Category Archives: Splits/Singles

Morgoth – God is Evil 7”

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German death metal outfit Morgoth are back! God Is Evil (Century Media) is their first new music since 1996’s Feel Sorry for the Fanatic (Century Media), but for now they’re only providing a small taster of what is to come. The single contains two tracks from the forthcoming UnGod album, due next year.

Reminiscent of Death at their best, the title track is a technical number filled with plenty of time and style changes. Marc Grewe’s bark sounds as strong as ever, his pained screams adding to the sinister feel. ‘Die as Deceiver’ is more of a simple mid-tempo head-banger, not as intricate but no less enjoyable thanks to its infectious groove.

It may have been a long wait, but Morgoth have conjured up a great comeback single. If the band can keep quality to this level the full album should be a belter.

 

8.0/10 

Morgoth on Facebook

 

 

DAN SWINHOE 


Bastard of the Skies/Grimpen Mire – Split Album

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 bastard of the skies grimpen mire album split

 

While the UK may lack the swamps or deserts that inspire our fellow Sabbath-worshipping cousins across the pond, we more than make up for it in grim urban sprawl, which is more than depressing enough to fuel our own fertile sludge scene. So what better time to take a look at a new split release (on Future Noise Recordings) from two homegrown lurking horrors that dwell down in the deep?

 

First up we have Blackburn trio Bastard of the Skies who have been knocking around for a good eight years or so now. While adhering fairly rigidly to the well-defined sludge template with the plodding, mid-paced rumble-along that is opening track ‘Yarn’, there is a pleasing undercurrent of menace and violence in the riffs and delivery which is just quite nasty sounding, frankly. This is exacerbated by vocalist Matt Richardson’s strained and haggard vocals which appear to have been recorded in some grimy cellar bereft of light and hope. ‘Bao Fu’ continues the trend, adding in a few Sourvein style anti-grooves before the brief curveball of ‘Wounder’ increases the pace. Closing number ‘Old Vessels’ veers into doom territory and makes good use of quiet/loud dynamics before locking into a monstrous groove to finish things off. Lovely stuff.

 

Erdington trio Grimpen Mire have also been doing the rounds for a similar length of time and their experience on the toilet circuit has clearly paid dividends for they have evolved into a tight and thoroughly abrasive unit with an appreciation for Black Flag at their most unpleasant. ‘The Hollow Wreck’ coils and slithers menacingly like a venomous serpent while ‘Vermin Hive’ does its best to wear the listener down with waves of monolithic misery. Eight minute closer ‘Fragments of Forgotten Craft’ starts slowly but then adopts some Wounded Kings-esque Hammer Horror vibes that go down a treat, ending things in suitably sinister style.

 

A cracking release that shows just how healthy (or should that be fetid?) the UK sludge scene currently is. Well worth a look.

 

7.5/10.0

Bastard of the Skies on Facebook

Grimpen Mire on Facebook

 

JAMES CONWAY

 

 


Blut Aus Nord / P.H.O.B.O.S. – Triunity 

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BAN PHOBOS 1000X1000 72DPI

 

Blut Aus Nord are one of those bands whose discographies should come with a map. Starting off with an atmospheric, expansive approach to Black Metal, they’ve spent two decades letting that approach lead them through a variety of approaches and styles, each united by the same cosmic aesthetic and adventurous spirit.

 

Their contribution to the Triunity (Debemur Morti) split shows them operating in a similar territory to 2007’s Odinist, but with a much greater reliance on structure. The more Metal moments of the first 777 album also spring to mind at points – thick, almost chugging guitars overlaid with haunting, progressive-minded leads and processed vocals. What’s interesting here is how much ground they’re able to cover in just under twenty minutes – the three tracks run together into an expansive whole which manages to be both heavy, introspective and surprisingly aggressive in parts; a great bite-size introduction to the band, and a perfect confirmation for fans that they’re still pushing their own distinctive musical vision forward.

