Sludge Metal

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    Glorior Belli – Sundown (The Flock that Welcomes) (2016)

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    Hailing from France, today we have the return of Southern/Stoner Black Metal outfit Glorior Belli. In “Sundwon (The Flock that Welcomes)”, the band delivers eight tracks and around 48 minutes of very crafty and completely unique music. If you are a fan of the band already, this album further refines their very unique style and you will love it, if you are just curious, be ready for a very bizarre and different musical ride.

    Opening with a bang, “Lies-Strangled Skies” delivers a crushing mostly straightforward Black Metal onslaught with heavy guitars and hyper fast drums. Combining the very characteristic sound of French Black Metal with some funky melodic guitars, the band crafts a very powerful opening piece. The second track continues in the same vein, but slowly introduces some of the band’s more melodic and crafty passages near the end.

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    Sinistro – Semente (2016)

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    With only enough bandwidth to review music, we rarely have time to review the stuff we actually buy for ourselves. Thanks to all the Internet chatter and other connoisseur recommendations, we acquired Sinistro’s sophomore release “Semente”. Instantly blown away by the fierce combination of punishing riffs and the fragility of Patrícia Andrade’s vocals, this is a release we felt compelled to write about in order to pass on this finding to our readers.

    Opening with a commanding riffing onslaught, “Partida” sets a very high bar for this release. The track delves into your traditional Sludge/Doom/Post-Metal territories but is brilliantly contrasted by the hypnotic voice of Patrícia. Creating a very unique contrast the band instantly stands out from the competition. As the album progresses, the band focuses on creating a very unique and oppressive atmosphere which relies heavily on precise tempo changes and the use of keyboards, as tracks like “Estrada” and “Corpo Presente” demonstrate.

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    Cult of Luna and Julie Christmas – Mariner (2016)

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    Completely catching us by surprise, today we have a very interesting collaboration between Sweden’s Cult of Luna and USA’s Julie Christmas. If you ever wondered how Cult of Luna would sound with a layer of female vocals on top, this is the perfect time to discover such a combination. Featuring five tracks filled with the band’s traditional atmospheric oppression, this release is a force to be reckoned with.

    Opening with the momentum building piece “A Greater Call”, the band wastes no time to introduce the listener to the dreamy combination of Julie’s sweet vocals and the harsh screams, both flanked by an intricate atmospheric backdrop. Leaving the listener no time to really adjust, the band pummels through “Chevron”, sparkling some pop-like influences along the way.

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    The Body – No One Deserves Happiness (2016)

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    As one of the most unique and odd bands of North America, The Body has made a name for itself by doing tons of unique collaboration while refining a punishing experimental Sludge/Drone sound. On their fifith full-length release “No One Deserves Happiness”, the band continues to push the boundaries of normal and delivers what they call “the grossest pop album ever”. After listening for multiple days we have to completely agree with their claim, as this is one nightmarish release that will puzzle the masses and hypnotize the illuminated ones.

    Opening with the haunting “Wanderings” we get some fragile female vocals nicely contrasted by some Sludgy dissonant riffs and a very unnerving tempo. As soon as the harsh vocals come into the picture the album gets even weirder with such an extreme contrast… signature move of the band. After a little breather with the weird “Shelter is Illusory”, the band delivers a violent Drone/Noise pair of tracks with “For You” and “Hallow/Hollow” that will rattle anybody out of their seat.

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    Vandersloot – 7 inch (2014)

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    Hailing from the Netherlands, today we have a short but sweet 7-inch release from a band named Vandersloot. Featuring six tracks, this release delivers a very unique combination of Sludge and Punk that gets the listeners going with its high-octane approach to the genres. Keeping things simple, the Dutch trio crafts straightforward songs that are quite catchy and heavy at times.

    Opening with the all-out Punkness of “Socially Stabbed”, we are quickly introduced into the band’s unique world. The riffs feel a bit heavier than normal and as “Frustration” creeps on the listener, we start noticing their Sludgy edge. This last track is also quite melodic in nature, showing even more versatility from this outfit.

