Sludge metal – Page 27 – Wonderbox Metal

Raging Speedhorn – Lost Ritual (Review)

Raging Speedhorn are a sludge metal band from the UK. This is their fifth album.

After their ultimately very enjoyable, but quite different, fourth album Before the Sea Was Built, the band called it a day. After a self-resurrection, the mighty Raging Speedhorn have now returned with their latest release.

Questions abound – what will it sound like? What kind of style have they embraced? Well, the only thing to be done is to press play and find out… Continue reading “Raging Speedhorn – Lost Ritual (Review)”

Black Royal – The Summoning Pt. 2 (Review)

This is the second EP from Finnish Death/Sludge Metal band Black Royal.

Black Royal have an interesting style, effectively combining primitive 90s Death Metal with a Sludge/Stoner influence. It’s definitely the path less-travelled and makes for a very enjoyable journey.

The vocals consist of rough, Stoner-esque, semi-cleans, mixed in with deeper growls that have more of a Death Metal slant. Continue reading “Black Royal – The Summoning Pt. 2 (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.

Tombs – All Empires Fall (Review)

This is the latest EP from US Post-Black Metal band Tombs.

Tombs continue to be one of the better and more interesting bands in Metal today. Here we have 34 minutes of new music, in equal parts heavy, atmospheric, grand and intimidating, as only Tombs do so well.

Blending Metal, Sludge, Black Metal and Hardcore into a potent brew, their last release Savage Gold is a firm favourite of mine and it seems that All Empires Fall is going the same way, albeit for a few different reasons; Tombs have progressed and changed in some ways since their last release, and the Black Metal component of their sound is much further to the front now, along with added keyboards.

The World Is Made of Fire is a short intro track that essentially sets the scene and sounds quite imposing and epic in scope.

Second song Obsidian showcases the band’s Black Metal side to great effect, with scything screeched vocals and cutting, frozen riffs. Blasting aggression, energetic atmosphere and blackened Hardcore thuggery combine with some deft melody to create a really enjoyable darkened exploration.

After this we get Last Days of Sunlight, which is quite different. Featuring some exotically alluring clean croons, the song stalks along like a hungry predator, all menace and lethal intent. It’s a highly atmospheric slow-burner that showcases a different side of Tombs and once again demonstrates their multi-talented skills.

Deceiver is up next. It’s heavy, memorable and has a catchy, punky, blackened sheen that would do Wolvhammer proud.

The final track is the longest and simply named V. Here we get a mixture of pretty much everything that has come before it, including cleans, blackened riffs, melodic sharpness and catchy delivery.

Like the mighty Rorcal, Tombs are at the top of their game when it comes to modern Post-Black Metal that seethes with power, recognises the past and combines non-blackened genres into its stylistic package.

An essential listen.

Abstracter/Dark Circles – Split (Review)

Abstracter are a Sludge/Doom band from the US, and Dark Circles are a Hardcore band from Canada.

Both of Abstracter’s full length albums, (Tomb of Feathers and Wound Empire), feature regularly in my listening. And with good reason; their brand of heavy, blackened Sludge/Doom is expertly done. On this release they contribute 2 tracks, lasting almost 20 minutes in total.

Barathrum starts off showcasing the band’s blackened aspect, with dark, murky blast beats charging through a sea of tar. This rather quickly spends itself, leading into a slow, sludgy crawl through murkiest waters as Abstracter embrace their dirty Doom side. Occasional forays into speed and groovier territories comprise the remaining running time, with the singer’s thick growl accompanying you the entire way.

If you haven’t encountered Abstracter before then this song is as good an introduction as any into their harsh, underground Sludge Metal.

But we’re not done yet, as there’s a second track; Where All Pain Converges. This is a little longer than the first and generally a bit slower and more considered. If Barathrum showcased the band’s harsher side then this one showcases their more atmospheric. That’s not to say this isn’t harsh and heavy, (it is), but that it also has more of a blatant emotive quality to the guitars than the soul-crushing nihilism of the first. Mixing slower sections with some more upbeat parts, the overall mood is maintained throughout and Abstracter once again show why they’re so very good at what they do.

