“Solitude and Savagery” deserves serious attention and is undoubtedly one of the breakout releases of this year
“Solitude and Savagery” CD//DD track listing:
1. Enter the Hermitage 2. Black Mass 3. No Sleep 4. Beyond the Wall 5. Lifebreather 6. Reawaken 7. Laniakea
The Review:
Barbarian Hermithail from Manchesterand play crushing stoner/sludge/doom. This is a band that is not afraid to play aggressively- like High on Fire- but also slow; like any doom band worth their salt you can name. The opener, “Enter The Hermitage,” sets it out for you. Straight in, no messing about, just some huge and fuzzy riffs with some maniac (Ed Campbell- who showcases serious versatility elsewhere!) shouting over the top.
There is plenty of variety here, too. There are passages of more thoughtful and melancholy music, both in the first and second track and beyond. There is quite some range on display. Suffice it to say, that by track two (“Black Mass”) I was absolutely sold on this album. This is what is needed in the underground and beyond at the moment- a band sounding not like anyone else, but featuring the best elements of quite a few bands. There is something here for fans of many different bands and sub genres. You like Orange Goblin? Try these guys out. You like High on Fire, ditto. In fact, from Sabbath to The Sword and from Conanto Candlemass: Barbarian Hermit may just appeal to fans of all those bands.
There are shades of the likes of Raging Speedhorn and The Rotted in “No Sleep” (and Motorhead, of course) while the epic might of “Beyond The Wall” is crushingly powerful with a fantastic solo. Nothing outstays its welcome here; there are no short songs and most tracks stretch out over six minutes plus (the closing “Laniaka” is eleven epic minutes!) but it all feels like it flies by at a clip. The band's approach makes this happen; each track is different and brings a slightly different approach, while remaining consistent in vibe and feel. It's no small trick to pull off but the band achieve it with ease. This is a proper album and I think one that might become very influential going forward.
This is not simple two chord/two piece sludge and nor is it just Sleepworship or a cheap copy of any other band. The production, courtesy of the effervescent Chris Fielding at Skyhammer studio is immense and as usual Chris has achieved a crushing drum, guitar and bass sound. The clarity of the mix and the sheer weight adds a good deal of muscle to the album and, having worked with Chris myself, I can hear his audio-stamp of authenticity throughout the record.
The album is just as weighty down the stretch- “Reawaken” features a riff that Iommi would be proud of and some guitar work that Mastodon might find a home for on any of their better work. “Life Breather” before it is versatile and deft in its mood swings. The aforementioned “Laniaka” is eleven minutes of schizophrenic and groovesome riffage. It's a tour de force ending to one of the best albums I have heard in 2018.
Barbarian Hermithave it; that intangible factor that makes this album like lightning in a bottle. “Solitude and Savagery” deserves serious attention and is undoubtedly one of the breakout releases of this year. These guys could really fly the flag for the UKunderground and reach the heights of Conan; as a singular band operating in a field of one. They'll spawn imitators, sure, but I know the real deal when I hear it. Superb.
Riffs? Huge and drilled into the listener's ears. Drums? Played with animalistic fervour and power. Bass? Distorted and maxed out. Solos? Wild and emotive. Vocals? Vicious and snarling. There is no let up, no backward step. There is only volume, aggression and power.
“Electric Messiah” CD//DD//2LP track listing:
1. Spewn From the Earth 2. Steps of the Ziggurat/House of Enlil 3. Electric Messiah 4. Sanctioned Annihilation 5. The Pallid Mask 6. God of the Godless 7. Freebooter 8. The Witch and the Christ 9. Drowning Dog
The Review:
At this point, High on Fire are nothing less than underground metal royalty. The ferocious power that the trio exude leads to inevitable Motorhead comparisons- not only that, but the comparisons are actually apt. With HOF you know what to expect and their records deliver what the fans want... even if the band has been developing and progressing from album to album.
