The Angry Scotsman This is a difficult rating for me, because while the music is perfectly fine, it's not much of a departure for Pelican and it's a short EP. Clocking in at just under 18 minutes, this is a short but fine EP.

Musically there's not much to say if you're familiar Pelican. Their classic riffy and warm sound hasn't changed. Still heavy and atmospheric. Only thing that really stands out is how short the songs are. On their last 2 albums Pelican has gone for shorter songs opposed to their earlier epic ramblers, but these are even shorter...the longest just cracking 5 minutes. I did see one review comment they detected a bit of a stoner rock sound at times, and I'd say I notice it as well but it's just for a brief time.

"Ataraxia" is a very mellow, droning song. Minimalist and airy, very chill.

"Lathe Biosas" throws you right into it, almost sounds like mid riff, and is a classic Pelican song. Heavy, but not suffocating, valleys then peaks.

"Parasite Colony" is another straightforward Pelican song, though maybe a bit less riffy and more drifty. Both are cool songs.

"Taraxis" concludes the EP with acoustic guitar and light drumming, while electric guitar noises flutter around the background. It goes out with a bang though, with the heaviest stuff heard on the album.

So I'm not really sure what to make of this one. Is this just a snack to tide us over for a bit? Is it a sample of something we should expect to see in the future? (Shorter, lighter songs). Only time will tell, but as for "Ataraxia/Taraxis" there's really not much new here. Which is fine, a standard Pelican release is always a good thing! Any fan of Pelican, or lighter/progressive metal should enjoy. Note: a light snack always leaves you hungry, and with the break up of Isis...us post metal fans are still left starved. Hopefully the upcoming Cult of Luna album will finally fill the void.

A good, though unspectacular, and short EP...worth some listens but not essential.

THREE STARS

Warthur Souls at Zero finds Neurosis exploring a dizzying variety of different directions to expand their sound in, with the end result being that it's a foundational album of not just sludge metal but also post-metal. The distorted, muzzy guitars and shouted hardcore-influenced vocals of sludge emerge here and there, whilst other musical passages manage to incorporate the classic post-rock sound before many of its proponents even managed to put out an album. I can well see why this album would be startling coming from a band who had previously played in a solidly thrash/hardcore melange up to this point - even after hearing albums like Through Silver In Blood, I find myself taken aback by how varied and how excellent the album is.

Phonebook Eater 7/10

"Spiral Shadow" is a big mix of emotions and musical variety.

American Stoner Metal band Kylesa’s 2009 release, “Static Tensions”, was one that was hard to follow, because of its use of successful formulas mixed together well. But “Spiral Shadow” comes right behind it in terms of quality, and in some points, there is even a slight improvement: however, overall it’s not as solid and enjoyable as the previous album.

There are pretty noticeable changes in direction the band takes on this new album: the distortion has lost a bit of it’s original impact, favoring however a more atmospheric sound, cleaner passages that include diverse guitar effects and more rich arrangements; this way, many of these moments are remindful of Atmospheric Sludge Metal, except for the fact that Kylesa have always been straight to the point and have always done the job quickly. The type of impact the band delivers is also very varied; from tense, anxious moments, there could be more optimistic and cheerful ones, or angry, violent ones. Previous albums by the band have had more of a monotone attitude and never changed their perennial state of anger (“Static Tensions” was the first album to change that a bit more).

Again with a short, forty minute long album, Kylesa with “Spiral Shadow”, although showing they can blend many things into one another in order to make a more different, elaborate and musically luxurious sound, are making the album as a whole a little less solid and a bit more sparse: the great songs are still here, like the opener “Tired Climb”, which is nauseatingly aggressive for the most part, but it also has a cool, tense and anxious build up. “Crowded Road” has a Doomier, heavier feel, while the guitar tapping of “Don’t Look Back” almost reminds of Math Rock, with a somewhat strange and very subtle Pixies influence in the songwriting. The second half of the LP, while it still has a few good moments like the solemn closing track, is a little less emotional and impactful, focusing more on making interesting effects rather than concentrating on the melodies themselves.

An album with a very wide range of sounds that still however remains faithful to Stoner Metal. Although a bit one sided because of the obvious superiority of the first half to the second half, it remains enjoyable pretty much all the way through, and delivers excellent songs that will become, in my mind, Kylesa classics.

Phonebook Eater 8/10

"Static Tensions" is one of the most enjoyable Stoner Metal releases of the last few years.

Kylesa are an American Sludge/Stoner Metal band; “Static Tensions” is their fourth album, the LP that finally brought them up to popularity among the stoner metal community, after a few, more average and disappointing albums.

The first thing you notice in “Static Tensions” is how different it sounds compared to previous Kylesa material: it is clear the band have found their own, original take on this kind of music. They have massive Sludge Metal/Hardcore Punk influences in most of the vocals , as well as heavy, crunchy, and extremely loud guitars; but the original aspect of the music is probably the rhythm section, often incorporating a more exotic percussion that replaces simple drum fills. However, the drummer in this band does not hesitate in blasting fast bursts of velocity, making Kylesa basically sound like the more drugged out, intense and in-your-face cousin of Mastodon. The great thing about this new style is that slower, clean moments are not rare, and still have that Stoner feel that is just as powerful as the other more intense moments, especially thanks to the clever addition of female vocals.

“Static Tensions”, in it’s most intense passages, reminds not only of the Hardcore gigs but also of clever, well structured Sludge Metal. Despite this raw blend, Kylesa manage to be extremely accessible in every single song, proving amazing songwriting skills. It is pretty rare to find a band that can successfully write catchy melodies, be adventurous, and surround you with total, blissful distortion, all at the same time.

With only forty minutes “Static Tensions” is by far the most solid Kylesa album, where each song, although all of them maintaining the same style (the clean moments though are all different one another), never bore all together, and together shine as one. Of course, there are particular highlights like the amazingly face-bashing first track “Scapegoat”, the more dualistic (soft and aggressive) nature of “Running Red”, the hypnotic atmosphere of “To Walk Alone”, or the straight-forward catchiness of “Almost Lost”. Each and every one of these songs has a different character, and together they form a quite functional family of tough boys.

“Static Tensions” is an extremely enjoyable, fun, catchy, and aggressive listen, despite not being the most cheerful camper out there. Yet, the solemnity of this band could add some further canons to future Stoner Metal.

Phonebook Eater 5/10

"Time Will Fuse It's Worth" is a well constructed album that however gets old pretty fast.

Kylesa are an American Stoner Metal band that have received much attention from the Stoner Metal community, later on in the first decade of the new millennium, with albums like “Static Tensions” and “Spiral Shadow”. Before this popularity, there was “Time Will Fuse It’s Worth”, and album that stands in the middle of the band’s discography, being a follow up to two more obscure and more average sounding albums.

The sound still isn’t quite mature on this album, however, it shows significant improvement. But, by listening to the entire thing, it comes obvious that the band have not yet found their style, thus making merely some decent Stoner/Sludge that however sounds pretty standard and generic. In the slower moments however some hints or originality can be heard, an originality that is different from the one of following albums.

The album, despite the less than forty minutes of length, gets old pretty fast, becoming a bit predictable and boring. The good songs are here however, especially “Between Silence and Sound”, the only track where there is a loud and clear burst of uniqueness. The other songs like “Ignoring Anger”, “The Warning” and “What Becomes and End”, although having generic sound, are proof of great songwriting on behalf of the band. Then the intro, intermission and outro give the album almost a feeling of a show that is being presented, a show that can be at times wonderful and at times frustratingly flat.

“Time Will Fuse It’s Worth”, despite it’s flaws, gives a promise that Kylesa would overcome mediocrity (unlike, let’s admit it, a lot of bands) and stand-out as some of the most well-respected Stoner Metal bands in the late 00’s. It kept the promise, fortunately.

Time Signature Good hunting...

Genre: sludge-core

When it comes to the more extreme end of rock music, New York – and especially Brooklyn – is probably primarily associated with the hardcore and crossover scenes and perhaps not so much with the more sludgy side of rock music. Nonetheless, there are bands that hail from Brooklyn, such as Primitive Weapons, whose music is just so incredibly sludgy that you'd expect them to have originated from the desert or swamps of the deep south.

