PREMIERE: Dead Hour Noise & Deeper Graves drop their frenetic and frenzy split release

Dead House Noise

Deeper Graves

Deeper Graves

Holy shit do those damn weekends fly by, you work your goddam ass off five days a week and by the end you’re like “Thank fuck it’s Friday’.  Then in blink of an eye, its Sunday evening and you feel the dread, like “Oh man, do I really have work tomorrow”.   Yep, work does indeed suck, but today at THE SLUDGELORD, we have the perfect weekend hangover cure, with some absolutely stellar earworm from two chaotic bands, in the form of Lansing, Michigan’s Dead Hour Noise and Detroit’s Deeper Graves.

I must be said, I love a good split release, particularly when you get two seemingly disparate acts and throw them together.  Whilst on this occasion, these two acts aren’t exactly polar opposites in terms of style, that doesn’t matter when you get 4 songs of this quality.  Oh man, they are just frenetic, frenzied and absolutely blistering.  Both bands play with razor sharp intensity and the range of styles they somehow merge within the compositions, never come across as forced and are incredibly concise.  Both bands have to be commended here for delivering a kick ass record.

So, yes Monday do hit hard, but this record hits fucking harder and you can stream in full below.  It will be issued via Tomb Tree Tapes on May 18^th and you can order HERE

Dead Hour Noise: facebook || instagram || bandcamp

Deeper Graves: facebook || bandcamp

ALBUM REVIEW: Memoriam, "To The End"

By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 26/03/2021
Label: Reaper Entertainment Europe

“To The End” CD//DD//LP track listing:
 
1. ‘Onwards Into Battle’
2. ‘This War Is Won’
3. ‘No Effect’
4. ‘Failure To Comply’
5. ‘Each Step (One Closer To The Grave)’
6. ‘To The End’
7. ‘Vacant Stare’
8. ‘Mass Psychosis’
9. ‘As My Heart Grows Cold’
 
The Review:
 
Memoriam return with this, their fourth full length effort- the blinding speed of creativity! The band are working hard and fast- obviously- and with ex-members of Bolt Thrower and Benediction etc. being a huge selling point, what have they got left now that the cannons have faded?
 
Well, this record is absolutely business as usual. The chugging tank pacing is there from the beginning, the production and sound even better this time around, with a killer mix to boot. Willets sounds as good as he ever has and the band, bolstered by Spike T Smith on drums, really seem to have nailed down their sound. Smith's drumming is excellent- a real masterclass on how to play this kind of music- tasteful ride work, good fills, busy when he needs to be.
 
The tracks are uniformly improved by his drumming and the band seem to be developing their doom leanings. Opener “Onwards Into Battle” is an unstoppable armoured car, they up the speed on “This War Is Won” and hit a mid paced groove on “No Effect” after that. Essentially, then, this is Memoriam running through the gears and the death metal textbook- which at various times the members helped to write in the first place.
 
Conceived as they were as a kind of tribute to late Bolt Thrower drummer Martin Kiddie Kearns, the band has gone way beyond that now. Memoriam have had chart success in Europe and are now a firm fixture on the British death metal scene and circuit. In all honesty, I can’t think of many other UK death metal bands that can boast the same kind of firepower and presence- Carcass, several sizes down there is Cruciamentum... it's becoming a short list.
 
All aspects of the band's sound and strengths are here- bulldozing riffage, gravestone doom- “Each Step (One Closer To The Grave)” is as mournful and slow as anything else in the doom death sub-genre- whilst the band even delivers a powerful title track with shades of classic Sepultura to the opening.
 
The punk elements are here too- “Mass Psychosis” is a good example of the band sounding almost industrial and punk- while the Bolt Thrower-esque lead work is present as well across the record. The album closes mournfully and impressively with “As My Heart Grows Cold”.
 
On balance, I think this is the finest Memoriam album yet and one that can sit proudly with anything the members have done in the past. The UK and death metal as a whole needs this band- standard bearers and bar setters. Long may they reign.
 
