It’s grim up north, so the saying goes. Which, of course, must be the reason why our particular brand of Sludge is occasionally filled with so much joyous Funk that James Brown would be proud to get his good foot on it…Lancastrians Bastard Of The Skies have been flying this flag wonderfully for some years now, and Leeds quartet Corinth have emerged as serious contenders for the Yorkist crown.

Corinth (No Fun Intended) is the band’s third EP in as many years, opener ‘Solar Flare’s rapid rhythm battery immediately ceding to a vicious, knee-buckling groove. Ben Corkhill’s throaty roar duels with the evil scream of vocal counterpart Tom Clayton and the constant time switches, intricate yet weightier than a herd of elephants, bring Clayton’s jazzy bass and bountiful bounce to the fore. The thunderous rhythm section sees drummer Andy Baron change tempo numerous times whilst leading his team flawlessly.

The immense ‘Those With No Eyes’ begins, as the title suggests, with a more sinister feel: a deep-toned, tolling intro adding gravitas to the earlier powerful stomp, before a slow swing coincides with more of Corkhill’s holler. Vanessa Murray’s Maiden-esque leads have a more pensive, melancholic feel here, and head softly into a snarling yet tethered menace: the riff ever building toward a hostile, hateful tone before dropping deliciously into a low yet subtle, squalling morass.

There’s a Stoner vibe to the early strains of epic closer ‘Ironclad’ which initially threatens to cheapen the overall vibe. Whilst that somewhat lumbering beat rarely fluctuates there is, however, a steadily growing swell which is influenced by the howl of the morphing riff. A blend of harsh, soulful and bluesy vocals leads to an explosive mid-section, powering the track into the booming realms of Conan and assuring its eventual status as a modern Doom classic.

Here is a band who have constantly showed themselves to incorporate myriad influences into their intrinsically Low-end sound. This is their most expansive and intelligent offering yet, each track having a different feel without straying too far from home, and maintaining Corinth’s path toward inevitable greatness.

8.0/10.0

PAUL QUINN