After this onslaught of despair and misery, we leave Abstracter to wallow in their pit of pain, and approach, timidly, Dark Circles. This band offer up a different form of gloom with their characterful brand of dark Hardcore. Being familiar with their previous work on MMXIV, it’s good to catch up with them again and here they give us 4 songs, lasting just under 13 minutes.

Ashen starts us off with a squeal of feedback before violently picking up the pace with the band’s dark blend of abrasive Hardcore. One of the things I like about Dark Circles is their ability to inject an emotive bleakness into their raging chaos, engaging the listener and prompting them to move closer, despite the inherent danger. The second track Void follows on in a similar theme, (but with added atmosphere), and both initial tracks blur by in a haze of anger and distorted malice.

After these typically short and nasty affairs both of the next tracks are much longer by comparison, relative to this split and to their work on MMXIV. Isolate starts immediately, all blackened teeth and bile. The longer playing time allows the band the opportunity to flesh out the more atmospheric side of their sound that briefly reared its head during Void. This shows itself to be an apocalyptic Sludge/Doom influence, heavy and foreboding, before the Hardcore energy picks up once more.

The final track is called Epilogue (Quietus) OP. 28 No. 4 and is a little different, as the name suggests; here the band give vent to a dark ambient side and swamp the listener with a slow-building tense piece of drone that creates a nicely unsettling and worrying atmosphere.

Both bands have contributed some very nice work to this split release, and although they do play different styles they also have more than enough overlap and similar themes to complement each other perfectly. As splits go, this works a treat and is definitely one you should check out.

Boss Keloid – Herb Your Enthusiasm (Review)

Boss Keloid are a Sludge Metal band from the UK. This is their second album.

Boss Keloid’s Sludge fuses Metal, Doom, Stoner and even Progressive Metal and Grunge into its tar-like embrace, offering the listener 59 minutes of compelling riffage.

With a huge, massive sound, Boss Keloid bring the heaviness with ease. The songs are chock-full of tasty riffs and the kind of guitars that can knock you over if played at full volume.

The Stoner-esque vocals sound really good, adding an extra level of colour and richness to already textured music. The singer has commanding presence, great personality and charisma, all of which are clearly felt through his voice.

The songs themselves are very satisfying, all the more so due to the decent amount of variety and interest that the album has. With almost an hour of music it would be easy to lose momentum or have some dull moments, but the incorporation of the various Metal sub-genres into the mix makes for a very endearing and engaging album.

Unlike some bands that use multiple styles as parts of their musical recipe, Boss Keloid don’t move from one easily identified sub-genre in one section to another; the band mix all of these elements into the songs together, holistically making the most of these influences to the betterment of the songs and the album as a whole.

Each track is recognisable as its own beast with its own identity, and pretty much every track has elements of the wider pool of influences mixed in.

An extremely impressive album. Herb Your Enthusiasm is a keeper.

For fans of Conan, Electric Wizard, Mammoth Storm, Orange Goblin, Down, etc.

Camel of Doom – Terrestrial (Review)

This is the fourth album from UK Doom Metal band Camel of Doom.

This unusually named band play experimental Doom Metal that contains elements of Progressive Rock, psychedelia and a bit of Sludge Metal alongside the usual genre trappings. Continue reading “Camel of Doom – Terrestrial (Review)”

Hemelbestormer – Aether (Review)

Hemelbestormer are a Post-Metal band from Belgium. This is their debut album.

Hemelbestormer are an instrumental band and they have created a sweeping epic of an album with four long, sprawling tracks lasting a total of 60 minutes.

Here we have an interesting and involved merging of different styles that are similar enough to get along well, resulting in the quite monolithic Aether.

Post-Metal, Doom and Sludge Metal are the main ingredients. The swirling Doom/Sludge claustrophobia of some of Neurosis’ more abrasive work is met by the expansive Post-Metal that the likes of Isis did so well. This is alongside elements of the heavier work of Pelican, with even some Post-Rock sensibilities of a band like Russian Circles getting a look in too.

The tracks take the listener on a journey through exploratory soundscapes and the Post-Metal build/release mechanic is artfully used throughout.

