ALBUM REVIEW: Great Falls, "A Sense Of Rest"

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 21/12/2018

Label: Corpse Flower Records |

Throatruiner Records |

Init Records

 

…the band have expanded their sonic horizons to cover new levels of punishing heaviness.  Jagged shards of damaged post-hardcore now give way to crushing low-end riffs like a collision between KEN Mode and “Remission” era Mastodon

 

“A Sense Of Rest” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. The Accelerationist
2. Not-For-Sale Bodies
3. Kettle Logic
4. We Speak In Lowercase
5. Thousands Every Hour
6. Baldessari Height
7. I Go To Glory
8. Scratched Off The Canvas

The Review:

Great Falls decided to throw Album of 2018 lists into disarray with the late December release of the monstrous “A Sense Of Rest”. The Seattle trios last LP “The Fever Shed” was a taut thirty minutes of barbed noise rock fury. In the three years since its release, the band have taken their furious back catalogue as a foundation and crafted an expansive beast of an album.

“The Accelerationist” wastes no time introducing the listener to Great Falls in full flow with an onslaught of razor sharp guitar, pounding drums and churning bass. It soon becomes apparent that the band have expanded their sonic horizons to cover new levels of punishing heaviness.  Jagged shards of damaged post-hardcore now give way to crushing low-end riffs like a collision between KEN Mode and “Remission” era Mastodon. “Not-For-Sale Bodies” continues the barrage, culminating in a lumbering finale that demonstrates how much weightier “A Sense Of Rest” is compared to previous offerings. 

The highlight here is the monumental fifteen minute centrepiece, “We Speak In Lowercase”. It feels simultaneously like Great Fallsunleashing all they have achieved to this point in one slow-burning epic and a huge leap into the unknown. The opening sections are unexpectedly melodic, delivered with a restraint and vulnerability that bring to mind Kowloon Walled City's amazing “Grievances” LP. Demian Johnston's vocals are at their most affecting here, from an exposed despairing howl at the beginning of the track building to an imploring scream at its climax. As the band dynamics move between quiet and loud, the tempos shift accordingly leading to a stirring slow-motion coda of shimmering reverb-heavy distortion.

It's as if Great Fallsanticipated the state of awe the mind-expanding “We Speak In Lowercase” would leave the listener in by following it with “Thousands Every Hour”. The opening minute or so of screeching feedback followed by a skipped groove, one chord riff brings you back down to earth with a dose of punk rock urgency.

“A Sense Of Rest” is an incredible release from Great Falls. A perfect blend of ragged noise rock, devastating riffs, dark melody and ambitious songwriting, this LP should earn them some well-deserved attention.  

“A Sense Of Rest” is available (LP USA) HERE, (LP Europe) HERE and CD HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

WOORMS sign to Sludgelord Records! – Premiere New Song ‘Stiff Upper Lisp’, Vinyl Pre-Order Announcement and Artwork Reveal for debut "Slake"

Fresh from a string of exciting new additions to our roster of bands over at SLUDGELORD RECORDS, the aim of which is to release the best & heaviest riffs from the underground doom scene, an opportunity presented itself, that was just too cool to miss.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think the label would release more than one record, let alone, make today’s announcement of an exciting new addition to the label, which will represent the 19^thnew band to come on board to THE SLUDGEORD roster.  Guys we’re stoked to welcome WOORMS.

Formed in 2017 in Louisiana, WOORMS – featuring guitarist/vocalist Joey Carbo, bassist John Robinson, and drummer Aaron Polk – are something of a sleeping colossus. Based in Baton Rouge, the band has been delivering a devastating and brutal mélange of riffs and noise-rock righteousness on the precipice of significance for some time.

Despite only being a year or so into their sonic existence WOORMShave already racked up a number of releases; a collection of demos, digital one-offs (‘Daddy Was A Masker,’ 'The Math Says, Yes') and a split with NOLA thrashers, A Hanging.

Looking for a new partnership to assist with the promotion of their debut album, SLUDGELORD RECORDS & WOORMS are now set to deliver the colossus that is "Slake" set for  its official release on January 18th 2019. Two cuts from the record have already caused a stir with ‘Mouth is a Wound’ premiering at Decibel Magazine and a second track 'Find a Meal, Find a Bed, Find a God' , which for all intents and purposes is the perfect introduction to the band.

