Cower / Thou - War is the Force That Gives Us Meaning: A Two Part Analysis of Personal and Inter-Personal Conflict (2011)

Split, Vendetta Records
June 21st, 2011

Genre: Sludge/Hardcore/Doom Metal
Region: USA

I wish I was more attentive to Cower's side of this brilliant split record with Thou when I first heard it. I mean Thou's side is just more unquestionably awe-inspiring and malice-soaked doom metal so it's hard to tear one's attention away from their side of any split; even when paired with the likes of Hell and in this case Cower.

Between the two bands and their strong, proven approaches to the niches of sludgey hardcore and callous doom it goes without saying this split has excellent variety. This is not at the expense of spellbinding song weaving whether it be furious beauty or an unbearable darkness as Cower and Thou only cull their best for each release.

When matched with Thou one might assume the younger Cower may not be up to the task of balancing the monolithic tendencies of the Baton Rogue sludge beasts, but they easily hold their own. Their use of a varied of vocal styles, the strong bass foundation throughout each track, and the creative blend of genres ensures they can stand next to such towering doom pillars like Thou.

In fact I've grown to enjoy their contribution just a bit more than the second side.

Cower's side is titled "Act I: Burn The Banks" and starts with the track named after themselves, and the subject of giving up. It's heavy and between sludge and stoner rock at first, the speed is increased briefly to bring in the hardcore but after a silence the sludgy vibe returns as we barrel into "Clonorchis Sinensis. Rhythmic hardcore takes hold for a moment before the slow jog heaviness returns, it's compouded at various points through hoarse shouts and  splashing cymbals over a wicked breakdown.

"Cut Down" is only 27 seconds but not necessarily in the powerviolence mindset despite being fast — it's contrasted by the acoustic interlude direcly afterward which is melancholic and somber. It brings other elements into the collection sounds like a piano and digital modulation near the end. Later on "Vise Grip" takes a similar approach There's a concerted effort to return to devestaing sludgcore with "Sixty Years", a track that trudges at first but hits the boosters at the one minute mark and scorches shit with noisy, drum blasts and scraping riffs. The return to slugging with trilled bends and stomping riffs. Lots of big grooves in that last moment alone

This leads to "Torch" which is my second favorite on the split. It starts similar to "Sixty Years" blending stoner riffs and hardcore pacing but by the time we're into the middle of the track, delay and reverb effects engulf the sparkling tremolo riff left hanging. It becomes manipulated for about a minute creating very pretty textures befire

My favorite track by far is "Rainmaker", it sounds closest to their material on Mind Over Matter:  bouncy and terribly catchy, considerably moreso once the great bass solo hits (these guys can punch those things through at just the right moment it seems). Bursting from that to a upbeat climb and descent through multiple noise rock attitudes, they eventually setltle on something amazing. It's probably the most memorable moment on the record, simple too, coupled with the lyrics there's a longing for release pervading this song and it's heartfelt:

"So come my friends and let us share our last breath. Let me live under the sun and remember. It's only for fun. Just remember... The tides will go in. And the tides will go out, and the leaves will grow again. Every beginning has to end, and every ending brings new beginnings, don't forget to scream and shout. There is no end."

It ends on a slightly depressive series of fuzzed out notes, and bleeds into a bonus track I don't know much about; I suspect it's a cover. Cower have done well on this split and it was a great prelude to the full length last year.


Moving on to Thou's side titled "Act II: Big City" which was released as a single EP online and kicks in with a even more sluggish interpretation of a Cower song from their first record (Hatred Songs) — it's fuckin ugly. Nothing but feedback, vocals and singular tom strikes for the majority of the track.

Then we get to dig into newer material with "View of a Burning City", a clouded lament to the state and industry's siege on humanity (in classic Thou fashion) starting darkly melodic and discordant much like their Hell split — and then straight into what I recognize as the down-tuned beat in Eminem's "Guilty Conscience"... it's bizarre. The song progresses away from this into more recognizably torturous swaying through low guitars and black vocals and I immediately feel quite cozy here. No one does this better than Thou or at all like them.

