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

ALBUM REVIEW: Un, "Sentiment"

By: Richard Maw


Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 28/09/2018

Label: Translation Loss

For listeners prepared to take this grim journey, there are impressive rewards to be had. Not for the faint hearted, but certainly this album is one of the best releases this year in doom or any other genre. The whole album is a grim steed, plodding inexorably towards its own fate. Fantastic.

 

“Sentiment” CD//DD//2LP track listing:

1). In Its Absence

2). Pools of Reflection

3). Sentiment

4). A Garden Where Nothing Grows

The Review

Well, there are four tracks here, nothing much under twelve minutes in length and there has been a sizeable buzz surrounding this record for many weeks prior to me sitting down to review. So what is going on with Un's “Sentiment” album- their sophomore release?!

For starters, melancholic clean work opens up and then gives way to a truly huge and crushing passage of music. Obviously, from the song lengths alone, it is reasonable to assume that this is an album that is in the arena of the doom genre- and it is, loosely. This is nothing really like Sabbath, Vitus, Trouble, Candlemass et al- it is not trad doom by any stretch. It does fit into the more modern interpretation of the genre label- think Conan, Yob and so on.

The vocals are of the growled variety (not on every track though, so keep an ear out!), the sound is absolutely enormous and the mix is excellent. This is very, very weighty stuff indeed and by the time opener “In Its Absence” has finished, the tone has been set. There is nothing uplifting here: only the darkest and murkiest riffs and sounds are to be found here. It's a downbeat listen, as song titles such as “Pools of Reflection” suggest. The title track is just as sprawling and epic in approach and utilises the same clean opening (yielding a promise of something sweeter than the bitterest of fruit which is actually then served up).

There are echoes of Paradise Lost at their gloomiest, echoes of Yob at their trippiest and there are hints of death metal, psychedelia and even shoe-gaze here and there. The closing statement of “A Garden Where Nothing Grows” is a dark and bleak vision and it really sums up the whole record very well. Any track here would sum up the release as a whole as it is a very strong whole and is nothing if not consistent.

Yep, “Sentiment”fits into the doom bracket, but there is a great deal going on here. For listeners prepared to take this grim journey, there are impressive rewards to be had. Not for the faint hearted, but certainly this album is one of the best releases this year in doom or any other genre. The whole album is a grim steed, plodding inexorably towards its own fate. Fantastic.

“Sentiment” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp  || facebook

RECORDS OF THEIR YEARS...with South Louisiana sludge infused progressive duo Radiant Knife

Hailing from South Louisiana, Radiant Knife plays the sort of sludge-infused progressive metal popularized by fellow southerners Mastodon, but play the style very much in their own way.  Their new album “Science Fiction” is packed with inventive song structures and trampling riffs that are underscored by a strong sense of melody.

Although often lumped into the post-metal category, Radiant Knife's broad sonic spectrum lands somewhere between experimental projects such as Zebulon Pike, King Crimson, “Willpower” era Today is the day and Zombi. Today we’re excited not only be premiered a fantastic new track “Suffer Under God” but Greg Travasos (drums) and Stephen Sheppert (guitar, vocals, keys) chat to us about their “Records of their Years”.  Check it out below.

SL: Favourite album from the year you were born?

Greg:  Motörhead, “Ace Of Spades”.

What can I say it's a classic, plus it’s the only thing that I liked out of that year that I can find. Really there self titled is the jam but I wasn't born in 77’. Also Phil Taylor rips.

Stephen:  Probably Rush, “2112”.  I was born in 76, and although this is not my favourite album by Rush it’s a good album.  Also I believe AC/DC’s “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” was released that year also so that’s up there as well.

SL: First album you bought with your own money?

Greg:  Metallica,”...And justice For All”. Yeah, I was at a K-Mart if those exist anymore, where cassette tapes came in oversized plastic things. I remember my cousin telling me to get it because they had lyrics that said “Put your Mother to death” I thought that was pretty sick so I got the cassette, and loved it since. Heaviest album I had at 11.

Stephen:  Now that I really think about it, it was probably Guns n Roses, “Appetite for Destruction”.  I would sit in front of MTV for hours figuring out all the hair metal stuff on guitar. My pops was/is a rocker and didn’t limit any of my music choices.  Most of the time he bought the tape/record before I did.

SL: Favourite non metal / rock album?

Greg:  Father John Misty “I love you Honeybear”. Great compositions, songwriting and lyrics. I have much relatable laughter with his lyrics and cynicism. Much relatable truths I can see in my day to day life. Also could be a comedy album as well.