WOORMS come across like a lumbering, symphonic noise-rock shank fight between the fattest of riffs and the thinnest of patience with the world at large. Making for a devastatingly terse and perverse experience, from the pinnacle to the point of no return, their new record "Slake" falls psychotically through the fuzz and unholy grind of bands like KARP, Jesus Lizard and Neurosis

"Slake"will be released digitally and on limited colour vinyl with full Colour gatefold sleeve and today  as well as the announcement of this massive partnership, we are premiering a new track ‘Stiff Upper Lisp’ and artwork reveal of the album (by Victor LeBlanc) , both of which you can check out below.  Preorders are also live HERE and Joey Carbo shares his views about the “Slake” artwork

The album as an entire package has always been very important to all of us. Obviously, as musicians we take our record collections very seriously. Because, it’s your work and your research as well as being art that you consume, you know? So, when I’m putting out a record the art is half the process. It all has to be presented just right or the vision may not translate. Fold out jackets and liner notes were huge to me, growing up, and to my education. I poured over those as a kid and I still do that. When I saw Victor’s work, I didn’t want another artist for this album. This painting was perfect, and I could hear the main track playing over or out of it. He took some convincing and I got that. Initially, he said no. I asked if I could try to change his mind. We met, and I talked to him about “Find a Meal, Find a Bed, Find a God” and why I thought it made his work a great fit. He had heard our music and liked it well enough or whatever, I guess, but didn’t think it was a fit for his piece. I said, let me show you this new song; it’s the reason we need this painting. Joshua M. Wilkinson at The Company did the layout and design work and we were really lucky to have him on board, and Diogo Soares at Soares Artwork in Portugal did illustrations for the inner sleeve and liner notes. We had a fucking dream team for the art on this album and that is what fans can expect for every WOORMS release. We want to put out really pretty records that crush ears and take ass. Or is it the other way ‘round?” 

Band info: Bandcamp || Facebook || Web || Instagram

ALBUM REVIEW: Daughters, “You Won’t Get What You Want”

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 26/10/2018

Label: Ipecac Recordings

Daughters are making noise rock that sounds like it has been beamed back to the present from a million years in the future. "You Won't Get What You Want" is an incredible album that casually destroys all peers and reminds everyone who is in charge.

“You Won’t Get What You Want” CD//DD//2LP track listing:

1. City Song
2. Long Road No Turns
3. Satan In The Wait
4. The Flammable Man
5. The Lords Song
6. Less Sex
7. Daughter
8. The Reason They Hate Me
9. Ocean Song
10. Guest House

The Review:

The mere existence of a new LP from notorious Rhode Island miscreants Daughters in 2018 is cause for celebration. The fact that "You Won't Get What You Want" is the quartet's first album since 2010 yet somehow manages to continue the band's wildly chaotic tradition of reinvention and innovation is nothing short of a miracle. 

The record kicks off deep in alien territory with the unsettling claustrophobia of "City Song". The ominous thud of sparse drums, a wash of crackling low-end fuzz and Alexis Marshall's spooked drawl combine to create an air of inescapable anxiety that sounds more like “Liars”than anything from the Hydra Head catalogue. As the dread builds, guitars create a sharp, piercing squall akin to being attacked with a dentist's drill. It's devastating start to a wild and tense ride through constantly shifting sonic terrain. 

Following this storming entrance it's obvious that Daughters have maintained their uncompromising approach but found new ways to torment the listener. "Ocean Song" takes the template of "City Song"and draws it out into a relentless pound that builds in volume in intensity to its savage conclusion. The dustbowl twang of "Daughter" builds up to a climax of twinkling synths that could almost be described as pretty while "Satan In The Wait" manages to combine uneasy tension with bursts of hypnotic melody.

Every track on "You Won't Get What You Want" seems to demonstrate that Daughters have an almost bottomless pit of inspiration to draw upon. Even songs like the weirdly funky "Less Sex" which sounds like sinister minimal r'n'b being mauled by HEALTH work and feel totally at home on this record next to the more gnarly, frenetic moments. "The Flammable Man" is a whirlwind two minute reminder of the bands hyperactive past while the menacing churn of "Long Road No Turns" acts as the conduit from their back catalogue to their current incarnation. "The Lords Song" and "The Reason They Hate Me"even come close to resembling something like conventional punk rock, albeit a queasy, shambling repetitive thrash like Pissed Jeans at their most unkempt.

