Oxtongue - Where The Light Is Mute (2013)

Full Length, Self-released / Holy Mountain Printing
January 15th, 2013

Genre: Sludge/Doom Metal
Region: Canada

Brooding and fomenting in Ontario for years amongst different projects apparently, three young gentlemen come together and former Oxtongue in 2012, finally releasing this slab of doom to the public at the beginning of this year. I think fans of doom will find something to enjoy in these friends heaping their sounds into the fray, and you can thank Severed Heads Open Minds for illuminating Where The Light Is Mute.

Oxtongue are new to the game but there's no denying Where The Light Is Mute is a half hour choleric ache, down-tuned and pavement splitting in three songs mired in darkness. There seems to be a theme flowing through the tracks but I do not have lyrics so I can't confirm; just going by the song titles. There's definitely some classic sludge influence that goes alone with the desolate semi-funeral doom acts like Atriarch and Bell Witch (you can hear it in the ending progressions of several tracks here), and for a self release the production is pretty damn good. The material is even better: keeping shit simple with dour sludge tonnage that sounds like it comes from veterans.

"Humanity: Born In The Way Of Eternal Greif" is the longest clocking in at just under 15 minutes. It's a clean chord driven procession of gloom for its entirety. The thundering, trudging drums for the entire opening three minutes are like sledgehammers wedging iron into stone, later taking a more measured pace once the bass guitar demolishes the build ambiance wonderfully. The only vocals are first heard as a faint whisper in the edge of an oceanic rift of silence between tom strikes and thick plucks — then a titanic upheaval is ushered in as the callous roars flood with the distortion, a return that crumbles all walls in its wake.

At this point it's a merciless steamrolling and it's getting clearer that while supposedly young, all three members are well versed in expressing sinister energies through foul trudging. After that plowing over the second half transitions to a sludgy build, aided at first with low, clean ceremonious chants but when the explosion comes the growls do too, along with another pancaking passage.

Actually following this the final legs of this song give me feelings of familiarity. My guess is it's close to the sound of the long defunct UK sludge band Capricorns' self-titled demo (a favorite gem of mine). The rhythm is totally reminiscent of that, but slowed and aided by modulated effects, a second lead of drowned tremolo harmony is also supporting it. That is not the end however: there's one final jaunt through the sludge with a tremendous groove, wallowing in crashing cymbals and heavy fuzz. Fucking heavy man and a promising start to the record.

Then we have "Anguish: Abide With Suffering" which takes that kind of structure heard at the tail end of the first track and runs with it for a bit before returning to a agonizing slither, circling a dark pit and slowly but surly returning to a midpaced sludge ritual. Oxtongue then bring shit back up to catastrophic heaviness, adding breaks in their slams to plam mute and moan chants into the gloomy air; a great section. There's a return to the drag for the down ramp of this track that gets progressively louder on the percussive end onyl to spike back up suddenly for the final two minutes back into that deadly groove.

The feedback and cymbal frenzy that leads from the last track into the last one, "Cessastion: The Shade Rapes Nativity", settles into a bassy, ebbying feedback with only cymbals and snare/kicks keeping the rumble company; distant shouting can be heard. The kick-in comes abruptly again and we're swept into a series of slow but powerful dirges. And one evolves into an even more evil section that grinds the listener into a pulp — it drops out again like the intro for just drums and vocals, a frightening and desolate moment before the hammer blows return in earnest. Again in the last few minutes a fantastic sludge groove bursts forth through a bass solo that kills. This climax is fucking captivating.

Another excellent doom act from the east. If you like shit like Bell Witch, Sound Asleep, Capricorns, Batillus, Haggatha, or good sludge and doom in general then I suspect you'll want to check this record out. Outside of not being heart-stoppingly innovative (which isn't a real complaint in most contexts)  there's really nothing to complain about. Just turn the lights down and the volume up, and prepare to be compressed in 31 minutes.

Where The Light Is Mute will soon be available via Holy Mountain Printing on limited vinyl (only 300 pressed) but was just recently pressed and sold in test-press form of which I was lucky enough to procure one of the five available (of 11 pressed). You can also stream it on bandcamp and they've made it available as a mediafire link in the sidebar there as well. Updates over yonder if you're into that.


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Amenra - Live (2012)

Live, ConSouling Sounds
October 2nd, 2012

Genre: Atmospheric Sludge
Region: Belgium

It's coming up on the release date for Mass V, which is up for preorder right now from Soul Slayer and Neurot Recordings. Until then we have a live record of theirs.

Eight tracks in total from four different rituals from 2007 to 2010, each show recorded and mixed by different people. The first three (De Dodenakker—Nemelendelle, Your Shapeless Pain, Aorte—Ritual) are from the visceral live show on 23.10.09 in Belgium which were captured and released on their infamous dvd, as well as their four part 7" split series. 

"Your Shapeless Pain" is easily one of my favorite Amenra songs, and hearing it altered and slowed down slightly live makes it even more powerful. "Ritual" includes guest musicians from Oathbreaker (Caro on vocals, Gilles on guitar, Kristoffer on bass, Thomas on percussion) who they've toured with often and are fantastic musicians; Caro's vocals are great especially in the context of this song. A little different from her style in Oathbreaker.

The extension of this track is wonderful — as Colin is hoisted up on the chains and members of Oathbreaker are slowly added to the stage, creating a thick layer of spellbinding chugging and pounding drums, to the final moment when Caro screams Colin's lines: "Chains encircle my broken wrists — but we can get out of them now!" Deeply cathartic.

I've already given my appraisal of the dvd and the songs on it in a previous Amenra related post (on the re-press of Mass III-II and the various splits), so I shouldn't need to say much. They're much more impacting with the footage mind you, but the weight is still clearly represented regardless.

The switch in the first track, just when the final throes of De Dodenakker begin to ramp up to those crushing riffs, to the final hypnotic riff in Nemelendelle is a great touch. The two tracks melt together seamlessly, replacing one set of excellent riffs for another.