"How Lonely the City Sits" continues the vitriolic assault found before it calling out bred mediocrity, urban stagnation and the alienation it brings. This one has a fucking gripping groove midway through that flows so smoothly as Brian shouts "THE DEAFENING, ENDLESS, COMPLETE ISOLATION!!!". Thou show again and again why they sit on the throne of doom. The last section of the track brings scratchy dissonance back briefly as it slowly fades in feedback.

Closing with "Milestone" the desperate struggle continues unabated. Sliding warbled downtuned slaughter for the first while, with a great use of pinched harmonics interspersed in the marching. It gets a little more claustrophobic for a few seconds for the change in pace, where Brian's vocals become increasingly haggard and deformed in his bleak recitations. Near the end the vocals turn to clean slow chants while a buried lead riff distorts and drowns, however it reverts to more slogging before the abrupt close.

An awesome split with two dedicated acts I love a lot. This is worth the cash if you can find a copy of the LP, even if you're just in it for Thou. The art is fantastic and high quality outside of the crumbling doom and sludge imprinted on the black record. I don't know of any big labels or distros who still have copies (some smaller ones like this maybe) but they might have a few while touring still (I got mine at the Gilead Media Festival)

You can grab Cower's side for free on their band camp and Thou make all of their material available on their official site.

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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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Crawl - Mine Maille Shone Not The Light of Death (2012)

Demo / Live, Self-released /Independent

August 1st, 2012

Genre: Sludge/Doom Metal
Region: USA

Not long after I listened to Crawl's demo I purchased the cassette release that follows it titled Mine Maille Shone Not The Light of Death. As I mentioned in that previous post this Texas experiment in tortured ambient doom has found a more unique avenue to express the weight of defeat and uncaring isolation through a simple ceremonial set up of drums, bass and vocals (and here a didgeridoo), and with Mine Maile... Crawl capture this desolate expression more intensely live.

"The recordings herein serve as an interpretation of failure. They are not intended as a gift to the spiritual inner, but merely as a gateway to the tunnels of depression brought unto the underwhelmed. 

These tracks have been released onto tape in order to properly express the beaten and downtrodden aspects of aural imprisonment."

This is how the author wishes to express this records goal and perspective. The three tracks here do a good job at instilling those feelings of swirling around a frigid and dark drain, droning agony filling your consciousness. Instead of shorter dissonant doom spells, on Mine Maille... Crawl is reveling in a slow, blunt bludgeoning from the out set, swamped in rust and archaic ritual odours. However the change is a shift away from the heavily distorted machine-like pace and sound in order to find other paths to grow from.

That is not to say this element is completely gone, but this tape seems more focused elsewhere. The first blow comes in the form of "Breath of the Dying", a ten minute descent marking the start of that different approach for Crawl. This kind of sonic force does well this way if tailored properly — again it's not funeral doom but it's also not the dual bass stoner rockfall of Horse Latitudes either. Crawl desires to meddle in more chilling, martial horrors. After a quiet build that brings the anxiety up with tribal thumps, feeback announces the journey has commenced. With this track it is the closest the record sounds to anything on the first demo (track two would be a good example).

You'll get an intoxicating dose of tone all the way through the opening song from the thick humming and growling that takes heavy swings in the pitch black atmosphere. A solid and slow groove is carved out in the tolls of a girthy bass tone and enormous, hammering percussion in harmony with one another. The way the track flows gives more insight into the title. It progresses to a point of feedback resembling a flat-line and kick/snare drops, and then becomes cold with only the beat that slows drastically like a dying heart in the cold of night.

(Unmarked black cassette)

"Summon Greater Bonespirit" is a pretty substantial track despite what it might sound like. This is where the didgeridoo is utilized to surprisingly great effect, much like a siren in the middle of a either a raging fire or torrential downpour as thunder rolls ominously above. The combination works well, drawing you into Crawls hex from a different position. Those blasts oscillate occasionally as if off kilter sometimes (foreshadowing), the atmosphere only disturbed by eerie whispers in the right channel at around the four minute mark — and suddenly you're shocked from this fade by an augmented howl from the didgeridoo. Digitized, industrialized. Much more 'noise' oriented for that brief section, a very clever use of that instrument in my opinion especially for doom — blending a little death industrial in there.

