This is the debut album from US sludge band Old Skin.
Wails of Ten Thousand is a 28-minute beast of crushingly filthy sludge metal nastiness. The promo blurb states that it is for fans of bans like Eyehategod, Fistula, and Coffins, and that it contains noise and death metal elements. Sold! At least in theory. In practice, is it actually any good?
Of course it is, as otherwise I wouldn’t have bothered writing about it. A brief scan through was enough to convince me to give it a proper outing, and I’m glad I did; Wails of Ten Thousand is an accomplished slab of heaviosity. The above band references are certainly relevant, but it’s a mix of Charger and Dopethrone that I’m put in mind of most frequently.
The album is driven by mammoth pitch black riffs that swamp the listener, smashing skulls and flattening bodies. It’s a familiar assault, but Old Skin deal out the punishment well, taking extra care to ensure that no bone is left unbroken.
The endless heaviness is almost hypnotising. The distortion is thick and luxurious, despite how impure and unclean it undoubtedly is. You want to just wrap yourself in its fuzzy rotting embrace and forget about the world, your worries washed away in an ocean of abrasion and hateful invective. Wails of Ten Thousand may be harsh and unforgiving, but it’s also effortlessly enjoyable if you’re able to take the beating it dishes out.
Part of the reason for the above is that the songs don’t just brutalise, as there are additional textures sewn into the music. The band occasionally take time from their destructive arts to lace the music with dark melody or layered atmosphere. These elements are all contained within the overarching sludge framework, allowing the songs to achieve more than if they focused on brutal heaviness alone.
It’s not all stinking roses though, as there are two pointless interludes that do nothing but take up space. I know this is increasingly common practice these days, but still.
Apart from the above misstep, Wails of Ten Thousand boasts five quality sludge metal monsters that are very effective at what they do. Old Skin’s debut album is a strong example of malignant sludge that I heartily recommend if you have a taste for all things heavy and foul.
Very highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 