Aether is as heavily atmospheric as you can probably imagine, but in contrast to some bands that play this style, (especially, it seems, instrumental ones), Hemelbestormer are not afraid to let the distortion properly kick in and get really huge and heavy with the guitars. This pleases me greatly.

I love music that you can truly get lost and absorbed in and this is definitely one such album. Some instrumental bands can easily lose focus due to the lack of a singer, I find, but Hemelbestormer really don’t suffer from that problem. The music is detailed and nuanced enough to keep you coming back to it, but as mentioned previously, they know when to take things up a notch with the heavy guitars at just the right moments.

Very impressive. Take the time to listen to this.

Seven Sisters of Sleep – Ezekiel’s Hags (Review)

This is the third album from the USA’s Seven Sisters of Sleep. They play Sludge Metal.

On this album Seven Sisters of Sleep combine a lot of influences from a wide array of nasty, extreme sub-genres into their potent brew of Sludge Metal. Doom, Hardcore, Death Metal, Black Metal, Grindcore…it pretty much all gets a look in at some point in these 50 minutes.

This is nasty music that seems to revel in the filth and dirt, with no stone of depravity left unturned or unsoiled.

This is a wild and dangerous ride through all things heavy, taking pit stops in the aforementioned styles and mashing them together with all of the subtlety of a maniac with a very big hammer. Having said that though, there’s a fierce guiding intelligence at play behind the scenes here, and the band obviously know what they’re doing with the material they have bloodily birthed.

There are a lot of giant riffs on this release and whether the band are playing fast, slow or anywhere in between, they steer this ship of gloom with unerring accuracy through the fog of Sludge. Or something. I think my metaphors got a bit out of control there. Regardless, think of Ezekiel’s Hags as the nastiest form of Doom, shot through with streaks of blast beats and a predilection for terror.

The vocals are every bit as nasty as the music, even more so as they have a real splenetic fury to them.

This is an exceptional release full of horrorful energy and a testament to what you can do with the variety and interest that can be had with Sludge Metal.

I can easily imagine fans of Ilsa, Serpent Eater, Secret Cutter, Colombian Necktie, Cult of Occult, Behold! The Monolith, Nightslug and Eyehategod taking a real shine to this. I know I have.

Primitiv – Immortal & Vile (Review)

Primitiv are an Indian Death Metal band. This is their début album.

As the name might suggest, Primitiv play old-school Death Metal that’s on the, (ahem), primitive side.

It’s also on the riffy side, and who doesn’t love a good riff? Actually, the word primitive is misleading, because although it’s true in a way, this is also not your typical old-school Death Metal release either, sounding fresher and more modern than a lot of similar bands. Modern old-school Death Metal? Now there’s a thing…

So what’s different about Primitiv? Well, for one thing, the songs have an energy to them as they stomp all over the place. There’s also a fair amount of variety on these tracks, with different sub-styles and types of riff being showcased.

Some of the riffs have a Sludge/Stoner Metal feel in places, which is quite unexpected, although it should be noted this is not a huge part of their sound. At other times we get a more Bolt Thrower-type delivery, cementing the old-school feel even more. Sometimes a hint of the Swedish style appears…it’s a compelling mix across these 31 minutes and Primitiv show that they can turn their hands to many an influence with the aim of creating their crushing Death Metal out of the most effective weapons available.

Melodies, leads and solos all appear where they’re needed and the songs pound along at a decent pace. It’s all added to by a strong, clear and clean production that allows them to sound absolutely immense. As the focus is very much on the guitar riffs, these have a heavy, precise tone that devastates all around them. It must be noted that the drums and bass sound equally impressive though.

The singer has a formidable roar that still manages to sound legible on occasion and carries character deep within its depths.

The combination of the older style with a newer production and a Sludge/Stoner tinge to some of the riffs allows Immortal & Vile to avoid the accusations of staleness and rehashing of past glories that inevitably accompany most old-school Death Metal releases. This album sounds fresh and infectious, even if the core style is as old as it gets.

Unless your tastes run strictly to the ultra-technical, fast or modern, Immortal & Vile is a must listen.