ALBUM REVIEW: Verheerer - "Maltrér"

By: Ernesto Aguilar

Album Type: Full length

Date Released: 19/01/2018

Label: Vendetta

"Maltrér" CD//DD//LP track listing

1. Oratio

2. Kultyst

3. Vertigo

4. Maltrér

5. Anima Sola

6. Nachtfall

7. Heimgang

The Review:

With black metal experiencing so much growth in the last decade, it is probably impossible for a band to make a particularly big splash in the subgenre. Such is easily the case for German black metal crew Verheerer, back after a brief hiatus with the follow-up to its 2015 EP, "Archar." This new seven-song outing is filled with classic-sounding black metal that is sturdy and good, but not particularly remarkable. The solid quality alone may be just enough to impress, however, since the band offers just enough for the music to speak for itself.

As a duo, Verheerer presents a great deal of promise in soundscapes that are atramentous as the lyrical content, which is dismal as it gets. Its traditionalist approach comes across without reserverations in "Oratio," with its epic crescendo, flailing headfirst into "Kultyst," where agonized vocals crash into monster riffs and thunderous drums. The song selection is immaculate, as "Vertigo" matches the preceding cut, then emerges with a new rhythm a minute in, shapeshifting into a beast all of its own. By the title track, the listener is halfway in, but the music is far from arduous, as Verheerer makes this at points complicated songs seem far simpler than they most assuredly are.

That title cut stands out because of its unique musicianship, marrying black metal style growls with a heavy backdrop that is informed by legendary performers seemingly. Definitely an old-school metal vibe there. However, the latter part of the album showcases Verheerer's heavier side, with the final three songs going in hard. "Anima Sola" and "Nachtfall" crank up the volume, speed and intensity, as the vocals match that rising temperature with grisly imagery and a snarl that is sure to sit with you for a long time. With the final track, Verheerer goes far more adventurous, blending samples, guitars, heavy rhythm and vocals that stretch beyond what the rest of the album features. It is perhaps the band's most promising song, because it gives the listener a feeling like this is a band that could take some risks and make something quite imaginative.

When you first fire up "Maltrér," you may not be blown away by anything in particular. As a work, however, there is a lot to look out for in Verheerer, a group with potentially their best music ahead of them.

"Maltrér" is available here:

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

INTERVIEW: Woe at Shadow Woods Metal Fest, September 14 – 17 2017

By: Mark Ambrose

From September 14-17, hundreds of metal fans descended on White Hall, Maryland for a weekend of camping, music, and generic mayhem at the third annual Shadow Woods Metal Fest.  THE SLUDGELORD was on the scene and managed to snag a few interviews with performers, artists, and the people behind this unique, amazing musical event.  As part of our coverage, we sat down with Chris Grigg (guitar and lead vocals) and Grzekiek Czapla (bass) of Brooklyn black metal powerhouse Woe before their set on Saturday, September 16.  Chris and Grzekiek took a few minutes to discuss their new album, “Hope Attrition”, their new label Vendetta Records, and the future of Woe after a lengthy hiatus and lineup changes.



What are your thoughts on Shadow Woods so far?

Grzekiek: Really cool fest, cool people, organized as FUCK.  The bands are sick.  I’m really happy to be here.

You recently put out “Hope Attrition”, your first release with Matt Mewton (guitars) and Lev Weinstein (drums).  What’s the difference with their presence in the band as opposed to your prior releases?

Chris: They were super on top of shit.  This was the smoothest recording.

G: The most prepared that we’ve ever been for an album.

C: Not to say that people in the past were unprepared but this was just very low stress.  It was also the first album since the very first one that I didn’t record on my own.  So that was very helpful that I didn’t record shit.

G: Oh yeah!  Chris didn’t record this one!

C: Thank fucking god.

Who were you working with in the studio?

C: Stephen DeAcutis in Edison, NJ – he recorded Evoken [2007 “Caress of the Void”], Disma.

G: Legend!

C: Amazing studio, amazing engineer.  Sick dude.  But Matt and Lev rule! Grzekiek rules!

G: Probably, hopefully this is the band.

C: It fucking better be.

So it feels nice and secure for now?

G: It feels forever.

There was a pause between 2013’s “Withdrawal” and this.  What were you working on in the meantime?

C:  Mostly I wasn’t playing music.  I took a lot of time off for life things.  G was doing life things.

