6 NEW BANDS: THE SLUDGELORD's "666 Pack Review" (April 2019)

By: Nikos Mixas



Hello April and hello spring!  Most of that white shit has melted away for most of you out there, but if you’re like me and live in a fucking desert, I’ve already been running my air-conditioning in my vehicle and my home for about a month now. THE SLUDGELORD doesn’t really give two fucks about this, however, THE SLUDGELORD does give a fuck about new bands submitting to the “666 Pack Review” so I’ll stop fucking around and jump right into April’s victims. BTW, if you’re new to this, each and every month we handpick 6 review submissions and critique them by only using 6 words, then we rate them on a scale from 1 to 666!  Check out our hot as balls rating scale below: 

1 – This score means you’re cold as fuck on a scale based on heat.  Sucks huh?
2 – You’re about as hot as Pee Wee Herman hugging a huge teddy bear.  Not really hawt. 
3 – You know when you turn on your hot water faucet in the dead of winter and it only gets lukewarm?  Yeah…that’s about it. 
4 – Mowing the lawn in May. That’s kind of toasty.     
5 – Psycho Las Vegas in dead of August.  It scalds in several ways.   
666 – Your offering to THE SLUDGELORD is absolutely hot as hell, or purgatory, or Gehenna, or Hades or whatever synonym we care to use!   


Caveat:  Even though the “666 Pack Review” is meant to offer humorous critique, there are no safe spaces here and your gripes will only make you sound like a bellyacher.  THE SLUDGELORD is a picky listener…and doesn’t care what you think of his opinions….

1). Dead River Kings “Hymns of Hope and Despair” (Teeside, United Kingdom)    Rating: 3

Generic groove metal with meh vocals

2). Moon Goose “Source Code” (Cardigan, United Kingdom)   Rating: 5


Fucking hot spacey jizz boogie lotion.

3). Grim Earth “Smoke Bloody Nugs” (Olympia, WA, U.S.A) Rating: 3


Sludge Metal ala Taime Downe…siqqq 



4). Working Men’s Club “Premium Champion” (London, United Kingdom)   Rating: 4

This band is hot for NAILS 

5). Mireplaner “A Mountain of Saola Hooves” (Finland)   Rating: 666!

Guaranteed to cardiac arrest old people.

6). Carcolh “Rising Sons of Saturn” (Bordeaux, France) Rating: 2

A drunken Uncle Acid.  Very drunk. 

Band info: Dead River Kings || Moon Goose || Grim Earth || Working Mens Club || Mireplaner || Carcolh

ALBUM REVIEW: Pagan Altar, "Judgement of the Dead"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 17/04/2019

Label: Temple of Mystery

Simply put, this is a classic recording and one that shaped the genre and continues to do so all these decades after it was laid down on tape. Masterful.

 

“Judgement of the Dead” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Pagan Altar
2. In the Wake of Armadeus
3. Judgement of the Dead
4. The Black Mass
5. Night Rider
6. The Dance of the Banshee
7. Reincarnation

The Review:

There is not that much that can be written about Pagan Altar that has not already been written. To summarise, they are regarded as one of the first doom metal bands and one of the most influential- despite being NWOBHM in origin and not releasing an official album until the millennium that followed the NWOBHM boom.

“Judgement of the Dead”, then, is their earliest work in remastered form which first saw the (official) light of day decades after being recorded as a top end demo. Armed with that knowledge, it is up to the listener to decide what they are listening to; charmingly lo-fi lightning in a bottle which planted seeds still growing today or amateurish and crude heavy metal which would be perfected at a much later date.

For me, there is something about “Judgement of the Dead” which lends itself to the former description. There can be no argument that the “Mythical and Magical” and “Room of Shadows” are amongst the best doom albums ever put out, but the murky production here may be too much for some to overlook.

With that debate set out, we can now focus on what is here: an unmistakably English vibe, a father and son at the heart of the band and a very eccentric set of songs. Viewed through the lens of the early 80s, this must have been very unusual indeed; satanic invocations, occult themes, crashing chords and huge riffs of plodding slowness. Terry Jones' plaintive wail is present and correct and the guitar work has been emulated countless times since.

From the opening of the band's titular theme song to the lengths of some of the songs themselves, you can tell this is simply not standard early 80s metal fare. The gulf between this and other metal of the time is huge. If the title track brings the epic feel, then “Night Rider” brings the swinging feel utilised so effectively by Sabbath, Trouble and even Saint Vitus. The acoustic “The Dance of the Banshee” is a welcome interlude before the epic closer “Reincarnation” (recorded much later than the bulk of this release).

That the origins of Pagan Altar are so murky and mysterious only adds to their allure- they were there at the start but only came to prominence after years of their legend building up by word of mouth. Where “Judgement of the Dead” fits in their discography is hard to say. Their latter day material is so imperious that it is hard to compare this nascent effort in any meaningful way- a little like comparing Priest's “Rocka Rolla” to “Firepower”.

