Brainoil - Singularity to Extinction (2018)

I have been following Brainoil since their beginnings, and this newest release is super fucking amazing. They have definitely come along way as a band, as their newest release "Singularity to Extinction" combines the scuziness of both old school Death and Sludge to create some nasty fucking tunes. The tones on this album are so fucking sick. When the the swollen catchy riffs mix with the death growl vocals, it's fan fucking tastic. The bass sound is fucking killer, and it really makes it's presence known on the slower sludge grooves. This is probably their heaviest release thus far. I really love the pacing on this album. It has the right mix of speed and slow sludge doom parts, not mention some solid mid tempo crunch. "The Spectre’s Vile Hand (The Shock Doctrine)" is a perfect example of this, and is easily my favorite track off of this release. It has a pretty memorable verse riff that I'm going to have a hard time getting out of my head. This is easily one of my favorites from this year. It's a banger of an album, and definitely their most brutal and savage to date. It's just primitive and raw, and it speaks to the lizard part of my brain telling me to run in circles and smash things with big rocks. Highly Recommended! Cheers! -Samir
 

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Fvzz Popvli - Magna Fvzz (2018)

There are two things you're going to realize right away with Magna Fvzz. The first is that Fvzz Popvli does not like the letter U. The second is that there is an ungodly amount of fuzz on this thing. Taking heavy psych and mashing in chunks of stoner-doom and garage rock these dudes have conjured up a potent cloud of smog that'll make you dizzy. All these tunes are banged out with low-key chaos behind a murky lo-fi filter. "And Let It Die..." kicks the album off simply with upbeat drums and mangled distortion on a reeling riff before breaking out into hazy garage rock with manic, spaced-out vocalizations and eventually giving way to a classic sounding guitar solo ripe with wah. Afterwards on "Napoleon" the band treads through twangy waters for the first half of the song before dark vibrations worm their way to the foreground and turn the bright and blunted tones into doom. "The Deal" swings things back up with some unhinged psych-fed rock 'n' roll that gets heavier by the minute until "Get Me" cools things down with a sort of indie strumming punctuated by scummy outbursts. The drums and bass that open "Rvmpeltvm" might make you think the song is going to burst into some kind of party tune, but then a slow building phaser has things veer off into more abstract and aggressive directions. But fear not! It's followed up by "Cherry Bowl" which delivers on the dashed expectations that you may have had earlier and then some providing plenty of good times. Magna Fvzz closes with the title track, a long, sprawling, and spacey experience complete with extra keys that will lead you out to an extraterrestrial atmosphere and bombard you with cosmic outbursts between subtler movements. This album is a pretty wicked variety pack soaked in Fvzz Popvli's own brand of ultra fuzzy goodness, so check it out, cause there's probably a little bit of your favorite flavor in there. -Brandon

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Fórn - Rites of Despair (2018)

 

Fórn is a destructive force of misery slowly sweeping across the nation and consuming everything in its path. Submission will not save you - it only allow the inevitable to unfold sooner. On the full-length album "Rites of Despair" the band shows no capacity for mercy playing a brutal mixture of doom, death, and sludge violently stirred together and swallowed by a sea of gloomy anguish. Now tides are rising and the wretched swill is ready to devour all in its path. These songs roar slowly and dismally, with harrowing growled vocals and scathing riffs that make you feel like you're being crushed to death by a glacier. Rusty, melancholic leads emerge to wail over the tumultuous sounds of the undercurrent giving clear, agonizing melodies to latch on to. But for all of the album's cruelty and ruthlessness, it is by no means heavy-handed. Every third song is an atmospheric track (and there are plenty of similar moments in between) that will allow you to drown in a sense of emptiness and pain, feeling lost and alone for a few minutes before the extreme metal returns to grind you into dust. "Scrying Below the Wolf Moon" and "The Ancient Wisdom of Sorrow" are favorites of mine. Each finds a moment early on where they burst into visceral monsters and churn violently for a while, but then pause midway through for some quiet acoustic reflection burdened by woe - then pick the metal back up like they never stopped, now feeling even more forlorn than before. This is misery given a voice and you're going to want to hear all it has to say! -Brandon

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MooM - Third EP (2018)