Stephen:  Polvo, “Exploded Drawing”, or really any of their albums.  Some great dissonant guitar work and great songwriting on those albums.  They have a knack for keeping it low key, dark and angular. All good stuff.

SL: Favourite album of all time?

Greg: This is always are hard question to answer, as I don’t really have a favourite album of all time.  I like a shit ton of albums, but Suffocation,“Pierced from Within” definitely stepped up heaviness in metal for me when I was younger. Listened to a lot of death metal, punk and grindcore in my younger days and this was the go to then. Crazy riffs, time changes, low growls, sick drumming.

Stephen:  King Crimson, “Red”.  When Dillinger Escape Planunleashed “Under the Running Board”, that started a whole musical journey into off timed/progged out music that eventually led me to the source of all that stuff.  That source IS King Crimson, “Red”.It’s a great album, but when listening to it, it’s also like paying homage to my elders.

SL:Favourite album (s) of 2018?

Greg:  YOB, “Our Raw Heart” Heavy and emotional crushing, jammed this album a couple of times. Atmospheric and cool. You can feel Mike Scheidt’s pain in this album, which explains this album title.

Stephen:  YOB, “Our Raw Heart” as well.  I’ve never been a YOBworshipper like some but to me this album brings a more positive, over the horizon emotional vibe compared to their previous work.  It’s shoegazish at times and you can definitely tell some of the songs originated on acoustic.

SL:...and finally The last album you bought

Greg: Spazz, “La Revancha”.I had this CD a long time ago, lost it, recently repurchased. Short fast bay area  skater grindcore. I remember playing the shit out of this in high school. Definitely brings back memories of how shitty and awesome the late 90’s were.

Stephen:  King Crimson, “Discipline” reissue on vinyl.  Not my favourite album by them but the song “Frame by Frame” itself probably spawned countless math oriented bands/songs, including much of Don Caballero’s catalogue.

“Science Fiction”is available to preorder/buy here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

RECORDS OF THEIR YEARS...with Julien Chanut from Hangman's Chair

Hangman’s Chair are regarded as France’s foremost name in the world of stoner / doom, releasing a steady flow of singles, EPs, albums and split releases (including a 2017 split EP with longstanding Japanese stoner / doom outfit Green Machine), yet their music is in no way bound by style, as their latest album ‘Banlieue Triste’ clearly shows; these 10 featured tracks represent the band’s most complete, realised statement to date, successfully merging a variety of different elements into a body of work driven from the conscience and the heart, with subtle touches and crushing power standing side by side. 

Recently signed to Spinefarm Records, it seems the band are finally receiving the recognition they deserve and having been a fan of the band since the release of their fantastic “Hope Dope Rope” from 2012 , after  long 6 years I am finally able to feature the band on THE SLUDGELORD, so please welcome guitarist Julien Chanut as he chooses his “Records of their Years” 

SL: Favourite album from the year you were born?

Julien: Renaud, “Marche A l’Ombre” (1980)

Well, I could have chose some obscure goth band from the early 80’s or a NWOBHM band of that era but the only album I know for sure that popped out in 1980 is “Marche à l’ombre” of Renaud. He’s an old French singer, he‘s still alive and started his career back in the ‘70s, he’s really famous in France.

He sings about the “banlieue” the ghetto youngsters, Paris, love, politics, everyday life… sometimes in a humoristic way but most of the time in a sensitive way. At that time he was considered as a rebel, he was against all repression, Police, Army, government.  As I am not really into politics, I prefer when he talks about everyday life, his stories about being young in France in the 70’s/80’s.

That’s the kind of music we like to play at parties or in the van, we all know the lyrics by heart and it’s great for late night karaoke.  Moreover, with the artwork of “Banlieue Triste” we somehow pay tribute to all his early album covers, we took a nostalgic look back at those covers.

SL: First album you bought with your own money?

Julien: Michael Jackson, “Bad”(1987)

I was 7 at that time, the album had just come out and it was a huge worldwide release. With my money pocket, I remember buying it in a market street in Thailand, those kinds of illegal shops where they used to sell hundreds of cassette tape bootlegs for dirt cheap. Mine was a recordable tape with a color photocopied cover, no lyrics.