Pagan Altar are essential to any doom fan, so this is essential too. Don't expect crystal clear sound and mixing par excellence, but do expect to hear a uniqueness and an arcane vibe from which you can draw a direct correlation to all the best doom bands operating today. Simply put, this is a classic recording and one that shaped the genre and continues to do so all these decades after it was laid down on tape. Masterful.

“Judgement of the Dead” is available HERE

Band info: facebook || bandcamp

ALBUM REVIEW: Vargrav, "Reign In Supreme Darkness"

By: Conor O’Dea

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 29/04/2019

Label: Werewolf Records

“Reign in Supreme Darkness” is a dark and blossoming crystallization of all the threat and wonder of “Netherstorm” - a full opera, a syncretic and well-realized symphony. Recommended without reservation.

“Reign in Supreme Darkness” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Intro – Et In Profundis Mysteriis

2. The Glory of Eternal Night
3. Dark Space Dominion
4. In Streams From Great Mysteries
5. As the Shadows Grow Silent
6. Crowned By Demonstorms
7. Godless Pandemonium
8. Arcane Stargazer

The Review: 

It is unfortunate that the words 'opera' and 'symphony' in metal have come to denote bombast, hyper-ornamentation and bloat. Even the word 'majestic' carries with it connotations of the overwrought annals of power metal gone cancerous and overgrown. The juxtaposed subtlety and power of symphonic and operatic composition perhaps have never found a better mestari than Finland's Jean Sibelius, whose tone poems and symphonies in particular embody the capacity for a profound range of dynamics and emotional expressions. As if that mastery was somehow embedded in the soil of Hämeenlinna and made its sojourn south to Hyvinkää, Ville Pallonen has proven himself a worthy inheritor, and in “Reign in Supreme Darkness”, has skillfully conjugated all the fragmentary grammars of “Netherstorm” into a true FInlandia opus. 

The opening fantasia “Et In Profundis Mysteriis” opera is a dark and brooding conjuration of the dark depths of glacial striations - a fitting portrait of this land of the icy waters of the Suomi-neito. The energy built in this introduction moves furiously into “The Glory of Eternal Night”, which capitalizes on all the blizzard-borne fury of “Netherstorm”, and ushers in an album of unrelenting hibernal glory. The moods here are cyclothymic and ubiquitously intense - the raw, bruising entry of “As The Shadows Grow Silent” brings the pace down slightly only to be reinvigorated in the triumphal “Crowned by Demonstorms”. The closing track, “Arcane Stargazer”, is sorrowful and more deeply pensive than its predecessors - a lone trek into the taiga to commune with constellations and wolves, away from all torchlight and hearths, a solitary soul against a frost-rimed night sky. 

“Reign in Supreme Darkness” is a dark and blossoming crystallization of all the threat and wonder of “Netherstorm” - a full opera, a syncretic and well-realized symphony. The Silence of Järvenpää is ended thereby - the blood of Väinämöinen rises true and strong here. Recommended without reservation.

Vaka vanha Väinämöinen

itse tuon sanoiksi virkki:
"Näistäpä toki tulisi
kalanluinen kanteloinen,
kun oisi osoajata,
soiton luisen laatijata."
Kun ei toista tullutkana,
ei ollut osoajata,
soiton luisen laatijata,
vaka vanha Väinämöinen
itse loihe laatijaksi,
tekijäksi teentelihe

“Reign In Supreme Darkness” is available HERE

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Lord Dying, "Mysterium Tremendum”

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 26/04/2019

Label: eOne Heavy

Not many bands would attempt something so daring and varied. Of course, not many bands are anywhere near as good as Lord Dying, so try this one out and expand your taste. Excellent.

“Mysterium Tremendum” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Envy The End
2. Tearing At The Fabric Of Consciousness
3. Nearing The End Of The Curling Worm
4. The End Of Experience
5. Exploring Inward
6. Severed Forever
7. Even The Darkness Went Away
8. Freed From The Pressures Of Time
9. Lacerated Psyche
10. Split From A World Within/Devoid Of Dreams/Death The Final Loneliness
11. Saying Goodbye To Physical Form

The Review:

Lord Dying are back and Portland's finest have not run out of riffs and hunger just yet! The first thing that hit me when I pressed play was the sound- thick, muscular, meaty and absolutely spot on for this sludge/metal mash up. Sitting somewhere between Mastodon, High On Fire, Death Angel and Jethro Tull (!?) this record has a surprising amount of variation, not to mention light and shade. “Envy The End” will get your head banging at any volume, mind, and after that opening the album has more twists and turns than a sidewinder.

The Doors-esque “Tearing at the Fabric of Consciousness” is just one of the curve-balls here; it's dark and quiet and pretty different to what you might find on the average sludge release. As the record progresses, the band runs the gamut from quieter almost folky moments to thrash riffage and the heaviest of sludge metal. The vocals are just as changeable- clean singing, more metal type singing and screams/growls.