Kurt Ballou returns as producer for the third time and the sound and performances are as mighty as we have come to expect. The opening speedball of “Spewn from the Earth” is what the band do best: balls to the wall, take your head off, axe wielding fury. Pike, Matz and Kense play fast, tight (but loose) and with so much fire. It's breathtaking stuff. The band can do epic just as well; “Steps of the Ziggurat/House of Enlil” is over nine minutes of very weighty sounds. It's tribal in its sound and focus, huge in sound and zealous in its pursuance of bludgeoning power- no matter which section of the track the band moves through. From there on, the scene is set and the band deliver an absolute tour de force of dirty, greasy rock n roll. The title track is feral, the second epic- “Sanctioned Annihilation”- is a brutal exercise in dynamics, endurance and volume.
Really, that is the key to High On Fire's appeal: they provide an almost alchemical sound in that they take the straightforward approach and push it to the max. Riffs? Huge and drilled into the listener's ears. Drums? Played with animalistic fervour and power. Bass? Distorted and maxed out. Solos? Wild and emotive. Vocals? Vicious and snarling. There is no let up, no backward step. There is only volume, aggression and power.
The second half of the album is no less powerful or masterful. There is some melody, on “The Pallad Mask”, for instance- but again the key here is the straightforward approach embodied in the likes of “God of the Godless”. You can feel the force of this stuff through the speakers; it's just elemental and percussive on every level. The band have honed their style and gone more metallic, perhaps, over the years and away from the stoner grooves of earlier works but this has only made them more effective. Just have a listen to “Freebooter” and name one band doing this type of thing at the same level.
The final two tracks both push over the six and a half minute mark and while “The Witch and the Christ” showcases the more rhythmic facets of the band's sound, it is still desperately heavy. “Drowning Dog” introduces an almost maudlin sound to the riffing before swinging like a baseball bat and provides an expert finish to this superbly vicious record.
“Electric Messiah” is certainly up there with the band's best work and further elevates Matt Pike's deity status within the scene. For my money, this knocks Pike's other band's release of this year into a neatly cocked hat. It's just so... adrenaline inducing. It reminds me of why I got into metal in the first place: unadulterated exhilaration. A tour de force, in every sense of the term.
Through six full-lengths and a number of live releases and EPs, HIGH ONFIRE are an unmistakable force in the realm of heavy metal, influencing many and attracting hordes of avid followers, some of which include many of the UK’s fast rising doom scene. Today we have invited a number of them to choose their favourite tracks from a band that has inspired others and attracted adulation from many more.Check out their choices below.HIGH ON FIRE are touring the UK in support of their new album 'Electric Messiah',
The art work for this album struck me immediately. Rotoscoped image of a warrior, pure animated Bakshi Lord of The Rings. Matt’s guitar tone, pure Matamp soupiness. Des’s drums like aeons of a mountain forming, compressed into hammer fall precision. This song is High on Fire a top a mountain, slaying hordes of undead, impossible levels of gore and blood streaming down their armour. TOTAL CARNAGE.
I was late to the party when discovering High on Fire (from now on to be written HOF) as my first taste of them was when I bought a copy of 2007’s “Death Is This Communion.” My sole reason for buying was based purely upon finding out that it was Matt Pike from Sleep’s other band. I was lucky enough to get a copy that had a ‘making of’ DVD. Watching the DVD and then listening to the record was enough to sell me. Riffs aside, I find myself attracted to the critical religious, conspiracy and fantastical theme of the song titles and lyrics. Being a fantasy and Sci-Fi fan, I loved the fantastical themed artwork and I’ve always imagined HOF as the Motorheadfor Tolkien fans.
My ‘Favourite’ track is, unsurprisingly, from “Death Is This Communion”. It’s the instrumental track “DII”. There’s a part in the making of DVD where you see HOF in the studio creating this song and I think this is a part of the reason as to why I enjoy it. It also it’s great because it has a great heavy riff, melodic solo and a great synth part that plays over the end of a track creating a great otherworldly sound. The tone, mood and vibe on this whole record is great and I think this song captures the feel of this record perfectly. Great instrumental track and an amazing record.
Love this tune due to its pure brutality and atmosphere it creates. Plus, epic PHAT bass. HOF’s use of fast power chord movement has certainly rubbed off on us somewhere. When I saw this band live about 12 years ago I was so high yet they totally destroyed my buzz by being so fucking brutal. I then got a boner instead, maybe it was because of Matt being topless… Don’t think I’ve ever had a weed boner before.