Their 2012-album The Shadow Gallery definitely is heavy and sludgy without, admittedly, being as slow and tortured as with many other sludge acts. But the seven tracks on the album are no less oppressive than the slower sludge acts' average song is. The harsh yelled vocals, for instance, emanate a sense of both frustration and angst which, together with the band's use of repeated heavy riffs generate the same feel of introvert desperation that characterizes a lot of sludge metal. Just check tracks like the heavy 'Quitters Anthem', the aggressive 'The Death of Boredom', or the oddly melodic 'Big Chief'.

Repetition and crushingly heavy guitar riffage are central ingredients in the Primitive Weapons sound, and they are used to great effect in generating the above-mentioned sense of frustration. Another central element is the use of elements from noise rock, which – needless to say – fits perfectly into the overall picture of the album. Interestingly, the drums – while heavy – often take on a more organic feel becaue of the many fills that are used on some of the songs.

Overall, Primitive Weapons' The Shadow Gallery, with its 30 minutes of crunching sludge, is a lesson in the power of repetition and crushing heaviness, and any fan of shoegazing, but angry, sludge metal should definitely give it a listen.

(review originally posted at seaoftranquility.org)

Time Signature Her little accident...

Genre: sludge-metal

16 is one of the more veteran sludge-metal bands out there, and that may well be the reason why they do not sound like the many bands that inhabit the scene nowadays. Their latest album Deep Cuts from Dark Clouds certainly, while displaying many of the traits that define the genre, indicates that this is a sludge band who have authority enough to go their own way.

As mentioned, many of the features that define the sludge-metal genre are present on the album, such as groovy riffs and heavy beats – although not as tortured and slow as with many other sludge bands – and 16 also draw a bit on noise rock and psychedelia, which is not unheard of in sludge-land. However, compared to many other sludge acts, 16 have opted for a very clear and clean productions on this album, which makes many of the riffs sound quite aggressive, and the sense of aggression, even in some of the southern style groovy riffs is further bolstered by the distorted bass and the yelled and raw-sounding vocals. While the music itself is groovy and sludgy, the production thus strikes me more as the production of a modern thrash metal album.

There is, in attitude at least, a touch of hardcore punk present on Deep Cuts from Dark Clouds, which I think is a positive asset, as it sets the album apart from the average sludge release these days, and it allows for people who are into groove thrash and the like to also relate to the album and, possibly, appreciate it. In any case, the production and the riffs put together result in a very crushing album.

Fans of groovy music with an edge should definitely check out this album.

(review originally posted at metalmusicarchives.com)

Warthur Whereas most post-metal bands look to the textures of bands such as Godspeed You Black Emperor or Mogwai for the post-rock side of their sound, Intronaut on Prehistoricism look more to jazzier and more complex groups such as Tortoise or the more math rock-inclined post-rock groups. This is a true asset, because it allows them to craft near-seamless transitions between these sections and the crushing jazz-influenced technical death metal that forms the other half of the whole. Overall, the album widens the horizons of both the post-metal and technical death metal genres and captures the band in very form indeed, and I'd recommend it to anyone interested in progressive or technically complex metal.

Warthur The metal-tinged post-rock trio Russian Circles presents another compelling collection of compositions on Station, which takes their music into somewhat bleaker territory than their debut album Enter; there's a bit more of an emphasis on harsh, minimalistic soundscapes this time around, which serves to add intriguing textures to the band's compositions.

I also think that on the whole they drift away from the metal side of the post-rock/post-metal divide they so ably straddled on the debut; it's still there, but they don't visit that territory quite so frequently this time around. This is in stark contrast to Cult of Luna, another band who had made a virtue of working in the borderline between the two sister subgenres, who at around the same time were taking a more distinctly metal direction. Either way, Russian Circles remain an interesting prospect.

Warthur Cult of Luna might have invented a cool story for their latest album (come on, you don't seriously believe that yarn about them just happening to stumble across the story in someone's diary do you?), but on the whole it seems to be business as usual for them on the musical front. A harder-edged and more clearly metal release than the preceding album, Eternal Kingdom does have its quieter moments - such as Ugin, which puts me in mind of Neil Young's avant-garde soundtrack to Dead Man - but on the whole the album presents a heavier, scarier incarnation of post-metal which might alienate fans of the band's more peaceful side but will probably win over most metal listeners.

bartosso I'm in sackcloth and ashes

Okay, I was wrong. I was terribly wrong. This is not just a passable album. With their penultimate release Isis turned me off initially (in 2006) but I was young and stupid then. IN THE ABSENCE OF TRUTH is indeed a journey one of its kind, a journey setted in a peculiar dream in which one experiences both things already seen but those unknown and singular as well. Landscape is blurry and distorted, seen through hundreds of rainy lenses. And there is bleakness.

Every album from the band has different sound that suits its concept and highlights its specific mood. IN THE ABSENCE OF TRUTH is obviously not an exception. As this is their most "post" and least "metal" record, the sound is more airy and organic than ever before. Its oneiric, gloomy atmosphere is highlighted with organic guitar distortion and naturally sounding drums. Since we're on the subject, the drumming is based mainly on tribal-sounding tom-tom patterns. It may seem a bit repetitive to some, but it suits the mood pretty well.

I took a dislike to this album due to strong Tool influence I immediately spotted in it. I loved Tool at the time and Isis seemed to insolently imitate them. I was obviously an ignoramus as this is not the whole truth about IN THE ABSENCE OF TRUTH. While being strongly influenced by Tool's evolutionary approach to composition and unique mood of LATERALUS, Isis adds a huge amount of their own style to the music. Sludgy heaviness and genuine depressive mood known from such albums as PANOPTICON and OCEANIC, pervades the record thoroughly. With the opening track the listener's mind is immediately flooded with feelings of anxiety and imminent menace. From now on the music takes him to terrains of sadness and shows him surreal, gloomy visions of life and death. It's an intriguing construct made of sludgy build-ups, atmospheric post-rock passages and emotional post-metal climaxes.

Plenty of post-rock albums oozed through my headphones within the space of the last 3 years and 99% of them bored me half to death. I'm glad I survived long enough to finally appreciate Isis. Although the album is a bit uneven, it has some real post-metal masterpieces on board. And most of all, unlike legions of uninspired post-rock clones, this REALLY is emotional and deep stuff. Let it sink in your mind. It's worth it.

TRACKS BY RATINGS: 10/10[masterpiece!!!]: Not in Rivers, but in Drops; Dulcinea || 9/10[fantastic!]: Holy Tears; 1,000 Shards || 8/10[great]: Wrists of Kings; Garden of Light || 7/10[very good]: Over Root and Thorn || 5/10[not bad]: Firdous E Bareen || OVERALL = 83/100

The Truth An excellent post-metal release that I came across not too long ago and was rather surprised with given that this is the bands only release and it's been four years without any more material.

Nevertheless, this album was a real breath of fresh air in the post-metal category where I had almost gotten too deep in sludgey type post-metal (which is good but I'd had a little much). It is basically really heavy post-rock that never goes too far metal. I thought that was kind of a cool thing as I had never heard something like that.

With each track hitting about 10 minutes, you get similarly arranged piece that are all pretty good (except at times they are almost too similar, like, "didn't I just hear this?") and apart from the occasional growl, this metal is so atmospheric you hardly notice it's metal.

A fun listen indeed, I'd recommend it to fans of post-rock and post-metal.

bartosso Hate-love relationship

My first encounter with Isis took place a few weeks after release of their fourth album, IN THE ABSENCE OF TRUTH, and I didn't like it then. Really, for 4 years I simply didn't like Isis (how dared I?). It started to change gradually a year ago and a few days ago something just clicked. My attitude towards this band has become, well, very positive. Now I know that this band is a damn grower. I needed a whole year to start to appreciate their output, and their last record, WAVERING RADIANT, has become my favourite part of it.

