Shrine of the Serpent - Entropic Disillusion (2018)

After last year's split with Black Urn on Caligari Records and a self-titled EP a few years before that, Shrine of the Serpent have elicited the force of a thousand black spirits to release their first full-length album "Entropic Disillusion" - a nasty piece of work that reaches depths lower and greater than before. The Portland trio have crafted an all-consuming death/doom sound roaring with murderous melancholy that will sap the life out of you, crush your wasted husk of a body, and cast you into the eternal abyss. It starts with the slow, growling dirge of "Descend into Dusk" which evokes an air of terror as you embark on this journey of anguish. However, it then falls into the quiet introduction of "Hailing the Enshrined", gently casting moody tones into a sparse, empty world until the relative tranquility tempts a ruinous behemoth to rear its head and attempt to dismantle any sense of peace and replace it with harsh misery doled out at a sloth's pace. The trend continues over the next two tracks (with a few bursts of bloodthirsty fury) using riffs and tone that could kill you and serve as your eulogy all at once. "Returning" is a break in the rancorous onslaught, but not in your torment, instead opting for unsettling ambient noise to keep you uneasy and ready for the inevitable resurgence of scathing despair. "Epoch of Annihilation" is that fated moment, starting as a slow, agonizing march but building into a violent waterfall of extreme metal bearing down upon you. "Rending the Psychic Void" will end your time in this unforgiving wasteland with coarse power and sorrow that will bring you to your knees. "Entropic Disillusion is an incredible trip through ugly, hellish misery - play it loud until it disintegrates every fiber of your being! -Brandon

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Butcher ABC - North of Hell (2018)

How the fuck have I never heard of Butcher ABC before? They've been around for over 2 decades and not once have I heard of them. What a fucking crime, because Butcher ABC fucking slays. These death dealers from Japan deliver a classic sound that's slowly fed through the meat grinder. This album was ridiculously good, and had so much fucking groove to it as well. If Ghoul's string section sounded more like Coffins, and they had a thing for General Surgery and early Carcass, you'd get something like Butcher ABC. This is just 11 tracks of putrid and filthy sounding Gore Grind, and I think it's fan fucking tastic. It has simple meaty riffs, and it's catchy as fuck.
The first thing I noticed right off the bat was that the bass sound was so prominent. It really added to the overall disgusting sound of the mix, along with the sewage-like detuned guitar tones. I did enjoy the different layers of vocals they had going on. There was that old school Carcass sounding growl going on, along with your typical death growl, and then they had that gurgling pitch shifted sound which was pretty fucking sick. Again, adding to that layer of gross repulsive sound that these dudes revel in. These dudes a relentless with their execution, and clearly give no fucks. After listening to this album they definitely have become one of my new favorite bands. I'm going to go ahead and just put this to my end of year list as a personal favorite. Not many bands win me over like these dudes, but holy fuck, they totally rule. Highly Recommend! Cheers! -Samir

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Chivo - Waiting For So Long (2018)

It's been five years since Chivo released their last album, but the Spanish rockers have returned once more to kick up some dust with their latest album "Waiting For So Long" - it's stoner rock at its core, but ventures into some heavy territory for anyone looking to bang their head. Taking gruff vocals with rough riffs and plenty of rock 'n' roll energy and rhythm it makes a sound that's commanding like the edge of a general's sword. Tunes like "Hegan Egin" and "Gaijing Hunter" showcase a driven sound that's perfect for adrenaline-fueled joyrides - just make sure to crank up the volume to drown out the roaring engine! Throughout the album you'll hear these dudes channel a little bit of Kyuss - I pick it up on "Untermensh" in particular - to give things an urgent kind of groove. There's also a few tracks that give off some Helmet vibes too, so maybe they're just drawing a lot of influence from sounds of the 90s. It closes on "Cigarettes" a pensive acoustic tune that seems like a somber way to end things for such a rocker, but it gives the album its title with the repeated refrain of "I've been waiting for so long". This one's definitely off and running with hard hitting rock so get on it or get out of the way! -Brandon

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Frayle - The White Witch EP (2018)

An eerie blanket of fog covers the city of Cleveland, Ohio, but in spite of our instincts and the faint tinge of fear an unknown magnetic force pulls us in. There's a hand beaconing from out of the mist, and should we heed its summons we will be taken to the world of The White Witch, the debut EP from the duo known as Frayle. These tunes are made up of doom injected with some serious Deftones-style alt metal strains - now that could be dangerous territory, but given the way it comes together even the most discerning listener should be pleased. The main draw on these tracks is the vocals - they're celestial, airy, and feel like a gentle breeze across your skin sending a shiver down your spine. They caress the ear and the soul and lull the listener into a false sense of security - when you're at ease darkness subtly bubbles up and grows around you, separating you from the outside. You'll become transfixed as the sound emulates ghostly figures twirling in a pale mist, but with every passing moment they become more twisted and contorted as malevolent magicks work their way through the world's foundation. It takes a leisurely pace on a desolate path and the outcome is so satisfying. Now that the EP is out Frayle is prepping to release a full-length later this year, so once you're done jamming this keep an eye out for that! -Brandon