“Snakes for the Divine”is a song that for me is the essence of Matt Pike boiled down into eight and a half minutes of glorious riffery. It has quite possibly one of the best intros to a metal song of all time. When I hear those first chords ring out with that epic lick over the top I can’t help of that brilliant Pike quote from Such Hawks Such Hounds about heavy being about “pissed off and being a warlord.” You know you're about to be punched in the face with the riff to follow. This is warlording at its finest and you can just picture Pike taking his axe into battle. It’s one of those songs that makes you just wanna get loose in the same way that The Stooges’ Search and Destroy does. Raw fuckin power!!
I bought this album whilst stranded in Europe in 2010 when all flights were cancelled because of the ash cloud from the erupting volcano in Iceland and I ended up playing it on repeat due to it being the only cd I had with me for the hotel's cd player. I like the softness of the verses. Something High on Fire don't do much of is go soft but when they do they nail it, & this makes the heavy riff seem even heavier when it comes in. This track stands out for me because of the slower tempo compared to most of the other tracks on the album. I’d say its a good album to be stranded somewhere with.
The title track of High on Fire's fifth album was the first that really caught my attention and for that reason it will always be a stand out track for me. I was a fan of Sleep and had heard the name HOF but when the album received such critical acclaim in the press I decided to check the album out, and from the off you're greeted by this monster.
As soon as the epic, Maiden-on-steroids intro kicks in you're hooked in and dragged along for the ride as Pike and co blast through gritty thrash and thunderous groove territories. The guitar riffs and bass lines weave in and out of one another like the eponymous snakes in the title.
You'll definitely hear the influence of this and other Hire on Firetracks like it on our new album “Solitude and Savagery”, especially on songs like “Reawaken”.
With ‘And All Will Be Desolation’, Allfather appear to be poised to be the spiritual successor to Crowbar this generation needs and deserves. This is heavy music stripped of all pretenses, given to us to remind us that while innovation is important for forward progress, conviction and a deadly riff are all you really need.
‘And All Will Be Desolation’ CD//DD track listing:
1. Black Triangle
2. Citadels
3. Lord Betrayer
4. By Sword, By Famine, By Plague
5. Jackal's Night
6. Inherit The Dust
7. Lampedusa
The Review:
I’ve spent entirely too much time trying to figure out how exactly to categorize Allfather. There are elements of sludge, hardcore, doom, and even more besides in play here. But at a certain point, I came to realize that none of that really matters. What matters is that Allfather, and their new album ‘And All Will Be Desolation’ are rotten with riffs, and catchy ones at that.
With the possible exception of the album’s opening clean guitar passage, every moment of this album is spent wringing every last ounce of gut-wrenching vitriol out each new riff. ‘And All Will Be Desolation’ strength is in its simplicity. Nothing gets in the way of immediacy and impact. Each of these songs is clearly communicated; its language is universal. These are the kinds of stomping, thrashing, hammering songs that cemented my love of heavy metal in the 90s. The music here is incredibly earnest, shouting from the rooftops an unabashed love of anything and everything heavy.
The emphasis on groove here can’t be overstated. Everybody in Allfatheris working overtime to make sure you feel the weight of each and every crunch, every downbeat; the conviction behind these songs is so devastatingly present that it practically radiates from the speakers. Even the guitars feel like they’re a part of the rhythm section at times, with so many of the album’s highlights built around heavy palm muting and deep pockets of groove. Whether it’s something thrashier, like “Citadels” where the grove takes on a similar feel to that of some of High On Fire’s faster songs, or the brilliantly melodic swing of “Inherit The Dust”, rhythm is the crux of Allfather’s sound.
As strong as the album is collectively, “By Sword, By Famine, By Plague” is the band’s best song to date. The opening riff wields both a massive hook and a menacing atmosphere, eventually giving way to a devastatingly simple but powerful palm muted section that’s bound to snap a neck or two live. The second half of the song is loaded with sludgy swing, building to a massive climax where a scintillating guitar solo takes center stage. The song is a fucking journey, with its closing moments dedicated to a swampy southern crawl, and the perfect end to one of the year’s better songs.
