There is something I still cannot put my finger on; how well sludge and post-metal do together. A solid example in 2022 is from Milwaukee’s own, Northless, as they storm back with A Path Beyond Grief (Translation Loss). This album really has something for everyone that previously enjoyed material from the group. There are the interesting song structures of post-metal, influences and passages of old school death metal, and bluesy guitar riffs you would expect from a sludge band. Coming in at just over the thirty-minute mark makes for an enjoyable experience without turning into a chore to finish.Continue reading →
It is not often that I ever get the chance to listen to split albums, let alone review one. Fortunately, the powers that be here at Ghost Cult have awarded me such a chance with the bleak, yet satisfying, Split (Halo of Flies) from Primitive Man and Northless. Primitive Man punches out a fifteen minute track while Northless made three tracks for the recording (receiving about fifteen minutes of total play time). Comparing the tracks was an adventure to say the least especially where both bands dabble in the world of sludge metal, yet have such differing overall sounds.
Primitive Man’s sole track on the split, ‘Empty Husk’, is a fifteen minute descent into absolute hatred and depression. For a quarter of an hour, the Denver natives beat the unholy Hell out of your ears and very soul. A steady tempo is kept throughout the track until its sudden ending. Northless then gets up to bat with three tracks, ‘Deleted Heartstrings’ , ‘The 10,000 Year Wound’ , and ‘Wasted Breath’. The Milwaukee residents of sludge and post-metal really bring the same intensity their partners did on the split, but bring it with even more chaos. Thunderous drum work mixed in with what seems like schizophrenic guitar riffs really give off an eerie vibe on all of three tracks. The second track hits the breaks a little in terms of tempo but the overall attitude remains the same as it picks up in the second half. The last track has a much more post-metal and melancholy feel compared to the first two. The final two minutes or so brings in a crescendo that speeds you up until slamming into a wall to end the album.
The hardest part about this split and reviewing it was trying to determine how to grade it. Most often I receive full lengths and the occasional EP. I found this split to be enjoyable from both artists involved and each of the four total tracks stand out and I found were memorable. Clearly I need to invest more time in both of these bands since both are clearly good at their craft.
Primitive Man is streaming their new music video for “Loathe” off of their Home Is Where The Hatred Is EP, released via Relapse Recordsearlier this year. They will be venturing out on an extensive tour with a variety of support acts, which is all listed below.
PRIMITIVE MAN w/ Wake:
May 16: Sweatshop Gallery- Omaha, NE
May 17: The Black Hole – Cedar Falls, IA
May 18: Skeletunes Lounge – Fort Wayne, IN
May 19: The Sanctuary – Detroit, MI
May 20: Now That’s Class – Cleveland, OH
May 21 – 24: Maryland Death Fest – Baltimore, MD
May 25: Union Arts – Washington DC (w/ The Body, Water Torture, Wake)
May 26: Strange Matter – Richmond, VA
May 27: JJ’s Bohemia – Chatanooga, TN
May 28: The Demo – St. Louis, MO
May 30: Flux Capacitor – Colorado Springs, CO (No Wake)
w/ Celeste:
Jun 17: Total Drag Records – Sioux Falls, SD
Jun 18: Hexagon – Minneapolis, MN
Jun 19: Club Garabaldi’s – Milwaukee, WI
Jun 20: Live Wire – Chicago, IL
Jun 21: Death House – Grand Rapids, MI
Jun 22: Mr. Roboto Project – Pittsburgh, PA
Jun 23: Good Weekend – Allentown, PA
Jun 24: Sidebar – Baltimore, MD
Jun 25: The Maywood – Raleigh, NC
Jun 26: New Brooklyn Tavern – Columbia, SC
Jun 27: Uncle Lou’s – Orlando, FL
Jun 28: Churchill’s – Miami, FL
Jun 29: Epic Problem – Tampa, FL
Jun 30: 529 – Atlanta, GA
Jul 01: The Stone Fox – Nashville, TN
Jul 02: El Torreon – Kansas City, MO
Jul 03: South LuLu Temple Of Doom – Wichita, KS
Jul 04: Glob – Denver, CO
w/ Opium Lord
Jul 16: Louie’s Trophy House – Kalamazoo, MI
Jul 17: Coalition – Toronto, ON
Jul 18: Le Ritz PBD – Montreal, QC
Jul 19: Middle East – Boston, MA
Jul 20: Funky Jungle – Providence, RI
Jul 21: Sinclaire’s – West Babylon, NY
Jul 22: Bar – New Haven, CT
Jul 23: Saint Vitus Bar – Brooklyn, NY
Jul 24: Kung Fu Necktie – Philadelphia, PA
End Tour
Jul 25: Ace Of Cups – Columbus, OH
Jul 26: Jackpot Music Hall – Lawrence, KS
Jul 28: Sisters in Christ – New Orleans, LA
Jul 29: Walters Downtown – Houston, TX
Jul 30: Korova – San Antonio, TX
Jul 31: Lost Well – Austin, TX
Aug 01: Club DADA – Dallas, TX
Aug 02: Sandbox – El Paso, TX
w/ Northless:
Aug 09: Launchpad – Albuquerque, NM
Aug 10: Fly Catcher – Tucson, AZ
Aug 11: Mods Bar & Venue – Tijuana, MX
Aug 12: 5 Star Bar – Los Angeles, CA
Aug 13: Hemlock Tavern – San Francisco, CA
Aug 14: Oakland Metro (Oakland Deadfest 2015) – Oakland, CA
Aug 15: Oakland Metro (Oakland Deadfest 2015) – Oakland, CA
Aug 16: Starlite- Sacramento, CA
Aug 18: Rotture – Portland, OR
Aug 19: Obsidian – Olympia, WA
Aug 20: Highline – Seattle, WA
Aug 21: Black Sparrow Tattoo – Billings, MT
Aug 22: Baby Hospice – Laramie, WY
Primitive Man is streaming the NSFW music video for “Bag Man” off their new EP, Home Is Where The Hatred Is, out via Relapse Records, here. Co-directed and created by Marcos Morales and Neil Barrett of Novel Concept TVand produced and conceptualized by Primitive Man’s Ethan McCarthy.
