Sludge – Page 3 – Wonderbox Metal

Shock Narcotic – My Flesh Is Afraid but I Am Not (Review)

This is the second album from Shock Narcotic, a grindcore band from the US.

Following on from 2019’s I Have Seen the Future and It Doesn’t Work, My Flesh Is Afraid but I Am Not contains 23 minutes of new material, (27 minutes with the bonus Meathook Seed cover). Featuring current and ex-members of bands such as The Dillinger Escape Plan and Child Bite, I’ve previously described Shock Narcotic roughly as a cross between Napalm Death and Pig Destroyer, and as the band now feature the drummer of Pig Destroyer in their ranks, the comparison is even more apt. Continue reading “Shock Narcotic – My Flesh Is Afraid but I Am Not (Review)”

Stomach – Low Demon (Review)

This is the second album by Stomach, a doom/sludge band from the US.

Containing 43 minutes of thoroughly obnoxious doom sludge nastiness, Low Demon is a hideous mix of doom, sludge, drone, noise, grindcore, industrial, and punk. Stomach, brought to us by current/ex-members of Weekend Nachos, know their way around the style, as becomes quickly apparent across these five tracks. Continue reading “Stomach – Low Demon (Review)”

Ba’al – The Fine Line Between Heaven and Here (Review)

This is the second album by Ba’al, a blackened post-metal band from the UK.

I’ve been looking forward to this. 2017’s In Gallows by Mass introduced me to Ba’al’s brand of post-metal, but it was on 2020’s Elipsism where the band truly came into their own, developing a post-black metal framework for their post-metal that was hugely impressive. Last year’s EP Soft Eyes, a quality collection of songs, merely whetted my appetite for more, which we are now gifted with in the form of the 62-minute The Fine Line Between Heaven and Here. Continue reading “Ba’al – The Fine Line Between Heaven and Here (Review)”

In the Company of Serpents – A Crack in Everything (Review)

In the Company of Serpents are a doom metal band from the US and this is their fifth album.

I’ve enjoyed watching In the Company of Serpents ply their heaviness over the years. From 2014’s Merging in Light, to 2017’s Ain-Soph Aur, to 2020’s Lux, the band have always put releases out that hit the spot for me. Now, five years after their last album, we have the 44-minute A Crack in Everything to satiate our need for sludge/doom soundscapes. Continue reading “In the Company of Serpents – A Crack in Everything (Review)”

Dimscûa – Dust Eater (Review)

This is the debut album from UK post-metal band Dimscûa.

It’s unlikely I would have come across this if it wasn’t for the organiser of Damnation Festival‘s enthusiastic endorsement for it on the brilliant 2 Promoters 1 Pod. I’m glad I did though, as it’s a corker. Dust Eater is a 32-minute post-metal/sludge tour de force. Continue reading “Dimscûa – Dust Eater (Review)”

Goya – In the Dawn of November (Review)

Goya are a doom metal band from the US and this is their fourth album.

It’s been a long time since 2017’s Harvester of Bongloads, so it’s great to finally have a new album from Goya. The band’s previous album was stronger than most in the realms of doom metal, so expectations are high for the 40-minute In the Dawn of November. Continue reading “Goya – In the Dawn of November (Review)”

Coltsblood – Obscured into Nebulous Dusk (Review)

Coltsblood are a doom band from the UK and this is their third album.

Following on from 2019’s split with Un, (which I thoroughly enjoyed), it’s great to have a new album from Coltsblood to get to grips with. It’s four songs, 42 minutes of hideous blackened doom nastiness. Continue reading “Coltsblood – Obscured into Nebulous Dusk (Review)”

Full of Hell – Broken Sword, Rotten Shield (Review)

This is the latest EP from US grindcore band Full of Hell.

A new 15 minutes of Full of Hell‘s scathingly charismatic grindcore? Hell yes! Broken Sword, Rotten Shield is a compendium of different influences, all brought together with the band’s consummate skill into seven adventurous tracks. It’s harsh, but delightful. Continue reading “Full of Hell – Broken Sword, Rotten Shield (Review)”

Make Them Suffer/Resolve/Conjurer/If Not for Me – Academy 2, Manchester – 10/05/25 (Live Review)

I fell hard for last year’s Make Them Suffer, so the opportunity to catch the band live was irresistible. Since then, I’ve only enjoyed the album more and more, and I’ve delved into their back catalogue too. In general, I’m not a huge fan of modern metalcore, but Make Them Suffer are a notable exception. They somehow manage to effectively manifest a host of ideas and sounds that I would usually not care for most of the time; they have that special something in abundance.

Anyway, fawning over with, let’s get to the show. There are three other bands first, only one – Conjurer – that I already know. Continue reading “Make Them Suffer/Resolve/Conjurer/If Not for Me – Academy 2, Manchester – 10/05/25 (Live Review)”

Acceptance – Crucifixion of Orchids (Review)

Acceptance are a post-black metal band from the UK and this is their debut album.

Previously known as Fatalist, (with an album under that name, so whether this is their first or second I suppose is up for debate), Acceptance exist at an interesting intersection between atmospheric black metal, sludge, blackgaze, and post-rock. Continue reading “Acceptance – Crucifixion of Orchids (Review)”