By now it's easier to recognize that this heap of sludge has been experimenting more even within it's own forming niche, in "Frozen Horror" the ambient side comes out for four minutes but does not expand much. It consists of a chime or bell that has been distorted and morphed, and flexes over the course of the track sounding like something out of a horror film. The dragging samples are the final sounds on the tape.

As a live recording it sounds fucking crisp: bass and drums while pounded ferociously are not distorted or muddy, sharp cymbals, though the vocals are a little too far back. The style though may lend to being a little more buried: frenzied screaming like the angered caws of a raven fighting over a cadaver. It's a cryptic release and feels more like an interlude or teaser of what is to come than a proper or thirst-quenching record but what is hear is not replicated elsewhere too often, if at all.

If you're into the heavy and obscure there's no reason not to check this 19 minute live ritual out, it's free and crushing so I recommend you do. The changes do nothing but make the project more intriguing. Below you can get a taste of Crawl's recent pulverizing ceremony.

Also if you like what you hear you can grab a copy of the limited cassette over at Crawl's big cartel store in both regular and limited edition, and at Murder/Suicide Incidents, or a digital copy on their bandcamp page. I was informed he was going to update the store with more merch in the near future so check back if later if shit's not up. Follow on facebook for show and future release information.



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Mudlark - Mudlark / A.D.H.D. + 7" (2009)

Full Length + EP, Schizophrenic Records

June 1st, 2009

  

Genre: Grindcore/Sludge
Region: Canada

It's safe to assume you're all probably tired of the core being touted around here by now, especially if it's branded with a maple leaf, but bear with me for one more post before I try to diversify a little.

One of the reasons for me posting this, outside this being really good, is that there's virtually no digital presence of this great sludge infused grindcore act and thus it's hard to get a taste of what they're dealing out. That's a shame because I managed to get a copy of this compilation recently, a rare and dusty version of their record release edition of Mudlark / A.D.H.D. — and I'm really enjoying it. I guess those dedicated and in the know of local grindcore scenes have been aware of these guys since 2006 but it's time I try to untuck Mudlark from the grime and write some words about what they've concocted.

I'm a little confused as to if this is a compilation or a full length and EP actually but for now it's the only material I've been able to get my hands on physically or digitally. I'm calling it a full record and a bonus 7" which may or may not be self-titled. There's some footage of them playing out there too if you're interested.

Anyway Mudlark were a four piece once but the majority of their existence has been as a three piece, the members over the years being involved with Massgrave, Osk, and Scumbelly which makes a lot sense when you hear some of their tracks. The slower moments easily make the jump from this to some of Osk's slow-downs. I'm still uncertain as to their current status because I've heard they have splits that are in the works and also that they broke up a few years back (which would be a major shame). There's footage of them in 2010 but not much else in the 3 years since.

This elusive Vancouver mutant is draped in kaleidoscopic imagery of mines abandoned and collapsing, enclosing a sound that is one part grindcore or powerviolence and the other is vaguely sludge and doom. And when I was absorbing the music while admiring the art (both the above version, plus the original artwork much like the 7" below) it was easier to see some of the links in imagery, concept, and the sound/style: the quickness and finality of a mine shaft collapse, wood splintering and rock grinding on rock crushing bodies in an instant. An explosion that rips through metal tracks and bodies. The grind they make is very much on this side. Other times the mine traps you and slowly starves you of light and oxygen in cold, rough abyss. The sludge is here, calculated and crawling. The only problem is there are no lyrics but I have some suspicions based on the above.

Overall the resulting sound is arguably similar to Black Arrows of Filth And Impurity if the sludgey aspects were emphasized more. And Mudlark do enter comparable atmospheres, once or twice in shorter tracks like the wonderfully brutal "Old Black Wood" but two more surprising tracks experiment in this direction. First the six minute "Blood Movement" which grows slowly with intoxicating, meandering slams simultaneously from the cymbals and guitar, mushrooming sporadically, climbing and falling — finally setting into a very comfortable rhythm. Hypnotic and heavy as fuck.