From all Isis albums I've listened to so far, this one has the best production. Mood changes, so frequent in their music, are well conveyed by pounding, organic drums and thick guitar distortion in turns with soft post-rock strumming. The sound is clean and professional but quite organic and pleasantly airy at the same time. Joe Barresi has done a good job as always.

WAVERING RADIANT is the most mature Isis album in every way, and even if it's still not a flawless masterpiece, it has grown on me enough to become one of my favourite post metal albums. While PANOPTICON is more straightforwardly depressive and atmospheric, the ambiance of WAVERING RADIANT is more difficult to define and definitely more intriguing. Old, melancholic and atmospheric Isis is still there but the band seem to plunge into more experimental regions on their final opus. With a subtle use of electronic spices, crushing waves of distortion power chords, post-rock passages and unmistakable vocals, they have created an aura of dark mystery and menacing unknown - all this immersed in an ambiance of psychedelic depression. This genuine, melancholic mood is what I love most about that band.

Aaron Turner's clean vocals are definitely an acquired taste (which I haven't completely acquired) and they can be tiresome sometimes. I still think he has done a good job. Generally speaking it's an excellent metal album - despite some composition shortcomings - and undoubtedly one of the best works in post metal and atmospheric sludge genres.

TRACKS BY RATINGS: 9/10[fantastic!]: Hall of the Dead; Stone to Wake a Serpent; Hand of the Host || 8/10[great]: Ghost Key; Threshold of Transformation || 7/10[very good]: 20 Minutes / 40 Years || OVERALL = 83/100

Time Signature Agnostic demon...

Genre: sludge metal

I have read a couple of reviews of this album, and it really seems that US sludge-metallers Black Sheep Wall's "No Matter Where It Ends" has had a raw deal with the reviewers. The reviewers criticize the album for being monotonous, repetitive, slow, and lumbering.

And in a way, they are right. The songs on this album are very minimalistic, drawing on slow and heavy riffage almost sloppily performed on very downtuned and distorted instruments, accompanied by slow, dragging drum beats. The riffs are usually quite simple and incredibly sludgy, and, rather than making use of many riffs per track, Black Sheep Wall have opted for the method of repetition. Thus the average song on this album is slow and heavy, evolving around the repetition of a few sludgy riffs.

This minimalist approach definitely does make the music sound monotonous, and the use of harsh hardcore-ish vocals along with the absence of any leads or other melodic devices does not exactly help generate variation.

Now, the question is, is this a good or a bad thing? The reviewers seem to think it is a bad thing - that it is a symptom of artistic failure. However, what Black Sheep Wall deliberately set out to do is exactly to create some minimalistic slow and sludgy music. So, I'd say, they succeeded. I'd say all of these features are a positive thing and an indicator of artistic success.

True, "No Matter Where It Ends" really tests the listener (not just musically, but also through the use of noise-based soundscapes that pop up between the songs), and I must admit that it is incongruous with my own personal taste in music - I do love heavy and slow music, but I am more into doom metal than sludge metal. But that does not mean that "No Matter Where It Ends" sucks - not at all, Black Sheep Wall have met all the criteria that they set up for themselves, and they definitely deserve credit for that.

If you dig slow, dragging, droning, sloppy and sludgy music with an injection of noise and minimalism as the main artistic ethos, then you definitely should check out Black Sheep Wall's "No Matter Where It Ends".

Warthur Released at around the same time as Cult of Luna's Somewhere Along the Highway muddied the line between post-rock and post-metal from the post-metal side of the fence, Russian Circle's debut album sees them doing much the same thing from the post-rock side, with the band incorporating riffs of a crushing heaviness adopted by few post-rock bands (as opposed to post-metal bands) since Mogwai dropped My Father My King on an unsuspecting public. Russian Circles might fall into the same old quiet/loud formula of most post-rock and post-metal, but they prove themselves adept at the quiet and willing to go louder than many of their peers when the composition calls for it.

The Truth Dirge has had a hard time releasing any bad material it seems, the past three records have all been excellent and Elysian Magnetic Fields may be one of the best.

The album is just as good as Wings of Lead Over Dormant Seas only trimmed down in length greatly which makes the album much more easy to listen to and thus more easy to enjoy. Dirge never fails to come up with some really sludge-laden riffs of greatness and this album just swims in them.

No one particular track stands out and like most albums from this genre, they're meant to be listened to as a whole. I mean, it's a sonic masterpiece, these guys are so good at sludge.

An enjoyably dark record in the vein of the previous two, which in case you don't know Dirge is a definite plus.

Warthur Cult of Luna keep their post-metal sound fresh on Somewhere Along the Highway by, in essence, not using it so much - on the whole, the album is split between passages of post-metal mayhem and gentler sections of music more reminiscent of post-rock. The risk of such an approach is, of course, that the end product will come across as an attempt at straddling the fence between the two sibling genres without committing to one or the other, but in this case I think it works well - Cult of Luna essentially draw on the sonic toolkit of both genres in order to diversify their sound and use the right approach at the right moment in their compositions. The end result is an album which would appeal to fans of either genre, and sounds far more diverse than most works in this line.

renkls heavy can be a heavy thing, and in this albums case, heavy is indeed a heavy thing. A 39 minute trudge through sludgy doom metal, Born Again is quite a trip, and one that I personally rather enjoy. It doesn't have the most succinct depth or conceptual air to it that would make it truly shine, but for what it does aim to do, it succeeds nobly in that respect. As a single song on the other hand, I guess it pulls it off as well. It hides the appearance of what could be ends and beginnings in barely noticeable fades, and plays as one long track fairly well. For sludge fans who like it slow.

renkls Imagine if Sleep's Dopesmoker was about the corruption of Roman Emperors, the lyrics spewed forth like rasping howls of pain and anger, even slower then the aforementioned release and perhaps even less riff changes, as well as 7 minutes longer, and you pretty much have Rorcal's Heliogabalus in a nutshell.

After a minute of ticking drum cymbals, we are hurtled into an incredibly heavy riff, which runs for the next eight or so minutes, before a drum and synth interlude, and then we get back into it. It pounds along slowly, with little deviation from these heavy thuds except at the hour mark where it bursts to life for the finale of (speedy?) doom metal.

Interesting release, and recommended for doom metal fans who love it really slow, but for anyone else, getting through this one track album may be a chore.

Warthur In the four year since their excellent The Mantle, the music scene had more than caught up with Agalloch's post-metal vision; other bands, such as the brilliant Isis, had even crafted superior works to that foundational piece. But those hoping that Ashes Against the Grain would show the newcomers how it was done may have found themselves disappointed. With less emphasis on acoustic guitars than on The Mantle, the band's sound becomes a lot more generic, and the compositions seem fairly uninspiring next to works by the likes of Isis and Pelican. It's a reasonable enough listen if you like post-metal, but at the same time I think most fans would expect more of Agalloch.

Warthur Pelican's brand of post-metal reminds me a lot of Mogwai - there's the same mixture of sparse sterility and threadbare raggedness, like an abandoned hospital. With The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw, they've greated an album just as haunting and fragile as Mogwai's excellent Ten Rapid, with just enough metallic roar to it to keep it on the metal side of the post-rock/post-metal divide (which as the 2000s went on got thinner and thinner). It got a lot of comparisons to Isis's Panopticon when it came out, and I don't think it's quite as good as that album, but it comes pretty close to it.

Warthur Rosetta's The Galilean Satellites is best experienced with both the ambient and metal tracks played simultaneously - some editions come with the tracks pre-combined, otherwise you should be able to find some way to combine them if you are technically minded. Either way, I don't know what possessed the band to attempt this odd experiment of theirs - perhaps they were overly impressed by Zaireeka by The Flaming Lips? - because their full-throated, furious brand of post-metal is only enhanced with the ambient backing of the second disc tracks. An enjoyable post-metal experiment, provided you can get past the oddities of the way it was released.

Time Signature The pragmatist...