The next three tracks (Thurifer, Silver Needle Golden Nail, Razoreater) are from a 2010 show in the Netherlands. Track s7 (Nemelendelle) is from a 2007 show in Belgium, and track 8 (Am Kreuz) is from a 2009 show yet again in Belgium. The performances here do not disappoint, and are a great selection of tracks from their best albums. Especially Thurifer, Razoreater and Am Kreuz. Hearing Nemelendelle in full as opposed to the spliced version in the first track is great as well.

I'm a fan of anything Amenra as you probably know already, so what should I say about this? The bass feels a little underrepresented in the mix on the first three tracks but I don't have many other complaints. The track list is excellent and the additions to songs here and there make things more interesting too. Colin's vocal style is probably my favorite at this point in time, and he loses none of his tortured and agonized tone live; if anything these qualities are heightened.

I've still yet to see Amenra live but this coupled with the dvd is all I have to experience until the day comes I can witness one of their rituals.

Definitely a good representation of their art in live form. I suggest you guys grab this one if you're a fan of their work. You can get a copy from Soul Slayer's store and at ConSouling Sounds, its packaging is as lovely as the sounds within. It looks like stock is running out so grab it quick if you want one.

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Tesa - IV (2012)

Full Length, OSK Records
October, 2012

Genre: Atmospheric Sludge/Post-Metal
Region: Latvia

Tesa is a unique entity in the post-metal and sludge arena. The Latvian group (specifically on HeartBeatsFromTheSky) managed to create a magnificent blend of sludge and post-rock that flowed smoothly between and intertwined genres, touching beautiful, shimmering and melancholic cleans drenched in a multitude of effects before flattening the listener with jagged swaths of heaviness with a very subtle hardcore undercurrent.

They did this within the span of a half-hour. The loud peaks were intoxicating while the quiet valleys were haunting and serene — making use of effect pedals with great expertise so as to not make it an exercise in tedium, complimenting the tremendous writing. HeartBeatsFromTheSky exists in the space between multiple genres and remains one of my favorite records in the last decade, soaring celestial beauty every minute of its length. Complex and yet so simple, exploding vividly and looping back on itself in the final moments to the opening tremolo riff creating a journey you're compelled to revisit over and over. I plan on giving it a proper review pretty soon in fact.

That record came out in 2008 and I've both longed for and feared the emergence of their next effort. Tesa are a quiet band. They tour a lot but they don't let much slip until the final weeks of any sort of news. My fears lay in the fact that while they're obviously beyond musically competent, and have grown by leaps since their first EP, I couldn't see much rising above HBFTS in their catalog; let alone comparing with it. Despite that nagging doubt I've been eagerly waiting for something new and here it is presented as the simply titled record IV.

IV is practically the same length as HBFTS but containing only three songs. However, much like HBFTS, each song blends into the next so as to create the illusion of one 35 minute track. The big question is does it top or even stand strong with that record? And on the first couple of listens I have to say it falls just short of HBFTS, taking a more minimalistic approach at times (but not by much) with more emphasis on long atmospheric builds; builds which do not reach the same quaking, unearthly conclusions of their previous work but remain pretty, atmospheric and heavy both all at once and then separately.

IV is not a disappointment despite having said this. While there's nothing as inebriating as the final moments of their last record even with terrific climbs here it still touches on sounds that not many other bands do. The record undeniably has some crushing riffs and rhythms with excellent drumming and deep bass. Refined and backed by once again strong writing it shows that they bring a truly unique heaviness in their approach, if slightly augmented from their last entry.

The first and second tracks are more reminiscent of their previous creations. "I" opens with distorted heavy riffs before quickly jumping into mid-paced rhythms — switching off between this and a slow-down to crush you. Much simpler or straight-forward without the emphasis on effects to twinkle up the quiet moments which soon approach.

The drop out comes suddenly and slides back up following the rising tom hits, and we return to an aberration of the opening rhythm for a time, slightly faster. This is the halfway marker where things start to resemble the quiet beauty of HBFTS, as the towering cleans on several guitars gently guide us toward the end: one wailing in the right channel behind cycling noise, soft crashing cymbals and the fragile chords of the second guitar. The final minute things get louder while the sustain whining driven by effects remains, and the song ends as static grows until all is quiet — announcing the second track.

"II" picks up so softly, with ghost chords and notes reverberating as a far off buzz of an organ or synth fade up and down behind them. It reminds me not only of some of the final tracks in HBFTS but also of Braveyoung's We Are Lonely Animals in its minimalistic, spectral ebbs and emphasis on clean, reverberating strokes. It is captivating in its calm atmosphere like a placid lake early in the morning, and eventually as ripples form from the surface being breached things become more powerfully heavy.

As we approach the mid-point the song changes direction, back to the crunch of sludge while the one channel holds a beautiful tremolo melody alongside the crushing blows. This is what Tesa does extremely well and it's sustained the remainder of this song, growing more distorted, loud and saturated in static as the melody and heaviness play out. This is a point where we see Tesa can still bring about a monumental climax but just through a different formula. It hits a peak and holds as the cymbals explode, winding down in the final seconds to break the barrier of the last track.

The final 18 minute song is a (at first) very quiet experience and then transforms into a noisy, slow, and heavy expedition. With the length of this track I was concerned because I know Tesa to have kept their writing tight in the past with shorter songs filled with excellent turns and complexity cloaked in a deceptive simplicity. They know how to progress while keeping things from getting out of control, with a perfect segue ending to open the next track.

My worries are quickly dissuaded though as they keep their strong style of writing intact here, and nothing becomes masturbatory or too drawn out for me. Very well controlled and flows smoothly without tiring. Opening with sustained buzzing synth which carriers over from the last song, this one is largely clean and takes a similar approach as the last song: tranquil, creeping elegance but with a constant electric drone behind the slow and quiet bends and plucks.

