ALBUM REVIEW: Lumbar, "The First And Last Days Of Unwelcome" Reissue

By: Matt Fitton

Album Type: Full Length

Originally Released: 12/11/2013 
Resissue: 11/01/2019

Label: Southern Lord Recordings | 
Argonauta Records | Anima Recordings

 

“The First and Last Days of Unwelcome” is just a big ol' stick of Doom. If you cut it in half it would not only thank you, but it would actually say 'D-O-O-M' in giant letters down the middle. Killer riffs slower than the expansion of the sun, soaking wet with amp fuzz down tuned to -11. Harrowing and perfect in every single way”

“The First and Last Days of Unwelcome” CD//CS//DD//LP track listing:

1. Day One (05:04)

2. Day Two (02:58)

3. Day Three (02:24)

4. Day Four (02:26)

5. Day Five (02:07)

6. Day Six (05:02)

7. Day Seven (04:45)

The Review:

Lumbar is a Doom expression by three friends from the US Northwest, all of them fairly revered within their sonic circles. A project that consists of Yob's Mike Scheidt, Tad Doyle from Brothers of the Sonic Cloth and Aaron Edge (of one time Himsa). 'The First and Last Days of Unwelcome' is not only a cosmic event of grand proportions (i.e. VERY good), it also serves as a one-off snap shot of a place and time.

Lumbar has unfortunately been sidelined to just a studio project, due to the fact that Edge (who played all the music on the recording) has been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and would be unable to play a musical instrument live as a consequence. Sad as this may be, it appears that you cannot keep a good man down and Edge is already formulating a new heavy endeavour in Portland for which he will be providing the vocals. We do, of course, wish him the absolute best. A good way to do this is to convey just how great this album truly is.

'The First and Last Days of Unwelcome' is seven tracks long, and numbered as days. I wish this album actually did last a week, but bucking recent Doom and Sludge trends the 7 tracks amount to 24 minutes of bite-size gold. As much as this noise fiend loves a marathon, I also like more done with less. And there is so much on offer here.

'Day One' is instant satisfaction. Scheidt's classic holler is pure Doom delight, and the music keeps up too. Beautifully morose waves of fuzz wash over you, and you realise that you're in riff country, where the real flavour lives. The bass wobbles, and the drums crash, both of them in a death grip. As if anything else was expected at all.

'Day Two' is another sullen delight. The atmospherics in the background are faint yet intricate, and when the heavy rolls in it does not disappoint. Pretty much void of any hope or light, and you would not want it any other way.

'Day Four' is just rolling crush to begin, like a rolling pin from the left hand of death. And then it becomes all wistful and echoing at the mid-point, which is tremendous. You constantly forget about the relative brevity of these tracks, due to the sheer variation that is on display at times.

Best in show goes to 'Day Six', for just being a big ol' stick of Doom. If you cut it in half it would not only thank you, but it would actually say 'D-O-O-M' in giant letters down the middle. Killer riffs slower than the expansion of the sun, soaking wet with amp fuzz down tuned to -11. Harrowing and perfect in every single way. Edge really outdid himself throughout this thing, and it serves as a fitting testament to his playing if he never manages to commit another Lumbarrecording to tape.

This is real Album of the Year contender stuff  and 'The First and Last Days of Unwelcome' could not be more of a welcome spectacle.

“The First and Last Days of Unwelcome” is available digitally & on cassette  here. LP & CD is available here

Band info: Facebook

TRACK PREMIERE: Bible Black Tyrant deliver sonic oppression with "Wilderness of Steel and Stone"

By: Aaron Pickford

There is a great deal of division when the topic of the royal family is discussed.  Some people feel it it’s part of our rich heritage  and an establishment we should be proud of, indeed without it, the economy of this country would suffer a great deal without the tourism they bring and yet others, feel that the very idea of another person bending the knee in the presence of royalty as absurd and demeaning, after all we’re all equal.  You may be asking what the fuck has this to do with doom, but bear with me.  The Royal Warrant is regarded as the ultimate seal of approval and appears on a number of popular food and drink products, to certify quality and so when we’re thinking doom releases, I’m thinking there should also be Royal Warrant, only the monarch of this Royal Warrant would be certificated with the seal of approval by the hand of doom himself Toni Iommi, and the first of the new releases of 2018 to be inducted is BIBLE BLACK TYRANT. 

An oppressive and suffocating sonic endeavour that features Tyler Smith, Aaron D.C. Edge and David S. Fylstra (members of Eagle Twin, Lumbar, KVØID), BIBLE BLACK TYRANT are set to debut their majestic doom debut entitled "Regret Beyond Death" on 16^th February 2018 via Argonauta Records, an album of such crushing density, it resembles the method of torture known as Peine forte et dure,  in which a defendant who refused to plead ("stood mute") would be subjected to having heavier and heavier stones placed upon his or her chest until a plea was entered or until they died.  So sit back, bite your tongue and prepare to be crushed as we debut all 11min s of the track “Wilderness of Steel and Stone”.  Failure to enter your plea, results in death.  Preorders are being taken here

 Band info: facebook