The Human Condition - "Pathways" (Album Review)

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 15/12/2015 (DD) |
June 2016 (CD)
Label: Topillo Records

This is a classy album, full of doom and melancholy. The band are great live and boasts some of the North West's most enduring doom talent from such luminaries as Unsilence, for instance. The band play a blinder throughout and front man Nathan Harrison really captures the feeling of powerlessness so prevalent in the lyrics and themes here. Harrowing stuff indeed.

“Pathways”CD//DD track listing:

1). The Tempest

2). The Things I Should Have Said

3). The Gifts I Gave

4). Pathways

5). Chrysalis

6). 22 Years

7). My Will Has Gone

The Review:

Downcast and down tuned doom, The Human Condition are a gloomy proposition from the North West. This is no easy listen, so prepare yourself for a rather desolate world view. Opener “The Tempest” is as stormy as its name suggests. You get a warm and somewhat bass-y sound with clean vocals in the traditional style, but way down the register from Dio, Halford et al. Killer riffs abound as does a weighty middle section. “The Things I Should Have Said” is a reflective and introspective listen, combining a Paradise Lost-alike arrangement with a convincing hook to the vocals.

The record is as dark as can be, with tracks such as “The Gifts I Gave” reminding you of why everything is a waste of time, that there is no hope and that there is also no future. The title track is a lumbering beast of heavy riffs and downbeat lyrics. “Chrysalis” is a similar proposition and is despairing, but there are glimmers of hope over its ten minutes- which come to naught, of course.  Listening through the album whilst on a bus journey, for example (which I did this week!), really brings home the enormity of the hopelessness of our existence.

Believe me, this is not a happy record or an album by some sludge band, playing in said genre because it is currently cool and easier to play than other metal sub-genres: this is incredibly depressing true doom. “22 Years” doesn't offer any respite, while “My Will Has Gone” lifts the tempo a little into a swinging shuffle, but does not lift the spirits any.

This is a classy album, full of doom and melancholy. The band are great live and boasts some of the North West's most enduring doom talent from such luminaries as Unsilence, for instance. The band play a blinder throughout and front man Nathan Harrison really captures the feeling of powerlessness so prevalent in the lyrics and themes here. Harrowing.

“Pathways” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

The Sludgelord Video Premiere - "Shine" by Eastside LA stoner doom band Nova Cycle

Eastside LA stoner doom band and Sludgelord debutant’s Nova Cycle, led by Clint Yeager (guitar, vocals) and longtime cohorts Scott Carnevale (guitars, vocals), Chuck West (drums) and Mike Hanne (bass—on album only) have regrouped from the ashes of Silver Lake’s BC and have returned with their intensely cathartic debut album, “Nova Cycle”.

Enlisting the talents of producer Sean Oakley (Eminem, U2, Black Sabbath, Wu-Tang Clan, Muse) and decamping to Rick Rubin’s Shangri La Studios in Malibu, the band tracked seven blistering new tracks which would form the basis of their impending debut. 

 

Describing Nova Cycle’s sound front man Clint Yeager notes: “A supernova explodes and it’shot, fiery and intense and burns itself out with no apologies. Like these songs,and like the music we’ve been playing live for years, it doesn’t exactly quietly slink into the room.”

That’s an understatement considering the raw, screaming vocals, blistering guitar overload, and dense and devastating drum rhythms that Nova Cycle infuses into the high octane set. Following the album’s release on June 8 via the Via Nocturna label, today at The Sludgelord we can officially debut Nova Cycle’s brand new video “Shine” which you can checkout below.  Riffs are business and business is good.  "Nova Cycle" is available here

 

“Nova Cycle” track listing:

1). Metropolis

2). Earth Mover

3). Long Road

4). Shine

5). Aqualith

6). Ear Worm

7). Into the Sun (The Nova Cycle

 

Band info: facebook

Divine Mother Recordings Reissue Classic Album "Starvation of Locusts" by Leechmilk on Vinyl

 

   Originally released in 2000, “Starvation of Locusts” was Atlanta, GA sludge grinders, LEECHMILK’s first full length following previous self-released demos. The band disbanded in 2001 after a split with Sofa King Killer on Teepee Records. 16 years later, “Starvation of Locusts” finally sees a vinyl release remixed and remastered by Matt Washburn of Ledbelly Sound Studios (Mastodon, Norma Jean), where it was originally recorded. Artwork by Jean Saiz of Shroud Eater.