Never heard of MooM before until recently and I dig their sound. The band combines Powerviolence and Sludge to craft some pretty wicked tunes. Whether the music is played fast or slow, it makes no difference as the band crushes, kills, and destroys its way though six blistering tracks with gnarled riffs and cutthroat precision. I really dig the mix on this one. I mean everything sounds ravaged in general with loads of feedback and distortion, but the mix is just pristine, because everything is just coming at your so clearly without anything being muddled. It's really awesome because this is super pissed music, and the impact is just full force peal you skin off your face type shit.
The vocals on this definitely more in line with the hardcore aspects of Powerviolence and they are hoarse as fuck. Like I mentioned above with the mix, there's nothing muddled between the guitar and bass, as you can hear both of them cutting through on the mix, and they're pretty fucking fierce. The drums on this are pretty fucking sweet too. Nothing too technical but lots of great blasts and punk beats. The grooves and the riffs have got me hooked though. They're catchy as fuck, and nothing on this is filler. I'm glad I stumbled upon MooM, and I hope they release a full length at some point, because I'm pretty sure it would be and end of the year worthy release. The EP is super short, so make sure you listen to their other shit as well. Cheers! -Samir

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The Hazytones - The Hazytones II : Monarchs Of Oblivion (2018)

I really like the Hazytones, so I had no doubt that their second full-length album was going to be anything less than awesome - but even so, when I first listened to their new, mightily named release "The Hazytones II: Monarchs of Oblivion" I was still blindsided by how great it was! While their original self-titled album stuck mainly in stoner and heavy psych territories, this time around they've made things darker and doomier - and they weren't exactly full of sunshine to begin with! The Hazytones bring us tons of... well, hazy tones! Fuzz works its way through the soul of the sound at a swaggering pace with riffage wrapped around it and raspy reverberating vocals on top. The band manages to elicit the feeling of a cool autumn breeze through a graveyard without dwelling on the gloom or the terror, leaving a picturesque, slightly moody backdrop for some shady tunes. There's just a touch of the blues on here that peeks through from time to time - you can hear it on "The Great Illusion" as it chugs through the introduction before it disappears into the low, dusky, and vaguely mystical groove before it bursts through again during the guitar solo. My favorite track on here is "Hell" which starts out as a supremely catchy rock tune that will have you singing along, but then halfway through it dives into heavier waters and develops out of doom sensibilities. The two-parter "Monarchs of Oblivion" definitely stands out too, with Part 1 hitting some evocative vocal melodies and rock 'n' roll bounce while Part 2 gets into a sauntering doom. This is a great one for all the wicked folk out there who want to stir up the darkness! -Brandon
 

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Chronobot - Chronic Titan (2018)

While at first you might think that Chronobot is a robot with control over time, it turns out that they're actually a band (that may have control over time)! Hailing from Saskatchewan in Canada these dudes are shaking foundations and warping minds with their new album "Chronic Titan". It's like Sleep's Holy Mountain played on a warbly record player in a haunted house - it's got big ass stoner grooves and riffs but takes plenty of dark turns that will have you wandering through a trippy nightmare. In addition to a mountain of riffs there's some wicked, shrill, possessed organ on here - half the time following the riff and the other half creating its own eerie avenues in the sound. "On The Level" and "Goblin King" show off some of those spooky twists on the more doom-heavy tracks complete with cosmic effects and whistles. But this album isn't a total creepfest and there are plenty of beefy, hard-hitting jams that will hit you like a sack full of stones. "Get Broke Or Die Tryin'" and "Laudercycle" take this approach with harsh vocals on slow grooving stoner metal that's going to crack a couple ribs just for fun! The opening track "Cheebacca" has it all though mixing the chilling organs with the catchy riffs to create a ghoulish party! I've been jamming this one over and over and I'm still not tired of it - check it out for yourself! -Brandon

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Corrupt Moral Altar - Eunoia (2017)

So I posted on our Facebook page about Corrupt Moral Altar more than a year ago, but failed to ever produce a review for them. I'm kind of shocked I didn't because this is really good shit. They're like the equivalent of getting your head repeatedly bashed into the pavement. This band is like the best of both worlds, dominating on opposite ends of the spectrum. The precision of the blasts and double kick are so flawless and brutal, yet at the same time "Eunoia" is like a weeping wound with putrid sludge oozing out. It's a constant barrage of super fucking heavy riffs, and blistering blasts. Yet it also seems like their musical tastes aren't limited to the genres already mentioned, as I can detect a little post hardcore in there as well. There's definitely a frenetic energy to it throughout the entire album, and it's quite relentless. I'm a big fan of the way the guitar and bass sounds in the mix on this one. The low detuned bass definitely comes out, and the strings together just produce this fat crushing sound. I'm honestly really surprised I didn't proclaim this band when I originally posted about them on Facebook, as my new favorite band. This is the kind of shit I am currently seeking out right now, and I can't get enough of. Seriously, send more bands my way that mix Death, Grind, and Sludge. Highly recommended! Cheers! -Samir