G:  We were completely in communication.  Best friends, hang out.  We just weren’t playing. 

C:  He was doing other band stuff.  I switched careers and really just needed a bit of a break.  I was pretty burnt out.  And a nice thing about not having to depend on it to make money we have the flexibility of saying, “Yeah, we’re not gonna do it.”  I got healthier – I’m not like a totally depressed, anxious person, the way I used to be.  I just took some time to be a better person and hit restart on the whole project.

This is your first album with Vendetta Records.  How has that relationship been so far?

C: Amazing.  AMAZING.  Stefan [Klose] is the coolest fucking dude.

G:  The first label we worked with where it felt like they are on our side.

C:  Totally, all the time.

G:  They are an awesome label and are successful because of it.

Who are you looking forward to seeing today?

G:  Motherfucking VASTUM.  And yesterday, Human Bodies blew me away.

C:  We kind of want them to just play our set for us.

What do you do in your non-Woe time?

C:  I’m a developer – code.

G:  I’m a geologist.

2 parts Woe, 1 part SLUDGELORD

Are you guys multitasking with any other projects?

C:  Matt and I have a new band called Death Icon – just raging, thrashy black metal.  I’m drumming for that.  Back on the kit.  I did the first Woe album and had a grindcore album with my friends Unrest a few years ago with the guys from Crypt Sermon.  NAME DROP! 

G:  Alright with the name drops.

C: Ok I can keep going.

G: Sonja – we’re a three piece.  We fucking rule – fucking absurdly rule.  With Melissa Moore and Ben Brand.  Sisters of Mercy meets Type O Negative meets Manowar and Judas Priest.  Classic rock, just heavy metal.

C:  Heavy metal with like a goth, dark, deathrock vibe.  I would quit my job and move back to Philly to play bass – no, second guitar.  Everyone who hears it wants to be in this band.

And are there any events you want to promote?

C:  We’re playing with Nails and Couch Slut in Brooklyn on November 18

G: Much respect to THE SLUDGELORD!

The End

Band info: facebook || bandcamp

ALBUM REVIEW: Belus - "Apophenia"

By: Mark Ambrose

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 13/10/ 2017

Label: Vendetta Records

“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.

 “Apophenia” CD//CS//DD//LP track listing

1. Chasm

2. Monolith

3. Avarice

4. Illusions

5. Psychosis

6. Omens

7. Equilibrium

The Review

Belus has one of the most memorable rhythm sections in blackened metal.  From the opener, “Chasm”, drummer Jacques fluidly alternates between blast beats and groove-indebted, borderline funk fills.  The bass work is equally indebted to funky post-punk, like a black metal Mike Watt, while the guitar tone glides between classic tremolo picking and lush, post-hardcore departures.  If the bass on “Monolith” were a bit higher in the mix, the disco beat would immediately invoke Public Image, Ltd.  For all I’ve said about the disparate influences and comparable non-metal acts, Belus is one hell of an interesting metal band on its own terms.  Guitarist Matt Mewton’s vocal delivery, particularly on album highlight “Avarice”, has an almost dual-toned rasped scream.  A lot of digital ink has been spilled regarding Dagon’s otherworldly, “reptilian” vocal style, but I’ve found Mewton’s tone equally alien and more tuneful.  There are moments that almost sound like throat singing.  This weirdness, paired with the mounting doom (and haunting synth) of final tracks “Omens” and “Equilibrium, are particularly rewarding upon multiple listens.  I found myself hearing unlikely harmonies in Mewton’s guitars and vocals, while even the blast beats and pared down bass riffing played with subtle rhythmic variations.

And yet Belus has me rethinking any “big picture” judgment or some unifying gestalt.  When so many bands practically construct a libretto for interpreting their latest prog missive, the very title is a challenge – or a warning.  “Apophenia”, for those (like me) who tend to fire up a Google search any time you encounter a new mystery word, is, according to Belus, the “human tendency to seek patterns in random information and assign unnecessary meaningfulness or importance to them”.  This bleak concept has been equally applied to the studies of psychology and esoteric magic.  How appropriate, then, for a band that treads equally in the morose world of black metal and the occult-obsessed dimensions of psychedelia, with some unexpected, schizophrenic sojourns into funk, punk, post-punk and doom, to confound the effort to bridge these concepts.  Each temporal shift, each genre-fluid amalgamation, each tortured vocal practically begs for interpretation for some larger, unifying theme, while constantly threatening the listener with sheer nihilism.  It’s 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.