The eleven tracks on offer clip by, being as the song lengths are pretty varied- no formulaic writing here, so instead there is a real mixture of light and heavy. The quiet loud dynamic has worked for the greatest metal bands you can name, so Lord Dying are onto something here. The life/death concept is a good one for the band to explore and gives them latitude with the arrangements; lots of instrumental sections and some pretty psychedelic sections throughout the album are welcome additions to the Lord Dying's approach here.

As a concept album, a track by track is a little pointless and would perhaps spoil the experience for the listener as this is an album to be experienced as a whole or at the very least in track list order. Suffice it to say that most heavy music fans will find something they like here; it covers a lot of ground and approaches (often even in one song) and ranges from the very pretty (“Freed From The Pressures of Time”) to the whimsical to the more extreme metal you might have expected.

“Mysterium Tremendum” is a vast work and is not what I really expected at all- and is all the better for it. Not many bands would attempt something so daring and varied. Of course, not many bands are anywhere near as good as Lord Dying, so try this one out and expand your taste. Excellent.

“Mysterium Tremendum” is available HERE

Band info: facebook || bandcamp

TRACK PREMIERE: Costa Rican doom band Age of the Wolf debut "Herald of Abyssos"

Costa Rican doom band Age of the Wolf are set to release their debut full-length, “Ouroboric Trances”, on May 17th in digital, CD, and vinyl formats via Aural Music.  This fuzz-worshipping outfit delivers crushing riffs and epic melodies, backed by an apocalyptic rhythm section that crosses all spectrums of the sludge/stoner/doom genre. 

Today at THE SLUDGELORD we’re proud to have the band make their debut on the blog with an exclusive premiere of new track “Herald of Abyssos” which you can check out below.  Make no mistake, it is worth your time.  So comply and let your speakers die!!

Band info: facebook

6 NEW BANDS: THE SLUDGELORD's "666 Pack Review" (March 2019)

By: Nikos Mixas

It’s already March.  Technically speaking, the year is already almost 25% over and as far as THE SLUDGELORD’s “666 Pack Review” is concerned, it’s been an OK year so far.  So, THE SLUDGELORD has a request this month.  Can we please have some audience participation?  In the comments section, let’s hear what some of your favorite submissions have been so far up to this point. We’re intrigued to know if anybody reads this column and listens to the bands that submit their music only to have their dreams of sold out stadium shows and countless groupies to be ultimately crushed by THE SLUDGELORD.   BTW, if you’re new to this, each and every month we handpick 6 review submissions and critique them by only using 6 words, then we rate them on a scale from 1 to 666!  Check out our uninspired rating scale below: 

1 – This is the lowest rating you can achieve you losers. 

2 – And this score is a smidge better than landing a 1.  Feel good about yourself yet?

3 – A perfect average.  Congrats…. yawn…

4 – Four?  Start high fiving yourself and your pets.      

5 – Oh…so close to a 666, but no banana for you!  

666 – You can’t go any higher with us.  You should feel great about, now go tell all your friends and family.  Maybe they’ll care?

Caveat:  Even though the “666 Pack Review” is meant to offer humorous critique, there are no safe spaces here and your gripes will only make you sound like a bellyacher.  THE SLUDGELORD is a picky listener…and doesn’t care what you think of his opinions….

1). The biggest Thing Since Powdered Milk “EP (a) Alpha” (Cardiff, UK) Rating: 2

George Thorogood meets Weird Al Yankovic.

 

2). Gorgonchrist “Blood of Endangered Species” (United Kingdom) Rating: 5

Fans of splattergrind will dig this.

3). Flame, Dear Flame “The Millennial Heartbeat” (Brunswick, Germany) Rating: 3

Poor man’s version of Witch Mountain.

 

4). Green Inferno “Demo” (New Jersey, U.S.A.)   Rating: 1

Ripping Sleep AND Weedeater??? Try again…  

 

5). MU CEPHEI “Mantras of the Uniformed mind” (Maynooth, Ireland) Rating: 4

My subconscious drunken state would dig. 

 

6). Blunt Horse “Clawing Through Earth and Flesh” (Washington D.C., U.S.A.)   Rating: 2

If Voivod decided to dumb down.

Band info: Milk || Gorgonchrist || Flame dear flame || Green Inferno || MuCephei || BluntHorse

TRACK PREMIERE: Norwegain power trio Dune Sea set a course for the "Dune Sea"

Dune Sea is a power trio from Norway playing a stoner rock mixed with shoegaze and space rock. The Trondheim based group are often compared with bands like Hawkwind and Queens of the Stone Age.

On the 3^rd of May Dune Sea will issued their new album “Cosmic Playground” via All Good Clean Records and features nine tracks that range from stretched out psychedelic sci-fi soundscapes to synth based monolithic riffs. The sound unfolds within a cinematic universe, which is both retro and futuristic. 

Today at THE SLUDGELORD we’re feature the title track from the album which you can check out below.  Frontman Ole Nogva had the following to say about the track.  Preorder are being take HER

“Cosmic Playground” combines big questions about the universe and existential nihilism with melodic guitars and big synthesizers. The scandirock inspired spacerock track is the grand finale of album.

Band info: facebook