 

   "Why a vinyl release after all these years? Well, because it is one of my favorite albums of all time and I wanted a copy on vinyl, plain and simple. I hit Dan up about it and he didn’t seem all that interested at first. I’d see people here and there commenting about Leechmilk online and I’d always reply to them hounding him about the vinyl. After a little while I either wore him down and he agreed just to shut me up or the interest other people had in it convinced him into doing it. The timing was right with label releases so we went for it. It took about a year and some change to get it all done. We had to remix a few times (with a different engineer), and then we went back to Matt and just got him to redo the whole thing until we were all satisfied. The end result, to me is an accurate representation of the original album, just updated for 2016. Hope you all enjoy it as much as I do". – Clifton DMR

You can stream the remastered version of the album in full below and you can pick up a copy here

 

LEECHMILK – “Starvation of Locusts”

 

1). Sinkhole

2). Doubleplusungood

3). Dirt Clot

4). Imbalance

5). Whiskey Nipple

6). The Garrote

7). Descending

 

Edition of 225 copies:
- 47 red and black
- 78 white
- 100 black

Recorded April 9th & 14th 2000 Ledbelly Studios - Atlanta GA.
Remixed and remastered in November 2015.

Wormed - "Krighsu" (Album Review)

By: Chris Markwell

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 18/03/2016
Label: Season of Mist

Krighsu’ is ten tracks of unrelenting tech-death, set at a warp speed that has no intention of ever slowing down.  Space is infinite, and it seems WORMED’s ability to create jaw-breakingly heavy music is just as vast.

“Krighsu” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Pseudo-Horizon
2). Neomorph Mindkind
3). Agliptian Codex Cyborgization
4). The Singularitarianism
5). Eukaryotic Hex Swarm
6). Computronium Pulsar Nanarchy
7). A-Life Omega Point
8). 57889330816,1
9). Zeroth-Energy Graviton
10). Molecular Winds

The Review:

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…

Well, it was 2013, actually, and it was over here in Wales…

Anyway, I reviewed an album by Spanish tech-metallers WORMED that was entitled ‘Exodromos’.  And it was a crushing, 2001: A Space Odyssey-esque obelisk of death metal that fairly slammed down upon me with terrifying force. 

Three years later, and I get to review their third album.  ‘Krighsu’ was released in March of this year through Season of Mist, and takes you, the listener, on a journey into the deepest, darkest realms of sonic space.  My advice is to prepare your body for the void, and jettison any lingering doubts about keeping your sanity.  If it is gravity-distorting riffs and punishing vocals you’re after, you’ve found it. 

Let’s talk a little bit about these vocals.  Seriously, Phlegeton the singer can’t be human.  He just can’t.  More likely than not he’s actually the embodiment of the rumblings of dark, distant stars, his insidious utterances mounted upon the most irradiated music ever to defile a set of speakers.  If this music were a sci-fi film, it would be ‘Alien’ as directed by Eli Roth on a particularly angry day. 

Tracks such as ‘Eukaryotic Hex Swarm’ and ‘Agliptian Codex Cyborgization’ are as wordy as they are heavy, bringing riffs and rage hammering down upon you like meteors from an unkind sky.  If you’ve been needing a Necrophagist fix and have been jonesing for a similar kind of audio battery, then may I humbly suggest taking WORMED as needed for the pain, and then calling your local doctor in the morning to aid with any tinnitus-related ailments. 

‘Krighsu’ is ten tracks of unrelenting tech-death, set at a warp speed that has no intention of ever slowing down.  Space is infinite, and it seems WORMED’s ability to create jaw-breakingly heavy music is just as vast.  To say this is one of 2016’s heaviest offerings so far is an understatement, and if anything can top it… to play THAT album would probably level your house. 