 

One of the problems with splits is often that the bands are too similar in sound – Triunity avoids that by picking two acts who share aesthetic qualities but are musically quite distinct. With repetitive processed guitars, clipped mechanical vocals and sinister ambient noise, P.H.O.B.O.S most readily call to mind early Godflesh if they gave up on all that urban decay business and looked to the cosmos. “Industrial” – surely among the most abused words in music – is a good enough fit here, but this is an eldritch, half-tangible factory in the middle of a desolate spiritual wasteland, staffed by ghosts endlessly working at machines whose working conform to no known principles of engineering. Possibly making things for Argos.

 

Of the two sides, BAN’s is the most accomplished and satisfying in itself – P.H.O.B.O.S rely perhaps too heavily on repetition, and over such a short length can seem a little hollow – but Triunity shows two bands offering a similarly mystical take on two different styles, and is an engaging and captivating listen either in parts or taken as a whole.

 

8 / 10

Blut Aus Nord on Facebook

P.H.O.B.O.S. on Facebook

RICHIE HR

 

 


Wolvhammer/Krieg – Split 7”

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wolvhammer krieg cover

 

Hailz to Broken Limbs for putting out this split release! Krieg hail not from the frozen vasts of Finland or Norway, as their sound may suggest, but Somers Point, New Jersey, though they’re just about as evil as allowable. Since 1995, Krieg has just not given a damn, only being concerned with bringing forth musical gloom, dispensing with the usual occultist/Satanic rhetoric. ‘Eternal Victim’ does just what a band called Krieg should, and creates atmospheres both slow and doomy and warlike. The alternations of tempos, and the use of blistering rawness coupled with a sense of melody, hearkens to Finland’s notorious Satanic Warmaster, and that’s certainly no bad thing. Those looking for a good headbang section will get plenty, as Darkthrone’s early days definitely left their impression on this crew.

 

2008 brought us Minneapolis’ Wolvhammer, and being more modern, are unsurprisingly in league with the blackened sludge/crust end of the cauldron, bringing to mind acts like nearby Chicagoans Welkin Dusk, with the dirgey sludge influence of Japan’s Coffins. “Slaves To The Grime” struts with a swaggering rock-tempo verse like a wolf slathered in petrol, and also boasts whirlwind tremolo picking sections like an avalanche sending ice daggers. The vocals are a pure stormy howl, of which any fan of the genre will find at least palatable. Think Lightning Swords Of Death but with less cosmic echo. Again, the production is raw-ish, but it is used to benefit the aura rather than create static for kvlt sake. If anything, you could say this is quite ‘well-produced’, but that’s because you can even hear the rumbling of what appear to be some low-end frequencies. Shocking?

 

While this may seem a glowing review, bear in mind that both Krieg and Wolvhammer are certainly not re-inventing the formulæ they play; rather, they have done well in their arts, but it’s been done, is being done, and will continue to be done as long as people like it. But that being said, a worthwhile release, with slight favour going to the Krieg side, as I feel it’s just more… well… krieg. USBM in all its glorious despair has a light of hope.

 

Krieg NImperial

 

Wolvhammer band photos

8.0/10

 

Wolvhammer on Facebook

Krieg on Facebook

Broken Limbs on Facebook

 

SEAN PIERRE-ANTOINE

 

 

 


Conan/Bongripper Split

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BongripperFrom across the international underground, titanic darlings of doom Conan and Bongripper have collected in glorious exaltation of distortion to deliver a merciless barrage of sludge and stone, with a head-splitting synergy sure to send shock waves throughout their respective scenes.Continue reading →


Coma Wall/Undersmile – Wood and Wire

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coma-wall-undersmile-wood-wire-800

Wood and Wire sees Oxford’s Undersmile sharing a split with, well, with themselves. The sludge/doom quartet have an acoustic alter ego by the name of Coma Wall. This is where the name of the split gets clever. Wood being the acoustic side of Coma Wall’s three tracks and Wire being Undersmile’s amplified contribution.Continue reading →