“Apophenia” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

REVIEW: Whitehorse/Upyr - "Split"

By: Daniel Jackson

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 14/02/2017

Label: Vendetta Records

‘Split LP’//DD track listing:

1). Whitehorse - Settled Dust

2). Upyr - Rise of the Mighty Tyrant

3). Upyr - Webs of Sorrow

 

The Review:

Split albums are a difficult thing to do well. The issues you’re likely to run into with them are usually one of the following: either one band is obviously the better of the two, or the bands aren’t great counterparts stylistically. The split we’re discussing here, from Australia’s Whitehorse and Bulgaria’s Upyr, doesn’t suffer massively from either issue. Neither band is drastically better than the other either, but they are different enough that you’ll likely prefer one over the other. And really that’s what will either make or break this experience for you: are you able to enjoy the shift in styles from one band to the other over the course of the whole album? My short answer is yes, but with some caveats.

Whitehorse is a very stalwart, consistent death/doom band. They stay largely in their preferred lane, and take a more subtle and nuanced approach to evolving their lone, 19 minute track. The changes aren’t stark or abrupt, but measured and carefully considered. “Settled Dust” maintains a fairly uniform tempo throughout, and a pretty bleak and harsh tone, which carries things through the first half. It’s all about massive chords and downbeats. The drumming gets slightly busier at certain points, and there is some effective use of droning noise in the background for the sake of adding extra tension, but otherwise things continue on at a slow, steady pace.

At about half way through the song, the emotional vibe changes gears and the song becomes more melancholy and sorrowful. Accompanied by pensive strings, the song shifts its character, but remains tied to the music that leads up to it through its glacially slow tempo. The songs begins to dissipate, as layers are stripped away until the last bit of noise is snuffed out, like someone blowing out a candle. Preferences being what they are, Whitehorse’s contribution is less adventurous (as we’re about to get into), but ultimately more satisfying in my case.

Upyr’s material is a bit more out there. “Rise of the Mighty Tyrant” begins as something of a traditional 80s doom song. The riff is slow but buoyant, with something of straight up rock n’ roll personality. But after that, the songs vary between sludge and a southern-style variation of it, doom, and even black metal. To say that vocalist Brodnik tries around a dozen or so vocal styles over the course of the Upyr’s 21 minutes of album time would not be an exaggeration. That they pull all of this off reasonably well is pretty damned impressive, but also gets to the heart of why I prefer Whitehorse’s side of the album.

To put it bluntly: Upyr puts out a vibe that they’re more interested in trying things out for the sake of having fun than they are in putting together something that always plays to their strengths as musicians and performers. There’s nothing wrong with that mindset, but it also risks the end result being a hit or miss experience. That’s what this is. There’s a lot of cool shit going on here, but some of it falls short of what they were aiming for.

Upyr’s strong suit is as a heavy, rhythmically diverse black and doom metal band with a hint of mid-90s goth metal as they are towards the end of “Rise of the Mighty Tyrant” and again in the very early and then later half of “Webs of Sorrow”. Embracing those strengths going forward would give them plenty to occupy themselves with creatively, while focusing on what they’re best at when jumping from style to style.

When considered as a whole, there are a lot more that hits rather than misses, and the album rewards you throughout. There’s something to be said for contrasting a band so orthodox and sure of themselves against a band that with a partial identity crisis; though you could argue that Upyr’s constant genre hopping and vocal histrionics ARE its identity, which is fair. But between each band, there more than enough here to warrant a solid recommendation. There’s just too much that works overall to be denied.

“Whitehorse/Upyr” is available here

Band info: Whitehorse Facebook || Upyr Facebook

ALBUM REVIEW & PREMIERE: Cult of Occult / Grim Van Doom - "Split"

By: Ben Fitts

Album Type: Split

Date Released: 15/02/2017

Label: Vendetta Records

Plump, earthy bass tones, ominous, cymbal-heavy drumming, hellishly guttural vocals and filthy guitar distortion are set to a tempo that makes Sleep look like a grindcore band. All of these elements remain constant throughout the twenty-two minutes of “Black Sea”, giving the song an endless, trance-inducing feel.  Grim Van Doom’s side of the album has very little fat on them; they are all lean, brutish works of harsh sludge that churn your stomach and make the marrow of your bones tremble.