With ‘And All Will Be Desolation’, Allfatherappear to be poised to be the spiritual successor to Crowbar this generation needs and deserves. This is heavy music stripped of all pretense, given to us to remind us that while innovation is important for forward progress, conviction and a deadly riff are all you really need.
The foremost disciples of tone are back with this superbly titled fourth full length studio record. Ever since “Horseback Battle Hammer”, Conanhave carved out their own niche and become hugely influential in doing so. Amp and pedal worship was never the same after these guys, but really it is the music that matters here. Conan have done the almost impossible and become a kind of Iron Maiden-esque entity within the doom scene. They don't sound like anyone else, have their own unique artwork, tour endlessly and write about things their audience is interested in. They are unique and whilst being labelled “doom” they operate in a field of one.
Opener “Prosper On The Path” is massive in sound, the contrasted vocals of Jon Davis and Chris Fielding work superbly and the drum sound is absolutely immense- the playing of Johnny King also deserves mention as it has slotted right in with the band and added an extra dimension to their sound. Conanwork their magic by weaving soundscapes and moods rather than catchy tunes. It's riff worship, it's “the sound” but despite all their success (and what is effectively brand identity), they won't be troubling the radio airwaves anytime soon. Provided this is no problem for you, then the likes of “Eye to Eye to Eye” will bludgeon you effectively and introduce no small amount of time changes into the bargain. The throwaway grind of “Paincantation”is a huge departure, but only a brief one. The rest of the album takes things back to low and slow territory- with fast bits, of course- that have been part of the sub-genre since Sabbath.
Interestingly, there is nothing that extends beyond seven minutes here and of the seven tracks, perhaps “Amidst The Infinite” feels epic- but is not necessarily so. Certainly, the tempos are low and the riffs are creeping horrors in places. Chris Fielding has excelled himself with the production; it really is fantastic. It is Conan's best sounding record, which is saying something as they have all been sonic terrors. It is as huge as “Blood Eagle” and “Revengeance” but with more clarity and power.
Advance single “Volt Thrower” is the most immediate track on here, with its off kilter rhythms and head nodding groove, finding the band sounding almost like High on Fire and is a great track. It's vicious as well as huge. “Vexxagon”is similarly insistent and swinging and again shows Conan to be more catchy than you might have expected. Truly, this is headbanging stuff.
Just like that, the beastly bass groove of “Eternal Silent Legend” ushers in the last track on the record. Only seven tracks, but is there any need for more? For me, a little of Conan can go a long way; six tracks proper is about right. The live bonuses are well performed and sound fantastic- but they are superfluous to requirements and are just cool to hear/nice to have as add ons... come to think of it, they are quite literally bonuses!
All fans will have their favourite Conan album. For me, it is “Blood Eagle” and “Existential Void Guardian” has not changed that so far. It is a close second, I'll say that. I prefer this to both “Monnos” and “Revengeance” as it shows the band doing what they do best. If anyone wanted to hear Conan for the first time, I could not argue with directing them to this masterful work. I am enjoying the record hugely; I'm reviewing this after buying the CD. I heard the stream, liked it and wanted to own it. I'm glad I did, as Conan need all our support if heavy music is to press on effectively. We need leaders as well as followers. They have become standard bearers of sorts and even if you don't like them... you know them when you hear them. Such is their power and the source of appeal. They have “something” and have managed to capture that “something” in the studio again. No mean feat.
How the hell do you approach a release like this? Any Sleep fan had been hoping, expecting, waiting for a full-length to follow up the band-disintegrating opus “Dopesmoker”. Even after original drummer Chris Hakius departed amicably after a series of reunion dates in 2009, there was hope of things to come. The immediate live participation of Neurosis stalwart Jason Roeder, the sporadic trickle of new output like “The Clarity” single in 2014, and the ascension to “elder statesmen of metal” status of Matt Pike and Al Cisneros made some monumental future output all but certain. And in a particularly keen bit of stoner humor, the trio dropped “The Sciences” on, of course, 4/20. I actually feel pretty bad for anyone else dropping their own passion projects on a date that Sleep practically owns. And beyond the particular bit of gimmicky scheduling, “The Sciences” is as appropriate a paean to smoke altered consciousness as stoner metal worshipers could have hoped for.
