Slund- The Call of Agony/Brain Dysfunction (2017)

Not really sure why I didn't bother listening to this one earlier and giving it a review, but I have now after a long break of not writing, and I'm here to write about not one, but two Slund releases in one year! Slund are rooted in Sludge's hardcore influence, which they play to maximum effect throughout this release. There's an element of Grindcore involved as well, and that is definitely a shared result of them relishing in hardcore's influence on Sludge Doom. Imagine Eyehategod or even the Melvins in their Early Hardcore/Sludge years, and just making that even more intense, elimiating any sort of Sabbath influence, and adding nothing but hatred and misanthropic bleakness bathed in overdrive distorted feedback. Pacing between crawling cataclysms, midpace marches and punk beat melees,this is what you get with Slund, but even heavier. It's so fucking heavy and detuned. Plus there's nothing fuzzy or furry about their sound either. The strings (not sure the combination, all guitar, all bass, or both?) sounds like someone was feeding whale blubber to an old hand crank meat grinder and letting the rusty blades slowly chew away at the meat. I definitely regret not getting to this release sooner, and if you haven't listened to either, you should probably give this a listen. Did I fail to mention this is all a one man band? Fucking amazing!

Blistering blasts, detuned nasty sewage sounding riffs, and thick beefy bass heavy grooves; here's Slund's second release of the year! Continuing the onslaught of Grind/Sludge devastation, "Brain Dysfunction" sways back and forth between frantic mayhem and Doom Laden head bobbing riffage. It's the perfect blend of depraved madness, that combines the best elements of extreme music, making a melange of vile sounding pandemonium. This release is definitely more of companion piece to "The Call Of Agony". While both releases seem to walk the line between Grind and Sludge, this release definitely leans more to the Grindy side of things, whereas "Agony" had more straight forward Sludge. Doesn't matter though, because this shit rules! The strings are ultra fucking heavy, I have no fucking idea what this dude is tuned to. All I know is that when the slower sludgy parts come in, it sounds almost like a fucking bass. I mean it might as well be one. The vocals provide a constant stream of response like quips and remarks, spewing forth vicious ear piercing/world shattering screams. The drums on this are pretty mechanical and machine like in its precision, but there's no complaints here on my end. This shit is over and done with pretty quickly though, so prepare for repeated listens. In true Grindcore fashion the songs are very short, with the longest being a little more than two minutes, and the shortest being only a couple of seconds. This is incredible feat considering all of the memorable riffs packed into this monstrous sounding release. Highly recommended for sure! With two releases this year, I'm wondering if we'll see even more from Slund in 2018, considering the pace this dude is working at, churning out slabs of Sludge infused Grind. There needs to be more bands out there doing this kinda shit! Cheers! -Samir

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Matalobos - Until Time has Lost All Meaning (2017)

Under the cover of darkness Matalobos descends upon the world to bring a touch of misery into people's hearts. "Until Time has Lost All Meaning" is their latest release and it feels like a ghost coming in the night. It casts a cold shadow over your soul with melodic death/doom that balances somber, serene themes with the harsh and heavy. The first track "Of Ghosts And Yearning" starts with a gorgeous acoustic guitar passage before the band plunges into heart-wrenching sorrow played nice and slow. The vocalist roars with deep, bitter shouts and it feels like you're being ripped from reality and sucked into the black vacuum of the void, as though his voice is a tunnel straight to the abyss. But even through the grim, abrasive cries the band maintains strong melancholic melodies to create an anguished kind of harmony. The next song "In Flesh Engraved" sees more death-inspired mayhem at the outset but as the song progresses it becomes more refined and woeful. There's less fear of falling into the void here and more fear of falling into the dark thoughts in your own mind. "La Luz Del Día Muere" (translated to The Light of the Day Dies) is the final piece, a quiet instrumental that accurately captures some of the painful notes of the day's end with jazzy/bluesy inflections - not what you'd expect with death/doom, but it works. The three tracks here make for an awesome EP that's just dripping with agony. In terms of style, I wouldn't put it in the same bucket as Paradise Lost/My Dying Bride gothic stuff, but I would bet this is going to appeal to the same crowd. Definitely a cool sound so let the beauty and sorrow engulf you! -Brandon
   

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Kurse - Tales of The Wizard (2017)

Swaying between 70s-tinged cosmic haze and fuzzy, foggy stoner rock is Kurse, a trio out of Montreal. They've taken it upon themselves to chronicle the adventures of a mighty mage with their debut EP "Tales of the Wizard". I don't know which of the wizard's tales the cover art is supposed to represent, but it's amazing. I dug through all of the lyrics and while they're filled with mysticism and ritual, none mention an encounter with giant deer, face stripped of flesh with a tentacles writhing around. Or maybe it's a regular-sized faceless tentacled deer and the wizard is just really tiny? In any case, Kurse is a band that can conjure many tones and as the EP unfolds they'll take you through the cosmos with psychedelic swirls, into ancient chambers with gently echoing chants, burning through the desert with motorized, grungy stoner rock and more. Not only do these songs caress the misty mountain tops with placid guitar stylings but they also tear through death's valleys with some heavy headbanging moments. It sounds like this wizard got into some awesome shit and I really like the way Kurse recounts his righteous deeds! -Brandon