Stay safe.  Look to the dark night sky, listen to WORMED, and dream of dark stars. 

“Krighsu” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

Graves At Sea - "The Curse That Is" (Album Review)

By: Gerardo Pacheco

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 01/04/2016
Label: Relapse Records

The album opener and title track drops the anchor to establish the length, tone and rhythm this 76 minute voyage is about. An unpredictable, violent haze of amplifier worship, “The Curse That Is” is a strong candidate for one of the top 10 albums of 2016.

“The Curse That Is” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). The Curse That Is (11:14)

2). Dead Eyes (11:08)

3). Tempest (07:02)

4). The Ashes Make Her Beautiful (15:15)

5). This Mental Sentence (05:00)

6). The Waco 177 (09:22)

7). Luna Lupus Venator (02:53)

8). Minimum Slave (14:19)

The Review:

Graves At Sea have been around the metal block, a few times I may add, for the better part of this century. Formed originally in Phoenix, AZ, the band gained traction with their debut EP “Documents Of Grief” (Self Release, 2003). They inked a deal to put out the “Cirrhosis/Atavist Arise 7” (Southern Lord, 2004) and then delivered a tormenting split with Asunder (“Life Is Abuse”/20 Buck Spin, 2005). During the course of those two recordings, they relocated to Oakland, CA and rumours boiled over about a potential full length, which never materialized. Hitching on the maritime nature of their name, they returned to the ocean and vanished in the horizon, disbanding in 2008.

2012 came around and the North-Pacific current carried them to Portland, OR, where they resurfaced. More or less following the previous pattern, they put out the “This Place Is Poison 12”” (Eolian Empire, 2014) accompanied by a “Master Of Reality” side B that I’m sure made The Eternal Idol proud. That snowballed to yet another split, this time with Cape Fear’s sludge veterans Sourvein (Seventh Rule Recordings, 2014).

Last year, when I heard GAS had signed with Relapse Records I rejoiced. Then, when they announced the release date I thought: are they serious? Slated for April 1^st, 2016 it seemed like the joke was on everyone. You see, it’s easy to dismiss the information, as the band had never released a full length in their entire career. So here we are, 13 years later with high expectations and trust me, they are met with aplomb.

Before we dive in, I just want to point out the fact that Orion Landau (YOB, Red Fang, Inter Arma) continues to astonish me with his ill-as-fuck art.

The album opener and title track drops the anchor to establish the length, tone and rhythm this 76 minute voyage is about. Feedback emerges like a Megalodon from the Marianas Trench courtesy of Nick Phit’s left handed custom SG, crushing you with one of most progressive riffs I’ve heard from the band ever, to then blast off full throttle and unleash that characteristic GAS brand of sound. We can attest here that the production has been polished by Brad Boatright’s skilled hand. Nathan Misterek’s vocal range is on full display here, going from hellish screeching to low rumbling growls. “Dead Eyes” comes in next and features the band riding a more familiar song writing pattern, discharging power-chords right behind Bryan Sours’ burly fills. The track closes with what I interpret as the first of a few well-orchestrated interludes, those which emphasize on alternative instrumentation. As unpredictable as Tiamat herself, “Tempest” honours its name with a violent whirlwind haze of amplifier worship. All 3 of these tracks were released before the record came out, from here on out we head into uncharted waters.

Bisecting the album, comes the magnum opus “The Ashes Make Her Beautiful” which intertwines with the second acoustic interlude on the record. A 15+ minute testament of GAS, this track unfolds and expands their sound beyond anything presented so far in their multiple previous offerings. Grab your headphones and allow it to drag you to the depths of the Challenger Deep. An auditory delicacy. The record moves forward to bring us back to the plodding sludge roots of the group with “This Mental Sentence”, one of shortest and catchiest songs in their entire repertoire.

I happened to be in Texas, just north of Waco, for business reasons, during the unfortunate shootout that took place there over a year ago. People who were clearly not part of the Motorcycle Club lifestyle all had an opinion on the situation and all coincided that this was more of a slaughter than a shootout. “The Waco 177” pays tribute to this sad moment in Texan history. The momentum shifts yet again with the final interlude in “Luna Lupus Venator” and leaves us at the end of the plank with closer “Minimum Slave”. Much like Tiamat’s multiple heads, the track rolls like a frenzied shanty, traversing effortlessly through sludge, doom ‘n’ roll and stoner rock. It is here where the bass really shines and drives most of the riff action.