Genre: sludge-doom

Another nail in the coffin of the myth that girls can't rock, The Pilgrimage by Canadian noise-sludge-doom duo Mares of Thrace – whose members are both women – is a dark, sludge and heavy as it should be, and is bound to kick your ass from here and into the dark depths of hell.

Drawing on solid drum beats – often quite fast ones for sludge-doom (there are even some blastbeats every now and then, as in 'The Perpetrator' while other tracks like 'Act III: A Curse Falls on the House of David' are short fast and anchored more in the hardcore roots of sludge metal than in the doom metal roots) – and simple but crushing, and noise-infused, riffage, Mares of Thrace deliver ten dark and oppressive, yet quite compelling doom-laden tracks (on top, there is even a electro-noise track in the form of 'Triple B'). While there definitely is a sense of coldness and bleakness to the overall sound, Mares of Thrace's incorporation of a couple of slightly stoned out riffs and the above-mentioned dose of noise somehow prevents The Pilgrimage from coming across as being totally evil and misanthropic (this could of course just be because I find those elements interesting). The tracks on the album are neatly balanced in terms of accessibility and challenge; that is, mainstream listeners will find it 100% challenging, but experienced listeners of doom and sludge metal will probably find it quite accessible and appealing.

The overall atmosphere is, of course, dark, as the doom duo takes the listener through various passages and riffs – one darker than the other – and movements from melancholic and dark to aggressively heavy and dark, and back again (just check out a track like 'The Goat Thief'). On top of the heavy and aggressive drumming style and the doomy riffage, Thérèse Lanz' harsh vocal style further adds to the overall dark and creepily psychedelic atmosphere of the album. The production is organic and unpolished which suits the style well.

With their blend of noise rock, doom metal and sludge metal on this album, Mares of Thrace have created a work of darkness and oppression in the form of The Pilgrimage which balances accessibility and listener-challenging quite well. It is expressive and should appeal to any fan of harsher sludge-doom.

(review originally posted at seaoftranquility.org)

Warthur Panopticon by Isis is the brilliant companion piece to Oceanic and continues the adept fusion of post-rock and metal set forth on that album. With strong competition in 2004 from Cult of Luna's excellent Salvation, Isis manage to remain ahead of the game with their cohesive compositions and their absolute command of mood and atmosphere. If bands like Godspeed You Black Emperor, Sigor Ros and Mogwai are the conceptual leaders of the post-rock movement, Isis surely occupy a similar position when it comes to the post-metal subgenre, and the shimmering, majestic walls of guitar in Panopticon only underline this point. Highly recommended.

Warthur At first I wasn't so sure about this album, but it turned out to be what I think of as an "instant grower" - when I started listening to it for the first time I wasn't so impressed, but even in the middle of that first listen I started hearing more and more that I liked until by the end I was very enthusiastic about it. A capable and competent piece of post-metal with expertly judged compositions combining tormented, outraged death metal and mellower post-rock segments, Salvation is one of those rare 73 minute albums which feel much, much shorter than they actually are - simply put, absolutely nothing here outstays its welcome.

Conor Fynes 'Souvenirs d'Un Autre Monde' - Alcest (7/10)

When Alcest's second album 'Ecailles De Lune' came out, I became instantly enamoured with the music of this French post metal band. Now backtracking through this project's earlier work, I have heard them back when they were a pure black metal act with the demo 'Tristesse Hivernale'. Having a solid context and knowledge of how Alcest has developed over the course of a decade, I can appreciate 'Souvenirs d'Un Autre Monde'- Alcest's debut- for what it is; the project's frontman and mastermind taking several steps back from the metal vista towards his more atmospheric influences. Make no mistake, the music on 'Souvenirs' is not black metal, as is the genre that most associate with Alcest. Instead, this debut album takes the listener on an uplifting and dreamlike journey, played in a style called shoegaze. Although 'Souvenirs d'Un Autre Monde' is driven by a very tame palette of sound, the emotional gravity of the work is undeniable.

Although it is quite clear that Neige took the Alcest project to a new echelon with the sophomore, 'Souvenirs d'Un Autre Monde' already has many of the things I first fell in love with the band for' incredible melodies, dreamy textures, and the distinctively mellowed and effete vocals of Neige himself, which are typically washed into the mix in fair shoegaze fashion. Each track here is quite simple in construct and performance for the most part, often relying on uplifting chord progressions and added layers of string plucking or leads to add to the richness of the sound. Although the songs rarely change their direction much from where they first set off, the songwriting here is indeed very pleasant, even if it is a little on the simplistic side. Neige has a naive way of executing the music here as well; his vocals can sometimes sound a little amateurish, but they do manage to strike a feeling in the listener; the closest comparison may be Jonsi of Sigur Ros, but Neige does have a particular sound to his voice that would certainly be difficult to find anywhere in the metal genre.

All of the music on 'Souvenirs' flows much like a dream, and perhaps the only major flaw to the album is that it all flows in the same direction, at the same pace. Very rarely does a song ever throw in an unexpected curveball at the listener, or even cover much of an emotional variety. Instead, Alcest is deadset on one particular sound, then milks it for all its worth throughout the course of the debut. The debut feels quite novice, but the beauty and heartfelt nature of Alcest's music is heard deeply here. Although now in the shadow of the vastly superior 'Ecailles De Lune', 'Souvenirs' remains a pleasant debut from a band who seems fixed on bringing dreams to life.

Conor Fynes 'Les Voyages De L'Âme' - Alcest (7/10)

For a genre of music which is infamous for often basing its content on male bravado, gore, misanthropy and depression, it takes some serious balls to be a metal band that looks to fairy tales and uplifting emotion in their music. Alcest may have once been a typical black metal band a decade or so ago, but this project has since dissolved their ties to a dark sound, now gravitating towards an atmospheric mix of post metal and shoegaze. Led by frontman Neige, Alcest's sound culminated in 2010 with the masterpiece 'Ecailles De Lune', an album which ranked as my unlikely favourite of that year. Although I rushed to the opportunity of hearing a sample from this follow-up to 'Ecailles' about a month ago, the song 'Autre Temps' had me worried that Alcest had now fallen into a strict formula for their music, and that I could not hope to be surprised by the band any longer. Although 'Les Voyages De L'Âme' is a worthy follow-up to my favourite album of 2010, my fears are sadly confirmed; Alcest's third record feels like a reprise of ideas and sounds from their past. While 'Souvenirs D'Un Autre Monde' and 'Ecailles De Lune' took their listeners to two separate- albeit similar- realms of fantasy, 'Les Voyages De L'Âme' is a nostalgic return to the second.

People will cry the familiar 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' rationelle, but I think 'Les Voyages De L'Âme' might have felt more otherworldly and atmospheric if it didn't sound so damned familiar from the first listen onward. Alcest's music is full of vast reverb, emotionally stirring guitars, and the presence of seemingly out-of-place drum blastbeats; an homage to the time when Alcest was a straight-up black metal act. Neige's voice is the most distinctive sound of the band, a soft clean vocal that often wanders about the higher register rather loosely. There are also black metal shrieks, but there are even less of those this time around than on 'Ecailles'. With a conventionally beautiful sound that is instantly pleasant to the ear, Alcest will attract listeners who don't usually like metal. The black metal elements are scarce, but they are there, and it makes them a perfect potential gateway to heavier, darker sounds. Although Alcest have spawned a legion of clones, their sound remains individual and unique. Even at the most intense moments of 'Les Voyages De L'Âme', things never feel dark; there is always a soaring melody to keep the listener planted firmly in the light.

'Les Voyages De L'Âme' is a move for Alcest that reminds me much of what Wolves In The Throne Room did with their last album 'Celestial Lineage'. Instead of experimenting with something new, they chose to further develop the ideas of their best work and see where it went. For Wolves In The Throne Room, that album of inspiration was 'Two Hunters'. In Alcest's case, 'Ecailles De Lune' is the most obvious palette from which Neige draws his brush. 'Les Voyages De L'Âme' is a sequel in every sense of the word; a slightly different angle of what is essentially the same thing. In terms of differences, 'Les Voyages De L'Âme' is more optimistic than the often melancholic 'Ecailles'. The listener is meant to feel light and hopeful the entire time through. Although this album achieves that feeling in me, there is nothing else in the music to contrast it; no conflict, no tension. As a result, 'Les Voyages De L'Âme' does not have that same lasting emotional impact that 'Ecailles De Lune' was graced with, despite being nearly as successful in terms of its musicianship and composition.