As the toms begin, ramping up alongside the feedback and droning bass we're expecting a burst to come but it is delayed for a quiet moment of contemplation — and then the sludgey riffs break through as the droning second guitar continues. The rhythm drops out but returns shortly, a little more quiet than before, stopping occasionally for a quick dive into a slow, trembling section.

All the while the second channel gains volume in its wailing drone as we hit the mid-point, the drums slow and finally the drone begins to lessen to a shining howl. Here rhythmic waves of riffs and undulating bass begin crashing hypnotically, holding steady as that background drone begins to climb again — until the noise in the last few minutes creeps back from the outskirts to overwhelm the riffs; leaving us with the howling wind, lapping waves, chimes and creaking wood as the instruments fade. In this final track Tesa show that no matter the length they can control themselves and create something memorable, leaving only the best on display.

With IV Tesa have once again shown they are not following the pack in the post-metal genre, even though in my opinion this is as close as they've come to sounding like their peers. And yet they still are an unmeasurable distance from those peers. In fact they still sound better and far more different with their perfect mixture of genres and sounds, masking a complexity within a straightforward formula. They hold their sound, remaining peculiar and apart despite the minor departure from the brilliance of HeartBeatsFromTheSky. Admittedly that's holding them up to a ridiculously high standard that they've set for themselves. Even for Tesa it would be hard to capture that brilliance twice but they come close here.

Support Tesa. This band treads the gulf between sludge, post-rock/post-metal, and hardcore like no other with exceptional writing and dense atmosphere. While IV is not as jaw-dropping as HeartBeatsFromTheSky it is certainly worth your cash and I recommend listening to it than purchasing the CD. They will lead you on a trek through the sparkling darkness like no other band.

Go over to OSK Records and pick up a copy, or email them to do the same. You can also pick it up and stream it at Impure Muzik. The site is in Russian so if you have issues contact them since it's all through paypal in the end.




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Mare - Mare (2004)

EP, Hydra Head Records
October 5th, 2004

Genre: Atmospheric Sludge/Doom Metal
Region: Canada

I'm perpetually behind on this years great releases at this point, but I promise I'll get to them soon. The new Ash Borer, Dephosphorus, Bereft, The Howling Wind, Protestant, Morigon, Swans, Evoken, Torch Runner, Panopticon, A Forest of Stars, Old Man Gloom, etc. Not that it matters really with the thousands of other great blogs out there tackling them in a responsible and timely manner — the top of the list obviously being Forever Cursed and The Living Doorway. So get your ass over there and show some love.

However I'm gonna use up a few posts to repost and properly review some of my favorite records (most likely 3) in between catching up on all that so bare with me. I started writing for Cvlt Nation last month (joining my friend Haxan from Forever Cursed) and I recently had the pleasure of writing an article about Mare's reunion shows here in Toronto. I also slipped in a review of their only release which is one of my favorite records of all time, and I wanted to post it here with a link to the record.

I posted this record when I first joined Equivoke but said very little about it — the link is down now and instead of just updating that I wanted to start fresh. So if you want you can head over and check out the full article about the live shows in their entirety, but below is just the review of the record and their performance last week (edited so it will make sense in the context of this blog). I would hope more people know about this than I'm inclined to a assume, but it never hurts to spread the magic and get others into such a great record.

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(Originally published at Cvlt Nation)

This past Thursday and Friday I and many others were blessed enough to be witness to several Toronto reunion shows of the legendary sludge three-piece Mare. I attended two of them, there was nothing that was going to keep me from seeing such a rare and visceral performance, and the supporting local bands Titan, Gates, White Ribs and Godstopper helped make the night even more special.

Northless / Light Bearer - Split (2012)

Split, Halo of Flies
March, 2012

Genre: Sludge/Atmospheric Sludge/Post-Metal
Region: USA / UK

Inresurrection already did a review of Light Bearer's side of this great split not long ago, but now that the full record has been out for a few months and I've had time to run through it I'm gonna review both sides. And it's a great combination of bands for a split I must say.

Northless contributes two big tracks in their inimitable, bone breaking style. Admittedly they're not as impressive as Clandestine Abuse for me but they remain gigantic. "Tears From Crime" is the opener of their side with it's mid-paced lumbering, a pulverizing song that has dropped some of the noticeable dissonance from their full length for the most part. It's still a loud and debilitating boulder of sound from beginning to end in spite of being more straight forward, and slows a notch down in the last quarter of the song with intermittent bouncy strings of notes punctuating the massive powerchords.

Once you hit the next track "For As Long As You Walk The Earth Your Blood Will Reek Of Failure" which is a few minutes longer, the hardcore pacing comes back for the beginning — as does some of their previously mentioned epic scraping angularity once the track slows down. It swings back between ripping hardcore-ish sections and sluggish creeping, writhing marches. Nearing the end after a melodic build the song grinds down slowly bringing the doom right to the front with an evil sheen, and settles into a nice groove.

Light Bearer as most people know emerged from the ashes of the great Fall of Efrafa, and their debut record Lapsus was a great slab of post-metal. Personally I felt that it did not reach the captivating level that any of Fall of Efrafa's records did, and meandered a little more than meeting satisfying climaxes. Their side of this split titled "Celestium Apocrypha: Book of Watchers" though is a huge step up in my opinion, does absolutely everything right and is the highlight of this record. The strength displayed in Fall of Efrafa is back here — I may have to return to Lapsus to see if my opinion has changed.

The 22 minutes drift by with a deeply satisfying atmosphere, and reaches soaring peaks that will put you into a dream-like state. The first half (minus the ominous, noisy intro soundscape) slowly mounts with steady percussion before bursting wide open with excellent, simple lurching and chugging guitar and bass riffs that cycle back on themselves in a strong, very murky ditch of sludge. A familiar harsh raspy growl surfaces occasionally in a smooth rhythm with the rest of the instruments.