Then there's eight minute closer "Swamp College" is where you really hear the doom influence. It stretches with noise between trudging guitar blows, an entire section that sounds similar to a section in either a Weakling or Dispirit song; picking up and becoming more martial with some added angularity by the end. It's enormous and hard not to enjoy if you love weighty riffs. As it progresses Mudlark create a very enjoyable drone I think. Both of these longer songs are similar to the chaotic final tracks on "1984 (Eternal)" but with more structure, and leading to a more recognizable place.

Unlike the previously mentioned monsters of this record which come clean with the slowness up front, sometimes Mudlark disguise the beginning of a track as chaotic which leads one to believe more mincing will be the focus — when suddenly the e-brake is pulled and you're suffocating again. So just when you're into the mincing groove they will snap you back with a huge dirge.

They're very good at doing this. "A.D.H.D" is a great opener and shows the above formula off perfectly. It might be one of my favorites and it blends smoothly with the following track "Napalm" which is gripping too, thrashing for a good portion of the track before slowing to a drag. "Face Your Hate" and "Lie To Speak" take the opposite approach and are no less intense or absorbing and "Frank Slide" is a crusher with real ugly vocals. "Gross Shitty Mess" (all slow) and "Agravated Brain" mix the flailing fury with the drudgery similarly in a very short span of time. They make it a varied experience without lessening the ferocity at all. "Agravated Brain" is a memorable track too for being a particularly harsh bludgeoning.

The discernible grind influences they play with range from Norwegian Gadget style with very clear North American Insect Warfare contamination making for a very gritty and thick sandblasting when they're at full speed. Tracks like "Crematorium Grinder", "Klunk", "Rapid Mangulation" (frantic and amazing song that borders on death metal), and "Kunumdrum" (a burst of "Swamp College") which all stand alone as malicious whirlwind grind without contamination from the slower styles. Blazing riff conniptions ending with feedback usually.

And then we have the self-titled 7" record hat came with the main LP. It has four extra tracks to add to the pile of disorienting grind though not necessarily anything to go bat-shit about: "Told How To Live" and track three are minute long hammerings while "High" and "Carolyn's Catalog" take a more slow and groovy approach. I prefer the longer tracks on this one but nothing here is bad by any means.

The production is damn nice across both records for a small band, the bass and vocals stand out between the chaos of the percussion and guitars. No plastic feel, there's still plenty of grit and rawness and weight behind each jagged sound. Speaking of vocals they' re as you would expect: raspy, sometimes pained screams and disgusted roars from multiple members. Nothing feels out of place there. Overall what I really like about Mudlark (outside of the local bias) is they seem to be lurking and altering the dark and ugly path that defunct Black Arrows of Filth And Impurity took, and I'm always looking for bands that do this. Dephosphorus and A Scanner Darkly come close as do Crowpath sometimes. Mudlark flip the switch cleanly and churn out gold on both fronts.

So you're lucky if you've been searching for this and manage to catch the link before it gets taken down because I took the time to rip both the LP and the 7". If you like it I encourage you to head over to Schizophrenic Records and ask if they have copies available, or Give Praise Records who have a few copies I believe (also having a massive LP sale). Or if you're in Vancouver the Zoo Shop has the standard version of the record release edition for $40 I believe. Fans of the above mentioned bands plus stuff like GridLink and Discordance Axis will enjoy the hell out of this.

(also let me know how dropcanvas and the new Mega work)

LP + 7" :

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Cower - Mind Over Matter (2012)

Full Length, Howling Mine / Vendtta / Television Records
December 21st, 2012

Genre: Sludge/Hardcore
Region: USA


I've become obsessed with Cower over the past few months, this record in particular but even more their split with Thou (who's members really dig this as well). I'll be putting up the rest of their catalog eventually but Mind Over Matter deserves a little more time first. I said it pretty concisely in my list so lets see if I can mess it up here.

Cower are definitely flying under the radar despite their odd accessibility, putting out four records so far all of which are really good as I found out. This one is at the top with their split. Their grand, usually upbeat style of stoner-sludge hardcore is difficult to not enjoy and has mad staying power.

I think they're sometimes a four piece but usually a three piece, drummer Logan and bassist Jakob providing both clean and scratchy punk shouts. The important thing about the cleans is that they're melodic without becoming cheesy or overdone. That doesn't mean everyone will like tit of course. Tons of thick riffs sometimes filtered through tremolo and flang effects bringing a little stoner psychedelia into the mix but never oversaturating the riffs; it remains fuzzy and loud. Cower also offer a lot of aggressive punk energy that can quickly part the dope cloud and stir shit up nicely.