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    Löbo – Älma (2016)

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    Gloomy February approaches with yet another solid Portuguese release through Signal Rex. Atmospheric Doomsters Löbo are re-releasing their 2010 EP “Älma” on cassette and vinyl. Perfectly packing their piercing riffs, the band delivers a truly unique and transformative aural experience in over 35 minutes of music.

    Setting the mood with the mysterious opener “Aqui em baixo a alma mede-se com mãos cheias de pedras”, the band creates a very well balanced atmosphere that is both chilling and intriguing. The track also has a very well-crafted tempo that allows things to slowly progress and surround the listener. The mood turns a bit more direct and poignant on the magical “Por fim só. Livre” thanks to the trippy synths and arrangements.

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    Deathkings – All that is Beautiful (2016)

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    Delivering brilliant waves of Doom/Sludge/Post-Metal misery, today we have Deathkings and their sophomore release “All that is Beautiful”. Clocking in at 62 minutes, this four song release is both punishing and extremely melancholic. We are quite surprised that the band is unsigned due to the quality of their material and how the North American scene is eating up bands that play this style of music.

    Opening with the bleakness of “Sol Invictus”, the band slowly builds up from some spacious Post-Metal momentum-building passages (a la Neurosis) to more hectic Doom/Sludge inspired riffing onslaughts. The pairing of the combination of multiple styles of vocals with the brilliant atmosphere crafted by the roaring guitars fits perfectly with the intricate drum patterns and overall pace of the music. Reminding us of bands like Fall of Empyrean and Mournful Congregation, “The Storm” delivers a very precise Doom message with some solid Post-Metal influences, making it one of our favorite tracks in this release.

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    Leather Nun America – Buddha Knievel (2015)

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    Hailing from San Diego, CA, this Stoner/Doom Metal outfit return with another pummeling full-length release titled “Buddha Knievel”. Invoking the likes of EyeHateGod, Crowbar mixed with Pentagram’s vibe, this band delivers eleven tracks of solid music that will satisfy any fan of the genre and will further propagate the power of the riff.

    After the trippy prologue, the band presents their full-on Stoner Doom elements in the warm up “Into the Abyss”. The band’s sound is quite organic and natural, with the clean vocals working perfectly well with the nature and pace of their music. Getting fully into the groove, “Warwolf” has that warm and fuzzy vibe of old-school Doom thanks to the pulsating riffs. The melancholic clean passages offer very cool guitar leads and nice instrumentation to change the tempo of the song a few times.

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    Deep River Acolytes – From the Voids of Chaos (2015)

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    Arriving from Finland, today we have Deep River Acolytes and their superb debut EP titled “From the Voids of Chaos”. Featuring three songs clocking in at around 20 minutes, this release showcases the skills of a promising young band. Highly recommended for people that like Sludgy Doom/Heavy Metal releases, this album will get you going on a dark and cloudy day thanks to its upbeat and playful nature.

    Opening with the incisive riffs of “Misleaders”, the catchy twangy vibe is quickly evident, even before the vocals come into play. Having established a certain vibe, the band never lets go and continues to deliver catchy sections and very well crafted tempo changes that keep things fresh and enjoyable. We particularly enjoy the psychedelic rock keyboards that are used, giving the band one extra dimension.

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    Kröwnn – Magmafröst (2015)

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    Finally getting a proper physical release, today we have Italy’s Kröwnn and their debut riff parade titled “Magmafröst”. With over 45 minutes of music, this release features very Sludgy/Doomy music that will keep any fan of the genre hypnotized for the whole time. In a similar configuration to Ides of Gemini, this band features two female members (bass guitar and drums) and a male vocalist/guitarist, making this very compact lineup pack a lot of punch in terms of music.

    After the typical filler intro, the band dives into some crushing Doom riffs with “Skeksis Dance”. This track instantly shows the band’s commitment to the power of the riff. The vocals are bit on whiny side, at least for us, but very fitting for such a release. The band continues to pummel through songs like “Wyvernking” and “Wölfhunt”, both of which have a certain Sludge/Stoner vibe to them.

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