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Cult of Salem - Unhallowed Rites (2018)

Epic death/doom - it is a rare amalgamation to behold, forged in ancient crucibles under the watch of hooded mages with fiery eyes and dark intent. It sinks to deep, melancholic lows hidden beyond the shadows in the human heart in order to draw upon powers of a bygone age and roar with a scathing, primal rage. It is this scarce commodity that Cult of Salem brings to us with their debut album "Unhallowed Rites". Hailing from Germany the band blends traditional doom, epic doom, death/doom, and a few near-gothic symphonic arrangements with themes of evil and Lovecraftian horror to create awe-inspiring songs of darkness. It's as though Cult of Salem found the rift between Candlemass and Paradise Lost, erected a gilded palace there, and then summoned an orchestra of spirits to haunt the place. Chanting choirs and melodic guitar leads bleed through the band's grim yet thundering determination creating a loud storm of stark and beautiful misery. Low, warbling, nigh-operatic vocals descend into biting death growls in the unholy din. Placid moments will either erupt into a sharp, bleak barrage of anguish or ascend to inspiring heights with mighty riffs and synth. I keep listening to this over and over and losing track of time as I get lost in the otherworldly vortex of dark and exquisite sounds. This is truly consuming - Cult of Salem is a cult worthy of your devotion! -Brandon

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Wizard Hand - S/T (2018)

From the unceasing work ethic and ever-busy fingers that brought you Crushing Yellow Sun is a brand new stoner-doom project that's going to have you crawling through a dungeon in chains - Wizard Hand. This stuff takes a heavier and less psychedelic approach than Crushing Yellow Sun, trading in the long, trippy guitar solos for a low and groaning stoner sleaze. Dark and murky songs slog their way through the gloom led by the sound of dirty, crunchy riffs and grumbled vocals pontificating on themes of zombies, wizards, and weed. It treads at a relatively slow pace and with blunt steps which gives things a weary kind of feel but you still get a sense of its dormant strength - like a tired warrior dragging a giant mace on the ground behind them. "Dying Wizard's Sleep" and "Instrumental #2" ditch the vocals instead opting to let the music stir up the darkness and explore the shadows that they've created. On top of all that, there may or may not be a hidden track at the end featuring a doom-ified version of a KISS classic - but you'll have to pick it up the album to know for sure! Whole thing comes across dark, natural, and a little nasty - just the way I like it! -Brandon

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High on Fire - Electric Messiah (2018)

I remember when I first read about read about High on Fire. It was some article about heavy metal bands to be on the lookout for and I remember it specifically name dropped High on Fire and Mastodon because I checked out both bands and was immediately hooked. 16 years later in the same year Sleep dropped a new album on 4/20, we also get “Electric Messiah” High on Fire’s 8th album. Only Matt Pike could release two albums in the same year, and have them both be contenders for Best Album of The Year. I’m actually really glad I liked “Electric Messiah”, because I was pretty disappointed with “Luminiferous”. I’m not sure if this is already popular opinion, but for the most part, a lot of the songs weren’t very memorable with maybe a few exceptions here and there. This one is a definite ripper, and continues to solidify Matt Pike as a true Riff Lord. This album is jam packed with one excellent riff after the other. Also production wise, “Electric Messiah” is one of High on Fire’s heaviest albums yet. This is the band’s third outing with Kurt Ballou at GodCity Studios, and out of those albums this one is my favorite. I think I may have listened to this 5-6 times in the past day. Anyway, I don't really need to convince you of anything. If you're reading this, you probably already knew High on Fire rules. Cheers! -Samir

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Altars - S/T 7" (2018)

Oh this is fucking good. This shit is less than 8 minutes long but it seriously crushes throughout its entirety. Altars combines repulsive Death/Grind with filthy sounding Sludge, to create a monstrous sound that reeks of putrid riffs. I understand it's a 7" but I wish this had like 3 times the amount of music, but it's that fucking good. Seriously dudes, write some more fucking tunes! This is some really good shit! I was sold on this as soon as I heard the opening riff from "Unholy Retribution". It's a gruesome slow groove that's just nasty from the get go, and then everything explodes when the blasts and double kick come in, bludgeoning your ears with aural carnage. There's so much feedback coming from the guitar while it's playing that it literally sounds like a table saw at times, and I think it really adds to the disgusting aura this band is trying to put out there. That fucking bass sound is perfection on this 7". It's so fucking deep and guttural, and it cuts right through the mix to destroy your soul. I couldn't imagine spending that much more time writing about this since it was only 7 minutes long, but it's totally worth a listen, if not like ten. I couldn't tell you how many times I have listened to it. Maybe a dozen, and I still keep bobbing my head to it. Cheers! -Samir