Mind Over Matter has a lot of variation even if you want to boil it down to just sludgecore. Listen to "Skylids" which is loud and anthem-like and also quiet and bluesy., it's ridiculously catchy from every angle and one of my favorites on this. "The Secret Garden" has similar qualities but it's arranged a little differently so as to make shit fresh, ending up with another hypnotizing song with a sick build from the beginning. Those bass lines are engrained into my mind.

Then check out something like "Fungus Summer": a pretty acoustic balad that turns into something much more once the drums and bass creep in. Even from "The Secret Garden" you leap into something much different directly afterwards. It changes over to a bouncy almost southern rock near the end before slipping into the pure hardcore "404" which only progresses into a more sludgy Converge section at the end. This is the mark for the next track "A Rocket Man's Reality" which falls right in line with the first two mentioned as it carries that Converge-twang for only a few quiet moments, yet again morphing into a swampy sway.

As on previous releases each song shows that Cower does these genres extremely well separately and fused, with passion and making them just internally enjoyable. Another example of this is in "The Lonely Road" which is a bit dark but clear cut hardcore while "Fifteen" sounds like something out of the fastcore punk '90's or maybe Touche Amore these days; high speed, frantic with a bit of a screamo vibe by the end without the vocal style. The final track might be my pick though. "Moving Day" is just so heavy and hypnotizing, from the scratchy punk intro to the  heavy rhythms and cadence of as he shouts along jerkily, it really couldn't get much better you'd think until the slow fade and build at the end.

Admittedly you might get a different impression from the first track "Cops" as it is deceptive for the first half of the song, more obtuse and angular hardcore then most of what Mind Over Matter sounds like; though these elements are certainly incorporated. The switch is made and like that the stoner-sludge influence takes over at the same pace. Its even more palpable from "Cowboys Pt. 2" (appropriately titled) onward. They do some of this mid song flips in other tracks like "Thieves of the Night" which becomes very melodic and chilled, grooves pulsing and vocals turning clean, as well as in "A Rocket Man's Reality".

Cower on each release have brought this accessibility to a manageable/tasteful level, as with the experimentation, so there's no way you can't enjoy it even if you're on a strict diet of kvlt. A sludgy Cave In is what I would describe it as except I'm getting far more consistency and enjoyment out of Cower than Cave In.

This doesn't have a physical release yet but considering the fact that all their previous records made it on to wax and cds you can bet this will, and probably from Television Records too. Possibly Howling Mine or Vendetta in Europe if I had to guess. For now it's up on bandcamp as a pay-what-you-want download along with the rest of their discography (which I will also be posting in the future) so please give these guys what you can if you like what you hear.




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Crawl - Demo (2011)

Demo, Self-released / Unsigned
July 11th, 2011

Genre: Noise/Sludge/Doom Metal
Region: USA

The album cover is simple, the moniker evoking some kind of Nails copycat riding on the blackened sludge wave. Don't be fooled though. Crawl is very deserving of the title, a new Khanate-esque mutant that fans of patient, surgical heaviness will want to take note of. Crawl is one guy with a bass and drums making bone-scraping sludge in Texas unlike much out there right now. I don't remember how I came across this whether by random search or through email request but I found the link today and popped this demo on, resulting in me being surprised and subsequently squashed.

This demo is only 15 minute long over five tracks but these four minute chunks of cold sludge drag in the best way possible. Each untitled song is like a glacier collapsing on top of you, suffocating and biting with every lead-weighted strike of the bass strings, distorted and sterile almost taking on an industrial feel — the breaths of silence adding an abrupt ambiance and heightening the creepy atmosphere. All this makes four minutes feel like it's swollen to ten from the raw stomping Crawl dish out.

Very loud, machine-like rhythms through fuzz and feedback, the percussion blending with the slams of the bass into a blurry and menacing bombardment; in the slower moments its more martial. The most straight forward track is probably the first one, which breaks into a more normal gait in the middle but is book-ended by savage eruptions. 'II" and the following tracks make use of silence more before delving into the down-tuned churn that I'm very much loving. It gets really blown out sometimes which embellishes the heaviness sometimes.

Both that and "III" are songs that bend slow, plodding riffs and the rising static distortion while shaking bass lines are left to grow and rattle the soundscape apart. "IV" takes the approach of oldschool swans on "Coward" with gravel bass jerks to a halt with the drums, eventually becoming far noisier than those early influences.

Crawl have some unreal industrial heaviness on very simple terms and I suggest you give this demo a listen. They kind of give off a power-electronics/death industrial feeling but in a different context.

Crawl offers this frigid record for free on bandcamp so throw him a few dollars if you want and you can check their store for physical copies. A second record Mine Maille Shone Not The Light of Death (a live recording) is pressed on limited tapes over at Murder/Suicide Incidents, which I'm sure I'll be reviewing soon. Follow the blog. Big recommendation especially for lovers of harsh heaviness like Swans, Khanate, and Whitehorse and shit.


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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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Planks - Funeral Mouth (2012)

Full Length, Golden Antenna Records
October 12th, 2012

Genre: Sludge/Hardcore/Blackened Sludge
Region: Germany

It wasn't until a little while ago that I became aware Planks were working on a new record, it crept up on me.

Funeral Mouth is this German act's third full length and it manages to build quite well from their sludgy hardcore foundations by adding a little more atmospheric, blackened influences and blending them all quite seamlessly. It ends up with a slight post-metal tinge without the padded song length, reliance on effects and abundance of shimmering instrumentals. Planks (alongside Black Freighter and Perth Express) are not too far removed from Canada's Titan but with this they've managed to step out a little and separate from the pack ever so slightly.

It isn't a huge departure but the differences are noticable structurally and in terms of emphasis on atmosphere, rather than pure steam-rolling heaviness. The vocals stand out quite a bit, passionate and mournful with a wicked deathly and deep rasp while alternating to semi-clean yells with a subtle melodic touch — nothing cheesy and they fit quite well. They're more muted and haunting than in their last release a lot of the time and with that the effect it has on you is different. In "Agnosia Archetype" the chorus stands out a lot as it flows with the melodic riffs and compels the listener to repeat it along with the vocalist, and in past records the style was more loud, gruff.

Guitars still have a wonderful thick tone with a tasteful use of effects and the percussion is clear, strong and very much in the hardcore vein. The bass is right up front playing off the guitars nicely, smooth with a great punch — occasionally left for a short interlude before blasting into the fervor.

When it comes down to the rest music their writing ability has not faltered one bit. Songs on Funeral Mouth still retain the sharp twangy elements and high energy, trampling passages, but this time situated among droning reverb soaked chords or tremolo sections when not dragging you through the hazed sludge. Planks manage to make this interesting by not stretching songs or sections within and harmonizing all elements very well. They effortlessly traverse slower paced and atmospheric soundscapes before injecting the hardcore venom into it to ratchet up the intensity.

Admittedly compared to The Darkest of Grays which was more straight-forward, crunchy, aggressive sludgy hardcore the feeling has changed just a bit and hardcore influences mentioned are not as prominent. Of course this aspect still rears its head at least once in each track (especially in the later songs) but augmented, not as chunky or prominent. It stays dark and heavy regardless. The blackened, hectic energy is still lingering but it feels more controlled and this doesn't hurt the record at all. We also get quite a few lingering quiet sections between the stormy attack every other song, breaking up and building up things well.

The two opening tracks spread things out a little more than the core of the record, the first being slow and dark bleeding into the second with feedback which is where we can hear the black influence more clearly in the drums and riffs; slowing down as you progress to breath out the sludge and reining that back in with a few clean sections before returning to crushing.

Funeral Mouth also has a lot of satisfying grooves throughout as one would expect. Some excellent examples would be in the previously mentioned "Agnosia Archetype" but also in "An Exorcism of Sorts": staring with a clean bassy build, shifting into heavier areas quickly once the vocals come in while the slow drum beats cut a nice notch to get comfortable in. By the middle we have a series of heavy slams and descents drenched in a murky blackened mist. The track which follows it up ("Kingdom") brings back more of their older style as well, muted gallops and flurries of twang sneaking in and feeling quite satisfying.

This is the case for the core of the album but with the mutation in style (however slight) the groovy moments are less about pounding you and are more gradual, tame and spaced.

A few instrumentals appear as they did on previous releases: one as an opener, one as a very short, clean outro;, and right before that the longest track "The Spectre" takes this form as well. Like a lot of their tracks this one hits various territory, never becoming overbearing in terms of effect usage and in fact hits the crust early in the song, but retains a heavy atmosphere. The middle has some great riffs, tumbling at a nice pace and morphing from that groovy sludge into a addictive harmonized and repeating riff with the grumbling bass follows below.

I definitely like this one. Maybe not quite as much as The Darkest of Grays but it is a pleasant surprise from Planks. Like a lot of genres the sludgecore can be fairly limited in terms of direction (especially when in high demand as it is more so these days) and while Funeral Mouth isn't taking any huge leaps it's a pleasurable listen and builds well on what they've previously created.

If you like Titan but wanted something a touch more atmospheric and blackened then you'll enjoy this. Head over to Golden Antenna Records to preorder a copy right now, or check out either their bandcamp or Cvlt Nation to listen to it in full.

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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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Hell - Hell II (2010)

Full Length, Eternal Warfare / Pesanta Urfolk
April, 2010

Genre: Sludge/Doom Metal
Region: USA

Oregon's Hell brings you something dark and towering with their second record. A layering of bleak sounds that evolves slowly with great care. It took me a while to get to this one and it's clear to me I've been missing out once again.

For me this feels like a big step up from their debut. It's far more refined without losing the raw, hideous textures and atmosphere they so easily manifest and yet moves into other territory too. A tragic and violently crushing tome which withers all it comes in contact with like acoustic gravity waves emitted from the core of Earth.

They come at you with four fierce and intimidating tracks, the shortest of which is just shy of 8 minutes and the longest is the opener clocking in at 20. This track "Gog" takes on a more drone-like form, slithering from trudging doom chords and feedback which barely move at all to ebbing noise and soundscapes that leave the listener feeling touched as if by some spectral molester.

It spreads out meticulously often with gaps of silence, rumbling distorted bass and sustained notes. Subtle dissonance is tasted from the down-tuned madness, and vocals range from a vile gurgle to unholy growls while the drums are paced so slow with some nice cymbal work. There's also some very haunting clean sections especially in the middle of "Gog" that are very reminiscent of Thou's sludgery in some ways, echoing and shining as the only light in their cavernous atmosphere; it's no wonder why they collaborated on their recent split. This is the most straight forward song on the record if you can believe it, breathing its hot and sour breath like a fallen titan that has collapsed on top of you — drawing it's final gasps as it drags you into it's crater-sized grave.

However if you're wondering this album is just nothing but plodding doom you'll be pleasantly surprised by the three tracks that follow. If it was, I would certainly have no problem with that; who doesn't like a good slow battering from that genre? What first seems like a simple formula slowly grows, crawls from it's hellish sludge shell and carefully pulls in with it's huge gravity elements of black metal and a slight folk tinge. By the end of the record you've almost completely parted ways with undulating sludge but have been so easily, comfortably pulled away that it feels natural.

You hear a little of the blackened influence near the 6 minute mark in "Gog", but if you made it out of that sludge slide alive you find that it's in "Ublilicus" and "Metnal" where we first get a more definite hint that all is not what meets the eye here. "Metnal" opens with a powerfull groove (seriously addicting) and is quickly accompanied by a nice slice of blackened tremolos, nodding towards the growth I mentioned before the vocals enter.

They do not rely on this brief injection and continue to crush with riff after riff of clawing doom before letting the melodic black influence creep back in. This gradual introduction of change is both very tasty and intriguing. When things become silent we hear subtle use of cold synths and cycling feedback, awash with sorrow when suddenly (near the two-thirds mark) we get a depressive acoustic melody which builds with intensity. A striking set of black metal riffs are pushed forward, and acoustic chords infect the doom again, accompanied by wavering synths. The distorted melancholic tones build and fall away until the black metal (akin to atmospheric bands such as Fell Voices or Ash Borer) forces its way into the fray; dismal and dark.