My favourites songs were “Liberian Girl” and “Smooth Criminal”, I was playing them all day long in my room, trying to sing in fake English, so “any ayou wocki” (Annie are you ok)

A few years later, when I was a little more confident in my music taste, I got introduced to Hip Hop by a cousin and bought the tape of ICE T, “Iceberg” in a “real” shop, knowing exactly what I was looking for. That was the first time I get a tape that I wanted for a long time.  After that, when my sister get our first CD player, as a young teenager discovering punk hardcore, the CD I bought was Bad Brains, “Rock The Light” and my first vinyl was Judge, “Bringin’ It Down”. Before that, we were trading and borrowing 90min recordable tapes of multiple bands. 

SL: Favourite non metal / rock album?

Julien: Mobb Deep, “Hell On Earth” (1996).

I listen to a lot of Hip Hop, US and French but the first time I heard Mobb Deep, it was like I was rediscovering rap music. This album in particular was my introduction to their work and to all the Queensbridge sound, it sounds rough, cold and dark and that’s what I was looking for a long time without even knowing it.

Everything is great on “Hell On Earth”, from the title itself to the lyrics to the instrumentals of Havoc, the atmosphere is so grimy. Prodigy is probably my MC number one, alongside with Shyne, they are a real inspiration for our lyrics, even if we don’t deal with the same subjects.

Now, I ‘m more into old Memphis rap bands like Three 6 Mafia, Tommy Wright III and some Screwed & Chopped like SpaceGhostPuurp.

SL:  Favourite album of all time?

Julien: Tough one… usually people asks for your Top 5 of all times… I cannot chose one album in particular, it depends on my mood, one day I can tell you it’s “Nine ways to say I love you” by Section 8 and another day “Dirt” by Alice In Chains etc… What I can tell you is the song for my funeral: “The Last Rebel” by Lynyrd Skynyrd

SL: Favourite album of 2018?

Julien: YOB, “Our Raw Heart”

Not very original on this one but so far, this is my fav album of 2018. Everybody was expecting for a great album after what Mike Scheidt has been through and that’s exactly what they did. Just like all their albums, I need several playings to really get into it, I explain myself : first I prefer the sound of “Clearing The Path To Ascend” which is at the first listening more powerful and secondly “Our Raw Heart” is much longer than all the previous ones, maybe too longer, too much informations.

So you keep on listening it and then, all of a sudden, it becomes clear. It takes time to appreciate good things. The sound is lighter but that’s OK, it fits the songs, now my ears are getting used to it and I finally understand the tracklisting. “Beauty In Falling Leaves”and “Our Raw Hearts” are soulful songs. There’s something unique about this band.

SL: And finally The last album you bought?

Julien:  RITUALZ, “DOOM” (2018)

For me, it sounds like a slow low fi version of PRAYERS, a good mix of cholo goth, dark wave, industrial and post punk. His first albums are more in the vein of the Witch House bands, great stuff though.

The End

Hangman’s Chair’s new album “Banlieue Trist” will be available on 27th September 2018 via Spinefarm Records and the track “04/09/16” can be stream below

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Yob, "Our Raw Heart"

By: Ernesto Aguilar

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 08/06/2018

Label: Relapse Records

Clever arrangement, subtlety over volume and a clear-eyed grasp of honing an atmosphere make these cuts inviting in myriad ways. They're the kind of songs that give you a front-row seat for Yob's past meeting its future, and you cannot help but be transfixed.

“Our Raw Heart”CD//CS//DD//2LP track listing:

1). Ablaze

2). The Screen

3). In Reverie

4). Lungs Reach

5). Beauty In Falling Leaves

6). Original Face

7). Our Raw Heart

                     

The Review:

Yob has emerged as perhaps doom's most popular band of the moment, though the band's presence has hardly been momentary. Since 2002's "Elaborations of Carbon," the Eugene, Oregon-based collective have stoked a passionate fan base. Its albums have gotten progressively stronger as Yob's sound has matured. "The Illusion of Motion," released by Metal Blade in 2004, and "The Unreal Never Lived" offered up the following year, were considered watermarks for the group. Yob's 2006 breakup did not last too long. Its return in the form of"The Great Cessation" was greeted with much praise for a deeper, denser aural than ever before.

And so it has gone. Solid but infrequent albums and lots of live performances became an unfortunate drought of about four years. "Clearing the Path to Ascend" in 2014 was a stunning record, one that vaulted Yob even higher. Without question, the band has been consistent in its growth and overall quality. "…Ascend" helped the group's mythos only expand.