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Radien - SYVYYS (2018)

Radien are definitely no strangers to this blog, as we have reviewed their previous release "Maa" here last year. The Finnish Sludge Doom five piece, has returned with a full LP this time around, and they do not disappoint. Raiden's music is born from desolate landscapes, striped of any color, and plagued with black and grey. With it's crushingly heavy disposition and a dissonant demeanor, these guys are like a sleeping giant with a disfigured face due to leprosy. It's grim and harsh, playing like a soundtrack to a film about the end of days, shot on black and white with a super 8 camera. The music is dark, miserable, and full of despair, and above all it's really fucking good. I think one of the major differences I noticed comparing "SYVYYS" to the previous release "Maa", is that they have taken advantage of their use of time and space, and have given some room to some meditative moments throughout. However, they still deliver with fierce monstrous riffs, that roar with a primal rage.
The strings on "SYVYYS" definitely have a sludgy texture to them, but this shifts when the guitar is playing the atonal melody leads which also helps create a clashing friction and grit to the riffs. There's definitely a grating hoarseness that is added by the vocals as well. All of this is plodded along as if shackled by chains in a frigid existence with deep feelings of regret and sorrow. It's the type of sound that's for a place where the sun doesn't shine, and you'd wish the rain would just wash it all away.
I always thinks it's pretty cool, when a band that we reviewed in our relatively short life as a blog releases new material. Especially when it's an new LP! Also these guy got signed to Black Bow Records this time around which is pretty fucking cool, because they are definitely becoming one of my favorite labels, and it's run by Jon Davis of the mighty Conan, which is fucking rad as well. Anyway, I highly recommend this one! Cheers! -Samir

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Jesus Ain't In Poland - No Man's Land (2018)

Jesus Ain't In Poland name may seem a little peculiar, but don't let that get in the way of their crushing sound, because they are the shit! JAIP combine elements of Grind, OSDM, and Sludge/Doom to craft the epic dirge "No Man's Land". You might want to make some time for this one, since it clocks in at over an hour in length, but it's certainly something you won't regret. The music is definitely heavy as fuck, but as you progress through the album, you'll realize there are many peaks and valleys, as well as highs and lows. I don't mean this in an atmospheric way either (well maybe slightly towards the end it gets that way). This is pretty much a fucking steamrolling that either goes flying down a hill crushing humans, and pets and what not, or they slow down and maybe play something that slays in a totally death/doom sludgy way, or they play something a little more melodic while maintaining a certain level of intensity and brutality.
As far as production goes this is pretty slick but in an Extreme Metal kind of way. The strings are deep, with a nice thick detuned sound. The drums on this are pretty fucking heavy, especially on the kick and toms. Nice use of blasts and double kick on this as well. It's not over done, and seems to be used for the right amount of time to not get in the way of a nice groove when it's presented. The vocals are spot on. It's like a pitch perfect death growl that really sounds great over this assortment of tunes. Overall, this is really good, and definitely worth your time. Highly Recommended! Cheers! -Samir

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Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard / Slomatics - Totem (2018)

Slomatics and Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard are each modern day titans, shaking the world with high-caliber sludge/doom until the earth cracks and fissures. However, when the two come together the result takes on a galactic scale, creating a soundtrack that invites the devourer of worlds to phase in from dimensions unknown and swallow the our planet and all who inhabit it. "Totems" is the new LP from these two juggernauts - it's a split album in the literal sense, but they've opted to deem it a "collaboration" instead and upon listening it becomes clear why. The songs from both bands meld together perfectly creating a consistent, killer, all-consuming behemoth of a sound. It starts with Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard's half which is composed of two songs, the first of which opens on a dark, retro film score synth before falling into the ever expanding jaws of doom. It's almost a bit cheesy, but that opening keeps you intrigued enough to get drawn in, then by the time the ethereal vocals start up you've been engulfed by the massive, cosmic sound with hammering rhythms and riffs heavy enough to have their own gravity. The backend just feels so deep it's like falling into a bottomless pit. Synths come in and out to breathe touches of terror and ambient astral noise. On Slomatics half they summon forces much in the same vein, but this time with even more atmospheric synths calling you to surrender yourself to the abyss. It feels like less of a shift to a new band, and more like they are building on the earlier tracks in a natural progression. They've got three songs here, two overwhelming doom opuses, that sandwich a dreary piano/synth piece titled "Silver Ships Into The Future" that seems to revel in lament for the end before the last track of the album. "Masters Descent" closes it up and it really feels like a culmination of everything that came before, but swelling to absolutely epic proportions. With a pair of bands like this I expected the result to be good, but not THIS good. This shit is on another plane of existence, calling out at a metaphysical level - it's the kind of stuff you'll regret skipping out on, so don't! -Brandon

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