Doom – Page 125 – Wonderbox Metal

Interview with Boss Keloid

I’m not sure how many times I’ve listened to Herb Your Enthusiasm at this point, but all I know is that it’s as infectious as it is crushing, and if it doesn’t end up in my end of year list for 2016 I’ll be hugely shocked. So when I got the opportunity to dig a bit deeper into the band, I took it. Here’s Alex Hurst, vocalist of Boss Keloid…

Introduce us to Boss Keloid!

Boss Keloid are
Alex Hurst – Vocals
Paul Swarbrick – Guitar
Adam Swarbrick – Bass
Ste Arands – Drums

What are your influences?The

Influences in this band are a tad crazy as we all love different types of music but there is a common ground when it comes to anything with a good groove and beat. Influences I could list would have to be Bob Marley / Sleep / OM / Neurosis / Steely Dan / Anything Mike Patton is involved in / Will Haven / King Crimson / Secret Chiefs 3 / Kyuss. Continue reading “Interview with Boss Keloid”

Schammasch – Triangle (Review)

Schammasch are a Black Metal band from Switzerland. This is their third album.

Here we have a bold, monster of a release; divided into three parts, each lasting about 35 minutes, the entire body of work clocks in at a massive 105 minutes in length.

Schammasch play forward-thinking music that’s rooted in Black Metal, but also visits other styles such as Doom, Post-Black Metal and Progressive Metal.

Continue reading “Schammasch – Triangle (Review)”

Fister/Teeth – Split (Review)

Fister and Teeth are both bands from the US, and they’ve teamed up for this split release.

Fister start us off with one track – We All Die Tonight. Although they’ve never graced this site before, Fister’s brand of Sludgy Doom is most enjoyable, and this song is no different.

Continue reading “Fister/Teeth – Split (Review)”

Pyramido – Vatten (Review)

This is the fourth album from Swedish Sludge/ Doom band Pyramido.

Saga was a very strong album, and now that Pyramido return with Vatten it’s clear that it wasn’t a one-off fluke.

Pyramido are heavy and crushing. Vatten exemplifies these traits and the album is 38 minutes of emotively flattening guitars and distorted atmospherics.

Anguished screams tear out of the music as lonesome leads and tortured melodies rise out from the body of the music. Although the heaviness is a constant companion, it’s not Pyramido’s only weapon in the war against silence, as they also show they can play introspectively in more of a Post-Metal way.

On Vatten the band seem to have injected a little more nuance and shading into their songs; even though they had this on Saga for sure, it seems more developed here, with the time being taken to cultivate greater mood and feeling via the leads and rhythms.

Even when all of this happens though, the heavy riffs are not too far away, and the Sludge Metal gets its way in the end. The truly wonderful moments occur when the heavy riffs are providing the emotive content, and on those occasions Vatten is at its best.

These tracks compel you to pay attention, as the groovy and emotive guitars draw you in, engaging with their fury and hypnotic delivery.

Highly recommended.

Sourvein – Aquatic Occult (Review)

This is the fourth album from these US Sludge/Doom veterans.

Sourvein return with an aquatic-themed album, it seems.

The band play their sludge with a raw energy that seems to tap into something primeval and old, probably something lurking in the deepest waters in the darkest ocean.

With a heavy sound that’s warmly analogue, these songs have a kind of retro vibe to them that manages to eschew any of the normal bullshit trappings that such a term usually involves. Rather, what we have here is music that’s honest, visceral and not afraid to get dirty, (wet?).

The songs have groove and melody, both of which are used well throughout the playing time. It’s an endearing mix of influences that combine on this release, with everything from Electric Wizard, Eyehategod, Black Sabbath, Acid Bath and Mastodon making it into the melting pot.

Short tracks don’t outstay their welcome, and Sourvein know how to flourish a song with a relatively short playing time for maximum effect.

There are some quality and earthy, (aquatic?), guitar solos included, alongside a bass that just sounds really, really good.

The singer reveals himself to be quite versatile, with clean and rough singing, as well as throaty shouts used where necessary. He has a lot of presence and charisma, which can also be said of the songs as a whole. Taken together the music and the vocal performance make for a very strong collection of tracks that are both catchy and memorable.

Well, this is very, very enjoyable. Sourvein stick out from the crowd as having something a bit special and being a bit different from the norm.

You gotta get this, or Poseidon will be pissed.

Starchitect – Results (Review)

Starchitect are from the Ukraine and this is their second album. They play Post-Metal.

Starchitect’s music is a cross between Memories of a Deadman, Cult of Luna and Russian Circles.

These songs have some decent riffs, with some quite memorable parts to them too. I also enjoy some of the more atypical guitar parts where the band consciously seem to be making an effort to try something a bit different.

The music is quite involved and atmospheric, coming across as well-thought out and the kind of thing you would normally hear from an instrumental band, rather than one which does have a vocalist like Starchitect do.

Speaking of vocals; the singer uses harsh shouts to get his point across and his voice does the job nicely, fitting into the typical Post-Metal framework. His voice is used quite sparingly, increasing my impression of them as an instrumental band, (which they aren’t, of course).