The build is phenomenal with some carefully used effects to punch it up a little, then a quiet valley of cleans confronts you after the bigger riffs dissipate about 10 minutes in. This section is quite something, buffered by cycling synths or samples, and a bit of clean singing. It's dark and cold at first (reminding me of moments in Fall of Efrafa's "Inle") — breaking at one point for some brief bigger, distorted riffs — but once you enter the final third of the track the smooth bass lines lull you, and shimmering post-metal clasps itself to your brain creating an ethereal wave of light that rises continuously right to the final fade.

Highly recommended split this one. If you're a fan of either band you'll enjoy this. Halo of Flies has this record up for sale now so go get it. You can also hear each side of the split streaming here and here; and Light Bearer put up their side for download as well.

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Northless - Clandestine Abuse (2011)

Full Length, Gilead Media
March 8th, 2011

Genre: Sludge
Region: USA

Yet another record I should've gotten to far too long ago. I'm not fucking around when I say it definitely should've been on my 2011 year end list (easily in the top 10), and I have only myself to blame for not getting to it before the year was out. After fully absorbing it I'm here to tell you this is a beastly album and you should not pass on it as I so foolishly did.

Clandestine Abuse is another brilliant record from Gilead Media, and the first full record Northless have released after a string of EPs and splits. I've read a few reviews comparing this to early Mastodon, one where it was said the song-writing wasn't as strong nor the riffs as interesting; I completely disagree. It is actually the complete opposite. What Northless have achieved on this album is nothing short of amazing. Clandestine Abuse is loaded with passion and great song composition. Comparisons to Mastodon are unwarranted in my opinion, but then again I'm not a fan of theirs. It is a truly daunting hunk of groove-filled, oddly dissonant atmospheric sludge unlike others in the genre.

In fact there aren't much sludge acts I can think of that manage to place dissonant metallic chords expertly amongst bludgeoning slabs of sludge and make it work so well, while managing to keep the dirges unfathomably heavy and keeping a strong direction all at once. It's complex in a deceiving way as the album seems simple on first listen but as you progress through it you notice the shifts in tempo, subtly atmospheric arrangements in riffs. The droning angularity is what I must stress once again. It came as a major surprise to me as I thought I was in for straight sludge but there's much more here.

It is undeniable that the members of Northless are very creative. The guitars have a warm, crunchy tone, the drumming is thick doing well to prop up both the fast and slow aspects of each track, while the bass will crack concrete; a truly menacing growl. The production pumps it all up nicely making the record sound all the more behemoth.

There's a bit of hardcore sprinkled in there too, not only in the vocal style which is a pissed off yell that would fit very well among any choice of crusty hardcore act. It;s aggressive and harsh, not deep but just clear enough to hear the lyrics with a little bit of certainty. His style suits the tone of this record perfectly, and contrasts with the down-tuned rumble found throughout the songs. The only time the vocals move from this style is in the final track "Storm" (where he's far more clean) which is also the only semi-melodic area on this dark and angry trek — at least in the beginning, in the end the relentless hammering sludge riffs takeover and close the record in a very satisfying manner.

The pacing also shows off this hardcore influence. It's occasionally leans on the fast end of things, breaking at just the right moments to wallow in a dark set of doomy riffs before running headlong again. This is shown off well in tracks like the aforementioned "Storm" or "Dead Ends" (the shortest track) which starts slow and quickly morphs into something that wouldn't be out of place on a blackened hardcore record, but with far more doom draped over it.

Regardless of the pace all tracks maintain a crushing and slow gait with spikes of discordance such as "Not Made for Existence", which features some powerful guitar work compelling headbanging as if it were a spell set upon you. It's desperate tangled whines are beautiful, and the desperate build of sludge grooves in the middle before the pick slides are so tasty.

The opener "Flesh & Ghosts", akin to a battering of sledge hammers on your chest from beginning to end, is something monumental. Starting slow and progressing further into that twisted hardcore flair, it envelops you in a crusted, ugly cloak by the middle of the track. Dipping and bending as the low end carves deep fissures in the earth, the swaying crawl that some of the later riffs present to you is overpowering. This record has far too many excellent riffs to speak of and still swallows you with a huge atmosphere.

It's rare when you'll hit a clean spot, but when you do like in "Damnation" or near the end of the bass-heavy "Sundowner" it's so brief, still loud and furious. This track is another thunderous onslaught that contains piles of addictive sections. Or midway through "Empty Home" where the twang of the cleans builds a devastating groove which is followed up on by the heavy bass plucks, soon to plunge into a set of titanic distorted riffs. A rusted and mangled beauty is created. The title track has one of these short cleans, a track which starts with a rumble and then an immediate dose of angularity before tumbling into massive slams; and suddenly a quicker clean section before returning to the rough rolling riffs.

I don't think there's a weak spot on this record. It's addicting, wicked and different from the usual styles in the doom and sludge arena while retaining a smothering atmosphere all it's own. Clandestine Abuse is 55 minutes long but due to the fantastic writing ability showcased here it's never boring, never taxing, always enjoyable and will keep your attention. They switch things up just enough but the style is retained in its purest form.

Get this record guys. Support Northless because whatever they come up with next will surely be impressive. I saw them at the Gilead Media fest and their set really opened my eyes. I have much regret for not spinning this more but I'll be making up for it without a doubt.

Clandestine Abuse is also up for streaming on Glead Media's bandcamp page and can be purchased in reddish-orange vinyl form at the webshop as well. I highly recommend shoving more money at Gilead Media.

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Titan - Burn (2012)

Full Length, Hypaethral Records / React With Protest
June 29th, 2012

Genre: Sludge/Hardcore
Region: Canada

And here it is! The first full length from Canadian sludge act Titan. I've been given the pleasure of reviewing it a little early. It's been in the works a while and from the live version of some of the songs I've heard ("The Fire Sculptures", "Little Seeds", "Indulgence") I already had a feeling it was going to live up to expectations. And now it's on the cusp of being released upon the world.