"Our Raw Heart," has already won plaudits from across the spectrum. For good reason. Yob's return is magnificent. Yet it's outstanding not because it's heavy. It is, somewhat, but "Our Raw Heart" succeeds because it is visionary, emotional and more innovative than virtually every single one of Yob's contemporaries. It's a great album because it sounds wholly atypical of what you think of metal, yet it is quintessentially metal.

Yob's newest is influenced by Mike Scheidt's brush with death in 2017. He nearly succumbed to an infection created by complications related to other problems, but it is not the first time the band's spiritual leader has looked over the abyss with his tribe. Fans of "…Ascend" and other albums may have most loved Scheidt's vulnerability, and his examination of his own mental health issues and other struggles in his songwriting and performances. Thus it is fitting that "Our Raw Heart" would beckon this tattered brother- and sisterhood into Scheidt's world one more time. And, as you may have heard on "The Screen," released just before the album, there's going to be pain. "Sensing old death, sharing no house with it," Scheidt muses. "In moments obscure, that which endures."

That’s part about being somewhat heavy? Truth be told, Yob will never be a pop band and are not abandoning the wall of sound the band so masterfully creates. Those tense moments as in "The Screen" (tightly wound in its own right, surely) are paired with all-out harsher tracks such as "In Reverie," with some of the cascading, volume-notched heavy music you will hear in a minute. "Original Face" in another one of those songs certain to remind you how hard Yob can bring its music, and why their creativity in doing it is so revered. Clever arrangement, subtlety over volume and a clear-eyed grasp of honing an atmosphere make these cuts inviting in myriad ways. They're the kind of songs that give you a front-row seat for Yob'spast meeting its future, and you cannot help but be transfixed.

What may end up etched in your own heart, however, are the more delicate, complex songs. "Lungs Reach" lolls gently out of the mist, as wisps of guitar and then that challenging voice come for you. "Beauty in Falling Leaves" glances by with affirmative chords that lead you to a valley of despondent rhythms, until it soars with Scheidt's inimitable vocal. By the time the album closes with the title track, a 14-minute cohesive yet inescapably macabre centerpiece, you learn slowly that this is why Yob has fashioned an arc of almost mythological proportions. Greater than most, more dynamic than more, "Our Raw Heart" is what makes metal you cannot but love.

“Our Raw Heart”is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Morag Tong, “Last Knell of Om”

By: Reverend Dixie Pole

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 18/05/2018

Label: Independent

In a year choc full of essential releases, Morag Tong have solidified their place with a Top 10 album contender

“Last Knell of Om” CD//DD//LP track listing:-

1). Transmission

2). New Growth

3). We Answer

4). To Soil

5). Ruminations

6). Ephemera / Stare Through the Deep

The Review:

In a world full of ever expanding realms of stoner and doom, it can be somewhat easy to get lost in the mire of it all. Thus, it is a comfort to know that a band such as Morag Tongexist. Ironically, when I first became somewhat smitten with Morag Tongssound from the stupidly overlooked “Through Clouded Time” EP of 2016, they lived up to their name (see video game The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind) acting as a secret entity operating from the shadows, however it has become harder and harder over time for people to ignore the existence and ever looming presence of this band as they have continued to leave punters in awe at the sheer power embroiled within their sound.

The procession of “Last Knell of Om”begins with “Transmission”, an instrumental instantly showcasing a rich and beautifully warm bass tone (courtesy of bassist James Atha), acting as a gentle welcoming to the listeners ears. This allows the drums to enter with ease all the meanwhile the guitars are bleeding in to create a landscape making tasteful use of swirls in fuzz. A song where many would falter for not knowing how to land it, Morag Tongtouch down gracefully without over egging the pudding as it were.

With following track entitled “New Growth”, we are introduced fairly early on to the vocals from drummer Adam Asquith, a bellowing (and one of the better voices I have heard in a long time for this genre) call to the skies above, juxtaposed against a dark heavy and simplistic riff -all timed to perfection for the ultimate (bong) hit. The song builds and builds, drawing the listener back to the well balanced, interesting bass guitar riffing, drawing ever closer to the final riff and man oh man is it a riff worth waiting for. In fact if anything, I would love to have heard that riff far longer with some more lead work but it’s solid nonetheless.

The album plays to the strengths of Morag Tongs sound, which is to harness the core duo of well thought out bass lines and drums that are memorable, whilst creating a landscape with the guitars, their tones and subtle lead work over one another. The melodies captured by both guitarists (Alex Clarke and Lewis Crane respectively) invoke memorable, beautifully soul destroying melodies that can have a somewhat emotional impact on the listener – whether it’s the moment of looking to the sky and lamenting what life could have been if things had been different (see – “We Answer”) or gazing into the void at the hopeless mess that is mankind itself (“To Soil”). A drone of sorts is created by these elements and no – not in the Sunn O))) way – a natural drone that doesn’t overstay its welcome and acts as a soft blanket.