Effectively building up a tapestry of overlapping guitar-based sounds and melodies set to a thumping beat and with the odd coarse-vocal, Starchitect have produced an enjoyable 58 minutes of music.

A recommended listen.

Funeral Moth – Transience (Review)

This is the second album from Japanese Funeral Doom band Funeral Moth.

Funeral Moth’s music is comprised of sparse, slow riffs that create atmosphere through space and elongated emotion rather than outright heaviness or pure distortion. It’s a slightly different approach than most artists of this ilk adopt, but one that sees the two long tracks on Transience work a, (miserable), treat.

The band this reminds me of most is Earth, if Earth played Funeral Doom and had growled vocals.

The music is introspective and gloriously woeful. It tempts you to lie back and trance out, while the sombre, mournful melodies carry your consciousness off and your body slowly settles into its place in the cold, wet, uncaring soil…

Throughout this slow decline of sentience we get the aforementioned deep growls churning in line with the music. These are both quite traditional in delivery and also subtly different, having a roughness to them that seems sparse and minimalistic, also in line with the music.

A dreamy, seductively calming way to spend 40 minutes. Enjoy.

Deveikuth – 0.∅ (Review)

Deveikuth are a French Funeral Doom/Drone band and this is their latest release.

Now this is some heavy stuff.

The first track starts off with some sickeningly distorted bass that seems to overwhelm everything else as maniacal vocals scream obscenities into a bucket. A dirty bucket filled with filth.

The striking vocals overlay the constant feedback howling and murky distortion of the tracks. Said vocals are unhinged and sound quite disturbed. Juxtaposed against the slow, unhurried music it creates quite an impression over the 12 minute playing time.

Track two is more of an ambient, mood-interlude, albeit one that lasts for six minutes. Strange sounds and odd noises accompany some semi-excited drums like something esoteric stalking something playful. Apart from a kind of spoken word bit near the middle, it’s instrumental and a nice change of pace and mood after the disconcerting menace of the first song.

The final song is the longest here at almost 17 minutes and shows the band in more of a build-release mode, with some extra atmosphere included too. Shrieking, wailing vocals accompany equally turbulent music as Deveikuth pull you under the water and hold you there, enjoying your gurgling demise.

This is a release that reeks of pain, anguish and warped sensibilities. It’s not for the faint-hearted and not for people that like clean, easily digested music.

Check it out.

Dead Eyed Sleeper – Gomorrh (Review)

This is the fourth album from German Death Metallers Dead Eyed Sleeper.

This has a very tasty sound, thick and heavy without losing clarity or definition.

The singer’s expressive growls and screams are ably performed and have an energy to them that’s undeniable. Powering along with passionate aggression and meaty delivery, he leaves an impression.

The same could easily be said of the music, actually; energetic, passionate and aggressive. The band’s take on Death Metal is familiar enough to be instantly satisfying yet differentiated enough to sound interesting and fresher than most similar bands. Elements of brutality rub shoulders with more involved technical and progressive flourishes that leave the band standing separate from a lot of their peers, which in my mind is no bad thing at all, nor is it an easy thing to achieve.

These five tracks are expansive forays into Death Metal, making the most of what the base genre has to offer, but fleshing it out with extra influences and snatches of mournful and dirge-like melody. These Doom-influences serve the band well, providing ample opportunity for them to show off their emotive side. When this is combined with the technical and/or progressive aspects of their sound it’s a heady combination that marks the band out for great things as far as I’m concerned.

At the end of these 29 minutes the play button is pressed again. It’s a hallmark of good music that you immediately want to hear it a second time and you also want more than just what’s contained on this album.

Very impressive and very recommended.

Sunwølf – Eve (Review)

Sunwølf are a Scottish Post-Metal band and this is their fourth album.

Sunwølf play Post-Metal that takes elements of Doom, Stoner and Post-Hardcore into the mix.

This reminds me of UK Doomsters Palehorse if they were mixed in with Earth and wrapped up in the Post-Metal trappings of someone like Red Sparowes.

Slow, mournful guitar parts crawl along the frost-battered ruins of long-dead mountains while Post-Metal melodies effortlessly gleam resplendently under the uncaring sun.

These tracks paint pictures of dangerous-yet-beautiful landscapes that form a rich and textured release, laced with sorrow and despondency. The songs have a raw, emotive edge to them that’s hard to deny and even on just the first listen you find yourself getting drawn into them. Subsequent spins reveal additional features to catch the attention and the heart.

Vocals are sparse and uncommon; when they do appear they are used well, as required by the song. This includes screams that are tinged with anguish and pain, occasionally taking on a cleaner hue to give vent to a more plaintive side, as well as spoken word sections and chants that are almost buried under the music.

This is a very engaging release that has a lot of content to enjoy over the 51 minute playing time. This is an album that deserves a lot of exposure, although I doubt it will get it, which is criminal.

Highly recommended. Check this out immediately.