“To The End” is available HERE 

Band info: Official || Facebook || Bandcamp || Instagram

ALBUM REVIEW: Ageless Oblivion, “Suspended Between Earth and Sky”

By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 30/04/2021
Label: Apocalyptic Witchcraft

“Suspended Between Earth and Sky” CD//DD track listing:
 
1). In Media Res
2). From Ash and Sulphur
3). All Was Froze
4). Anvil Chorus
5). The Sun Surrenders It’s Crown
6). Cohesion
7). Eldmessa
 
The Review:
 
Album number three for these Hampshire death metallers, sees the band return after an extended absence from the UK scene. For reasons unknown to me, this album comes seven years after their sophomore record. Pleasingly, though, this is a strong album... and it has something a little different.
 
This is death metal, but as opener “In Media Res” makes clear, this is not your standard chug/blast/growl fare. Well, all those elements are present- certainly- but this is not in any way a cookie cutter (monster?) release. The riffing owes a good deal to atmospheric black metal in places- as does the guitar tone. The time changes, beats and drums are very much death metal- but with a very neat progressive and technical element that lends the band a sound all their own.
 
It is certainly technical, it's progressive and it's angular and jarring- but it all hangs together very well. It is smooth through its twists and turns and expertly played. When the band chooses outright speed (“All Was Froze”) it is ferocious and clinical. When they slow down it is unpredictable, well-crafted and even melancholic in terms of the sounds produced. Speaking of which, the production is very good, crystal clear and powerful as well. Gone are the days of a muddy mix ruining death releases.
 
The sheer scale of “Anvil Chorus” allows the band to spread their wings, the short run time of “The Sun Surrenders It's Crown” is not to allow an all-out blasting assault- quite the opposite, in fact. To reference another track here, the whole thing is remarkably cohesive for a record with this many different elements. Ageless Oblivion must be commended for such an ambitious record after such a long time away.
 
It is unusual enough for me to not really reference any one or few bands that this sounds like- because that would be reductive and inaccurate here. Yes, it is death metal, but there are elements of black, sludge and so on within. It is technical and progressive- as noted- but that technicality is not the focus of the album; just one of its facets.
 
Ageless Oblivion have made a great album; it is deathly, daring and different
 
“Suspended Between Earth and Sky” is available HERE 

Band info: facebook || bandcamp

ALBUM REVIEW: Big|Brave, "Vital"

By: Josh McIntyre
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 23/04/2021
Label: Southern Lord Recordings

 
“Vital” CD//DD//LP track listing:
 
1). Abating the Incarnation of Matter
2). Half Breed
3). Wited, Still and All…
4). Of This Ilk
5). Vital
 
 
The Review:
 
Big|Brave creates music that consumes the listener. Their exploration of soundscapes (rather than notes) pulsing rhythms, and raw emotional vocals have captivated me since I first saw them opening for Sunn O))) back in 2016. The band is less than a decade old yet here we are with their fifth LP, “Vital”.
 
If we must give a genre description, I find Big|Brave to be more at home in the post-punk field than sludge metal, though they clearly cross paths in terms of the heavy drones. Their sound is somewhere between the pulsing aggression of early Swans and the creeping beauty of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. This has been consistent from the start but the band continuously experiments with their foundation.

“Vita”l continues this trend and is another lively display of what makes Big|Brave who they are. Huge, pulsing sounds (they don’t play many ‘chords’ in the traditional sense) followed by lingering trails of reverb are the standard. The use of negative space is just as crucial. Each track builds, gradually and slowly, until they dissipate. Of this Ilk, the fourth song, becomes one of the most aggressive of the band’s career halfway through. It absolutely pulverizes and then fades away like someone who has finished their point. It’s fairly comparable to an expressionistic painting, one that uses abstractions to show the ambiguity of simple existence.

