ALBUM REVIEW: Palehorse - Looking Wet in Public

By: Hunter Young

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 01/07/2016
Label: Truthseeker Music

Wonderfully acidic and bludgeoningly sludgy, Palehorse's new creation, “Looking Wet in Public”, is just magnificent.

“Looking Wet in Public” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Half Lizard / Half Lizard
2). Miserable Heroin Addict vs. Jehovah's Witness Guy
3). Lambs to the Laughter
4). The Shower
5). Terrifying Japanese Coldplay Documentary
6). 1893

The Review:

You know when the grungy metal gods have sent you something magnificent when you start to feel the music leave a greasiness on the skin, because it's that or my soap has gone on strike. Wonderfully acidic and bludgeoningly sludgy, Palehorse's new creation, “Looking Wet in Public”, is just magnificent. At once suffused with a gloriously dirty sound, a punishing delivery, and vocals that absolutely rub my throat raw, it's a tour de force of what the underground can put out! A tour of the force of a sludge pipe, perhaps, but a force of some sort for sure!

Make no mistakes about Palehorse's intentions; as soon as you hit play you shall be assaulted by massive sonic cinder blocks. There are no warnings, just scratching, a word or so, and then you're being dragged down old asphalt by your pant leg (“Half Lizard, Half Lizard”). Palehorse vomit forth a sound that is a fight for survival, it could be described as fraught, like learning a bandsaw as an instrument. Songs like “Miserable Heroin Addict vs Jehovas Witness Guy” (a shoe in for song title of the year) rely on nothing so fancy as technical playing, individual notes, or articulation of the fingers; no, instead you have chords that buzz modulate like a twisted mechanical beehive. The band mixes violence, mechanical darkness, and just a retching out of pure emotional strangulation in the form of vocal delivery. The longest track, which is also the most plodding and slow, titled “Lambs to the Laughter”, is a perfect example of what these guys do best, and that's peel the layers off your brain slowly, like an onion, with the most jagged plastic knife possible.

“Looking Wet in Public” does have lighter moments, such as the first half of “The Shower”, which then deforms into a nightmarish effects driven track that will take you to many edges, musically. They suffocate with sonic intrusions and modulate you into a blob of human goo; it's well crafted debauchery given form, and slicked with production, allowing you to experience the throes of scuzz like a slow drip. With “Looking Wet in Public”, Palehorse have given outlet to a violent, raw album that should delight any fan of extreme music down to their toe socks. Enjoy without shame, as they scratch that fix for you.

“Looking Wet in Public” is available here

Band info: facebook|| bandcamp

FFO:  Ghold, Horse Latitudes, War Iron, Loinen

A Year in Review: The DIY Sonic 6 2015

By: Aaron Pickford

Everyone gravitates to a favourite genre and each has its own merit, therefore over the last week I thought it would be a good idea to highlight, “six of the best” releases of 2015 within our most popular genres.  But today for something a little different, we’re going to be focusing on bands who went out on their own and did things DIY, releasing their records independently.  So as we reflect upon an awesome year of music in 2015, we present the DIY “Sonic 6” for 2015.  

The Sludgelord’s ‘Sonic 6’ for 2015 is compiled based upon page views alone and calibrated into the list below, we will be presenting further lists during the lead up to Christmas, but for today roll up, kick back and Hail the riff!  (full reviews can be viewed by clicking the artwork and total views since the date of publication are highlight in red). 

6). Abrams – “Lust.Love.Loss” (358)

‘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.’

5). Scientist – “10100||00101” (363)

Storming opener “The Singularity” distils the key elements of this record into five and a half minutes. Chittering harmonics give way to the sledgehammer impact of furious, frantic riffing moving into anthemic sludge and finishing with an epic post-metal flourish. Imagine the best bits of American Heritage, Clutch and ISIS delivered with the seismic impact of Mastodon’s “Remission”.  “1010II0101” is a pioneering piece of research at the cutting edge of riff technology that demands your attention.

4). Behold! The Monolith – “Architects of the Void” (375)

‘A collage of different styles and different ways of thinking how to manipulate heavy music in the best possible way, it spins off all over the place while you watch, centre stage, as the most brilliant mess of sounds and visions whirl around you like a metallic tornado.’