The album has been recorded, mixed and mastered by Sam Thredder of Cros Nest studios and what a fantastic job he has done. He has been the key to encapsulating what Morag Tongsound like live, allowing the listener to become all consumed by the waves of sound. Having seen Morag Tong live 5 times already over the past year, this is something which I had hoped was going to be evident in the presentation of the mix and master. Thankfully, this happy camper got his wish granted. Warm, clear bass throughout the fuzziest of amp orgy inducing guitar tones, clear definition of each limb of the drum kit and the perfect balance of vocals within the mix, powerful yet not overbearing on the instrumental side of affairs.

The musicianship on “Last Knell of Om” is simply big, fantastic and mature. Morag Tongexcel in their subtleties, of guitar tones, bass tone and overall placing of songs, for example one need only pay attention to the placing of album concluder “Ephemera / Stare Through the Deep” with its “Planet Caravan”-esque ascending trip to the stars only to be dropped to earth again for opener “Transmission”. In essence this is to me how “Last Knell of Om” plays out, a journey that starts by allowing the listener to rise from the earth, then drift through a swell of emotions, ascend to the astral plains and be stricken back to this world, only for the process to repeat all over again as if caught in the belly of the Ouroboros.

“Through Clouded Time” was a great introduction to Morag Tong and is still essential whilst you can grab a copy (which I recommend), however “Last Knell of Om”has already in a year choc full of essential new releases from legends such as Sleepand Yob, solidified its place as a top 10 contender for myself this year. This is the most earthly, organic stoner doom band these ears have heard in a long time and as one who can usually throw around other comparisons to what a band sound like, I struggle to do this with Morag Tong. This - in my opinion, can only be a good thing.

Catch them on 16^th May at The Black Heart in Camden with Wychound and Elephant Tree for the album launch.

“Last Knell of Om” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Nest - "Metempsychosis"

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 03/03/2018

Label: Independent

The thick distortion-encrusted tones are riddled with a nasty evil buzz that brings to mind a union of Unearthly Trance and Unsane that sometimes veers into psychedelic realms worthy of Yob. “Metempsychosis” is an awesome offering from Nest that demonstrates their startling power and a terrifying amount of potential for the future.

“Metempsychosis” DD track listing:

1. - (00:31)
2. The Cowardice And Rashness Of Courage (03:52)
3. Gallows Of Forever (03:16)
4. Heretic (02:38)
5. Divining By The Entrails Of Sheep (05:06)
6. Jewel Of Iniquity (03:59)
7. From The Darkness In Me, Illuminate (04:09)
8. Life's Grief (09:50)
9. - (00:27)

The Review:

2018 is still only a few weeks old but Nest are already making a strong play for end of year lists with new LP “Metempsychosis”. The Kentucky duo make a huge spaced-out sludge racket delivered with an aggressive noise rock attitude that really hits hard here.

Although there are many two pieces throughout the heavy underground that create a massive sound from minimal resources, Nestmanage to construct a particularly impressive wall of noise from a single guitar, drums and vocals. I don’t know what set-up Kyle Keener is running his guitar through but it makes the crushing riffs that open up the likes of “The Cowardice And The Rashness Of Courage” and “Jewel oF Iniquity” register high on the Richter scale. The thick distortion-encrusted tones are riddled with a nasty evil buzz that brings to mind a union of Unearthly Tranceand Unsane that sometimes veers into psychedelic realms worthy of Yob.

“From The Darkness In Me, Illuminate” is a mini-epic that covers the full width of Nest’s sonic spectrum in four minutes. Pummelling blast beats and lumbering doom riffs emerge from a cloud of menacing noise that brings an air of black metal mystery to the track. The second half of the track shows that the band are equally as captivating when they dial back the distortion to craft a hypnotic passage from minimal guitar picking and distant violin. This works as suitable preparation for the monstrous finale of “Life’s Grief”. Nest take everything that has come before and blow it up on a grand scale. Huge reverb-laden melodies pave the way for one final punishing riff that can only be silenced by a rising tide of harsh static and sonic manipulations.

“Metempsychosis”is an awesome offering from Nest that demonstrates their startling power and a terrifying amount of potential for the future.

“Metempsychosis”is available to preorder here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook