ALBUM REVIEW: Russian Circles - "Guidance"

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 05/08/2016
Label: Sargent House

“Asa” provides a gentle start to the LP. The calm is soon destroyed when “Vorel” lumbers into view. A leviathan of rumbling drums, gritty bass and insistent, buzzing guitar lines, the track sets the tone for things to come, and along with “Mota” and “Afrika” it demonstrates an irresistible blend of intricate post rock with subtle hints of black metal.  “Calla” provides the album’s heaviest cut, whilst “Overboard” and “Lisboa” are the closest the band come to traditional post-rock but both tracks demonstrate how to avoid the pitfalls of the genre with style.  “Guidance” is a stellar release from Russian Circles. The band breathe new life into an often dull and played-out genre with dazzling results

‘Guidance’ CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Asa
2). Vorel
3). Mota
4). Afrika
5). Overboard
6). Calla
7). Lisboa

The Review:

I owe Russian Circles a big apology. Many years ago I saw them play a couple of times on bills with High On Fire and Earthless. At the time I dismissed them as boring, generic post rock unworthy of sharing the stage with such mighty riff warriors. One listen to the Chicago trio’s new LP “Guidance” was enough to make me realise I’d made a terrible mistake.

The sleepy drum less haze of “Asa” provides a gentle start to the LP. The calm is soon destroyed when “Vorel” lumbers into view. A leviathan of rumbling drums, gritty bass and insistent, buzzing guitar lines, the track sets the tone for things to come. Along with “Mota” and “Afrika” it demonstrates an irresistible blend of intricate post rock with subtle hints of black metal. The effect is similar to what Latitudes achieved on their awesome “Old Sunlight” album earlier this year but stamped with Russian Circle’s distinctive identity.

“Calla” provides the album’s heaviest cut and brings some no-nonsense heavy riffs to the table. This track best demonstrates the band’s serious low-end crunch bought by Brian Cook. His four-string Midas touch is in full effect here, bringing a crushing density redolent of his work in Botch and Sumac.

“Overboard” and “Lisboa” are the closest the band come to traditional post-rock but both tracks demonstrate how to avoid the pitfalls of the genre with style. The former is an affecting, dreamy soundscape, all the more effective for its restraint and lack of distortion. The latter features quiet/loud dynamics and soaring delayed guitars but both elements are employed in such a way to make them sound vital instead of stale and predictable.   

“Guidance” is a stellar release from Russian Circles. The band breathe new life into an often dull and played-out genre with dazzling results. Being proved wrong has never sounded so good.

‘Guidance’ is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

SONG PREMIERE: "Fables and Lies" by Yeti on Horseback

Hailing from London, Ontario, Yeti on Horseback live to forge a sound as unique and original as it is lethal and intoxicating. Their misanthropic sludge is laid over a musical foundation of soul-crushing riffs that flow freely from their dedication to all that is heavy. They aim to keep their sound wretched through the annihilating atmosphere and visceral lyrics they inject into every track. 

With their new full-length album “The Great Dying” full of soaring melodies, crushing, enveloping riffs and brutal vocals, “The Great Dying” has got the lot! It's beautifully downtrodden in it's make up and utterly captivating.  Fans should prepare themselves to hear doom metal as they never have before as we premiere “Fables and Lies”, as Yeti on Horseback reinforce their godlessly savage mantra “We Tune Low & Play Slow.” 

The Great Dying” CD//DD track listing:

1. Tree Of Death
2. Viking Mushroom Tea
3. Fables and Lies
4. Lynch (A Prelude)
5. Elephant Man
6. Dragged Down To Hell

Band info: Facebook || bandcamp

REVIEW: "Untitled" by Vanishing Kids (EP)

By: Theron Moore

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 13/05/2016
Label: Independent

Paying homage to Windhand marrying Ty Segall; in a fuzzed out conjoining of sounds and soundscapes traversing planes of terra firma.  That is Vanishing Kids.

‘Untitled” CD//CS//DD track listing:

1). Mockingbird

2). Eyes of Secrets

3). Without A Sun

4). Magenta Blue

The Review:

Remember the “Kraken” from “Clash of the Titans?” Unleash that with the essence of Blue Cheer and that’s “Mockingbird,” the first track from Vanishing Kid’s 4 song EP.  Like the other songs here, “Mockingbird” has a flowing, dream tapestry about it, like something you’d hear on a David Lynch soundtrack.  Nightmarish and beautiful.  With layer upon layer of texture.  The kind of thing you can reach out and touch with your mind; guided by Nikki Drohomyreky’s vox, a lifeguard in a sea of strangeness; her soothing vocals guide you ashore, safely. 

“Eyes of Secrets” roots out, like a tree searching for water, goes deeper, scouring the depths of heaviness and doom in other ways, not overtly heavy.  Rather travelling psychedelic pathways to humming consciousness, paying homage to Windhand marrying Ty Segall; in a fuzzed out conjoining of sounds and soundscapes traversing planes of terra firma.  That is Vanishing Kids.  Neural pathways electrical, alive…

Penultimate track, “Without a Sun,” dreams further, velvet, smooth, and instead of going for the anvil’s forge.  Pounding, streaks upward to the sky, searching for Icarus, conjuring notions of Salems Pot and Wooden Ships, multiple freak outs allowed, and often.  Embrace it.  Escape into it.  Get lost and found again.  Somewhere between LA Witch and the end of forever and still, heavy like the Earth. 

And then slip into the last track, “Magenta Blue,” beyond the horizon, through the rainbow and silent, heavy drift; the land of lucid, wavy, thoughts, where heightened, sensory perception kicks in, giving nod to active brain, active players Nikki Drohomyreky’s vox with Jason Hartman- Guitar; Jerry Sofran- Bass and Hart Allan Miller- Drums.  The dream is complete.  Psychedelicized.  Doom be thy name.  Your brain will see you now…

‘Ruins’ is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

REVIEW: Christworm - "Suffer No More" EP

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: EP
Date Released: 09/08/2016
Label: Independent

With the exception of some scabrous guitar noise early in “No Safe Haven”, these two lengthy tracks are nothing more than bare riffs, tortured vocals and crushing drums. There are subtle changes in tempo but the pace still never gets above an inevitable, funereal crawl. Imagine Primitive Man minus the bursts of power violence, stripped of all hope and you won’t be disappointed.

‘Suffer No More” DD track listing:

1). Release

2). No Safe Haven

The Review:

Baton Rouge duo Christworm keep things simple, stripped-back and brutal on new release “Suffer No More”. With the exception of some scabrous guitar noise early in “No Safe Haven”, these two lengthy tracks are nothing more than bare riffs, tortured vocals and crushing drums. There are subtle changes in tempo but the pace still never gets above an inevitable, funereal crawl. Imagine Primitive Man minus the bursts of power violence, stripped of all hope and you won’t be disappointed.

The band maintain a bleak atmosphere throughout, the sound and lyrics in keeping with the harrowing depiction of self-harm on the cover of this release. The only let-up in these tracks is extended periods of cleansing drone. Chords are left to ring out and let waves of hypnotic feedback wash over the listener, offering some respite from the preceding drudgery. These sections hint that Christworm may want to visit weirder places when they can spread their sonic vision over a full album.

“Suffer No More” is a promising release from Christworm. Hopefully it won’t be long before they return to unleash an LP of irresistible misery.

‘Suffer No More” is available for free here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

RIYL: Thou, Keeper, Primitive Man, Lord Mantis

SONG PREMIERE - Albinö Rhino are spreading the "Riff Religion"

 

Albinö Rhino have been a horizon bending sonic entity since 2010, rising from the ruins of doom in Helsinki.  Initiated to manifest a resonance of lurid smokeless fire by Viljami Väre on drums, Ville Harju on bass & lead vocals and Kimmo Tyni on guitar/moog & lead vocals."  The 13^th of September will see the band release a new single entitled "Riff Religion", which is a tribute from the band to the people out there living this heavy sonic culture.

 

The track will appear on a limited "Total Psychedelic Cassette" compilation which will be released to coincide with the annual "Unta Kauan Part IIII" -mini festival, held in Turku, Finland 23/24.9.2016.

 

Albinö Rhino will release their track simultaneously, first as a digital "single" on September 13th via Bandcamp, iTunes, Spotify etc. and later at some point as a one sided limited 12" and today “Riff Religion” will stream exclusively only at The Sludgelord until the 13th.



Track list for the compilation:

A1. Albinö Rhino – Riff Religion

A2. Multishiva – Monoliitti on Nyrkki (live)

A3. Deep Space Destructors – Journey to the Space Mountain

A4. Kimi Kärki – The Return of the Sorcerer

B1. Truckthor – Kosmodozer

B2. Spear Flowers – Cold Tower

B3. Kremlin – Crühn

B4. Hazard Wings – Can't Kill the Stowaway Insects

 

All band are drawn from the Festival line-up and for more info click here

In other news; Svart Records will release a split 12" by Morbid Evils / Albinö Rhino during the last quarter of 2016. To celebrate the occasion, the record will be performed live as a combined show by the bands at another annual downtuned heavy music festival namely  "Blowup Fest 2016", in Helsinki on October 14th-15^th for info here.

