Sludge Metal

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Neurosis – Honor Found In Decay (2012)

    cover

    As one of the most versatile and influential bands in Metal, Neurosis returns with yet another amazing release that tests the sonic limits of Metal (and all the other influences they merge) for over 60 minutes of brilliantly crafted music. With their creativity intact, “Honor Found In Decay” marks another outstanding release by Neurosis that even after a five-year absence (since their last record that is) they sound as fresh and as current as ever.

    Opening with the excellent “We All Rage in Gold”, the band delivers their characteristic Sludge-infused guitar riffs but with an interesting Post-Metal/Rock-ish guitar layers. The bass guitar is very present and nicely guiding alongside the perfectly crafted drumming. After setting the mood brilliantly, Neurosis continues with the mysterious “At The Well”. In this track we have a slower start to things that is greatly carried by the combination of vocals from Scott Kelly and Steve Von Till. The riffing erupts and when combined with tribal-esque drumming we get the traditional Neurosis sonic brutality in full swing. Constantly changing tempos really make this song quite a delightful experience.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Kolp – The Outside (2012)

    cover

    Providing a hefty dose of Black Metal structures with some punishing Doom/Sludge riffs, today we have Hungary’s Kolp and their sophomore release titled “The Outside”. Delivering eight tracks clocking around 40 minutes, the band leaves a deep wound with their razor sharps songs filled with interesting tempo changes and cavernous atmospheres.

    If you like to jump into conclusions, one would immediately discard this band as another run of the mill raw and kvlt BM band with the opening moments of “There Was No Place to Hide”, the first song of this release. Upon further inspection, the guitar distortion sounds a bit off if we are thinking of regular BM, and the Doom/Sludge vibe that suddenly inundates this song makes it quite interesting to listen to. The following tracks keep up with this style, nicely shifting from BM hellish sections into droning passages of powerful riffing and martial drumming.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Kyzyl Kum – Sable Rouge (2012)

    cover

    Balsting their way to the USA with eight tracks of instrumental Doom/Stoner Metal, today we have France’s Kyzyl Kum and their debut release “Sable Rouge”. Featuring a high-dosage of crushing riffing and tight drumming, this debut release showcases the abilities of this two-man destructive machine in the vein of Black Cobra, Bison, Kylesa and Bongzilla.

    Clocking in around 40 minutes, this release gets going with the atmospheric intro “Kosmiska Superskunk” and fully kicks into gear with the super catchy “Cause des smicards sur du funk”. The band has a little Southern twang in their sound, and this track clearly shows that groovy side of things. The guitars keep assault the listener with “Because Death of Icare Sucks”, a track that has a very raw nature to it, but still sounds crisp enough to fully enjoy the waves of distortion coming at you.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Process of Guilt – FÆMIN (2012)

    cover

    Hailing from Portugal today we have another entry into the Sludge/Doom Metal category with Process of Guilt and their latest opus “FÆMIN”. Featuring a few ex-members of Doomsters Before The Rain, we thought this band will move past the traditional Sludge/Doom approach, but they just manage to replicate what bands like Year of No Light, Bison B.C, etc. achieve with their heavy distorted guitars and mid-tempo spurts of anger.

    “Empire” starts with some nice feedback and then it goes into the endless repetitive loop of riffing and drums that most Sludge bands opt for, but the band never seems to really get out of this funk. While we understand the genre dictates for something like this, we can’t really see any value or different between the previously mentioned bands. “Blindfold” is a bit faster paced, but it also quickly drowns in repetitiveness and dulls the listener into submission. The band wrote 5-6 riffs and they just stick to them for the duration of this release.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Corrosion of Conformity – Corrosion of Conformity (2012)

    cover

    Corrosion of Conformity (CoC) have finally delivered a full-length release, the first since their 2006-2010 ‘break’, and like we all expected it is excellent and shows how the band’s sound will always be timeless and greatly enjoyed by all. With Pepper Keenan being absent from this release (focusing on Down), the band taps into their raw side and delivers a very solid album with an old ‘school’ approach to the genre.

    Featuring the Animosity line-up, “Corrosion of Conformity” is one hell of a ride through 11 tracks of very down-to basics music that puts all others to shame. Since the opener “Psychic Vampire” the band’s mixture of Crosssover with Sludge/Southern elements is outstanding since the punkish riffs are catchy but with a Southern twang to them. The track sounds both raw and powerful, indicating the band is back. “River of Stones” delivers a similar approach, but near the end the track goes more melodic and the overall atmosphere created by the vocals and the bass guitar line is very effective.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Monarch – Omens (2012)

    cover

    Hailing from France, today we have an album that is so thick and monolithic that will rattle your speakers and make your neighbors call the cops on you. Monarch’s sixth full-length release “Omens” delivers 36 minutes of crushing Drone/Sludge Metal that is definitely not for the weak. With only three tracks in this release, the band delivers a very long and devastating compositions that will surely have any Drone/Sludge/Doom fan raving about for a very long time.

    Opening with the 13 minute behemoth “Blood Seeres”, the band’s distorted guitars will surely catch your attention (with feedback and everything). But it is probably the vocals, courtesy of Emilie Bresson, that will be the most disturbing element of this track. Emilie’s screams are just too raw and brutal to even begin to describe. The guitars are tune way low, just like the doctor ordered for a release in these genres, courtesy of Shiran Kaïdine of Year of No Light fame.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Demonic Death Judge – The Descent (2011)

    cover

    Rounding up the promo package we received from Inverse Records, today we have Demonic Death Judge and their highly entertaining mixture of Sludge Metal with Black Metal. Before you start frowning in disgust, you actually have to give this band a chance and listen to their very original musical approach. The only band we can think that plays something in this alley is Glorior Belli on their last album “The Great Southern Darkness”.

    Opening with “Nepal”, the band fully explodes into some crunchy riffing and very hellish vocals. While this combination might sound odd at first, it slowly grows on you. The guitar work is very traditional Sludge/Southern inspired and the atmosphere feels this way, but the vocals gravitate towards another area. There are some very good acoustic melodies thrown into the mix that makes this song even more appealing.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Black Skies – On the Winds of Time (2011)

    cover

    Hailing from the USA, we have another Sludge band that sounds exactly like everybody else and that it is making its debut full-length statement with “On the Winds of Time”. So why should we not say this is total crap and skip to the next album we have to review? Well, because there is just a little something that makes them a bit interesting to listen to.

    Combining a very organic sound, this record sounds like it was recorded during a rehearsal in a live fashion. The guitars are crunchy, but not over produced and neither over stylized that you can’t really make this sounds in a natural way. The drums are very raw, and while basic and amateurish sounding at times, they sound legit and fit very well with the music.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Woburn House – Sleep Summer Storm (2011)

    cover

    After getting a quadrillion Sludge releases that all sound the same, it is quite refreshing to listen to Woburn House’s “Sleep Summer Storm”. In their third full-length release, the band delivers eight tracks of very interesting sounding music that mixes Progressive and Atmospheric elements with a hefty Doom-ier Sludge, something that we can’t really say we have heard before.

    Opening with “Willow”, the band delivers heavy riffs and a nice paced tempo that allows the mood of the song (and album) to nicely set it. The drowsy vocals are excellent for this type of music and greatly add to the overall atmosphere of the release. In faster pace and with a more bizarre atmosphere, “Shifter” shows that the band can shake things up a bit and still achieve the same interesting sound. The guitar work is very well crafted and the tempo set by the drumming is just perfect for this kind of music. For more Progressive/Post-Metal-ish guitars, “Rain Keeps Falling Down” has a hefty dose of them.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Black Cobra – Invernal (2011)

    cover

    As hard-hitting as a bag of bricks, today we have Black Cobra’s fourth full-length release “Invernal”. Following the same devastating path as in “Chronomega”, the band delivers 40 minutes of relentless riffing and crushing drumming all packaged in eight well balanced tracks. Not reinventing the wheel or anything, Black Cobra excels at what they do and do not try anything pretentious a very effective approach due to their own sound and power.

    Getting right down to business, “Avalanche” delivers punishing riffs and well paced drums. The band’s power is made known since the first track and never goes too soft or two slow, like most Sludge/Doom bands these days. Jason’s vocals are very fitting of the music and deliver the band’s message in a powerful way. But his guitar skills are what make this release quite interesting to the ear.

Pages

Recent Image Galleries