Also I might as well sneak this one in here as well. Ramuh features members of Maruta and Full of Hell and they totally fucking rip. The riffage on this one is top notch for sure. You should totally check this out. It's even shorter than the Altars 7"!

Pantheist - Seeking Infinity (2018)

Pantheist have distilled the things that make you feel cold and alone and used it as a foundation for their harrowing, soul-eroding sound! It's been seven years since their last album but the band has finally returned with their latest funeral doom opus - Seeking Infinity. "Devastation" might be the best single word to describe what you're going to hear over the course of this hour long album as you practically feel yourself dissolving in the face of eternity. But Seeking Infinity is not an album that will just destroy you outright, immediately crushing you under the weight of its massive, drawn-out, melancholic riffs - atmosphere is the name of the game here. Beginning with organs, ambient sounds, and piano it starts evoking beautiful, desolate scenery like abandoned, decrepit cathedrals and wastelands bathed in ghostly light. Savage, sorrowful, slow metal bleeds up from underneath and enhances the feeling early on, but as the album progresses, the distinct elements become more intense. Layers with synth arrangements, gentle reverberating guitars, and chanting make the atmosphere transcendent and ethereal while the doom metal gets darker, harsher, and more crushing with low deathly growls that could abandon you in the abyss. Despair seems to echo through every note and ripple across your skin leaving goose bumps. It's an incredible mix that feels natural yet unsettling all at once, tapping into something almost metaphysical. This one's deep and highly recommended - fall into the sound as soon as you can! -Brandon

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Rito Verdugo - Cosmos (2018)

A name like "Cosmos" has me thinking of trippy, spaced-out, psych stuff, but with Rito Verdugo's Cosmos you're only going to get a glimpse of that as you speed through the stars strapped to the back of a rumbling rocket! Taking off from Lima, Peru with no signs of slowing down these dudes are on a collision course with anything and everything! Fueled by explosive rock 'n' roll rhythms and guitar leads that go off like fireworks Rito Verdugo is a band that's out of control, taking fast-paced stoner rock and burning it with some heavy psych and just a touch of doom for flavor. These songs romp and charge like a rhino with enough vigor to crack its own horn! From the first wild notes on "Sombras" you can tell that this is a band possessed by their own untamed spirits and damn if it isn't contagious! Subsequent tracks tease with slower intros before breaking out into a driven, chaotic, and rocking good time that'll have stars spinning around your head! There are a few moments on here where you think they might be out of breath, like the warbling groove on "Prisionero" or the spacey sounds that turn into a mid-paced stomp on "Navegante", but it only takes a little bit of time before the band is buzzing with energy again and rips through the night sky like a bat out of hell! There's no hi-fi bullshit here, just down and dirty rock 'n' roll, so play it loud! -Brandon

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Husmanskost - Ambi-Valence (2018)

Husmanskost are certainly no stranger to this blog. I have reviewed their last release at the beginning of this, which I have enjoyed thoroughly, and here we are again with another release from them. In the previous blog post I made a comment about wanting to stray away from focusing on Stoner, Sludge, and Doom, and while I feel like I had my moments this year, not much has really changed from the usual fare I tend to review. With all that being said, here's a pretty sweet Grindcore release I recommend checking out.
It's kind of interesting to see how much of a difference can occur between two releases that are put out so close to each other like this. My personal expectation is that I would be hearing more the same, which in the case of Husmanskost is not a bad thing. Their previous release "Ründpült" was a fucking ripper of an album, so the bar was set kind of high for "Ambi-Valence". While I would also like to point that "Ambi-Valence" is a ripper in its own right, the band's growth in songwriting and musical ability should also be pointed out for sure. I personally have no idea how much time had passed between the actual writing of the two albums, but there is a notable difference between the two with "Ambi-Valence" delivering a heavy onslaught of brutality and carnage unlike anything they have done before.
Husmanskost still maintain their stance as being primarily Grindcore, however their Crossover and Thrash influences come out more on this album. There are some pretty sick grooves on this one especially when the band puts the breaks on it, and slows down to a mid tempo assault. I even detected a hint of Technical Death Metal throughout as well with the drums and guitar showcasing their chops. Speaking of drumming, holy shit! I don't know what happened, between this album and the last, but the drumming on this album is far superior. Either it's a different drummer or it's the way they were recorded on the last one, however it really doesn't matter to me, because the blasts and double kicks on this are so fucking insane! So yeah I dug this, and think if Grindcore is your thing, you'll probably dig this as well. Cheers! -Samir