Burn (another album mastered by Colin Marston) is something for this Toronto group to be proud of. I'm not going to argue it breaks molds or is hugely innovative but what it does do is raise this band up high on the list of sludge/hardcore acts that deserve a lot of attention. They have created an enormous sound which does serve to separate them from most others that reside in this fusion of genres. It is a commanding, extremely loud and passionate album that refines and cements Titan's sound into something that shouldn't be ignored.

Somehow James' vocals here are even more ferocious and loud then on their previous records. His presence is utterly overwhelming, and the energy he displays in every song on Burn is something to be revered. Harsh and vicious in tone. Even when he reaches down to a lower throaty growl (as on "Indulgence" and "Sermon") this power is not lost. It is enough to peel the paint from the walls. You can taste the wickedness in his passionate delivery of each line, the melancholic and serious tone invigorates the listener especially in his more drawn-out yells. The guy has mad pipes.

James gives this record true immensity alone (even without taking into account the riffs and drumming) and this is immediately shown on the opener "Feast" which strikes a devastating blow, plowing down the listener with an imposing tower of shaking riffs and beastly roars. The main rhythm is killer enough but then the song slows, and when the energy returns and builds after a solo bass line it becomes something far more mighty. It's definitely one of my favorite tracks on Burn next to "Warmer Months" and "Telepaths."

I mentioned it before in my review of "Colossus" but again compared to his solemn, silent, brooding position in Gates the contrast here is jarring. There are also the added vocal talents on "Myopic" from Chris Colohan (of Cursed and Burning Love) who is someone that always brings an added element of terrifying aggression to any project he touches, and it's no different here.

Speaking of riffs: the ease with which Titan blend swirling hardcore and sludge with atmosphere is astonishing. Chris W. and Brandon comfortably shift between screaming powerchord leads, thrashy, dirty galloping and strings of tremolo picking, to a doomy series of sustained notes and chords, and then on to huge distorted crushing slabs of sludge that rock and lean back and forth with purpose — often all in one track (certainly the longer ones like "Warmer Months", a volcanic track, which really helps ward off any sense of monotony). The formula is straight-forward but dense and very energetic.

The yearning dirges that build slowly, occasionally harmonizing, clouding the listeners psyche with fiery atmosphere (without dipping into post-rock) are quite impressive. And then they'll break into barrage of chugging chords with a  hypnotic sway which is always satisfying. There's only one moment of technical indulgence on the final track right near the end: a short flurry of sweeps serving to heighten the final moments of the album and it manages to fit well without becoming masturbatory.

The bass duties of Mike do sometimes feel smothered by the loudness of everyone else here but on some tracks it's far easier to pick up on (for example on "The Fire Sculptures"), and other times it spikes up at key moments helping to anchor the heaviness of the guitars with a satisfying and smooth rumble. He follows the guitars elegantly without any trouble, pulling the thick riffs out of his amp with just as much fervor to batter your headphones to shit. Chris M. unleashes a ridiculous battering of percussion on every front of Burn. It doesn't rise too far above the other instruments in the mix so it never feels like it buries these elements, but his work is far from going unheard as each thunderous strike of a kick, tom or cymbal quakes and pounds deeply throughout each song.

It's a constant aggressive attack, especially on tracks like "Feast", "Warmer Months", "Little Seeds" and "The Fire Sculptures" where the force of their guitar work is oppressive enough to match James' roars. The only real break from this molten assault being the brief acoustic interlude "Corrupt", the clean section in "Vitiate", and then a slow acoustic, ritual build in the beginning of "Telepaths" — a track which could arguably contain some blackened noise influence no doubt due to input from both Bryan of Gates coupled with the legendary Tyler Semrick-Palmater (one of three brilliant guys behind the revered sludge band Mare); this combination of talents is phenomenal.

In fact the group work on "Telepaths" makes for one of the more interesting and engaging tracks on Burn. Beginning with the cycling hums as a faint sustained "aun" whirls behind acoustic strums and slow tribal drums for almost 3 minutes. Then the intense stillness is broken as the slow riffs erupt through while the noise reverberates behind them, and the initial deep growls of James slowly are overtaken by Tyler's signature pained wails (he does a great job, bringing a cold, haunting power into this track); guitars picking up pace beneath. It breaks with sudden cymbal crashes before slamming into a blackened fury with both vocalist bellowing, and a subtle churning dissonance that boils below. One final break as things come to a grinding, noisy halt and in comes Bryan from Gates who uses his skills wonderfully once again.

Outside of those points be ready to brace yourself for continuous volleys of well honed sludge riffage. Even in slower, shorter tracks like "Indulgence" with it's trembling distortion intertwined with plodding slams or "Vitiate" with its sad, mountainous force the echoing melody is kept massive.

A highly recommended surge of atmospheric and sludgy hardcore I suggest you all ingest this year. All of what Titan has been crafting up to this point is crystallized on Burn with blazing fury and it is tremendous — showing that they are quite deserving in calling their group Titan.The addition of several other extremely talented musicians from the Toronto area is just icing on the cake. There is room to grow from here and I'm interested to hear what they produce in the future. I also can't wait to see them again this weekend.

Here's the deal: as of June 22nd you will be able to download this for free (with the option to donate what you please) from the Hypaethral Records bandcamp page linked below. I've been asked to keep all other links off this review and I will honor that request. You can hear it streaming over here in the meantime.

Eventually you'll be able to pick this up in hard copy from both Hypaethral Records in North America and through React With Protest in Europe. Check Titan's official website for updates on this and their immanent European tour.

DOWNLOAD (Bandcamp) June 22nd
STREAM (Exclaim)

Titan - Colossus (2009)

EP, Hypaethral Records / Feast or Famine
November 13th, 2009

Genre: Sludge/Hardcore
Region: Canada

Titan have a new album coming out in the next few weeks and are embarking on a long tour, and it was actually fellow poster and friend Inresurrection who tipped me off to these guys a few years back. Since then I've seen them live (and will again next week) as well as spun this record a few times, so I decided I should get this, their 2009 EP, up here before the new record drops.

