mid 80's) is revered as a classic and rightly so. ‘Relentless’ (or whatever you refer to it as) is superb. ‘Day of Reckoning’ and ‘Be Forewarned’ are also superb. In fact, the list could go on... ‘Last Rites’ was a resurrection of biblical proportions (is there any other type?) a couple of years back. If you have seen the film “Last Days Here” you will know that Bobby Liebling's life has not exactly been a bed of roses and frankly it is astounding that he is still alive and making music. Nostalgia and good will aside, though, is the new Pentagram record any good?!

I am happy to report that it is. Absolutely. Is it doom? Well, that is another question. With Victor Griffin back in (he usually is, but sometimes isn't) on guitar the album has all the raw ingredients of a doom masterpiece. Ultimately, from opener “Lay Down and Die” onwards this is a hard rocking affair. Sure, it's dark and edgy and has that Sabbath swing to the riffs, but it has just as much in common with The Stooges greatest work, or even MC5. This is Lo Fi, American, old school, garage rock n roll, with a hefty dose of doom running straight up its spine. The sound is reassuringly retro- fuzzy and over driven with a unique sound (no sound replacements here!).

The band excel themselves over the album's length, playing as they do tightly and with a lovely feel. Griffin in particular is on fire, playing bluesy doom riff after cool lick and so on. Always providing a more muscular and steady visual counter point to Liebling's scarecrow like frailty, the two are in perfect sync here.

“Dead Bury Dead” is a fine example of the darker material on offer here- it still swings- and it has doom aplenty to go with the more bluesy sections. “Earth Flight” is a groovy hard rocking beast that would not be out of place on ‘Fun House’ (as an example). The songs here are very focused- never lengthy, always toned and structured. The title track is dark indeed and the record loses none of its focus down the back stretch. “Close The Casket” is a particular highlight, but “The Devil's Playground” is a pure doom delight. Closer “Because I Made It” is a fine track and a triumphant end to a hard rocking album. Overall, for my money, Curious Volume is a better album than Last Rites- more focused, more inspired and it crackles with life, it really does. It is the best album from Pentagram in a long while and for that we should all rejoice. Legendary for a reason!

‘Curious Volume’ is available here

Band info: Official | facebook

Choice Cuts: The Stooges - S/T (1969)

The Stooges (1969)

The Band:

• Iggy Pop | vocals (credited as "Iggy Stooge")
• Dave Alexander | bass guitar
• Ron Asheton | guitar, vocals
• Scott Asheton | drums
• John Cale | piano, sleigh bell on "I Wanna Be Your Dog", viola on "We Will Fall"

Review:

Released in 1969 during the meltdown of the peace and love counter culture movement that had swept across America during the mid - late 60s.  Hailing from Detroit, Michigan, The Stooges were a full stop to a generation of high hopes and big let downs, but more importantly The Stooges were the beginning of something that would eventually spearhead a whole generation of disaffected youths, especially in the US and the UK that would by the late 70s be known as Punk Rock.

The album kicks of with ‘1969,’ A soundtrack to a generation that has come to terms with its defeat in the face of war and conservatism, with Iggy snarling “Well it's 1969, OK all across the USA. It's another year for me and you, Another year with nothing to do" cementing a new reality of youths feeling that the party was over and had very little future.  The star of the show however, is guitarist Ron Asheton, armed with a guitar tone that could literally melt a thousand speakers, Wah-wah drenched fuzz riffs, standing alongside the simplistic repetitive rhythm section of Dave Alexander and Scott Asheton driving the song like no other rhythm section could.  The song comes to a crescendo with messy Wah-wah and Iggy shouting “It was 1969 baby!!" As a foreclosure to a generation heading for turmoil

Track 2 is the punk rock classic "I Wanna Be Your Dog"  probably The Stooges' signature song, led by Ron Ashetons fuzz-bomb blues meets middle Eastern drone riffs and a unchanging rock solid backbeat from his brother Scott Asheton.  This song encapsulates what The Stooges were all about!  Iggy Snarling "So messed up I want you here" with the repeated chorus "Now I Wanna Be Your Dog".  The Stooges manage to update the blues with ease as well as creating a new attitude.

‘We Will Fall’ is a 10 minute psychedelic-drone mantra led by producer John Cales mournful viola playing, and Iggy's shamanistic chanting accompanied by Ron Asheton's lulling Wah-wah guitar lines.  This is a rare side of The Stooges that never really got explored again, but it showcased the bands dexterity.  Indeed despite being slated by muso's for not being able to play, they were seemingly missing the point of what The Stooges were all about.

Next song is ‘No Fun’, another Stooges classic, again led by the fuzz-sludge of Ron Asheton, with Iggy a new voice for the Dissatisfied generation spitting out " No fun to be around, freak out, for another day".  This song was so proto-punk that the Sex Pistols used to cover it back in their early days.  ‘Real Cool Time’ and ‘Ann’ are garage rock standards, leading into ‘Not Right’ and ‘Little Doll’ which loop up this fantastic debut nicely

The Stooges released 2 more albums, 1970s ‘Fun House’ and the 1973 classic ‘Raw Power’, all 3 including ‘The Stooges’ are now heralded as Rock classics, despite not selling any records at the time.

The bands real status belongs in its eventual influence on any band that chose attitude over technique especially in Punk and Grunge, but The Stooges influence also branched out to metal and Stoner Rock. Bands like the Sex Pistols, Nirvana, Monster Magnet, Slayer and Queens Of The Stone Age have propped The Stooges as a major influence.

The Stooges got back together in the early 00s and finally tasted some success that they had always deserved, but with the deaths of both the Asheton brothers it looks likely that The Stooges have come to the end.  Even if this is the case, Iggy and co can walk away with their heads held high, knowing that they had a massive impact and influence on rock and roll, which to this day means more than selling a million records.

Words by: David Oglesby

Album Details:

‘The Stooges’ is the self-titled debut studio album by American rock band The Stooges, released in August 1969 on Elekra Records.  On August 16, 2005, Elektra and Rhino Records  jointly re-issued the album as a double CD, with a remastered version and second disc which include alternative and original mixes of the record.  Rhino Records again released the album in their "Handmade" series as a collector's package including two CDs, a 7" record, and a 7"x7"-sized booklet. The first disc features the main songs, the single version of "I Wanna Be Your Dog", and all original John Cale mixes of the songs. The second disc, and both sides of the 7" single, contain the previously unreleased "Asthma Attack”.

‘The Stooges’ original track listing:

1). 1969 04:05

2). I Wanna Be Your Dog 03:09

3). We Will Fall 10:18

4). No Fun 05:14

5). Real Cool Time 02:29

6). Ann 02:59

7). Not Right 02:52

8). Little Doll 03:20