Ocultum – Buena Muerte (Review)

Ocultum - Buena MuerteThis is the third album from Ocultum, a doom band from Chile.

Buena Muerte is a 39-minute doom record that takes influence from the stoner and sludge styles. Ocultum have big presence, heavy riffs, a filthy sound, and crushing songs. What’s not to like? Continue reading “Ocultum – Buena Muerte (Review)”

Old Skin – Wails of Ten Thousand (Review)

Old Skin - Wails of Ten ThousandThis 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? Continue reading “Old Skin – Wails of Ten Thousand (Review)”

Lust Hag/Reaping Fields – Prayers Unanswered – Split (Review)

Lust Hag Reaping Fields - Prayers Unanswered - SplitThis is a split between two US black metal bands, Lust Hag and Reaping Fields.

NEW LUST HAG! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! I dunno what it is with Lust Hag, but I just can’t get enough. Actually, I know exactly what it is – it’s just absolutely killer black metal. This is a split though, and Reaping Fields, as we’ll see, are a revelation. Continue reading “Lust Hag/Reaping Fields – Prayers Unanswered – Split (Review)”

Dopethrone – Broke Sabbath (Review)

Dopethrone - Broke SabbathDopethrone are a Canadian sludge metal band and this is their sixth album.

Following on from 2018’s Transcanadian Anger, Dopethrone have finally returned to crush everyone flat with their charismatic sludge metal brew. Broke Sabbath contains 39 minutes of filth and hatred, all thrown at the listener in typically heavy Dopethrone fashion. Ahh, it’s good to have this particular brand of sludge nastiness back in town. Continue reading “Dopethrone – Broke Sabbath (Review)”

Warcrab – Damned in Endless Night (Review)

Warcrab - Damned in Endless NightThis is the third album from UK death/sludge metal band Warcrab.

Scars of Aeons was a very enjoyable mix of sludge and death metal, so when I found out that this new album was on the horizon, I prepared myself accordingly. Damned in Endless Night is a bigger monster than Scars of Aeons was though, with double the tracks and a total duration of 52 minutes. Continue reading “Warcrab – Damned in Endless Night (Review)”

Yatra – Death Ritual (Review)

Yatra - Death RitualYatra are a doom band from the US and this is their debut album.

Now here we have an album that’s infused with darkness; it’s almost tangible, but in a warm, smoky way. Mixing ugly doom, riff-hungry stoner, blackened sludge, and harsh drone influences into 45 minutes of material, Death Ritual showcases the dark underbelly of doom metal. Continue reading “Yatra – Death Ritual (Review)”

Sadhus “The Smoking Community” – Big Fish (Review)

Sadhus The Smoking Community - Big FishThis is the second album from Sadhus “The Smoking Community”, a sludge metal band from Greece.

After enjoying their 2016 split with Agnes Vein, this is my first chance to get to grips with a Sadhus “The Smoking Community” full length album. Big Fish gives us 34 minutes of smoky heaviness and savage stoner doom sludge. Continue reading “Sadhus “The Smoking Community” – Big Fish (Review)”

Dopethrone – Transcanadian Anger (Review)

DopethroneDopethrone are a Canadian sludge metal band and this is their fifth album.

Dopethrone have built up a very respectable discography over the years, and Transcanadian Anger is the latest in the long line of filth-covered fuzzed-up hateful distortion that the band peddle. Continue reading “Dopethrone – Transcanadian Anger (Review)”

Burke and Hare – Burke and Hare (Review)

Burke and HareBurke and Hare are a UK sludge metal band and this is their debut EP.

Here we have just over 12 minutes of ugly heaviness, just the we like it for this kind of sludge-driven hideousness. Continue reading “Burke and Hare – Burke and Hare (Review)”