A very heavy Canadian band that have been known to cause blackouts during live performances here in Toronto, they meld atmospheric sludge and hardcore over their small collection of splits and EPs that have helped them mold their sound into a loud and very heavy interpretation of sludge. Colossus contains 5 tracks that are sure to interest and flatten any fan of the genre.

Behemoth dirges and melodic stains are all encompassing here with jagged hardcore undertones to shake things up further. A large portion of the tracks here contain thundering drums, kicking endlessly, while the guitar duties are sharp and vicious. When they're fast the riffs cut perfectly between traditional hardcore thrashing and more othrodox sludge sounds but with a draping of melody, and when they crawl to a snail's pace as they do in the opener and "Next Winter" it becomes tragic and crushing; possibly resembling Reka if I had to compare. The atmosphere of despair is quite clear in these moments, yet it never slinks into post-metal territory. On tracks like "The Standard" there is even a sprinkling of dissonance when the mammoth riffing crumbles down upon you.

Moments of stillness do appear as the intro to the first track shows, shaking quietly before an explosion of power wipes them away in anger. On the final track "His Eminence" (which does not appear on the vinyl version, but on their split with June Paik) this kind of soft section is accompanied by minimal pianos as well. The bass is there as well, occasionally spiking above the other members in a clean but strong tone serving the heaviness well.

Screeching, crackling and filthy vocals from a man who also does guitar duties for the enigmatic group Gates serve as the voice of this act, and he does his duties damn well. When the screaming is not present there are deep, monstrous growls that shake the ground to replace them. It's quite a contrast both on record and live compared to his position in Gates which is mute and silent; here we feel the energy in a different way, showing some great diversity in his talents.

Altogether it's a very solid release, satisfying, well structured and paced with songs that are passionate. A band that definitely deserves support. If you like what you hear than go see them live on their upcoming European tour and pick up a vinyl copy of this and their new record, or you can go to bandcamp and listen to this or download it. Also check out their official site for all news and other merch.

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)

Arms of Ra - Unnamed (2012)

Full Length, Swarm of Nails
March, 2012

Genre: Sludge/Doom/Hardcore
Region: France

I've been seeing this release around a lot and was actually going to get around to putting it up here soon, but the folks over at Swarm of Nails have made contact and asked that we post it up before I could get around to it.

"Unnamed" contains six independents songs which are all linked by the same story of a man trying to deconstruct himself and disappear from society.

Abhorrent darkness is what this release exudes from every corner. Arms of Ra are fortified on all sides by pungent injections of atmospheric sludge like Amenra and Reka and dark, dissonant hardcore like Nesseria, Young And In The Way, Hexis, Oathbreaker, and Maranatha.

Unnamed is dedicated to thick chunky grooves and bouts of cacophonous writhing twangs (sometime briefly straying into post-metal territory), bolstered by the mangled yells of the vocalist and a rough and gritty bass roar. It often creeps but shows faster sections when the hardcore influence penetrates. Bleak melodic passages trudge through the muddy chaos on occasion further pressing into you a feeling of helpless gloom and malice. The final track is the longest and has a far more traditional doom metal feeling to it as it stomps angrily, having dropped much of the angularity in favor of a somewhat early Thou-ish tone. It's a nice deviation to end the album on

Brooding and heavy. Recommend for those who like some core with their sludge. Unnamed can be heard in full on Swarm of Nails' bandcamp and is available at the Swarm of Nails online shop so pick it up if you like what they do.

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)
DOWNLOAD (Bandcamp)

Rituals - Rituals (2012)

Full Length, Alerta Antifascista
February 20th, 2012

Genre: Atmospheric Sludge/Post-Metal/Doom Metal
Region: USA

This is the first album from Rituals and wow what a debut it is. A mountainous, beautiful sound is captured by these guys that straddles sludge, post-metal and doom with a sliver of hardcore too. There are five towering, atmospheric tracks to be heard (three hit the 10 minute mark) full of rumbling, fuzzy waves of ritualistic dark sludge that cascade through your ears and fill them with cold fog. Each track bleeds perfectly into each other making the album feel even more like one long, lonely sonic ceremony.

Reverb and warbled effects permeate every corner of the album, amassing from a low ambient whisper up to a soaring, loud, teetering fortress of shadowy doom. Big doom riffs punctuated these moments that repeat creating a hypnotic vibration pulling you in, then slow down even further to envelop you in that already dense, oppressive cloud. Vocals take a Seven Sisters of Sleep and Isis approach albeit at a slower pace but with all the ferocity cranked up around swathes of smooth bass and slow drums. A massive shaking boulder of sound that is paced well, hits hard and demands to be played at high volume.

Another surprising and excellent album of 2012, and once again made free by the artists (you can also hear it in full over here). Very generous. Why not support them by picking up the vinyl over at Doom Rock? Recommended for fans of Isis, Omega Massif, Tides, Lento, Cult of Luna, Atriarch, etc.

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)

Amenra / Oathbreaker - Bretheren Bound By Blood Split (2011)

Split, Self-released / Church of Ra
May 15th, 2011

Genre: Atmospheric Sludge / Hardcore/Metalcore
Region: Belgium

A big thanks to the guys over at The Elementary Revolt for putting this up. I didn't get a chance to rip this and before I got it I was scouring the internet for a link even before that. Two excellent bands with one offering each.

This is the third split in the Bretheren Bound By Blood series and what a perfect pairing. Amenra's side is the first half of the first track from the spellbinding 23.10 Live DVD they released not long ago, and the rendition of Shapeless Pain here is possibly more destructive and heavy than the album version.

Amenra are unparalleled in their creation of soul crushing darkness and pain. It may only be the first 5 minutes of the song but it's simply incredible and if you don't believe me just fucking watch the full version:

Buy that DVD guys. It's impressive without a doubt.

The second side is a track from Oathbreaker who last year unleashed their first full length Maelstrom. This was not on their demo or full length but is well worth hearing as it's a wicked storm of pissed hardcore with that Converge-ish tone with a few slower moments. Great riffs and Caro's vocals are absolutely terrific, she kills it both when clean and screaming.

