Here lies Ilsa's Relapse Record's debut "Corpse Fortress", and it's a crusty slab of Doom Sludge that is blackened to perfection. While this release probably won't offer anything that sounds new or fresh to people who have one ear firmly placed on the Sludge underground, the repugnant sounds emanating from this moldy tomb are worth the listen. Ilsa has been around for a decade now, and it looks like all of that hard work pummeling people with brutish tones is definitely paying off. This release is slow, agitated, and heavy as fuck. The riffs are infectious like the plague, and are just as lethal. The tones and sounds on this are about as ideal as they get when it comes to Sludge Doom hymnals and volatile caveman-esque diatribes. These dudes have a crazy raw energy about them that's delivered with a feral and frenzied intensity throughout each of the album's 11 tracks.
The guitars and bass work together to create this deep, massive, and bloated sound, that's sure enough to shake the cobwebs and dust off in any crypt. Again I'd like to emphasize that the tones and sounds overall are like the epitome of what I would consider good when listening to Sludge Doom. Light on fuzz and heavy on chugs. Everything from the right amount of distortion, to the right amount of feedback. It's definitely spot on. I really like the drums on this as well, and the way that they know exactly what to play for each riff. It's not all low and slow, as there are some d-beat moments, some double kick OSDM/Death Doom moments, and one example of the strings and double kick playing in unison that pretty fucking sweet, but wasn't common throughout. The guttural screech of the vocals are like icing on a festering cake of sewn together skin, with bugs and maggots crawling underneath.
Overall I really dug this. I may have to revisit it again by the end of the year to see if it's going to be one of my favorites, but I'm pretty sure this is going to make it. Awesome release, highly recommended! Cheers! -Samir
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