The bassy doom comes back momentarily, as do the frightening acrid rasps, feedback and eerie synths — and this process is continued before the jump is made to"Ubilicus": a track which takes those previous evolutionary steps and sets them aside momentarily (and only slightly) before the final throes of the album. At this point the record is starting to feel extremely cohesive, all elements coming forward to a stunning high. This is just fantastic writing  Yes, the creaking sludge makes a return with whirring noise behind it — the sound of souls being sucked down the cosmic drain. Punishing riffs abound here, straining bends and then the tremolo buzz reveals itself once again as war-like drumming emerges behind it. And in the final grasps of this track, a solitary bass riff leads us to a clean melodic doom section and opens up into the writhing blackened pits to close

The final song "Trucid" where it seems the blackened plague has swept their writing almost completely, the growth and blend of genres all comes to ahead here. Clean and mournful is the atmosphere that is quietly fomented, again rolling drums stay subdued for a time beneath this dark melody. Some time later the climb is beset with rising bass groans as we feel the song reaching a summit, and the clean section is smashed by a foul black metal riff from both bass and guitars; an air of triumph is met. And suddenly a bouncing doom section surfaces only to fade to a clean and acoustic journey.

How this album twists in and out of these moments never feels forced. It's quite an accomplishment, never over-dramatic or boring. We can get this sense once more at around the 8 minute mark a droning, depressive blackened riff cuts through alongside the harsh screams which evoke torturous pain — and again the switch is flipped to a stomping pace, doom slabs dive and feedback washes over everything. The final moments of "Trucid" bring back the cold, clean melody as the light sweeps and fades from the tomb of sludgy hate they've carved here in vinyl.

What a dark and epic trek through Hell this is. A surprisingly deep tunnel of sounds. This is definitely an overlooked doom gem well worth your support, especially if you love monstrosities like Thou. I bought this beast at the Gilead Media fest and it quickly sold out there. You fine readers can buy a copy in vinyl form from Pesanta Urfolk which comes with a download code and a spiral etching on the final side — it's limited so work fast if you want one. It was originally offered in cassette form but that has long since sold out.

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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
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Seven Sisters of Sleep - Seven Sisters of Sleep (2012)

EP, A389 Records /  Southern Lord
May 26th, 2012

Genre: Sludge
Region: USA

Ah Seven Sisters of Sleep. I'm always eager to hear what these dudes have mustered up. Their self-titled record is massive and their split with Child of God was no different in that regard. This, their newest EP, continues to bring their brand of sludge to new depths of heavy.

They present 6 tracks on this record, the latter 3 of which are taken from their recent split with Child of God which was fantastic. So lets talk about the new ones: there's "Sundown", "High Priest", and "Slower Downer". As is to be expected the vocals are wonderfully vicious, blaring atop the storm of fuzzy riffs and chaotic drums. Another entry dripping with hellish atmosphere while being very simple in structure and sound.

"Sundown" starts with screeches of feedback followed by an avalanche of diving riffs and thick bass licks, but quickly descends into a blackened fervor midway through before returning to the aforementioned crawl. "High Priest" is slightly longer, crushing waves lapping turbulent shores of doom only speeding up a few notches to a hardcore tone, and then into another addictive set of rhythms that start to fade in pace towards the end.

The last new track, "Slow Downer", is the longest of the new material. It breaks the silence with noisy feedback once again and falls into a dark shaft of smokey doom, as distortion lingers in the background. Things become slightly less noisy as both guitars soldier on together, with a break for one to play alone and then back into a filthy sway as the vocalist bellows angrily — only changing in the last third of the track to a growl as the kickers pummel.

The tracks from the split are as heavy as they were when originally released. With the addition of new tracks this could almost be considered a new full length, and it is some of the heavier shit they've created as it trades the more evenly split hardcore-sludge aspects for a more straight devilish sludge-doom flavor. This is escpecially evident on the new songs but even the old, especially "Green Garden of Unrest" or "Weapons" which should be blasted on 11.

Highly recommended dark wreckage right here. Definitely pick this record up by heading over to A389 Records to grab a copy of this sweet album. It's a 7" with a cd copy, poster, and a patch so for the meager price they're asking you get quite a lot for an excellent slab of sludge.

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