There are many bands out there making noise rock that take influence from the past and bend it into weird new forms. Daughters are making noise rock that sounds like it has been beamed back to the present from a million years in the future. "You Won't Get What You Want"is an incredible album that casually destroys all peers and reminds everyone who is in charge.

“You Won’t Get What You Want” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: KEN mode, "Loved"

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 31/08/2018

Label: Season of Mist |

New Damage Records

Few records will match the sheer rage and intensity of “Loved” this year. Almost 20 years into their existence, KEN mode have released their finest work that sets the bar for riff-heavy noise rock in 2018.

“Loved” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Doesn't Feel Pain Like He Should

2. The Illusion Of Dignity

3. Feathers & Lips

4. Learning To Be Too Cold

5. Not Soulmates

6. Very Small Men

7. This Is A Love Test

8. Fractures In Adults

9. No Gentle Art

The Review:

Winnipeg trio KEN mode make a welcome return with new LP “Loved”. It is by far the nastiest entry in their impressive body of work and all the better for it.

The album screams into life with “Doesn’t Feel Pain Like He Should”, a feral burst of sludged up noise rock that sounds like Unsane plugged into the mains. KEN mode have always dealt in a potent blend of churning low-end rumble, razor wire guitar lines and frantic vocals but they have never sounded as livid and visceral as they do on “Loved”. “The Illusion Of Dignity” continues the carnage, this time raising the intensity levels with furious squalls of saxophone at the track’s climax. Somehow the band manage to maintain this frightening level of ferocity through “Not Soulmates” and “Very Small Men” while introducing some touches of Botch style math rock into the fray.

“This Is A Love Test” provides some welcome respite with passages of quiet restrained menace bolstered by more saxophone, this time providing unsettling melody. These periods of calm only serve to emphasise the abrasive attack when the band kick back into high gear.

After eight tracks of seething rage, KEN mode somehow manage to save their hardest hitting track for last. “No Gentle Art” is a masterclass in slow-burn build and release dynamics, rising from a barely audible bass pulse and muttered threats into an utterly devastating one chord onslaught riddled with screams, feedback and wild saxophone noise. The music is the perfect match for Jesse Matthewson’s repeated howls of “STOP GIVING ME HOPE”, the sound of all dreams being ground into dust.    

Few records will match the sheer rage and intensity of “Loved” this year. Almost 20 years into their existence, KEN mode have released their finest work that sets the bar for riff-heavy noise rock in 2018.

“Loved” is available to preorder/buy here& here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM PREMIERE: Brighton's Herd Mover deliver a thousand fists of hate on “Vol. 3: Section 59's”

Following up last year's “Vol. 2: Rural Banishment”, Herd Mover return with Vol. 3: Section 59, a polished take on their rough around the edges noise-rock/doom.  Merging the grindcore of Pig Destroyer and Faminewith the noise rock of acts such as Shellac and The Jesus Lizard, Herd Mover'sunrelenting flurry is intentionally demanding yet direct and very much to the point. Adding a further layer of grit, Zak Duffield's primal vocalisations add a complimentary mid-tone to the low end of Jake Burgess and Sam Evans, rounding off the trio's bastardised sound.

No nonsense and to the point, “Vol. 3: Section 59's”5 tracks sit at just over 10 minutes, with riffs scattered throughout in handfuls, either in developed sections or at 90mph – nothing is done in half measures. Herd Mover's take on genre bending doesn't waste any time. Set for release on Friday 6^th July 2018 via Astral Noize Records, the label that brought us the stunning debut from new SLUDGELORD favourites Aerosol Jesus, now we can add Herd Moverthat list and today we’re debuting their gnarly a fuck new EP in full.  You can check  it out below.  

Band info: facebook|| bandcamp

EXCLUSIVE STREAM & REVIEW: Aerosol Jesus bring the heavy underground to its knees with debut "Failure"

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 28/04/2018

Label: Astral Noize Records

Imagine the bludgeoning weight of Old Man Gloom and Sumac engulfed by a wave of thick, dirty noise and you have a good idea of the oppressive atmosphere Aerosol Jesus create.

“Failure” CS//DD track listing:

1). Legacy

2). Here is not here

3). The Inbetween

4). Lurch Leech Grasp

The Review:

Right from the first filthy, earth-shaking chord it is clear that Aerosol Jesus’ debut EP is something very special. “Failure” consists of just four tracks but this is enough to demonstrate the frightening power of this Brighton quintet.