PRIMITIVE MAN w/ Sea Bastard:
Mar 30: Unicorn – London (UK) (w/ Sea Bastard)
Mar 31: Zanzibar – Liverpool, (UK)
Apr 01: Roadhouse – Manchester (UK)
Apr 02: South Sea Live – Sheffield (UK)
Apr 03: Head Of Steam – Newcastle (UK)
Apr 04: Nice N Sleezy – Glasgow (UK)
Apr 05: Bannermans – Edinburgh (UK)
w/ Fister:
Apr 06: The Pit’s – Kortijk (BE) (w/ Fister)
Apr 07: Het Bos – Antwerp (BE) (w/ Fister)
Apr 08: Vera Groninge (NL)
Apr 09: 013 Venue – Tilburg (NL) (Roadburn Festival 2015)
Apr 10: 1000fryd – Copenhagen (DK) (w/ Fister)
Apr 11: Urban Spree – Berlin (DE)
Apr 12: Modra Vopice – Prague (CZ) (w/ Fister)
Apr 13: Chemiefabrik – Dresden (DE) (w/ Fister)
Apr 14: L’usine Geneva (CZ) (w/ Fister)
Apr 15: Freakout Club – Bologna (IT) (w/ Fister)
Apr 16: Lo-Fi – Milan (IT) (w/ Fister)
Apr 18: Jugendhaus Kloster – Weil der Stadt (DE) (w/ Fister)
4/19/2015 Ogden Theater – Denver, CO w/ Sleep
w/ Wake:
May 16: TBA – Omaha, NE
May 17: The Black Hole – Cedar Falls, IA
May 18: Skeletunes Lounge – Fort Wayne, IN
May 19: The Sanctuary – Detroit, MI
May 20: Now That’s Class – Cleveland, OH
May 21 – 24: Maryland Death Fest – Baltimore, MD
May 25: TBA – Washington, DC (w/ the Body Water Torture, Wake)
May 26: Strange Matter – Richmond, VA
May 27: JJ’s Bohemia – Chatanooga, TN
May 28: The Demo – St. Louis, MO
May 30: Flux Capacitor – Colorado Springs, CO (No Wake)
w/ Celeste:
Jun 17: Total Drag Records – Sioux Falls, SD
Jun 18: Hexagon – Minneapolis, MN
Jun 19: Club Garabaldi’s – Milwaukee, WI
Jun 20: Cobra Lounge – Chicago, IL
Jun 21: Death House – Grand Rapids, MI
Jun 22: Mr. Roboto Project – Pittsburgh, PA
Jun 23: Good Weekend – Allentown, PA
Jun 24: Sidebar – Baltimore, MD
Jun 25: The Maywood – Raleigh, NC
Jun 26: New Brooklyn Tavern – Columbia, SC
Jun 27: Uncle Lou’s – Orlando, FL
Jun 28: Churchill’s – Miami, FL
Jun 29: Epic Problem – Tampa, FL
Jun 30: 529 – Atlanta, GA
Jul 01: The Stone Fox – Nashville, TN
Jul 02: TBA – Kansas City, MO
Jul 03: South LuLu Temple Of Doom – Wichita, KS
Jul 04: Glob – Denver, CO
w/ Opium Lord
Jul 16: TBA – Kalamazoo, MI
Jul 17: Coalition – Toronto, ON
Jul 18: TBA – Montreal, QC
Jul 19: Middle East – Boston, MA
Jul 20: Funky Jungle – Providence, RI
Jul 21: TBA – Long Island, NY
Jul 22: Bar – New Haven, CT
Jul 23: Saint Vitus Bar – Brooklyn, NY
Jul 24: Kung Fu Necktie – Philadelphia, PA
Jul 25: Ace Of Cups – Columbus, OH
Jul 26: Jackpot Music Hall – Lawrence, KS
w/ Northless:
Aug 10: Fly Catcher – Tucson, AZ
Aug 12: 5 Star Bar – Los Angeles, CA
Aug 13: Thee Parkside – San Francisco, CA
Aug 14: Oakland Metro – Oakland, CA (Oakland Deadfest 2015)
Aug 15: Oakland Metro – Oakland, CA (Oakland Deadfest 2015)
Aug 16: Starlite- Sacramento, CA
Aug 18: Rotture – Portland, OR
Aug 19: Obsidian – Olympia, WA
Aug 20: Highline – Seattle, WA
Aug 21: Black Sparrow Tattoo – Billings, MT
Uncompromising, crushing doom metal. World Keeps Sinking (Gilead Media)is probably going to end up as one of the heaviest releases of 2013. Northless have always been heavy, Clandestine Abuse was a good album, but they have undeniably surpassed it here, for a number of reasons.Continue reading →
Uncompromising, crushing doom metal. World Keeps Sinking (Gilead Media) is probably going to end up as one of the heaviest releases of 2013. Northless have always been heavy, Clandestine Abuse was a good album, but they have undeniably surpassed it here, for a number of reasons.