The introductory title jam is a wall of savage, droning fuzz. It’s chaotic, gut churning, and LOUD even through a pair of earbuds. Like a bongrip as rocket launch, the brief number propels into “Marijuanaut’s Theme”. Cisneros’ bass tone and subtle variations is a welcome counter to Matt Pike’s signature MONSTER playing, and his brief solo breaks are invigorating. Each speaker is palpable in Pike’s riffing, but he’s distinctly not hijacking as a repository for High on Fire castoffs, or vice versa. His style with Sleep is looser and dirtier, less Fast Eddie Clarke and more Tony Iommi. His ability to simultaneously melt faces in two distinct outfits should never be discounted, but here, with less autonomy, his soloing shows a joyfulness that you don’t often get in the gritty, paranoid shredding of the most recent High on Fire albums. And, from a production standpoint, this is completely beholden to power trio methods – when Matt shreds, there may be multitracked lead freakouts, but there are no rhythm guitar overdubs. The whole thing could be pulled off live and sound just as full as the record.
“Sonic Titan” is one of those long fermenting cuts that first saw life decades ago, appearing as a rough cut on the Tee Pee issue of the (still incomplete) “Dopesmoker” in 2003. Anyone professing that the “original” is better, is likely trying way too hard. This is a honed, heavy, beefed up track. Plus, Sleep is all about that positively pornographic tone, and while the “Dopesmoker” outtake has a raw appeal, the warmth and fuzz crackling across my speakers is perfect. Plus, this may be my favorite use of bass wah post-Sabbath. In my brief scrolls through social media, Al Cisneros’ peculiar vocal delivery seems to be a divisive issue: for those who followed Om, Al’s style is not surprising, perhaps a trademark, and even beloved. For others, the flat affect is confounding. I’m of two minds here – sometimes it sounds like the vocals are just a little too high in the mix, but I also really love distinctive vocal cadences. To hear Cisneros fronting Sleep is a joy – and the register of his chants on “Sonic Titan” is a welcome departure from the strained yelp of the earlier, live cut of the long gestating song.
“Antarcticans Thawed”, a Lovecraftian epic with shades of spaghetti western in the opening, is the best track, and features Al’s best, most intense vocal performance on the record. In comparison, “Giza Butler” is a bit too restrained. It sneers but never snarls, though the riffs and mystical cannabinoid is a damned bit of fun that should be adapted into its own issue of Heavy Metal (the fantasy mag, not the genre). And if “Giza…”transports us to outer rim planets of continental nugs, the sweet, acoustic denouement of “The Botanist” is an instrumental sendoff that brings the most bleary eyed listener back to equilibrium.
So can it possibly live up to the hype? Honestly, what could? This is not “Dopesmoker” part 2, or even a follow-up to “Holy Mountain”. But even though this is heralded as a comeback record, it’s really a new permutation of the gestating giant. From the first crashes and fills, Jason Roeder establishes his own identity as a new element of Sleep. Whether here or with Neurosis, he’s a titan of the kit. He, thankfully, doesn’t ape Hakius’ beloved style – peppered with idiosyncratic snare work and warped cymbal crashes. In reality, anyone doing a “Hakius v. Roeder” rundown is playing a fool’s game: they stand not so much in opposition as distinctly powerful eras of Sleep – the playful, Loki style playing of Hakius and the muscular, Thor on drums mastery of Roeder.
So it’s a bit of a cheat – Sleep but not the Sleep you expected. But in the course of 6 prog-infused stoner metal jams, Cisneros, Pike and Roeder earn all the goodwill they garnered in the post-“Dopesmoker”wilderness. If anything, their well honed prowess outmatches any expectations. Wherever “The Sciences” is ranked in the Sleep discography, it stands as a testament to a band who had to wait nearly 20 years for the critical and music-buying public to catch up. Or, more aptly to spark up, sit down, and thrust themselves into the hazy riff worship they’ve been peddling longer than nearly anyone still relevant in the metal game.