The ominous introduction of “Legacy” builds tension with a funereal drum beat and distant squeals of feedback. When the band fully kicks in, the impact is devastating. Imagine the bludgeoning weight of Old Man Gloom and Sumacengulfed by a wave of thick, dirty noise and you have a good idea of the oppressive atmosphere Aerosol Jesus create. Sections of pummelling sludge give way to outbreaks of scratchy black metal that elevate the track into epic yet still dark territory.

Throughout the EP the music is a perfect match for the bleak despondency of the lyrics. The most spine-tingling example of this is when the slow-burning restraint of “The Inbetween” erupts into a huge lament of “Standing on the edge of life and death”. “Lurch Leech Grasp” closes proceedings with a lumbering, queasy doom riff that squeezes maximum despair from every note. The treacly tempo is punctuated by an outburst of horrible noise rock riffage that highlights Aerosol Jesus’talent to bring a level of nastiness to their sludge that few can match.

It is rare to hear a band so fully formed on their first release. If “Failure” is anything to go by, Aerosol Jesus are set to bring the heavy underground to its knees.  

“Failure”is available here

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Will Haven, "Muerte"

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 23/03/2018

Label: Minus Head Records

 “Muerte” is a glorious affirmation of Will Haven's greatness and raises the bar for heavy music in 2018, an awesome awe inspiring achievement for a band 23 years into their existence.

“Muerte” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Hewed With the Brand
2. Winds of Change
3. Kinney
4. The Son
5. 43
6. No Escape (feat. Mike Scheidt of YOB)
7. Unit K
8. Ladwig No. 949
9. Bootstraps
10. Now in the Ashes
11. El Sol (feat. Stephen Carpenter)

The Review:

Hopes of heavy veterans returning with an album that rivals their finest early work are rarely realised. Sacramento hellraisers Will Havengave a timely reminder of their potent racket on 2011 LP “Voir Dire”. After a lengthy break the band now return with the awe-inspiring “Muerte”, a massive record that gives “Carpe Diem” a run for its money as their finest hour.

The quiet ambience of “Hewed With The Brand” is soon shattered by Grady Avenell’s glass gargling bark which heralds an earth-shaking explosion of riffage. Straight away the band lock into their trademark staccato assault, sounding bigger, heavier and uglier than ever before. The material here strikes a perfect balance between maintaining Will Haven’s crushing sonic palette while adding new layers of songwriting complexity. Will Haven have always had a penchant for hypnotic, effects-heavy interludes of calm in amongst the mayhem but now these sections have been incorporated into more challenging, dynamic compositions like “The Son” and “Now In The Ashes”. Key to this epic, immersive sound is the more prominent use of keyboards. When they were first introduced on “Voir Dire” they added a welcome subtle texture to the bands rumbling sludge. Now they have evolved into an all-encompassing wash of ethereal noise that lends these tracks a rich, unique atmosphere.  

“No Escape” provides a powerful centrepiece to the album bolstered by a stunning guest vocal performance by YOB’s Mike Scheidt. A typically brutal lumbering explodes into a slow-motion lament with Scheidt’s timeless croon really hammering home the emotion. The melancholic doom of the outro is strangely beautiful with wordless howls conveying an aching sadness.

Deftones’ Stephen Carpenter joins the fray for the massive finale of “El Sol”. This track is a perfect celebration of the friendship between these two hugely influential bands and demonstration of what both are capable of at the peak of their powers.

The possibility of Will Haven delivering one of the albums of 2018 seemed minimal at the start of the year. “Muerte” is a glorious affirmation of their greatness and raises the bar for heavy music in 2018, an awesome achievement for a band 23 years into their existence.

“Muerte”is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Marriage + Cancer - "Marriage + Cancer"

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 09/02/2018

Label:  Self Sabotage Records

Jagged shards of searing guitar coupled with pleasantly deranged vocals, makes for an album full of obnoxious noise and simmering potential.

“Marriage + Cancer” DD//LP track listing:

01. Command + Comply

02. God is Tan

03. Honor, On Our Knees

04. Headache

05. Six Feet + a Box

06. Flora + Fauna

07. Gound

08. Thirteen Stairs

09. View From a Cross

The Review:

Right from the opening seconds of Marriage + Cancer’s debut LP it seems that the band are no strangers to the Jesus Lizard’s back catalogue. While the Portland quartet may not be breaking any musical boundaries their distinct take on the noise rock giants of the past is a compelling racket.