All in all, this is a solid effort by Graves At Sea, I appreciate that they did not include any old tracks and delighted us with brand new material. I enjoyed the faster tempo that they are now playing versus the slower, more traditional sound they were known for. Don’t get me wrong, impending doom will still make you break your neck mid-air, but slicker pace rounds out the mix overall. A strong candidate for top 10 2016.

“The Curse That Is” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

"Spiraling Into Oblivion with Milwaukee's Best Kept Secret": Interview with Joe Arenas & Exclusive Song Stream of "Lapse" from Asatta

By: Aaron Pickford

 

 

Formed in late 2011 by drummer Neil Pech and joined shortly after by guitarist Jay Denzer, vocalist Sean Anderson and bassist Joe Arenas, Asatta are arguably one of doom metal’s best-kept secrets.  With two EPs currently to their name, 2013’s self-titled “Asatta” EP and last year’s “Songs For A Blood Moon “, 2016 will see the release of their monstrous debut album “Spiraling Into Oblivion” via Burnout Planet Records. 

A new band to The Sludgelord, or certainly to my ears (Ed), Asatta’s brand of heavy is a heady mix of melody forged with the mightiest of mind bending riffs, resulting in a truly unique aural experience, further accentuated by layers of synths adding much needed texture to their apocalyptic brand of doom.  For me “Spiraling Into Oblivion” is one of the top doom releases of this year and for that reason I was thrilled to be asked to share some new music from the album, not only that, it is one of my favourite tunes from the record.

Before we get into the riffs, I sat down with bass player Joe Arenas for this short interview, to discuss the bands history, their views on their new record and plans for the future. Check it out. 

 

SL: Joe, can you give us a brief history of your playing career to date leading up to the formation of Asatta and release of your current record?

 

Joe: Neil, Jay, Kara and Sean have all been playing since high school where as I got a late start in my 30's. I was always a huge music fan but life just seemed to get in the way as far as picking up an instrument and doing my own thing. Obviously never too late though!

We've all played in various bands over the years as well and still do. Everything from cover bands, to pop rock, to metal. Neil (drums) plays in a grind band called Satan’s Dealer, Kara (Keys) sings in a Symphonic Metal band called Magma Dragon, Sean (vocals) also sings in a prog/stoner band called SIRE, Jay (guitar) is a DJ, and I do rock covers in a band called Drownin' Thirsty, on guitar instead of bass.

 

As you can see we're busy but nothing gets in the way of what we do with Asatta. With Asatta it may have taken us a bit of time to get here.  But we finally found the lineup to move into the future, we're all on the same page and want to bring our brand of Doom to a wider audience. The way we'll do that is with more shows and more new music starting with “Spiraling into Oblivion”. 

 

SL: What can you tell us about your upcoming record “Spiraling Into Oblivion” and where do you feel it sits within the context current doom scene?

 

Joe: We like to think we are firmly rooted in Doom but also think we push the boundaries of it with heaviness and melody. But we're also heavily influenced by many genres of music and dig bands like bands like Celtic Frost, Lacuna Coil, and The Jesus Lizard. To us nothing is off limits musically. If we like it we'll play it.

 

With “Spiraling into Oblivion” we think you get a peek into how wide that spectrum can be. We love the riff and want to get people's heads nodding. As far as Doom influences or where we fit in we love Cathedral, St. Vitus, Electric Wizard and Trouble. The list is endless really and after live performances we've had fans compare us to Acid Bath, Goatsnake, and even St. Vitus. So maybe that helps as far as finding us a place in the current scene. Ultimately we want the music to speak for us and have the listener see what they think. 

SL: What was the mood in the camp going into the recording of the record?