These feelings are crucial here. Robin Wattie, our primary vocalist, sings and yells while these soundscapes waver around. Her performances are powerful and her lyrics, which regard her feelings and experiences being an ‘Other’ in a society dominated by a complex web in which whiteness and maleness are seen as standards (hence everything else is ‘Other’), put significant weight on “Vital” as a piece of artistic expression. There is such a strong sense of existential exploration on this record that one feels an obligation to listen again and to read the lyrics again, this next time just a little closer.

Big|Brave don’t just put out records that sound cool, even though they certainly do. Each one feels like an extension of the people who made them. They remind us that music is temporal and takes up space. It isn’t just about the notes that we play but how we play them. Big|Brave can pound drums, punch their guitars, scream, and devour us in waves of feedback before taking it all away. We are as vulnerable to their will as they are to their own. We, as people, are also both temporal and spacious. We are capable of being both fragile and powerful. The songs in “Vital” wander about their existence just as people similarly do. They speak of vulnerabilities, marginalization, strength, and endurance. We learn when we listen to each other.
 
“Vital” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

PREMIERE: Check out Freedom Fist's self titled incendiary debut

 

With song titles like “14 Million Cunts”, “Sectarian Centurian” and “Not Ma Queen”, Freedom Fist’s incendiary self-titled debut release is somewhat of a call to arms to the Scottish population, to put aside your fears, take a leap of faith and cut the umbilical cord of Westminster, The Crown and become a sovereign nation and truly independent.

Whilst it could be said, this release is 7 years late, (The Scottish independence referendum was in 2014), given the fractious state of the world, there has perhaps never been a better time to push for independence once more (just look at the damage Brexit has caused).

Set against a backdrop of D-beats, blasts, wretched and tormented vocals, scummy guitars and blown out bass, I sense that Freedom Fist seek to educate the listener, dealing with themes of a heroin epidemic, a culture of violence, and sectarian servitude of the Glasgow football, with the underling message being, these issues won’t  resolve themselves unless a nation pulls together and addresses the societal imbalance.

Harnessing the rage, anger and frustration of a nation, Freedom Fist have created something preposterously filthy indeed and today you can check it out in full below.  “Freedom Fist” is issued tomorrow 30/04/2021 via Ripcord Records (order HERE)

 Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Cannibal Corpse, "Violence Unimagined"

By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 16/04/2021
Label: Metal Blade Records

“Violence Unimagined” CD//DD//LP track listing:
 
1). Muderous Rampage
2). Necrogenic Resurrection
3). Inhumane Haarvest
4). Condemnation Contagion
5). Surround, Kill, Devour
6). Ritual Annihilation
7). Follow the Blood
8). Bound and Buried
9). Slowly Sawn
10). Overtorture

The Review:
 
Ah, Cannibal Corpse. The Motorhead of death metal. The Overkill of death metal. The High on Fire of death metal. They are relentlessly consistent. Relentlessly brutal. Relentlessly... relentless. I think it's fair to say that there are no bad CC albums. Equally, there are a few great ones- which most fans agree on (“The Bleeding”, “Butchered at Birth”, “Kill”...). Ultimately, they have always made good albums. I love “A Skeletal Domain” as much as I love “Tomb of the Mutilated”- but any other fan may disagree and pick another pair of albums they enjoy equally.
 
This record finds a line up shift having taken effect. As many will know, Pat O'Brien has legal problems not too far off the themes found in in CC's songs. His technical prowess and creativity are of course much missed- but if there is one replacement who could step up the mark, it has to be Erik Rutan. He's death metal royalty and surely needs no further introduction?!
 
Speaking of Rutan, the sound on this record is incredible. It's crystal clear and incredibly punchy. The snare snaps like a zombie's neck. The bass is springy and easy to pick out without being clanky and overbearing (lovely highlights are to be found in “Follow The Blood”). The guitars grind and shred like any number of torture devices- or DIY appliances.  
 