“Command And Comply” begins with the bands rock-solid rhythm section laying down the kind of insistent rumble that invites carnage to follow. Jagged shards of searing guitar soon join the fray along with pleasantly deranged vocals riddled with an off-kilter queasiness. Marriage + Cancer’s sound is classic noise rock infused with the breathless post-hardcore of Drive Like Jehu but delivered in a sludgy, nasty style all of their own. “Headache” finds the band at their heaviest and most pummelling while “Gound” is like a twisted fusion of Hot Snakes and Sonic Youth.

The highlight of the album comes when Marriage + Cancer move away from driving punk rock territory and explore slower tempos. “God Is Tan” begins as a sickly, drunken lurch that steadily builds in spite and intensity into a furious cacophony of serrated guitar squall. The second half of album closer “View from a Cross”also benefits from a similar shift in volume and dynamics when it drops down to taut, spacious chords before launching into a raging climax. These passages of brooding menace heighten the impact of the glorious mayhem that surrounds them and it would be interesting to see the band develop this aspect of their sound on future releases.

Marriage + Cancer’s self-titled debut captures the raw power of a band in its formative stages, full of obnoxious noise and simmering potential.  

“Marriage + Cancer” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

SATAN'S DOZEN: 13 Unearthly Hymns Unearthed #6 (January 2018)

Compiled by: Andrei Moose

Artwork by: Josh Mashesh

SATAN’S DOZEN is THE SLUDGELORD’s attempt to present the very best music the underground scene has to offer and whilst we’d love to review every band submission we receive, not to mention the countless recommendations you send our way, in practical terms that is just not possible.  Therefore because we don’t want killer music to pass you by, each and every month our member of the Russian chapeter Andrei Moose  painstakingly sifts through the music labelled  killer  riffs” and chooses 13 of the best new albums released via bandcamp and bundles them together into the mightiest riff sandwich.

Whilst all the albums we have included below are top tier stuff, we have compiled them into a chart on a sliding scale of 13-1. So we hope you dig our selections for January 2018 and enjoy 13 Unearthly Hymns Unearthed.  

These bands need more exposure, so go “like” “share” and “follow” their pages, but most of all enjoy some of the best music the underground has to offer.  THE SLUDGELORD most sincerely approves.   Now, go heavy or go home.

13) Sons Of Nibiru – “Hellspirit” (Rzeszow, Poland), Released December 16, 2017

Psychedelic / Stoner-Doom

   
12) Borgonaut – “Borgonaut”EP (Trieste, Italy), Released January 31, 2018

Stoner-doom / Sludge

   
11) FILTHxCOLLINS / SKINLOVER – “Split 7” (Cardiff, UK), Released January 21, 2018

Sludge / Grindcore / Powerviolence

   
10) Taser – “Social Exclusion Blues” (Lahti, Finland), Released January 19, 2018

Sludge

   
9) Dowager – “Hymns for the Dead” (Los Angeles, California), Released January 1, 2018

Stoner-Doom

     

8) Nerveshatter – “Madhouse”(New York(, Released January 9, 2018

Noise / Hardcore / Sludge

   
7) Troll Teeth – “Boiled Alive” (New Jersey), Released January 1, 2018

Psychedelic / Stoner-Rock / Stoner-Metal

   
6) Psychic Lemon – “Frequency Rhythm Distortion Delay”(London, UK), Released January 12, 2018

Instrumental / Psychedelic / Kraut / Prog / Rock

   
5) Floaters – “WAITING FOR AMNESTY” (Tokyo, Japan), Released December 29, 2017

Stoner-Doom / Sludge

4) Smoke – “Stoned To Death” (Houma, Louisiana), Released January 12, 2018

Stoner-Doom / Sludge

   
3) The Mothercraft – “Pillars” (Edmonton, Alberta), Released January 5, 2018

Stoner-Rock

 
2) Legalize Crime – “Beat The Law” (Wroclaw, Poland), Released March 30, 2017

Sludge / Hardcore / Stoner-Metal

    

1) Orphans Of Doom – “Strange Worlds/Fierce Gods” (Kansas City, Missouri), Released January 26, 2018

Progressive/ Sludge / Doom / Metal

Band info: Orphans of Doom || Legalize Crime|| The Mothercraft|| Smoke || Floaters || Psychic Lemon || Troll Teeth || Nerveshatter|| Dowager|| Taser || Skin Lover || FilthXCollins || Borgonaut|| Sons of Nibiru