Joe: We were excited to get in with Shane at Howl Street recordings. He has great ideas and motivated us to make a great record. You're always anxious going into the studio but we were very prepared which helped alleviate any fears we may have had. And recording with Shane was killer since he had us playing at maximum volume. We also brought in John Liedtke to play Theramin on a couple songs and Maddie Frank to play cello as well on the song ‘She Died Long Ago’. Both are stellar local musicians that were into the songs and wanted to contribute to them. The overall process ended up taking about four months but we wanted to make absolutely sure the record was everything we wanted it to be. 

 

SL: What can fans look forward to from you over the next 12 months? How is your schedule shaping up?

Joe: Things are shaping up great. We're working on setting up a lot of shows. Right now everything is close to home in the Midwest but we're also working on a west coast tour for early 2017 as well. We're working on a video for the song ‘1678’ where the concept revolves around demonic possession. And new songs are in the works as well. We seem to be experimenting a lot more with these new songs focusing on multiple vocals and more predominant keyboards and noise mixed with heavy groove riffs. We've exorcised some demons with “Spiraling into Oblivion” but with the new songs we seem to be opening up to some of those other influences that were mentioned earlier. Come see us live and bring earplugs! 

 

“Spiraling Into Oblivion” will be released on 2nd September 2016 via Burnout Planet Records and today at the The Sludgelord, you can check out the brilliant track “Lapse” and behold the might of Asatta

Band info: Facebook | Bandcamp | Twitter

Wytch Hazel - "Prelude" (Album Review)

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 22/04/2016
Label: Bad Omen Records

If you have any interest in Tull, Ash, Lizzy, Sabbath et al and yearn for a band to come along and play like those heroes of a bygone era, Wytch Hazel are definitely worth your time and money. They are a great band and one that is doing something unique- out are occult tropes and devil-ish imagery, in are song-writing, medieval sonics/themes and enthusiasm rather than cynicism. A triumphant record on every level.

“Prelude” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Freedom Battle
2). Fight
3). Mighty King
4). More Than Conquerors
5). Psalm
6). Prelude
7). He Shall Reign
8). Dark Ages
9). Wytch Hazel
10). We Will Be Strong

The Review:

This Lancaster troupe of minstrels release this full length via Bad Omen Records (home of the recently reviewed Wretch!). Musically, this is somewhere between Jethro Tull (folk rock period up to 1980) and Black Sabbath/Thin Lizzy. It certainly has the folk-ish elements and the complexity of the former, but it also brandishes the power of the latter as well- this is not folk rock; it's too heavy for that.

“Freedom Battle” starts off at a fine clip and brings elements of Maiden (and thus their beloved influences) to the fray. “Fight” continues the combative theme of resistance and has many changes which are deftly handled by the band. “Mighty King” has no shortage of whimsical guitar work or vocal hooks. The sound is pleasingly warm and, yes, 70's. “More Than Conquerors” comes on like a revved up Wishbone Ash, while “Psalm” also echoes this; particularly with it’s rather pretty acoustic guitars and lyrics themed around nature, solitude and so on. Nice keyboard work, too.

The title track has a lot of the aforementioned elements and influences and hearing the ambient hiss (if you listen carefully on headphones) at the start of the track adds to the sense that this album is a trip back in time. “He Shall Reign” is a rather triumphant track in tone and boasts some excellent dynamics and vocals, along with a heavy turn in the middle. “Dark Ages” is a lament about an age of apathy and deceit. Prescient.

The band's theme song (if that is not too crass a term) follows with a rather muscular and Lizzy-esque four and a half minutes, interspersed with an acoustic passage and a superb harmony guitar section. The closing six minutes of “We Will Be Strong” is another powerful song with plenty of guitar interplay and soaring vocals. There is a tight rhythm section at work (as there is throughout the album) and plenty of singable lead work.

If you have any interest in Tull, Ash, Lizzy, Sabbath et al and yearn for a band to come along and play like those heroes of a bygone era, Wytch Hazel are definitely worth your time and money. They are a great band and one that is doing something unique- out are occult tropes and devil-ish imagery, in are song-writing, medieval sonics/themes and enthusiasm rather than cynicism. A triumphant record on every level.

“Prelude” is available here

Band info: facebook