'Les Voyages De L'Âme' will always be compared to its predecessor, and in the end, I think it will be 'Ecailles' that enjoys the status of a 'classic'. This album has all of the traits that have made Alcest great in the past, and 'Les Voyages De L'Âme' is good, but there isn't much here to set the album apart as an independent work. My insistent complaints aside, this is a great way to star the year.

The Truth Although it's definitely a step down from the previous record (it would've been hard to step above it anyway) Alcest continues to wow his audiences this shoegazy and droney brand of post-metal.

The atmosphere is about on par with the Escailles de lune which makes the album one worth listening to but the songs themselves don't have the conciseness that the previous record did.

Don't get me wrong, they are all songs that are way above par for most projects out there, but I guess I was just expecting something a little more after EDL. I have attempted to put that behind me but still whenever I want to listen to an Alcest album I avoid this one and go straight to Escailles.

It's still an album people need to check out, it wouldn't be how I'd introduce people to the project but it really does need more attention than even I give it.

Wilytank Oh the things for a single college boy of 18 years to do while he is on spring break. I decided to take one of these days and hike to the top of a tall, rocky hill that overlooks the entirety of the town of Bedford and more in the valley below and beyond. Moreover, I wanted to use this scenic view as visual inspiration for a written review of Isis' 'Panopticon'. So I packed up my notebook, my iPod, two bottles of water, and a sandwich. An hour later, I was at the designated spot.

I actually acquired a copy of 'Panopticon' during the summer of 2011 at my favorite CD store in Princeton, New Jersey for $9.99 new. I liked its scenic, post rock atmosphere mixed with sludgey yet calm metal riffs. In fact, the albums's art of a scenic, panoramic view of a large landscape is what eventually influenced me to hike up here on this hill, find a comfortable spot amongst these rocks, and write this review.

And actually, the view of the town, some highways, partial forests, and open farm fields fits really well for the atmosphere of 'Panopticon'. If I was looking at a 100% natural view like a great, vast forest or something, I'd probably be reviewing something like Blood of the Black Owl or Agalloch instead (hmm...ideas...).

This album's main advantage when conveying its atmosphere is that it is based on instrumentation. In other words, the lasting effect of the vocals on this album is very weak. They're there, but they only do one or two stanzas per song. The most is probably three in "Wills Dissolve" and "Syndic Calls". The convenient thing about the vocals though is that while the lyrics aren't easy to pick out and sing along to, they're still capable of at least being hummed along to.

On the instrumental side, all songs are played at a nice, slow-mid pace and never change tempo in the course of a single song. The riffs are varied, however, and seem to build up an atmosphere in each songs before reaching a climax in its final minutes. Guitar tone switched comfortably back and forth in each song from calm sounding post rock guitar and sludge metal riffs. Also adding to the atmosphere is a well utilized keyboard and decently audible bass. All this coagulates into the atmosphere of the album and, by extension, the panoramic view on the album art and of my own view of Bedford.

Any album that inspires me to hike through the woods and up a steep, rocky hill to write a review utilizing the view I get from the top definitely is worthy of my praise. 'Panopticon' is definitely one of the best atmospheric sludge metal albums out there, and an obvious necessity for fans of the genre. And I'm definitely glad I got this little adventure early in this week, because it's raining later; and when it's not raining, I'm going to be working.

Warthur It took me a while to wrap my head around Isis' brilliant Oceanic, but it helped that I've listened to plenty of post-rock and could readily see how the band were applying the song structures and almighty crescendos of that genre (as expertly applied by the likes of Mogwai and Godspeed You Black Emperor) to metal. Oceanic is a fantastic musical trip, which delivers waves of tidal fury between spells of deceptive calm - much like the ocean the album is inspired by. Unlike, say, Maudlin of the Well's compositions on Bath/Leaving Your Body Map, the quieter more post-rocky sections and the louder metal sections sit together much more naturally in the context of the compositions, creating a fantastic and cohesive musical experience.

Warthur Using primarily acoustic guitars instead of the electric guitars usually associated with... well, just about every brand of metal you can think of really, but specifically the black metal that Agalloch were previously associated with, the band have developed a compelling post-metal sound. Tapping into the fact that both black metal and shoegaze indie rock make a great deal of use of tremolo guitar, the band craft a strange, folky artifact which exists halfway between the two worlds, and tap into a current which is now regularly explored but which at the time was still incredibly fresh. A classic of experimental, cutting-edge metal.

Time Signature Bleeding fiction...

Genre: SSD metal

The Norwegian band She Said Destroy is often described as a death metal band, a thrash metal band, and a black metal band, while sludge metal is sometimes also brought into the picture as a genre tag. Well their style on Bleeding Fiction is not quite death metal, not quite black metal, not quite thrash metal and not quite sludge metal. Still it is a bit of all those genres, and it's all out progressive.

First off, the EP contains only one song which is well nigh 27 minutes long. With that sort of song length, there should be plenty of room for a lot of interesting things. And She Said Destroy definitely take full advantage of this, making sure that there is both plenty of variation and plenty of repetition on the EP.

Thus, the listener is taken on a journey through a landscape of strangely groovy riffs, heavy and sludgy passages, and darkly mellow atmospheric sections, and this is sprinkled with bursts of synth effects, some of which are spacey while others are more mellow. We are not dealing with overly technical music, and a lot of the progressive nature of "Bleeding Fiction" lies in the combination of very different modes of expression – some parts are strangely lush while others are bleak as hell. The vocals are harsh all the way through, but are contrasted with the softer and more fragile passages that are inserted throughout the song.

The EP is quite enjoyable, but I must say that I wish the vocals would have been a bit more varied, and I think that a singing style with more tonality to it would have contributed more melodically to the overall sound. Still, as an expressive device, the harsh vocals definitely play a role in generating the dark atmosphere that, despite the many moods expressed, is ubiquitous throughout the 27 minutes long opus.

This EP should definitely appeal to fans of sludge metal and post-metal, and any other prog fan who is interested in the darker and heavier aspects of the world of prog might also want to give Bleeding Fiction a listen.

(review originally posted at seaoftranquility.org)

The Angry Scotsman With this album Neurosis takes a more standard post metal sound, though you can't knock the band for that, since they invented the sound.

I actually prefer newer Neurosis over old, simply put: atmosphere over aggression (as one person once told me). Of course atmosphere has been a Neurosis staple since '92, they've been belting out lengthy, atmospheric metal long before Isis or even Tool, but on "The Eye of Every Storm" they adopt a more heavy/light interplay style, and is greatly subdued. Their bludgeoning, sludgy guitar dirges are still around, but just much less. Neurosis has no problem utilizing melodic passages, and even minimalism.

Opening track "Burn" and "The Eye of Every Storm" have lengthy movements that are almost solely vocals, the latter being backed up a continuous "wub", psychedelic noises and splashes of guitar.

These two being standout tracks. "Burn" is, again, pretty standard post metal, though so well done. Heavy/light transitions, building to a powerful climax. His gruff, sludge metal vocals are so fitting...he does it in a more "singing" style and over soft, beautiful music it creates such an emotional, tortured feeling. Awesome song.

"The Eye of Every Storm" moves like a storm, gradually rolling in until it reaches a real moving part, before entering a long quiet section. A baritone talking takes the forefront, as mentioned earlier, backed up by various trippy noises. Really let it sink in, what he's saying, the ambiance, everything.

Another brilliant song is "Bridges". A steady, (though very distant) punk drum beat carries on while sparse piano, vocals, and fluttering psychedelic noises take the forefront. Picks up a bit before a schizo journey of drones and borderline silence takes over. Both parts are awesome, though it takes some patience to grasp all the subtlety in the quiet (on casual listen it'll sound like honest silence) before a rockin ending. Atmospheric, post metal to the nth degree.