 

Finally the 2nd Albinö Rhino album titled "Upholder" is being pressed at the moment, including "Uphold the Light Part 2 & 3". “Part 2” was released as a digital pre-release onFeb 2016 and you can check out our review here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook





REVIEW: Vader - "Iron Times" EP

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: EP
Date Released: 12/08/2016
Label: Nuclear Blast

‘Iron Times’ CD//DD track listing:

1. Parabellum (2:28)

2. Prayer To The God Of War (2:47)

3. Piesc I Stal (4:05)

4. Overkill (4:17)

The Review:

Vader, a classic Polish metal band need no introduction. Their thrashing death stylings are well known to most death heads and, as their recent tour with Overkill proved, they crossover well to a more thrash/traditional audience as well. I was somewhat surprised to hear that this EP leans firmly towards the thrash end of their output. Across the four tracks you could be forgiven for thinking you were hearing the latest US thrashers on the block.

Just listen to the opener “Parabellum” for proof. Hyper fast thrash beats, angular riffage... but with those blasts and snaking riffs that scream death metal at you (or growl it, perhaps). Similarly, “Prayer To The God Of War” finds the band in deadly form; fast and furious all the way. Neither of the first two tracks goes close to three minutes, so it is up to “Piesc I Stal” originally by Panzer X to raise the playing time and drop the tempo. What is it about? I don't know as I only speak English! It has a good rolling groove to it and some great lead work (as does the whole album) and marks a change of tack for the band. Great stuff.

This short and spiky EP ends with a cover of “Overkill" by Motorhead, and as expected the band deliver a fast and raucous version. A guitar is used instead of the bass for the well known intro, and the band play it straight thereafter. Still a classic, nearly 40 years after it was first unleashed. Four tracks: two ragers and two covers. A fine stop gap before the next album. Fans will want to check it out. Those new to the band could have a taste here.

‘Iron Times’ is available now

Band info:  facebook

RIYL: Morbid Angel, Decapitated, Hate, Behemoth

REVIEW: Kurokuma - "Advorsus" EP

By: Chris Bull

Album Type: EP
Date Released: 0909/2016
Label: Medusa Crush Recordings

Like a bullet from a sniper, the opening riff from 'Lust' is delivered with pinpoint accuracy. 'Dark Triad' opens tribal drumming before hardcore inspired sludge (a la Love Sex Machine/Black Shape Of Nexus) gives everything a damn good thrashing. The riffs are groovy enough to get your head nodding but are out of the box enough to give you something to think about.  'Kali', the third and final song is simply brilliant. Thumping heavy riffs entangle with deconstructed song formats, making this a standout track on a standout release.

‘Advorsus CS //DD track listing:

01. Lust
02. Dark Triad
03. Kali

The Review:

Is 'Prog-doom/sludge/metal' a genre yet? If not, Kurokuma have just invented it. 'Advorsus' is the new EP from these Sheffield based atomsmashers, and contained within it's 3 tracks are enough weight, chops and ideas to make so called bigger bands scratch their heads and say "why didn't I think of that?!"

Like a bullet from a sniper, the opening riff from 'Lust' is delivered with pinpoint accuracy. Some punishing sludge makes way to some tribal drumming bringing to mind Sepultura's 'Roots' as the band put all their distortion pedals to work. There are so many layers to this band its unreal, the jolting bass weaves in between the drums and the NWOBHM meets Melechesh meets Crowbar guitar work is very impressive. 'Dark Triad' opens with some more tribal drumming and clean guitar work before hardcore inspired sludge (a la Love Sex Machine/Black Shape Of Nexus) gives everything a damn good thrashing. The riffs are groovy enough to get your head nodding but are out of the box enough to give you something to think about...and the guitar tone? Superb!

Listening to this, it's hard to believe I'm listening to a fairly "new" band, they sound so cohesive and fluid...but they only have a demo to their name; 'Kali', the third and final song is simply brilliant. Thumping heavy riffs entangle with deconstructed song formats, making this a standout track on a standout release. It's a track that has me searching the thesaurus for adequate superlatives; it's astonishing and corpulent.

I've witnessed this band live and can confirm that they are every bit as loud and heavy as they are on record. A band to keep tabs on, they'll surely be making waves in the very near future.

‘Advorsus" will be available Friday 9th September here

Band info: facebook