Cult of Occult / Grim Van Doom DD//LP track listing:

1). CULT OF OCCULT - "Black Sea"

2). GRIM VAN DOOM – "Crimson"

3). GRIM VAN DOOM - "Interlude"

4). GRIM VAN DOOM - "Rust"

5). GRIM VAN DOOM - "Azure"

The Review:

The split album by the sludge bands Cult Of Occult and Grim Van Doom starkly contrast the two very different approaches that the two bands bring to the same genre. But, if anything, that contrast grabs the listener. Cult Of Occult’s half of the album is one, twenty-two minute long track titled “Black Sea”. It rumbles like a distant demon patiently clawing its way out from hell, one massive handful of earth at a time. Plump, earthy bass tones, ominous, cymbal-heavy drumming, hellishly guttural vocals and filthy guitar distortion are set to a tempo that makes Sleep look like a grindcore band. All of these elements remain constant throughout the twenty-two minutes of “Black Sea”, giving the song an endless, trance-inducing feel.

The half of the album given to German quarter Grim Van Doom is rather different. Containing three songs and a brief interlude, Grim Van Doom’s side of the album is like a punch in the face from a spiked, steel gauntlet. While all three song’s on Grim Van Doom’s side of the album cross over the five minute mark, there is still a feeling of very little fat on them; they are all lean, brutish works of harsh sludge that churn your stomach and make the marrow of your bones tremble. Pungent tones grate against your eardrums as they doll out riffs that sound as if they had been written by someone who had spent the last two decades fuming at past transgressions and plotting revenge.

Having the music of these two different bands stacked side by side is an effective way of exaggerating the qualities of both. Both Cult Of Occult and Grim Van Doom create music that is firmly within the sludge metal sphere, so there is enough similarity for coherence. However, while each band grabs sludge by the throat, they do so from disparate angels. Cult Of Occult’s slithering journey through the abyss brings out the pounding, martial energy of Grim Van Doom, who in turn make the hellish sounds Cult Of Occult that much more vivid.

“Cult of Occult / Grim Van Doom” is available here

Band info: facebookcultofoccult || facebookgrimvandoom

Moloch/Lich - "Moloch/Lich" Split 12inch (Review)

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Split 12inch

Date Released: 5/01/2016

Label: Dry Cough Records|

Vendetta Records |

Vetala Productions

Moloch contribute two slabs of crawling, lumbering sludge. “Disability” is nine minutes of creeping despair, pummelling riffs and pained vocals combining to harrowing effect. The whole thing is caked in thick distortion and squalling feedback.  Lich use their side of this release to rattle through 8 tracks of break-neck power violence punctuated with crushing breakdowns.  They occupy a similar stylistic space to Moloch, but filter their noise through a punk/hardcore lens without losing focus on the riffs.  This is a strong split, both sides equally matched in terms of ear-bleeding ferocity. An essential purchase for connoisseurs of sonic filth, this is a powerful document of the UK underground.

“Moloch/Lich” Split 12inch LP track listing:

1). Moloch – Disability

2). Moloch - Holding the Hand of Someone Dying

3). Lich – Beggar’s Teeth

4). Lich – Rat Teeth

5). Lich – Fields of Malice

6). Lich – Negation Delirium

7). Lich – Dead Water

8). Lich - Disir

9). Lich – Lazarus Pit

10). Lich – Hat Trick of Idiocy

The Review:

Extremes of tempo are always welcome in heavy music. This split LP is a fine example of this, with Kent’s Lich occupying the faster end of the spectrum, while Nottingham’s Moloch firmly embedded at the turgid depths. What unites these bands is a single-minded dedication to producing an ugly racket, regardless of speed.

Moloch contribute two slabs of crawling, lumbering sludge. “Disability” is nine minutes of creeping despair, pummelling riffs and pained vocals combining to harrowing effect. The whole thing is caked in thick distortion and squalling feedback. It occupies a potent middle ground between the heavy hitters of doom and the gnarliest noise rock. “Holding The Hand Of Someone Dying” is every bit as bleak as it soul-crushing title, continuing the previous track’s onslaught while adding hints of off-kilter discordance, reminiscent of Primitive Man. These tracks are Moloch’s strongest to date and bode well for future releases. Hopefully a full-length offering is somewhere on the horizon.