That's really how to best describe whole album. A lot of quiet, spaced with heavy, (in their classic slow, even droning, nature) tons of little detail. Pretty heavy use of synth, though it's never prominent, just filler...another piece you may not hear at first but adds another dimension.

The vocals are still Neurosis' strained, sludge metal style though even here more subdued. He still lets it soar, but all the time and while I was never a huge fan, I like it much more here. The restraint does well, and of course makes it more powerful when he takes off.

No doubt, like most of the bands work this is a difficult album. Even I struggle a bit with some Neurosis. "The Eye of Every Storm" requires some patience and a fine ear. It's not the best for casual listening, as the long quiet parts would have to be boring, this is best for active listening. To really feel this albums power and absorb all the subtle songwriting it's best to sit down, do nothing, and let the album take you over. I like to put it on early morning after I wake up, sitting there relaxed playing this album, or doing so whenever I have some nice down time.

While it's extremely well done, the album is a tad formulaic and it's difficulty may be a turn off, (though I found it easier to get into then old school, crushing Neurosis). The gods of post metal have done it again, putting out a unique and superb post metal album.

Four Stars

adg211288 Aeon is the second full-length album from Italian instrumental sludge/post-metal act Mondrian Oak. The album was released in 2012 and features seven tracks, all of which are named as simply 1 through to 7. Apart from 1 and 4 they’re all pretty long compositions, with 2 and 6 passing the ten minute mark.

The music we have here is heavy yet atmospheric. With no vocals at all the instruments are used to great effect in the place of a singer in order to give each of the seven tracks its own individual mood and the different sections are delivered emotively from each instrument. Although classable under post-metal with a sludge metal aspect to it I imagine that the release would also be at home with doom and drone metal albums, although there is a lot more going on than with much of the drone stuff I’ve heard, the music does often share some of the same qualities. 4 is a good example of that.

As with any instrumental release this is going to have a niche market but perhaps even more of a niche market than most since it is in no way a shred release as per Steve Vai, John Petrucci et al. There’s only one aspect to the music that I think is really going to be the selling point for it, and that’s its atmosphere, because what we’ve got here is something darkly haunting. Calling it a scary atmosphere wouldn’t be wrong either. In this sense the fact that it’s instrumental is irrelevant. I’d actually say the lack of vocals is to the complete benefit of this sort of music as it allows you to become totally engrossed in the atmosphere that Mondrian Oak has created.

All in all Aeon is an enjoyable release that comes recommendable to fans of post, sludge, doom and drone metal. I couldn’t listen to an album in this vein very often, but even so I think a high end rating is easily deserved as I think to metal fans more into these styles than I am will lap this one up. Mondrian Oak doesn’t appear to be very well known yet, but if this album is anything to go by that should change.

8.7/10

(Originally written for Heavy Metal Haven (http://metaltube.freeforums.org))

The Angry Scotsman This album is a bit of a departure for Pelican, which is why I think (despite critical reviews) fans of the band don’t seem to care for this album, at least not as much as their other work. At first I was on board with that though I couldn’t put my finger on why. With time though “What We All Came to Need” grew on me, and while it may not be the strongest album the band has put out, it is still very good.

Before this album, Pelican switched from one slower, progressive metal focused label (Hydra Head) to another (Southern Lord) and while both specialize in the same general types of band, Pelican changed things up with this release. The emphasis on riffing, (one of their defining features amongst post metal bands) is subdued, as is the heaviness. Now, it is still undeniably heavy, but less “sludgey” less bottom heavy and outright pulverizing. So at first listen this album can be a bit underwhelming.

Though it’s just a different style, instead of riffing and pummeling this album is about texture, and atmosphere. I should say they are more the focus, as these qualities were always essential to Pelican. So it takes some getting used to certainly, but it has what you want from Pelican: guitar driven, upbeat post metal complete with amazing melodies, perfect guitar interplay, some awesome riffs, and while not as up tempo as “City of Echoes” still generally more so than most post metal. Progressive song writing still abounds, though it’s not as epic as previous work, and feels less structured overall and more drifty. There is also increased use of melodic passages on this album. This is a more cerebral and reflective Pelican.

Some notable songs are “The Creeper” which is the slowest, heaviest, most brutal song on the album, “Specks of Light” the riffiest, most up tempo song (and with some killer parts) and the finale, “Finale Breath” which features vocals! A first for Pelican. Instead of the harsh shouts or emotional singing customary to post metal, they opt for shoegazing like dream like vocals, fitting for the nowhere drifting nature of the song. The vocals are courtesy of Allen Epley (who I’ve not heard of personally) and some other guest musicians make an appearance, including Greg Anderson of Sunn O))) fame, and Aaron Turner of Isis.

A little less traditional Pelican and more traditional post rock/metal this is not the band’s best album, but it’s still a damn good one. With some time and listens it should strike you as a solid and well executed, if unspectacular, post metal album.

Three and a Half Stars

The Angry Scotsman It generally seems to be that this album is not too well liked by Pelican fans, or that "It's OK but just not that great". Well to each their own but I love "City of Echoes" and it is actually my favorite Pelican album so far.

It has every staple of Pelican's sound: very heavy, dense and intricate guitar work, progressive song writing with awesome riffs and melodies. In fact it was the band's higher emphasis on riffing that always made them stand out to me from most other post metal bands. As well as their less reflective, (even brooding) more upbeat nature.

While all that is still present, "City of Echoes" is more streamlined than past work. The longest song is 7 minutes, with four of the eight clocking in the 5 minute range. While some die hards may automatically dislike this, I always love to see a band and change it up and see nothing wrong with more to the point, (dare I say....accessible) songs.

Don't worry, this is no pop album, the songs still move...but instead of drifting to the end of the river, it flows with more force. Maybe the climaxes and finales are not as mind blowing, but the songs may be more powerful, more energetic. Basically, it's all the good of Pelican but a little easier, a little more rockin. I'm OK with that.

This is all backed up by the drumming, which is a bit more up tempo and diverse than before. It gives a different touch to the music, some feeling, (always nice to sound human and not like a machine right?) and intensity. There's even some pretty quick double bass at times! It's still pretty straightforward, but better and as the band themselves have said, they are not trying to be Don Caballero here.

Of course the album is still guitar driven, and the riffs and melodies are the best yet. As always the dual guitar work is just awesome. Working in unison, as lead/rhythm, or diving in and out of each other. It's so well done. De Brauw and Schroeder-Lebec are guitar wizards.

There's also an increased emphasis on bass, taking a prominent role as another instrument instead of just bottom filler. I think it always gives the music a more textured sound.

The songwriting is great, perfect flow and progression. It's not always heavy either, dipping in the clean pool a good bit. Most importantly: great variation. Not just in song, but every song has a bit of a different feel to it. It's difficult to pick standout songs since they are all great, but the acoustic "Winds with Hands" is a good change of pace and "Lost in the Headlights" is my favorite. The most energetic on the album it also best does a little of everything said in the review above.

Amazing album, maybe some Pelican or post-metal fans will not care for it's less epic nature, but cmon a little different won't kill ya! An awesome listen, and should be enjoyable for any fan of progressive metal. It's even gotten enjoyment from non metal heads! If you can take some heavy guitar, I recommend "City of Echoes" regardless of what you like. It's also instrumental so don't worry about unpleasant vocals.

Masterpiece

Five Stars

UMUR "Cults 'n' Cunts" is the debut full-length studio album by Belgian sludge metal act Your Highness. The album was released through Hammerheart Records in July 2011.

Eight tracks distributed over a 28:41 minutes long playing time featuring some pretty standard sludge metal. That´s about what you get with "Cults 'n' Cunts". The music is well played, well produced and to a certain extent well written. But when that is said the album does come off as pretty unremarkable. It´s not an album I remember after it´s finished, but it´s pretty enjoyable while it plays. It´s pretty much no nonsense sludge metal in the not so filthy end of the spectrum with some leanings toward 70s hard rock. Check out the bluesy hard rock soloing or a harmony lead like the one in "Skull Goblet" for examples of that influence. The vocals are your usual raw and shouting type vocals.

