Six albums into their career, SUMAC stretch the limits of what Metal can be with The Healer (Thrill Jockey Records) — a four-song, 76-minute double album of fluid, evolving, at times seemingly freeform Jazz Metal that requires some patience, but impresses with its expressiveness and creativity. Continue reading
As the summer in the Northern Hemisphere approaches, I always find a nice doom or sludge album really sets the mood for a day of yard work, or just sitting on the deck with a cold beer. The new album from Thou, Umbilical (Sacred Bones Records), may not fit that exact moment, but it certainly would fit in for after the sun sets and the flames rise in the firepits and the tips of our joints. Continue reading
It is well-known to not judge a book by its cover.
However, Canadian sludge titans, Dopethrone, dropped one of the coolest album titles yet, Broke Sabbath (Totem Cat Records). Super descriptive for anyone who has not given these Stoner, Doom-infused sludge gents a shot yet. Seven tracks spanning just shy of forty minutes is the perfect length to see what the group is all about as they drag you through the muddy waters out to a clearing to end you.Continue reading
It was back in 2019 when we last saw a release from Portland, Oregon’s own Lord Dying. The album in question being Mysterium Tremendum proved to show a widening in their sound with an ever increased air and nod to progressive rock alongside their more notable sludge elements, as well as a narrative which includes a large focus on the notion of death, mortality and questions around these.
Four years later, events of the world have hardly made this subject matter any less focused in people’s minds and certainly not in the band, as latest album Clandestine Transcendence (MNRK Heavy) continues with this overarching narrative, as well as a continuation on their ever-expansive song writing. Continue reading
Adelaide Sludge/Doom Metal band Bong Coffin has a had a brief, but prolific and strong run of EPs and their early 2023 full-length debut album, The End Beyond Doubt. To cap off a stellar year and a a gift to fans, the band has compiled their many covers on to one release via Bandcamp. Forbidden includes ten previously released covers, and features Led Zeppelin, Melvins, and yes, Mariah Carey as you have never heard her covered before! If you love Doom Metal it is your sworn duty to burn one and jam this as loud as possible right now! Continue reading
If the sonic ambush and equilibrium-busting nature of Body Void’s Atrocity Machine (Prosthetic Records) didn’t make it clear enough: the world has been ass-backwards basically since humanity began to human.
There’s gotta be a start to every trajectory of a soul-crushing sonic chronicle. The Liverpool-based post-sludge metal overlords Mairu had just started embarking on their subliminal journey through their debut LP entitled Sol Cultus (Trepanation Recordings).
The Wellmont Theater in Montclair NJ was burning inside when Ministry, Melvins and Corrosion Of Conformity took the stage on Saturday night.
The theater itself seats about 2000 people with general admission on the floor which is perfect for a swirling mosh pit. Built in 1922 as an old vaudeville house, it was enovated and reopened in 2008. Now under the Live Nation umbrella, it hosts some major acts and The Montclair Film Festival. It should be noted that if you are going to a show there, plan to arrive early as parking can be a challenge of Herculean proportions.
Lucifer – Lucifer IV
With Lucifer releasing albums of a consistent style at a workman’s pace, it’s easy to overlook the underlying trajectory that’s been gradually in motion. There’s not much of those Occult Doom roots left on Lucifer IV (Century Media Records) as the band has seemingly completed their transformation from female-fronted Uncle Acid to what sounds like Karen Carpenter singing over KISS riffs. Fortunately, it’s hardly a drastic change as Johanna Sadonis’ sultry croon and the freerolling grooves remain as common denominators.Continue reading
Kris Esfandiari has released many different styles of music under many different monikers. There is Miserable, a solo, Shoegaze project of Esfandiari. Then, there’s NGHTCRWLR, an Experimental, Noise, Industrial outfit. With each project more different than the last, Esfandiari is a versatile and inventive vocalist gifted at making transgressive music. On Celestial Blues (Relapse Records), Esfandiari returns as King Woman. Following up 2017’s Created in the Image of Suffering, the sophomore album from King Woman is a shocking release that is like horror.