As soon as I started to listen to “Violence Unimagined”, I knew it would be one of the great ones. It has all the best elements of Cannibal Corpse. The musicianship is absolutely insane. The hooks embed in your brain and refuse to leave. It's brutal, catchy and brilliant. George Corpsegrinder Fisher is as imperious as ever. His vocals are both guttural, clear and forceful in equal measure. Barrett and Rutan really deliver on the riff and solo front. Alex Webster remains the best bassist in extreme metal and Paul Mazurkiewicz brings his precise yet wild drumming to its natural conclusion- the blasts are there, the fills are there and he switches so well around the kit and from hi hat to ride. 
 
Thematically, of course, you know what you are getting. I'll be honest and state that the song titles/lyrics/themes and artwork are the least attractive part of CC's music for me. I'm not really a huge horror fan, I'm not gore obsessed (!) and I have no particular interest in the macabre beyond what most metal fans may have. I can't defend the genre to its critics or explain it to those who are repulsed... All of that said, I do like death metal. No, I love death metal. The sound, the vibe, the extremity: I just have an affinity for it- when it is done well. The classic death metal bands are classic for a reason- Obituary, Deicide, Morbid Angel, Death, Dismember, Entombed; the list goes on. All those bands are great- or were great at the very least. 
 
The thing with Cannibal Corpse is that they were great and are great and will continue to be great. They continue to make incredibly good records. They continue to define death metal in sound, theme and all visual aspects. Whether it's “Ritual Annihilation”, “Inhumane Harvest” or skin flaying opener “Murderous Rampage”, the band has delivered on every conceivable level here. The playing is amazing, the atmosphere is dark and gritty throughout, the songs are memorable and don't ever descend into mindless blasting. 
 
I've really liked the preceding two records to this one- “A Skeletal Domain” is one of my favourite CC albums and “Red Before Black” was another masterclass. My first impressions are that this is better than both and thus is the best CC record in years and that is REALLY saying something. It's majestic in its violence and force. If you like/liked or want to try out death metal- just give this album a listen. I fear that if you can't get into this, you simply don't like death metal. The best in the business are back. Bow down and expect swift decapitation.
 
“Violence Unimagined” is available HERE 

Band info: official || facebook

REVIEW: Ungraven & Slomatics, "Split"

 By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 05/03/2021
Label: Black Bow Records

 
Split DD//LP track listing:
 
1). Ungraven, “Defeat The Object”
2). Ungraven, “Onwards She Rides to a Certain Death”
3). Ungraven, “Blackened Gates of Eternity”
4). Slomatics, “Kaan”
5). Slomatics, “Proto Hag”
6). Slomatics, “Monitors”
 
The Review:
 
So, half an hour of the heaviest sounds and tones known on the planet... Ungraven is Jon Davis' (Conan) side project, Slomatics are Northern Ireland's heaviest export.
 
Ungraven is not a million miles away from Conan, of course, but is less about atmosphere and slothfulness (or High On Fire bits) and more about beating the listener down with unbearable weight.
 
Over the course of the three tracks, Ungraven sound superb- heavy, crisp, weighty... I assume a Foal Studios recording with the inimitable Chris Fielding at the helm. Simply put, if you like Conan, you'll like this. If you like Fudge Tunnel, you will like this. If you like.... well, you get the idea.
 
Slomatics are all about heaping impossible weight onto the listener, in fact the material here is so heavy you'll need to Eat Clen and Tren Hard to withstand it. It is certainly downcast and moody- atmospheric in its blackness with impossibly low tuning. If you haven't ever heard them (is that possible?) think Electric Wizard crossed with Conan and you are in the right ballpark, but Slomatics have a sound and style all their own.
 
Over the course of six tracks, each band gets a roughly equal playing time and three tracks of each is enough to get a flavour of both, to decide if you to explore further.  Of course, where this is all building to, is to say that it is great – if you like any of the comparison bands mentioned here, this is a must.  Heavy, dark and pleasingly relentless.
 
You can purchase the Split HERE
 

Band info: Slomatics || Ungraven