Get this now. It's a perfect split.

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)

Batillus - Furnace (2011)

Full Length, Seventh Rule
April 19, 2011

Genre: Sludge/Doom Metal
Region: USA

Seventh Rule Recordings are the guys who put out Atriach's massive "Forever the End", so they seem to know a little something about good and lumbering metal. Last week they had a promotional free download of all the releases on their bandcamp page, and I was perusing some of them until I came to Batillus. The cover caught my attention first (reminds me of something Godflesh would use) and when I gave the album a listen I was not disappointed.

The title "Furnace" is appropriate as this will smoulder with intensity in your ears until your brain turns to ashes. I wouldn't say its has never been done before but that's no reason to pass over this record. Furnace opens with a brief noise-backed clean section before rumbling into feedback and an avalanche of murky sludge riffs that will hypnotize without question from that point on. In rare instances it will pick up above a crawl or go silent and clean but it inevitably slides back into a dim and ugly mist. It's a solid, atmospheric and monolithic doom release with a few blackened tendencies which will please any fan of slow and pounding riffs. Truly heavy and austere — thick and fuzzed out guitars/bass writhe over a 45 minute journey with reverb covered, spectral rasps and howls from the vocalist. There are some synths and cycling ambient noise carefully placed throughout complimenting the gloomy atmosphere perfectly.

Despite the length and pace it's over before it has a chance to wear you down. Absolutely recommended; doom and sludge fans will certainly enjoy this record immensely especially if you like crushing shit like Thou and Atriarch. You can listen to it on their bandcamp page where you can also pick it up on vinyl and cd (or through Seventh Rule directly).

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)
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Dyskinesia - Dalla Nascita (2011)

Full Length, Frohike Records
September 1st, 2011

Genre: Atmospheric Sludge/Post-Metal
Region: Italy

Honestly I haven't been very interested in much of the post-metal/post-rock released this year like I have in the past. Braveyoung's new album blew me away and may be the only post-rock release I've thoroughly enjoyed while Russian Circles' latest 'Empros' I found largely disappointing. I did enjoy the new Omega Massif but truthfully it doesn't live up to their debut (last half almost gets there). However Dyskinesia's latest album "Dalla Nascita" showed up in my requests a few days back and definitely has piqued my interest more than most of what I've heard from the genre this year.

My initial impression of Dyskinesia lead me to compare them to two experimental groups getting a lot of attention recently — The Body and Terra Tenebrosa . At least to some extent. The difference is that while I really didn't enjoy either of those band's works I found this far more engaging, refined, well structured and less tedious. It may be because this is more straight forward and loud than my first impression led me to believe, more resembling Omega Massif and Tesa here and there then the aforementioned acts which makes it far more appealing to me.

Seven tracks in all which range from 5 to 8 minutes each. There's a lot of elements in "Dalla Nascita" but the overarching theme of atmospheric sludge/post-metal dominates their sound. They make a point to express that it was "recorded live in studio, with few overdubs, keeping the spontaneity and the rarefed atmospheres of their past works alive." The album flows seamlessly without becoming redundant or forgettable.

Most songs are composed of waves of well layered guitar effects: several droning/wailing guitars over the heavy sludge leads and soft bass riffs creating a wonderfully deep and lonely atmosphere. It feels like an instrumental album but a lot of tracks have either ghostly/hushed semi-clean singing or harsher vocals (similar to Time to Burn) behind the chaos created by the effect-laden guitars and pounding drums. The fourth track shows off the drone or noise aspect of the album without becoming grating; subtle resonating hums and cycling industrial/noise samples pulse slowly throughout. The final three tracks fade back into dreamy post-metal with tinges of shoegaze, the last track ending on a decidedly noisier note.

Despite the fact "Dalla Nascita" reaches just over 45 minutes it passes much faster than you'd think, stemming from the fact that every song is quite enjoyable. Beautiful in some moments while heavy and chaotic in others it's finely tuned record without the filler I was expecting. They've put it up for free (with the choice of donation t support its release) and you can also hear it on their bandcamp page.

DOWNLOAD (Frohike Records)
DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)
DOWNLOAD (Megaupload)

Time To Burn - Is.Land (2007)

Full Length, Basement Apes
November 1st, 2007

Genre: Atmospheric Sludge
Region: France

This is a well deserved re-post and admittedly I did not do it justice. Time To Burn recently announced that they are dead/on hiatus and this prompted me to spread this wonderful band around again. They have generously put up all of their material for free on their bandcamp page.

They are a brilliant and unique french atmospheric sludge/post-hardcore band who put out one demo, one EP and two full lengths. Is.Land is their second and last release — it is so impressive and powerful and there is still not much out there like it in the genre. The energy, atmosphere and passion mirrors that of Amenra or Mare. Check out their video for the second track Nayeli and you'll hear what you've been missing:

Is.Land is filled with quality writing and blends styles in surprising ways. It moves from brutal and fast hardcore riffing and melancholic, crushing sludgy swells and leads while always maintaining atmosphere. The drumming is tight and clear, noticeably adding to the intensity. It's the calamitous and visceral vocals that almost reach that of Colin from Amenra and Tyler of Mare which I find captivating; Eddy's vocals can be harsh as in the above example or soft and clean as shown in the closing track "Land."

I cannot recommend this album and band enough — they are an extremely satisfying listening experience. It's just too bad they shut down. The final message from the band:

"After a few years of slowed down activity, time to burn is now on hiatus.

We couldn’t be more thankful for everyone who helped us. Every gig we played at, every floor we slept on, every band we’ve toured with. we’ve met great people along the way, and they would be too many to name all. thank you."

The old links were low quality but these are 320. If you want to support them you can get this on vinyl or CD right here, and I highly recommend you do.