3). War Iron – “Precession of the Equinoxes” (527)

If you search for depravity strung out like a junkie, ‘Precession of the Equinoxes’ is waiting, door open, a fresh needle filled with a black substance in hand. Its one of the most solid albums from the blackened doom sector in quite some time, and if you're looking for something cranked to eleven, I think you'll find that this music is a bit slow for numbers. Crank the speakers, sit back, get loose, and let yourself be taken by the blackest riffs this side of hell.

2). Dreadnaught – “Bridging Realms” (546)

‘The cinematic scope of Dreadnought’s music sounds like it should take a small orchestra to perform it.’

1). Trials – “This Ruined World” (583)

This is superlative modern metal which mixes elements of thrash, death, traditional metal and comes up with something technical, progressive and accessible.

 

Reviews featured in this article were written by: Hunter Young, Charlie Butler, Richard Maw, Philip Weller

The Sludgelord's Sour 16 for April 2015

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. I have been promising to do this since the beginning of the year and in essence you can call it what you wish, is it chart? Not really.  It is merely the 16 records you guys have been most interested in over the last month and you have been checking out on this very page.

Our idea for this thing was to turn the power over to you guys, yes it would be easy for us to choose our favourite records of the months, however it is you the reader, the fans that support these bands, buy their records and attend their shows.  So here is the inarguable Sour 16, 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.   

  

16). Wild Throne – ‘War Is A Romance’ (299 views)

Read the review

15). Ghold – ‘Of Ruin’ (301 views)

Read the review

14). Iced Out – ‘Man’s Ruin’ (304 views)

Read the review

13). Abrahma – ‘Reflections in the Bowels of the Bird’ (305 views)

Read the review

12). Domovoyd – ‘Domovoyd’ (314 views)

Read the review

11). Holy Serpent – ‘Holy Serpent’ (315 views)

Read the review

10). Fister – ‘VI’ (322 views)

Read the review

9). Deep Sea Thunder Beast – ‘So Goes The Madness’ (336 views)

Read the review

8). War Iron – ‘Precession of the Equinoxes’ (361 views)

Read the review

7). Drudkh – ‘A Furrow Cut Short’ (381 views)

Read the review

6). Acid King – ‘Middle of Nowhere, Center of Everywhere’  (383 views)

Read the review

5). Weedpecker – ‘II’ (385 views)

Read the review

4). Red Mountains – ‘Sun’ (475 views)

Read the review

3). The Atomic Bitchwax – ‘Gravitron’ (618 views)

Read the review

2). Stonebirds – ‘Into The Fog...And The Filty Air’ (649 views)

Read the review

1). Faith No More – ‘Sol InVictus’ (985 views)

Read the review

War Iron - 'Precession of the Equinoxes' (Album Review)

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 28/4/2015

Label: Self Release

‘Precession of the Equinoxes’ CD//DD track listing:

1). Bludgeon Lord

2). Summon Demon Scream the Abyss

3). Precession of the Equinoxes

4). From Napalm Altar

War Iron is:

Baggy | Vocals
Ross | Guitar
Dave | Bass
Marty | Drums

Review:

Ever feel like bands are just getting too technical and good? Looking for something less fast and full of all that lead nonsense? War Iron has you fixed on their newest slab, ‘Precession of the Equinoxes’. There is nothing bright, nothing polished, nothing faster than a funeral crawl about this album. It is a building falling on top of you, with nowhere to go, so just accept your fate once you hit play.

Firstly, I have to say, this is just one of the bleakest albums.  Sonically and lyrically, similar to Dead in the Manger, Dopethrone, or Stoneburner, it is just a caustic riff layered on top of hateful sounds. The first track, ‘Bludgeon Lord’, is pretty much a slow beating, with a singular riff covering almost all the ground for its 10 minutes, yes there is a a nice, meandering.... I want to say lead break, but its sloooooooooow. It breaks up the monotonous drone, however, in the same way a rock can break up the desert landscape. These guys play heavy and it is pure passion music, because you're not going to pick up club chicks here.