"Cults 'n' Cunts" is in many ways a quality sludge metal album, but as mentioned above it´s not an album I remember much from when it has finished, so if you ask me the songwriting definitely could use some improvement. A 3 star (60%) rating is fair.

Time Signature Crimson sword...

Genre: sludge metal

Sludge metal can be very challenging to listen to and, depending on the extremity of the approach of the artist, some can even be inaccessible to non-connoisseurs. If one were to judge on the basis of their odd name only, one would be forgiven for expecting inaccessible avant-garde sludge metal. However, on God's Hooks Biipiigwan strike me as being one of the more accessible sludge metal bands out there. That is not to say that their music is a dumbed down or commercialized version of sludge metal – that is not at all the case. It is just that they have taken a musical path that excludes many of the really quirky and weird elements associated with many more progressive and avant-garde sludge bands. There's nothing wrong with that, and God's Hooks is still very likely to be challenging enough to scare the crap out of the Lady Gaga-loving general public.

Just like bands such as Hard Charger, I Exist, Black Cobra, Black Tusk, and the more death metal oriented Elitist, Biipiigwan belongs to the category of sludge bands who do not neglect sludge metal's partial ancestry in hardcore and crust punk, drawing both on the aggression inherited from these genres and on the more psychedelic and doom-laden features inherited from southern rock and early doom metal. And Biipiigwan make this very clear in the opening track 'Beaches' which starts out uptempo and aggressive before gradually transitioning into the territory of slow and doomy music. Likewise 'Vegemite' starts out fast and furious before the band enter into heavier and slightly psychedelic passages. The much more compact 'Rhett' also follows this pattern, starting out an all out crust-blaster and suddenly changes into a heavier affair. In contrast 'In War' is kept heavy all the way, drawing on a series of repeated simple, but powerful, guitar figures – its overall feel is one of bleakness, but in the last two minutes the music becomes more layered and almost lush, which creates a very interesting contrast, and makes the track a quite stimulating one to listen to ('Crimson Sword' features the same sort of semi-lushness and, despite the use of tense chords, it is also a quite melodic and, at times, even pleasant track). The most challenging track, which is also the post progressive one, and perhaps even avant-garde, is the title track with its changes of tempo, growled vocals, break-downs and build-ups, and use of dissonant chords and harmonies. The closing track 'B'il Sabab' is a midpaced track with a stomping drive and some simple but compelling riffage.

While heavy at times, the music on God's Hooks is actually never slow as such – which is probably also one of the factors in the accessibility of the album. The balance between fast and heavy music is quite interesting as is the balance between simplicity and complexity.

Described as a blend of Yob, Neurosis and Unsane, Biipiigwaan captures the essence of the dual ancestry of sludge metal and is refreshingly energizing to listen to. Fans of I Exist, Black Cobra, Black Tusk and similar acts might like the album, and some fans of crust punk and hardcore punk might also find it interesting.

(review originally posted at seaoftranquility.org)

Time Signature Immortal metal...

Genre: sludge-thrash-crust metal

Who says sludge metal has to be slow and lumbering? True, the inspiration from Black Sabbath and Southern rock via acts like The Melvins and Neurosis has cemented slow tempos and heavy, droning riffs as a genre-typical feature of sludge metal. However, we must remember that another source of inspiration to sludge metal artists came from crust punk and hardcore punk, and the Australian sludge metal act I Exist definitely remind us of this ancestor of sludge metal on their second album II: The Broken Passage.

While the base sound is the sloppy and muddy sound of sludge metal, I Exist often play at breakneck speed on this album, drawing extensively on the aggression of crust and hardcore punk, with several riffs having an almost thrashy nature. In fact, there is so much thrashy aggression on this album that one is inclined to categorizing it as a sort of crossover-release that combines thrash, sludge and hardcore. The Australians definitely show us that the sludge metal sound goes very well together with aggression and speed, and that sludge metal does not per se have to be slow, stoned and lumbering. That being said, there are slow and Southern rock-oriented tracks and passages on the album, too just check 'Black Unicorn', 'Lungs of Mire', 'Mammoth Falls' and 'Winters End'), and these stand in an interesting contrast to the uptempo and aggressive parts.

The production is, as mentioned above, a tad sloppy, but that is not a problem in the context of sludge metal (I guess it is actually a positive attribute). And the harsh vocals, which at times remind me of Chaos A.D. and Roots-era Max Cavalera suit the overall sound extremely well (although I must say that I think that this type of singing, or yelling, goes better with the crusty tracks than with the more doomy and stoned up ones).

Fans of the genre-typical sludge metal sound, who are also interested in uptempo metal and crust punk, hardcore punk and crossover thrash should definitely check out II: The Broken Passage, which brilliantly encapsulates both fiery aggression and swampy and stoned psychedelia.

(review originally posted at seaoftranquility.org)

Time Signature This pack will roam...

Genre: crust punk / sludge metal

If you like both sludge metal and hardcore punk, then Hard Charger's The Machine is Driving is the perfect choice for your next investment in music - especially if you want a good portion of raw attitude on top.

The base sound of the music on this album is the raw and heavy sound of sludge metal, with lots of twang and dirty distortion, but rather than meandering in heavy southern grooves and depressive heavy doom-ladden riffage and tempos, Hard Charger have opted for d-beating galore. Thus, most of the tunes are fast, energetic crust punk tunes with a sludgy sound.

And you know what, it works very well, as the crust aggression and the sludge darkness go very well together. The result is gruff aggressive music with lots of attitude and lots of energy. Granted, it probably takes a listener who is able to appreciate the good things about d-beating, and the album - like many other d-beat based crust punk releases - is in danger of becoming monotonous down the line to listeners who do not understand and appreciate d-beat and crust punk.

But, if you are looking for at sped up and aggressive alternative to the more standard slow and heavy sludge metal, then Hard Charger's onslaught of rough, aggressive crust-sludge rock 'n' roll in the form of This Machine Is Driving should be right up your alley.

(review originally posted at seaoftranquility.org)

Kingcrimsonprog When you get away from all the stylistic and contextual considerations and just judge it on its own merits, Corrosion Of Conformity’s 2012 Self Titled album is a very competently made and fairly enjoyable album. It isn’t the best thing ever made, but neither is it a terrible mistake. It won’t please people who are into them for what Pepper brought, and it won’t please fans of classic 80s Hardcore, but it is a strong enough album that has a similar appeal as Black Tusk and maybe recent Entombed albums.

That being said; realistically it is an album that you need to provide a certain level of context for before approaching in a critical way as the particulars of the album’s line up and musical style are of interest to existing fans and therefore it is difficult to describe the album without first acknowledging that. So; on the previous four Corrosion Of Conformity albums (which a large portion of their fanbase know them best for) most of the vocals and a large part of musical direction came from the Southern Rock influenced Singer/Guitarist Pepper Keenan, who is not present on this album because he is concentrating on the Phil Anselmo fronted super group Down.

In Pepper’s absence, the vocals on this album are performed by founding member Mike Dean, who has been on every Corrosion Of Conformity album except for 1991’s Blind. Dean sometimes appears purely as a bassist and sometimes also handles the vocal duties.

In addition to Mike Dean once again taking over the lead vocal position, Pepper’s guitar slot is left unfilled and the band play as a three piece. The line up is completed by guitarist Woody Weatherman who played on every single C.O.C album ever and drummer Reed Mullin who has been on all the band’s studio albums apart from 2005’s In The Arms Of God.

The style of this album was prophesied by certain people as being a return to the Crossover Thrash style of their 1985 album Animosity, because they play mostly songs from it live and it had the same trio line up.

Stylistically, the band began life as a hardcore punk band in the early 1980s, then quickly adopted a Crossover Thrash style in the mid-80s and by the 1990s they eventually added groove metal, sludge metal, stoner rock, southern rock and doom metal influences in varying degrees on each subsequent album, all of which have ended up with unique overall styles depending on the ratio of all these influences.