DOWNLOAD (Bandcamp)
DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)
DOWNLOAD (Megaupload)

Amenra - Mass III-II + IIII (2011)

Compilation, Tokyo Jupiter Records
October, 2011

Genre: Atmospheric Sludge
Region: Belgium

Yes I'm posting Amenra again. Why would anyone complain? I don't know.

This is the recent re-release/remaster of Mass III-II + Mass IIII from Tokyo Jupiter Records. If you don't have a copy of it (cd/vinyl) I suggest picking this one up from them, especially if you're not in North America. This contains the live variation of "Shapeless Pain" from their 23.10 Live Ritual DVD which is slower, more intense, and absolutely devastating. Colin's vocals are unbelievable.

I've posted both albums before but you can never have enough Amenra — never. Their next Mass is my most anticipated album for next year easily. To put it bluntly: they are unarguably one of the heaviest bands on the planet right now. Steve Von Till (Neurosis), Dwid Hellion (Integrity) and Jacob Bannon (Converge) concur:

"Amenra is deep, and real, and moving, and incredibly inspiring. A heavy, sonic spiritual quest awaits you at Mass in the Church of Ra" - Steve Von Till

"Mass IIII is the music within the darkest black dream" - Dwid Hellion

"Amenra in my opinion are one of the most interesting and powerful bands in aggressive music" - Jacob Bannon

Support them. Enough said.

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire) (Mass III-II)
DOWNLOAD (Mediafire) (Mass IIII)

Omega Massif - Karpatia (2011)

Full Length, Denovali
September, 2011

Genre: Atmospheric Sludge/Post-Metal
Region: Germany

Been waiting for this: Omega Massif's new album Karpatia. I find Omega Massif to be the most captivating of the ever growing instrumental bands out there. Geisterstadt was a sludge monolith and continues to leave me speechless with it's massive crushing riffs soaked in reverb, creeping atmospheric clean moments, loads of feedback and pounding bass . Karpatia doesn't differ much in this regard and continues to showcase atmosphere through great writing. Big droning riffs that hypnotize will flood your ears until the closer.

If you want to hear either album Denovali has tracks up for both, order info, etc. Fans of post-metal that have not listened to these German sludge juggernauts should not hesitate here.

DOWNLOAD (Megaupload)
DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)

Amenra - Mass II: Sermons (2005)

EP, Consoling Sounds/Independent
January, 2005



Genre: Atmospheric Sludge
Region: Belgium

Amenra are absolutely amazing and one of my favorite bands. Passion, agony and trudging darkness permeate everything they create. They signed to Neurot Recordings after touring with Neurosis not long ago which makes me smile, and soon their next album "Mass V" is going to be released. Amenra also recently repressed Mass IIII and Mass II: Sermons on vinyl and because of all this I thought I'd throw this up with the track list of the 2008/2011 reissue (with varying quality, unfortunately).

As with all their releases Amenra create a powerful and oppressive atmosphere on this EP. There are five tracks here: two of which that were not originally on the first pressing and one that appears on Mass III (track one, From Birth To Grave). Track two is from a four-way split and is on the short side with a spoken passage. Track five is Ritual II which is ten minutes long and resembles their Afterlives EP in that is largely quiet and acoustic with clean vocals for the first four minutes, and then explodes into extended versions of the final few heavy riffs heard on the original version of Ritual — slower, like they do in truly epic live shows such as this.

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)
DOWNLOAD (Megaupload)

Atriarch - Forever The End (2011)

Full Length, Seventh Rule Records
August 23, 2011



Genre: Sludge/Doom Metal
Region: USA

"Atriarch is a living entity comprised of four parts, offering catharsis through sonic ritual."

From the west coast of the USA and comprised of members from Graves At Sea, Trees, Final Conflict, and Get Hustle, Atriarch offer up four long tracks on their first release. They're labeled as Doom/Death Rock which would give one the impression of Death 'n Roll — what you hear is quite the opposite. This is slow, negative, lumbering and atmospheric. Atriarch have a sound that reminds me of a much slower A Storm of Light or Thou.

The vocals are impressive and a big part of the sound alternating between ritualistic Josh Graham-esque droning, doomy growls, and raspy and torturous screaming (ala Thou). There's a subtle gothic/symphonic element throughout with perfect use of keyboards that really drive the gloomy atmosphere up, along side solid drumming and big, muddy, droning, psychedelic riffs on bass and guitar. Well written, well paced and heavy in all respects. If you want a taste of Forever The End you can check it out in full here and here.

Fans of A Storm of Light, Dispirit, Thou, Buried At Sea, Trees, Anhedonist, Warning, Thrones, etc. will certainly enjoy this. In 320 (new links).

DOWNLOAD (Megaupload)
DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)
DOWNLOAD (zshare)

Hive Destruction - Secretvm/Veritas (2011)

Full Length, Init Records
2011



Genre: Atmospheric Sludge/Post-Metal
Region: Belgium

Instrumental band formed by the ex-bassist of Amenra along with the current guitarist of Liar, this is their first album after a split with Amenra. The guitar tone is a little too thin at points for me but generally it's some heavy post-metal with electronic influences, lots of sampling, mid-paced heavy riffing, etc. Not necessarily ground-breaking but certainly enjoyable for people who like Lento, Empires, Supercontinent, Dirge, Rosetta, Light Bearer.

320 rip.

DOWNLOAD (Megaupload)

Tree Of Sores - Tree Of Sores (2011)

EP, Witch Hunter Records
February 21st, 2011



Genre: Atmospheric Sludge/Post-Metal
Region: UK

Some heavy shit right here. From Witch Hunter Records:

"Leeds 3 piece, taking influences from the doomy atmospherics of Neurosis, an underbelly of crust care of Amebix, and an air of recklessness favoured by the likes of Eyehategod. The band create a vibe that is heavy, dark and ambient, with tortured male/female vocals, and a mission to take you to a frightening place. "

Definitely has a sound comparable to Amenra and Neurosis at times but with a much more crusty edge. Listen here.

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)