Sludge – Page 24 – Wonderbox Metal

Eremit – Bearer of Many Names (Review)

Eremit are a doom/sludge band from Germany and this is their second album.

I loved 2019’s Carrier of Weight, and ever since I’ve been really excited every time I see that that band have unleashed more of their crushing doom on the world. Up until now, this has only consisted of 2020’s excellent, (though far too brief), EP Desert of Ghouls. Now, however, we get Bearer of Many Names, which is every bit as massive as the band’s debut album, although it’s resolutely not the same beast. Continue reading “Eremit – Bearer of Many Names (Review)”

Moanaa – Embers (Review)

Moanaa are a Polish post-metal band and this is their third album.

I’ve enjoyed following Moanaa’s development over the years, from 2014’s Descent, to 2016’s atmospheric Passage, and then 2019’s EP Torches. Of the latter, the first track on Torches reappears on Embers. Continue reading “Moanaa – Embers (Review)”

Somnuri – Nefarious Wave (Review)

Somnuri are a sludge metal band from the US. and this is their second album.

Featuring an ex-member of Cleanteeth, Somnuri’s sound can best be described as something like progressive sludge metal. The promo blurb mentions bands such as High on Fire, Mastodon, Converge, Torche, and Baroness, and this sets the scene nicely. However, while all of the Continue reading “Somnuri – Nefarious Wave (Review)”

Monthly Overview – the Best of May 2021

May continued 2021’s trend of being a very good year for metal. As is now usual, restricting the list to just a handful of releases was difficult. There’s more where this came from! Continue reading “Monthly Overview – the Best of May 2021”

Boss Keloid – Family the Smiling Thrush (Review)

Boss Keloid are a progressive sludge metal band from the UK and this is their fifth album.

Family the Smiling Thrush contains 47 minutes of new material from the ever-welcome Boss Keloid. A shining light in the UK’s heavy music scene, I’ve enjoyed watching their development from 2016’s Herb Your Enthusiasm to 2018’s Melted on the Inch. Now they’ve Continue reading “Boss Keloid – Family the Smiling Thrush (Review)”

Cult of Occult – Ruin (Review)

This is the latest EP from French sludge doom band Cult of Occult.

Ruin contains a single 22-minute eponymous track; a nightmarish monster of prodigious proportions. Not only that, but there’s also a bonus track in the form of a remix of the title track, which itself lasts 19 minutes. Overall, this release boasts 41 minutes of anguished blackened sludge doom. It’s nasty, but it’s also damn good. Continue reading “Cult of Occult – Ruin (Review)”

Blessings – Biskopskniven (Review)

This is the second album from Blessings, a Swedish post-hardcore band.

Blessings merge elements of noise rock, post-rock, and sludge into their sound. The end result is an album of multifaceted post-hardcore, rich in textured nervous energy and bristling with raw emotional intensity. The promo Continue reading “Blessings – Biskopskniven (Review)”

Yautja – The Lurch (Review)

This is the second album from US sludge metal band Yautja.

The Lurch is a 46-minute hybrid of ugly sludge metal, vicious grind, and filthy punk. With less grindcore on display than on their previous 2014 album Songs of Descent, The Lurch is still a gnashing, biting thing. This Continue reading “Yautja – The Lurch (Review)”

Psychonaut/Sâver – Emerald – Split (Review)

This is a split between post-metal bands Psychonaut from Belgium and Sâver, (who also feature members of Hymn), from Norway.

Psychonaut start the split with the 16-minute The Great Realisation. Continue reading “Psychonaut/Sâver – Emerald – Split (Review)”

Monthly Overview – the Best of April 2021

Another month, another truckload of top tier metal releases. 2021 just keeps on giving when it comes to music. I struggled hard to limit the below list to the ones that I did, and could easily have included more albums from what was a very packed April. Continue reading “Monthly Overview – the Best of April 2021”