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Gnosis - Dweller on The Threshold (2018)

I had been meaning to check this one out for a while, and it was for sure on my radar as something I need to check out. So I finally got around to listening to it, and holy shit Gnosis fucking rules! The riffage on "Dweller on The Threshold" packs a crunch but also oozes with Sludge. Very simple at times, but also very effective. Not sure what kind of distortion they are using but I detect a hint of an HM-2 pedal in there, unless it's just the way the fuzz and distortion are mixing. Doesn't really matter because I really like the sound whatever it is. It's a little different for Sludge Doom, and makes it stand out. The mix between the guitar and bass are fucking fantastic and the low end of the bass really comes through adding that extra weight to each riff. The drumming isn't constrained to the typical Sludge Doom plodding, and is more in line with Old School Death Metal.
In fact I think the band's approach exudes Old School Death Metal, but it's really like a best of both worlds sort of thing going on here, especially with their contagious Sludge Grooves. It's like as if some Old School Swedish Death Metal band decided like they just wanted to change gears and play Sludge Doom from now on. There's nothing is overly technical riff wise, and the pace is often mid tempo (with some blasting flourishes here and there), but the band epitomizes what I would expect from great Death Sludge. The album artwork really sets the tone and the atmosphere for "Dweller on The Threshold" for the listener. It's like ancient primordial dread, drained of its color to be super fucking bleak. It pairs well with the brutal nature of the songs. Overall, I really fucking dug this one. I mean there are some really great fucking riffs here, and if you haven't check it out yet you definitely should. -Samir

Southaven - Belcefuzz (2018)

The city of Caracas, Venezuela is no longer safe - the fiends in Southaven have gathered together in secret and summoned the Belcefuzz! For more than a year now people have been catching glimpses of Southaven's terrifying hell beast through singles and EPs but now the full thing is out and running loose on the streets! If you haven't yet come toe-to-toe with the Belcefuzz yet it is a demonic entity made out of overblown, fuzzy as fuck stoner-doom that drowns itself in a flood of distortion. Its overwhelming waves of gnarly fuzz and riffs will crush you before washing out into drone-inspired passages where you find yourself floating and getting lost in the dark and dirty tones until it starts to feel trippy. Every once in a while things will quiet down for a little while to allow eerie notes to drag a sense of dread up your spine, but then the riffs will start roaring again and once again you're bashed up and set adrift in the hoarse and hazy sounds. When the devil lets out its harsh cries they seem to get torn apart in a wild mess of static and distortion and create a vortex into the endless void - don't bother trying to escape. This behemoth groans its way through 7 original tracks of murky doom before possessing 3 classic tracks - White Magic / Black Magic, Into the Void, and White Rabbit are all swallowed whole and given the Southaven treatment and the results are awesome. So when you're ready for your inevitable demise in a sea of fuzz give yourself up to the Belcefuzz! -Brandon

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Ursular - S/T (2018)

Out in nature, in the woods - even just a short way removed from human presence - there is a mystic, primordial energy that seems to hang in the air. Ursular have managed to capture that feeling and blend it into their music on their self-titled debut EP resulting in a shadowy, druidic magic fit for the modern world. The band hails from Berlin and combines stoner-doom with heavy psych to build up a kind of psychic-electric enchantment that looms in the darkness. Bewitching vocals call you into a gloomy dream world as riffs churn and creep through the night. Ursular have deemed their sound "saxodoom" for the smoky saxophone additions that evoke a sense of mystery and even a touch of the noir. Everything treads lightly at first, delicately drawing out the primeval spirits and letting you slide slowly into the atmosphere but eventually the doom starts booming and the witchery comes into full force. The tone is like smoke and mist intermingled, harsh and smooth all at once, rolling off of the songs and dissipating in the night sky. Ursular only has three songs on this EP - they're all pretty incredible, but it's got me wanting more! I'd love to hear how this kind of sound plays out across a full-length, so I'm just gonna hope that they've got more in the works and they'll be putting out more soon! -Brandon