Lich use their side of this release to rattle through 8 tracks of break-neck power violence punctuated with crushing breakdowns. Now, sadly defunct, the band boasted members of awesome UK scream bands Battle of Wolf 359 and Me And Goliath. There are hints of these sounds here, mixed with a more aggressive metallic approach and played through amps, barely clinging to life as they are pushed to breaking point. They occupy a similar stylistic space to Moloch, but filter their noise through a punk/hardcore lens without losing focus on the riffs. It’s a shame this will be the final release from Lich, but hopefully this split will allow more people to realise what a devastating force they were.

This is a strong split, both sides equally matched in terms of ear-bleeding ferocity. An essential purchase for connoisseurs of sonic filth, this is a powerful document of the UK underground.

“Moloch/Lich” is available here

Band info: facebook

Ultha - ‘Pain Cleanses Every Doubt’ (Album Review)

By: Daniel Jackson

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 31/7/2015

Label: Tartarus Records (CS),

Ecocentric Records (CD),

Vendetta (LP)

Musically, Ultha fits in well alongside bands like Armagedda or early Forgotten Tomb, not because they sound all that similar, but because they have a similar emotional tone. Ultha’s metal is pitch black, without crossing into Deathspell Omega-style chaos and dissonance.   On the whole ‘Pain Cleanses Every Doubt’, offers further evidence that as much as orthodox black metal is criticised for being too conservative when it comes to incorporating new elements and trying new things, there are still plenty of ways to be compelling and interesting.

‘Pain Cleanses Every Doubt’ CD//CS//DD//LP track listing:

1. Crystalline Pyre

2. Perpetual Resurrection

3. Death Created Time to Grow Things it Kills

4. You Exist for Nothing

The Review:

‘Pain Cleanses Every Doubt’ is a difficult album to review. There’s a lot to like about this album, especially because this is only the band’s debut and yet they have a sound like they’ve been playing together for much longer than they have been. Ultha’s sound is fully-realized, and it’s engrossing as hell. However, there is one key issue that is most likely going to ultimately determine how you feel about the album: how you feel about the vocals.

As much as certain varieties of metal fans deride screaming vocals as either sonically unappealing or for being the refuge of people who can’t sing; there is a lot of technique that goes into making traditional black and death metal vocals sound the way they need to. There’s also more variety to choose from than is often considered. Abbath doesn’t sound like Attila Csihar, or how Jon Nödtveidt used to. Gaahl doesn’t sound like Pest. There are a variety styles and techniques involved, even if the end result is harsh screaming one way or the other.

One style that is particularly tough to accept is that which Varg Vikernes used on the early Burzum albums. This specific style is probably most common in depressive black metal, and was used to almost comedic effect on Silencer’s ‘Death - Pierce Me’. While C.’s vocals are in a similar vein to those of Vikernes, they have a certain restraint and harshness to them that will likely take away the negative aspects for people who don’t care for that specific style. C. has found a way to take a normally unpalatable shriek and show that it can work well with the instrumental side of Ultha, just by exercising some control over his voice. Combining that with R.’s deep-throated roar makes for a compelling addition to Ultha’s overall sound.

Musically, Ultha fits in well alongside bands like Armagedda or early Forgotten Tomb, not because they sound all that similar, but because they have a similar emotional tone. Ultha’s metal is pitch black, without crossing into Deathspell Omega-style chaos and dissonance. It also shares song writing sensibility with Sweden’s Shining, though I fear Shining in 2015 is kind of a caricature of itself, as opposed to being an exciting and interesting band as they were around the time of ‘III’ and ‘IV’. Ultha has more in common with Shining at its most interesting, when the band was less a promotional vehicle for Kvarforth and more of a band taking a somewhat standard black metal style and breathing new life into it.

On ‘Pain Cleanses Every Doubt’, Ultha offers further evidence that as much as orthodox black metal is criticised for being too conservative when it comes to incorporating new elements and trying new things, there are still plenty of ways to be compelling and interesting. Ultha does this through being dynamic and knowing that if you’re working within narrow musical confines, seemingly small choices can make a big difference when you pay attention to detail.

Pain Cleanses Every Doubt’ is available on digital or cassette copy here, CD here and vinyl here

FFO: Shining, Armagedda, Forgotten Tomb, 

Band info: Facebook