Swedish sludgesters Cult Of Luna have evolved a great deal over the years; their new album, In The Shadow Of Your Shadow (RED CRK), doubles down on the trappings of their genre. This finds them returning to the core sound of post-Sludge that traces its roots back to Neurosis. The stormy chords and thundering drums present a gloomy attack, for the coarse rasp of the vocals to snarl against, forcing the guitar to carry the melody. It swells to the kind of apocalyptic proportions that Sludge is known for before breaking down into a melodic guitar section. Floating along before predictably building up. Joe Duplantier from Gojira shows up for “Sadness Will Reign,” which is another song that leans heavily into the Neurosis influence with its sonic sprawl. Joe’s voice sits back in the mix. Continue reading →