For those of you who long for the days of “Blessed Black Wings” era High on Fire, this record is the perfect trip down memory-lane. If you dig thick and dirty riffs, you’ll dig Pale Mare.
“Pale Mare EP” CS//DD track listing:
1). Descolada
2). Carthage
3). Hoplite
The Review:
Toronto’s Pale Marehas finally released their long awaited self-titled EP. After making a name for themselves locally opening for acts such as Windhandand Weedeater, Pale Marehave unleashed their well-honed brand of sludge metal. For those of you who long for the days of “Blessed Black Wings” era High on Fire, this record is the perfect trip down memory-lane.
The EP comes out of the gate swinging with “Descolada”; a song built upon a heavy riff that would make Matt Pike smile. Where Pale Marebreak from the pack, however, is this jazz break they’ve fused into the middle of the song. The clean shimmering guitar chords and wah-tinged bass give them a nuisance and balance not often found in riff-driven music.
“Carthage” is a straight out banger that page homage to early BaronessEP’s “First” and “Second” while adding their own twists. Luke Roberts’ drum fills on this track are particularly jaw-dropping. Given the fact that he is also the guitarist and main creative force behind Ayahuasca, it begs the question “Is there anything Luke Roberts can’t do?”.
The albums closer “Hoplite” is continuation of all these elements mashed together in one riff-crammed magnum opus. Pale Mareis a throwback to the hey-day of the Savannah sludge metal of the early 2000s, only with a twist. If you dig thick and dirty riffs, you’ll dig Pale Mare.
This self-titled debut is an impressive debut, possessing a musical style that is extensive, manifesting decibels of subliminally-composed heavy fuzz and thrashing resonances inspired by a myriad of names such as Mastodon, High on Fire, and Baroness
“Somnuri” DD//LP track Listing:
01. Kaizen
02. Inhabitant
03. Same Skies
04. Slow Burn
05. Opaque
06. Welcome The Stranger
07. Pulling Teeth
08. Through The Dead
The Review:
Up-and-coming stoner/sludge/doom metal/progressive trio from Brooklyn, Somnuri, consisting of members of Blackout, Hull, and Family, they are formidably manifesting decibels of subliminally-composed heavy fuzz and thrashing resonances inspired by a myriad of names such as Mastodon, High on Fire, and Baroness. There definitely is diverse elements that can be found in their style— be it a convergence of black metal, sludge, math rock, progressive post-metal, you name it. As a result, they successfully manage to present a profound variety of paces, rhythms, and vocal ranges. They are the kind of band that would not hesitate to solicit influences from an extensive range of references in order to evolve as their own kind of authenticity. I personally don’t think that they suit only one single mundane classification of genre; they branch out in the most proficient way ever possible. They have done an awesome job of presenting how their elements can be ethereal but also belligerent at the same time-- their style is like a conundrum. It’s interesting to find trails of black metal-inspired growls in a sludge content that can be found in some tracks, as well.
The first track, “Kaizen”, is an atmospheric tune that appears to be strong on stoner elements and features a slow-paced outro which contrasts to the fast and upbeat beginning of the song. Hereafter, there comes “Inhabitant” with a blistering nuance and black metal-inspired funereal distortion. The next track “Same Skies” is in a more rapid pace than the previous two tracks, intensified by its chaotic drumbeats, and it mainly contains sonorous growls. “Slow Burn” is a droning, fuzzed-out track with prepossessing riffs and a well-crafted combination between growls and clean vocals. “Opaque” happens to be a short track that comes off as tranquil and clandestine. “Welcome the Stranger” has some circle pit-inducing malignant vibes that would trigger you to stage-dive and mosh. Next off we have “Pulling Teeth” and its convoluting riffs of the damned. The last track “Through the Dead” is a rhythmic, ethereal take on stoner that closes the album as the longest track.
This self-titled debut is an impressive debut, possessing a musical style that is extensive and not chained to one certain sphere only. It has a lot of scenes and roots implemented in its content, and it’s such a good start for them.
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