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Conan - Existential Void Guardian (2018)

I mean it's kind of a no brainer that we would review this. I think once I heard the singles, I knew "Existential Void Guardian" was going to be one hell of an album. As far as newer fans or people who are unfamiliar with Conan go, I would say "Existential Void Guardian" is more accessible in terms of reaching a wider metal audience. Not saying that Conan suddenly gained pop sensibilities, and have "sold out". The same old Conan is here again, playing the barbaric Hyborian Age Sludge Doom we have come to know them for. What I am trying to say is that the songs seem to chug along with a noticeable uptempo beat throughout without being overtly droney, and while there is plenty of fuzz to go around on this one, there is also more clarity between the strings, and the bass comes through now deeper and heavier than I remember on previous releases. Both of which are tuned super fucking low as always which I like a lot.
Then on the other hand the band seems to explore other musical possibilities on this one as well. I know on "Revengeance" they experimented black metal-esque blasts however with "Paincantation" the band goes full on Grindcore. I know I can't be the only one right now who is wishing for Conan to do an all Grindcore album after listening to that. It looks like Conan switched drummers again on this one, and with new drummer Johnny King, the drumming on this one seems as versatile as ever. The band never lost their groove though, remaining mighty and heavy as ever, and it's apparent on "Existential Void Guardian" Conan is still a force to reckoned with in the overall Doom Metal scene. I can see why this album was highly anticipated. Overall, I really dug it, and if you're reading this I'm assuming you already heard it and dug it too. If not then you should probably listen to it immediately. Cheers! -Samir

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Medicine Noose / Spewn - 12" Split (2018)

I'm usually pretty skeptical about writing reviews for splits, because it's like what if I like one band, but I don't like the other? Then it gets all awkward when I only review one side of the split, however I really like Medicine Noose, having reviewed them already once this year, so I trusted their judgement, and yeah this is a good split.
Medicine Noose is Germany's answer to Eyehategod. I mean why wouldn't they sound like them, they're named after one of their songs. I feel liken this past year I haven't encountered too many bands who are into Eyehategod worship, but Medicine Noose do it right, and they are the shit. They have a real strong 90's style Sludge/Doom sound that's slow as molasses, but just super pissed, with that raw swampy bass heavy sound. It has all the bells and whistles you would expect, with the piercing harsh feedback from the strings, and the tortured screams from the vocals. The bass sound on this this is super fat and thick, and I really liked that. Plus the riffs were really great. Overall, Medicine Noose continues to slay, and you should check them out if you haven't already.
I am new to Spewn and had not heard them before, so I had no idea what to expect. After the two songs from Medicine Noose, the genres sort of switch, and while Spewn is slow and sludgy, what they play is more in line with Man is The Bastard. Nothing but super distorted bass, drums, and screams. It's super fucking filthy and it's great. It's almost as if you played Medicine Noose or similar sounding band and played them at a slower speed. There's some blasts on the second track along with some bludgeoning double kicks from the drums, but it's mostly played slow. Like I said, I didn't know what to expect from them, but I ended up liking this as well, so overall it was a good split from two bands that do not sound anything like each other but share a commonality for slow sludgy abrasive music. Cheers! -Samir

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Zombie Eater - Slumberjack (2018)

Crawling out from underneath a scummy rock near Helsinki, Finland comes Zombie Eater - a three piece that's ready to tear a hole into you with the stoner/sludge assault on their debut EP "Slumberjack". It's a short trip for what's normally long-winded genre - clocking in at under 20 minutes - but that's all the time these dudes need to bludgeon you with savage riffs, spill some booze on your wounds, and then leave you to rot. It kicks off with "Turbo Liver" (that's gotta be a Judas Priest reference right?) which grinds through the slower side of things to start before picking up the pace and kicking into driven stoner energy fuming with weed, whiskey, and decay. These vocals are so destructive that they're burning through burning through the guy's vocal chords before they even get out of his mouth and then corroding anything in earshot. Next song is "Nuclear Jesus" which keeps things hot and nasty, featuring some nice bass groove that keeps popping out at you. "Slumberjack" is the final track on the EP and it's the longest. It's got fat riffs swinging around like an ogre's fist but the band takes a quick break from the harsh and heavy stuff mid-song to stir up some primitive grooves plus they let you wander through a forest of feedback and ambient noise at the end. Awesome set of filthy tracks right here that will have you banging your head until you're dizzy! Dopethrone fans need to hear this right away and everybody else should turn their volume up too! -Brandon

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