After ‘Bludgeon Lord’, they give you a break and start off light with atmospherics on ‘Summon Demon Scream the Abyss’, which is the most metal of all Word Jumbles. It's quite theatric, with a plod akin to the shackled damned in hell, marching toward their permanent damnation. When the vocals kick in, it's just a grinder to the ears, it's nothing near a pretty sound or something I think the human throat produces naturally. This song is just a monolithic ode to knuckle-dragging riffage. If you have some good stuff under the bed, in a small safe, or in some tabs, this stuff is going to revert you to more primitive times.

The fastest song and title track ‘Precession of the Equinoxes’, throws some sound cuts at us over their riffs, a small prelude to another march in heaviness. If that was just so fast you can't catch your breath, ‘From Napalm Altar’ is as slow as a band can get without being asleep.  This album absolutely speaks to me, and that should be worrying, but the darkness and grit are just addictive in this style. I love bleak sounding bands, and these guys check every box on the list. Stripped down music is its own kind of art form, and these guys don't even sound like they use more than like 3 strings.

If you search for depravity strung out like a junkie, ‘Precession of the Equinoxes’ is waiting, door open, a fresh needle filled with a black substance in hand. Its one of the most solid albums from the blackened doom sector in quite some time, and if you're looking for something cranked to eleven, I think you'll find that this music is a bit slow for numbers. Crank the speakers, sit back, get loose, and let yourself be taken by the blackest riffs this side of hell.

Words by: Hunter Young

‘Procession of the Equinoxes’ is available here

For more information:

Facebook | Bandcamp

Headless Kross & War Iron - Split (Review)

By: Matt Fitton

 

Album Type: Split 7inch

Date Released: 5/1/2013

Label: Independent

First up out of the blocks is the charmingly monickered 'Crater of Needles' by Headless Kross, Galloping along at hefty pace, it's just the right mixture of sludge and doom. Think early High on Fire, that kind of Sabbathy inspired punk/metal hybrid. There's a ripper of a solo mid way through that really is the icing on the cake. The second half of this split is occupied by War Iron and their offering, the evil puntastic 'Angelgrinder', Close your mouth when you listen to it or your fillings may come loose. Throw in some viciously gargled vocals and you may need to stare at some pictures of kittens for an hour afterwards just to lift you out of the mind fog these dudes can inflict. Now that's powerful.

 

“Headless Kross/War Iron” Split  tracklisting

 

A) HEADLESS KROSS – “CRATER OF NEEDLES” (4:30)
B) WAR IRON – “ANGELGRINDER” (4:30)

 

The Review:

 

I like split releases. They're a cost-friendly and usually highly collectible way to discover like-minded bands, all neatly wrapped up in the same parcel. And it's bargain day here at doom central - where it's always 'Black Friday'...

 

First up out of the blocks is the charmingly monickered 'Crater of Needles' by Headless Kross. I love the raw production on this track; it conjures images of long haired teens tape trading in the mid 80's, staring at walls in their bedrooms because of how much their minds have been blown. Galloping along at hefty pace, it's just the right mixture of sludge and doom. Think early High on Fire, that kind of Sabbathy inspired punk/metal hybrid. There's a ripper of a solo mid way through that really is the icing on the cake. And just like High on Fire these guys really do prove how much beautiful noise a well-honed power trio really can make. It's quality, not quantity.

 

The second half of this split is occupied by War Iron and their offering, the evil puntastic 'Angelgrinder' (who doesn't like an evil pun?). The first thing you notice after letting this piece kick you in the teeth is the bass. And the reason for that is that there are TWO bassists. And NO conventional six-strings. Think about how heavy that must be for a second. Well, you're wrong. It's even heavier than that. I used to believe that nothing could come close to how bleak 'Streetcleaner' by Godflesh is, but this is damn close. Close your mouth when you listen to it or your fillings may come loose. Throw in some viciously gargled vocals and you may need to stare at some pictures of kittens for an hour afterwards just to lift you out of the mind fog these dudes can inflict. Now that's powerful.

 

Overall a great showcase for some great home-grown talents. The future is bright for doom and sludge right now. And ironically its groups like Headless Kross and War Iron that are keeping it healthy.

 

 

“Headless Kross/War Iron”available to buy here and DD here

 

 

Band info: H-K Bandcamp || H-K Facebook || W-I Bandcamp || W-I Facebook