Allow yourself to indulge in a hefty dose of riffs,
because it is time to present 16 of
the best albums from September, it is time for your SOUR 16.
You
know the drill by now, 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. To put it simply, THE SOUR 16 are the records that have been trending
the most at SLUDGELORD HQ.
The
results are compiled based on the amount of page views the reviews have
received and are then calibrated into the list below. All reviews
can be viewed by clicking the artwork and we have included album streams
wherever possible. (Total views since their publication
are highlighted in the red)
16).
Belus - "Apophenia"
(710)
“Apophenia” is
a breathtaking experience, a challenging listen, and an auspicious first entry
from one of the few bands with the audacity to experiment and the chops to pull
it off.
15).
Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats – “Vol. 1” (Reissue) (744)
Imperfect though it may be, "Vol.
1" is a fascinating introduction to Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats' bold
vision
14).
Unsane - "Sterilize"
(756)
This is a flawless collection of bile-soaked missives that set
the standard for riff-heavy, ugly noise rock in 2017
13).
Gruntruck - "Gruntruck"
(812)
Gruntruck
straddles that line between heavy, melodic, and noisey, not afraid to venture
into Pearl Jam territory when it feels like it, then take a hard left and land
somewhere near the sound of Alice In Chains. Listening
to “Gruntruck”, I think I finally understand what grunge was about. Sure
it was a trend, but bands like this just wanted to rock. And that’s what
this record does.
12).
Wormwood - "Mooncurse"
(892)
Wormwood's performance on
"Mooncurse" is doom in the purest sense. Purposeful pacing and
incredibly weighty riffs aplenty. As you
make your way to "Passage of Fire," Wormwood's greatest traits are on
full display: an impeccable grasp of timing, dark musical sequences and
undefeatable heaviness
11).
Blackfinger - "When
Colors Fade Away" (934)
I
cannot find anything to fault here. Blackfinger have delivered nine tracks of
trad doom with style and finesse. Eric Wagner has put his name to another
excellent doom album and this is recommended to any fans of Trouble, The Skull,
Saint Vitus, The Obsessed and so on out there
10).
Sarke - "Viige
Urh" (952)
“Viige Urh” ignites stronger than the incineration of flames;
forcefully ascends high up to Valhalla— it is a projection of eternality,
packed up in a form of eight tracks as ferocious as incendiaries.
09).
Merchant - "Beneath"
(987)
If you’re a fan of heavy sludge, doom, and death/doom, I don’t see
how you could possibly not dig this album. The production is amazing and the
tone is ultra-heavy. The drums pound mercilessly, the bass hits like a 50 pound
maul, and the vocals pull it all together perfectly. Give this a listen now.
08).
Iron Monkey - "9-13"
(1383)
"9-13" offers a shredding sludge
attack and is a violent rejoinder of why Iron Monkey got its reputation as a
doom/sludge vanguard. All these years later, Iron Monkey remains gritty and
uncompromising. Predictions for a return were invariably high. "9-13"
does not blow those expectations out of the water. Nor does Iron Monkey
disappoint. For that, there's much to smile about.
07).
Bell Witch - "Mirror
Reaper" (1440)
With
"Mirror Reaper," the music conveys the reflection back of life and of
death; literally that the Grim Reaper is a facsimile of the cycle of life. As
with anything Bell Witch, though, such a realization is not engaged with in a
fashion that rips at the pain of loss or terror, but rather builds into a
deeper, though no less excoriating, meditation on the passage of time
06).
Stonebirds - "Time"
(1510)
The group
merges many influences into a package that still sounds true to the subgenre.
Stonebirds is adept at exploring concepts in their music that make it even more
intriguing. To put it simply, the trio is one of the Europe's
more intriguing stoner/doom performers today. "Time," far
exceeds expectations and situates Stonebirds as a band to keep an eye on.
05).
Pänzer - "Fatal
Command" (1738)
This
is a similar beast to their debut- powerful but with melody, hard driving but
never out and out thrash. If you are a fan of Priest, Hammerfall, Accept and of
course Destruction, there will be plenty for you to enjoy here. Classic heavy
metal with a modern stainless steel sheen.
04).
Enslaved - ‘E’ (2045)
‘E’ could very well be the foundation for yet
another great era in a discography that is already ludicrously loaded with
top-tier albums. It is a shift made with finesse and the second
half of “Storm Son” could be the basis for a whole new era of Enslaved on its
own.
03).
All Pigs Must Die - "Hostage Animal" (2179)
The riffs are
ceaseless as Wentworth and Izzi vary from much faster chords into a war chorus
of tonality. And the results are gripping at every second. It,
like previous selections, is potent with APMD's militancy. Best of all, APMD
made the wait well worth it.
02).
Blut Aus Nord - "Deus
Salutis Meae" (2381)
What is truly most evident is an extreme music group that will not
be bound to definitions, or at least is willing to experiment to ascend beyond what
we think we know of a genre.
01).
Primitive Man - "Caustic"
(2989)
"Caustic" is an ambitious project,
among the band's longest and most complex to date. Like their past work, the
group explores nihilism in sound that rivals some of the most hopeless metal
you've heard. That unrelenting quicksand of guitars and bass is here, as are
those vocals of your nightmares.
Primitive Man offer up some of its most excellent music to date, making
this sprawling and charging full length worth the wait.
A
big thank you as always to our amazing writers, your dedication knows no
boundaries and for that I am truly grateful.
October 2017’s “SOUR 16” features
reviews by: Richard
Maw, Andre Almaraz, Mark Ambrose, Ernesto Aguilar, Daniel Jackson, Theron Moore, Charlie Bulter
& Ralka Skjerseth