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The Atomic Bitchwax - Force Field (2017)

If you don't know The Atomic Bitchwax at this point, you've got about 25 years of stoner rock history to catch up on. They've just released their seventh studio album "Force Field" and it's a good example of why you shouldn't make your 'Best Albums of the Year' lists in November! It kicks off at full-throttle and it's got enough fuel to run like a madman all the way to the end - FUCK slowing down! Force Field is non-stop, high-energy rock 'n' roll strapped to a rocket ripping through the sky at a speed that will make the skin will peel off your face. The songs are short - most are under three minutes - and they usually whip by so fast that you don't get a chance to appreciate the subtle spacey vibes that they've got. But when you do manage to get a taste the flavor explodes in your mouth and will have your eyes bugging out as you come to a more conscious understanding of why you're digging this so much. Then when they throw in a touch of organ right at the end and you get a little glimpse of Deep Purple all groovy and fast, I'm down for the count. Catchy, fun, fast-paced stoner rock - when you're looking for a good time, what more could you ask for? If you need something to put some fire in your belly and drive you screaming through the night, this is it! -Brandon
 

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Serpents Eve - MMXVII (2017)

Serpents Eve from Northern Ireland are rising from the abyss to swing the mighty hammer of doom and lay waste to all who stand before them with their second release "MMXVII". It features four tracks of epic doom instrumentals inspired by the likes of Solitude Aeturnus and Candlemass and even without vocals it conjures a dark and powerful grandeur. Like a cartload of lead this is heavy as fuck with colossal rhythms that pull you into the band's menacing dominion. In lieu of a singer the guitar steps in and cries out with majestic melodies of power and sorrow. MMXVII clocks in at just under 20 minutes, but it feels a lot bigger than that. It's got the weight of a leviathan rising up out of the ocean and wreaking havoc upon a coastal city. I can practically hear it now - the guitar like a siren wailing out warnings of incoming danger, people crying out for their families, but you can tell from the anguished tone that it's too late. With dramatic pauses and all the beast is tearing through buildings creating mountains of mangled steel and rebar as countless souls perish beneath it. It's a terrible tragedy that I just made up, but it would be a REAL tragedy if you didn't check this out! -Brandon
 

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Weird Tales - Shiny Void EP (2017)

They've returned once more, drawing upon the strange and obscure to create something bleak - Weird Tales is back with their second EP "Shiny Void" and it delivers three tracks of desolate doom metal that might be even better than their last set. The band's first EP came out earlier this year and it hung low with a gloomy, detached apathy but on this one they've managed to muster up just a touch of energy in order to drive their dreary sound further than before. These songs are slow, lonesome trips through the abyss with a faint psychedelic vapor that passes straight through you and leaves you feeling hollow. Between the phaser effects and the somber echo of the vocals it's as though you're traveling through an empty world, resigned to your hopelessness. Then every once in a while the weight of the void becomes too much as something within you cracks - the song pace and the psychedelics pick up and it's like a piece of your mind crawls out of your head and manifests in a shape beyond your comprehension. But as soon as you understand what you're seeing it disappears and the solitude feels fresh again. Wandering through these wastelands is a melancholic experience, but these tunes are good enough to keep you coming back. It's great hearing more from these guys; I'm looking forward to the next one! -Brandon
 

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The Dead-End Alley Band - Storms (2017)

So this album has been out for a few months now but with a North American CD release just days away and vinyl coming out of Europe next month this feels like a gift that keeps on giving! Storms is the third studio album from Peruvian mystics The Dead-End Alley Band and it summons doomy psychedelic rock straight to your speakers in order to swamp your ears with heavy hazy tunes and fill your head with sticky smoke. The first track "Red Woman" stands as the gatekeeper swirling with doom and darkness and leaves you with the sensation that a phantom is watching you as it weaves its way through an unnatural fog. But as you move deeper into the album each track gets warmer and more wild as the eerie tone starts to dissipate and the band divulges into fuzzy jams. I can't decide what I love more - the haunting organ that will both chill your soul and evoke the acid-inspired spirit of the late 60s or the buzzing guitar which is equally vintage with constant uncontrollable licks and leads bursting all over the place. Doesn't matter in the end though - everything comes together to make a single miasma brimming with murky rock 'n' roll. Breathe it in deep, recommended for sure! -Brandon
 

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