Kurokuma – Sheffield’s Best Metal Bands Vol 1


 

A cold Yorkshire wind blows through the speakers before a tapped out bass line floats along. It’s immediately reminiscent of the hammered-on, happy-go-lucky turned sinister oddity of Primus’ ‘Here Come The Bastards’, and forms the lilting lynchpin of the song. Quickly, ‘RVN’ becomes a colossal Stoner Metal riff barrage, filled with the same grooving bounce the bass line laid out. Suddenly any quirkiness that evoked feelings of Primus is dissipated, and in its place, a muscular yet peculiar creature is presented. This is Kurokuma. Continue reading →


Zaum – Divinations


A histrionic chime of a small bell is the first noise that greets the listener. It seemingly summons spiritual moans and groans that echo in the proverbial temple of Zaum‘s oeuvre. ‘Relic’ begins placidly, slowly building its way up to the riff that forms the song’s centrepiece, and when that riff arrives it is a blissful moment. Continue reading →


Black Sites – Exile


Nostalgia can often be treated with cynicism and suspicion. Oftentimes heralding the past can be seen to be a cheap way of living of someone else’s glory through pale imitation, or can equally be seen as a pointless endeavour that does nothing to progress the state of artistry. For those who are not naysayers of throwback music, it can provide a comfort and a safety net; the points of reference are starkly apparent and it does nothing to rock the boat leaving the listener with a warm sense of familiarity. Continue reading →