The prophecy that the band’s 2012 album would return them to their 1985 sound and abandon everything developed since then did not prove to be the case however; the band certainly do incorporate large amounts of this style into the new album, but is important to remember that all three members were also on board during the 90s albums, which becomes clear when large amounts of Doom Metal influences pervade the album. The result is a raw and dirty sounding album, which has a lot of fat Black Sabbath influenced Doom riffs one minute, and speedy d-beat drumming the next. This is perhaps best exemplified by the track ‘The Doom’ and if you are unsure of whether or not you’d like the album, then I highly recommend listening to that track before buying.

Other highlights include the catchy ‘Time Of Trials,’ the aggressive ‘What You Despises Is What You’ve Become’ and the dark semi-acoustic number ‘El Lamento De Las Cabras.’

In conclusion, overall this is a pretty unique album in the band’s history and I think all types of Corrosion Of Conformity fans should all check the album out at least once and judge it on its own merits. If however you want a lot of Punk or a lot of Southern Rock, then prepare to be disappointed because this album is very much its own animal.

bartosso French shoegaze is so... french

Les Discrets is a band that creates music full of grey landscapes, sounds emerging from a milky fog, shoegazing passages reminding me of fairy-tale drawings rather than fairy-tales themselves. Released by Prophecy Productions (Alcest, Antimatter), SEPTEMBRE ET SES DERNIÈRES PENSÉES is a dreamy, emotional, very bleak and most of all, quite successful album.

The sound suits the music perfectly. Production is clean yet quite organic and subdued. Guitars sound heavy when it's needed but Les Discrets stick to their post-rock and shoegazing side most of the time. To enhance dreamy atmosphere, vocal lines are treated with reverb. I must say that vocal style of Fursy Teyssier is definitely an acquired taste though. He's drawing from both shoegaze and post-punk styles and while I'm not completely convinced of his singing skills, reverb makes his performance more tolerable.

After a few hours with the music I began to realize how diverse influences one can find in the album. At first listen, SEPTEMBRE ET SES DERNIÈRES PENSÉES seems to be an ordinary french post-rock/shoegaze album in the vain of Alcest or Amesoeurs. Obviously, there are similarities among them since all these acts share at least one band member, but Les Discrets seem to be the most interesting of all of them. Stylistically, the band draws from post-rock ambiance and shoegaze arrangements but such genres as post-punk, black or doom metal are noticeable in the music as well. Not to mention very well crafted acoustic parts, deeply rooted in dark folk tradition.

Alcest's fans may love this album. I think it's one of the best efforts that french post/shoegaze scene has to offer. Even if you're not a fan of the style, there's enough of enchanting passages and emotion-provoking melodies, to get interested any fan of atmospheric rock.

TRACKS BY RATINGS: 8/10[great]: L'échappée; Song for Mountains; Svipdagr & Freyja || 7/10[very good]: Les Feuilles de l'olivier; Sur les Quais; Effet de Nuit; Chanson d'automne; Une Matinée d'Hiver || 5/10[not bad]: Septembre et Ses Dernières Pensées ||

UMUR "Acid Mouth Strangulation" is the 5th full-length studio album by Finnish blackened sludge metal Fleshpress and the first studio album by the band since "Pillars (2007)". "Acid Mouth Strangulation" was released through Svart Records in October 2011.

The music on the album is sludge metal with a blackened edge. The riffs are brick heavy, the rythms likewise and the vocals are raspy and delivered with a caustic conviction. When the band let loose during the most energetic parts they really shine with an irresistible heavy and sludgy groove but during the more hypnotic, repetitive and mellow parts the music unfortunately drags a bit. The first couple of minutes of the opening track "Glass Trails" is an example of when the latter style works well though while the last 12 minutes of the 19:14 minutes long closing track "Oblivion Persistent" is an example of the opposite. In the end, with only 3 tracks distributed over a 36:02 minutes long playing time, the dragging parts last a little too long not to affect my rating.

The atmosphere on the album is ridden with despair and desperation and the band´s ability to create a bleak and dark atmosphere is one of the assets of the album.

"Acid Mouth Strangulation" is a well produced, well played and for the most part well written album and if it wasn´t for some of the more repetitive dragging parts I think a 4 star (80%) rating would have been fully warranted. As it is now I´d say a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

Time Signature Only the light will...

Genre: sludge-doom metal

Music does not have to be fast, furious and brutal to be extreme. It can also be slow and sludgy, and Italian doomsters' Malasangre's third full-length effort Lux Deerit Soli falls under the second category of musical extremity.

With only two tracks, each of which is around 35 minutes long, Malasangre make use of repetitions of riffs made of droning notes and heavy, doom-laden figures accompanied by very heavy drumbeats and shrouded in a veil of dark atmosphere. Adding a sense of tortured dynamics to the overall picture, the heavy and doomy sections intertwine with quiet atmospheric passages, which complete the the picture.

While the two tracks on the album are solidly rooted in the doom and sludge genres, the production is very fuzzy and unpolished and has more of a black metal feel to it. Similarly, the vocals are kept harsh and screechy and are also derived from the black metal universe.

If you are into heavy, slow and oppressive sludgy doom metal with touches of black black metal – and you have the time for it (because this is music that you have to take the time for and concentrate on) – then you should definitely give Lux Deerit Soli a listen.

(review originally posted at seaoftranquility.org)

bartosso Silent film

I have really mixed feelings about that record. Cloudkicker's second album, BEACONS, is undoubtedly very interesting effort and given the fact it's released for free, it's even more awkward to rate it with 3 stars. I promise, I'll explain myself. But now for something completely different...

Damn those tricky one-man baaands! They use computer generated drums and think they're cool. Well, they are. Cloudkicker is anyway. Both his drums, guitars and bass sound convincing. As for drums, they're not as realistic as drum set from hell in CATCH 33 by Meshuggah but still realistic enough. Guitars feel a bit too sterile for my tastes but the fact they're heavy and perfectly executed is undeniable. For a homemade album the sound is just amazing.

Less original and more personal yet still technical. That simple phrase describes the music in BEACONS pretty well, but I'll elaborate on the subject in order to seem more intelligent. So, despite being an instrumental collection of songs, BEACONS is a concept album with a story told in... song titles! It's a story about a plain crash, or should I say a desperate report from the crew, just before the crash. I must say that's what's best in the album - dramatic tension that pervades the whole concept is thrilling. It's like a silent film created with sounds instead of images. Stylistically, Cloudkicker went completely opposite way of what I've expected though. Instead of developing his progressive side, Ben Sharp focused on drama and more traditional approach to riffs and melody. So-called djent is still there, but now it's more of a spice than a defining factor. Don't get me wrong, it's an album loaded with excellent riffs and emotion provoking build-ups ("Amy, I love you" shines here) but its repetitious nature makes it tiresome just too many times.

All in all, BEACONS is a solid album with some great features and some really bad ones too. It's still among the best records in djent as it presents a new approach to the style unlike the mass of young djent bands that have nothing interesting to offer (besides making Meshugah's style more accessible and melodic). If you're into post metal, you may love it. Well, get it to find out, it's free anyway!

TRACKS BY RATINGS: 8/10[great]: Amy, I love you.; Push it way up! || 7/10[very good]: We're goin' in. We're going down.; ...it's just wide-open field.; It's bad. We're hit, man, we are hit. || 6/10[good]: Oh, god.; We were all scared. || 5/10[not bad]: Here, wait a minute! Damn it!; I admit it now. I was scared.; untitled ||

UMUR "Spiral Shadow" is the 5th full-length studio album by US sludge metal act Kylesa. The album was released through Season of Mist in October 2010.

While I found "Static Tensions (2009)" to be an enjoyable and powerful release, I´m ultimately much more fond of "Spiral Shadow". It´s simply more memorable and features better songwriting. The album is a quality sludge metal release to my ears containing both raw sludge metal riffing, a slight (occasional) touch of hardcore punk, mellower psychadelic tinged sections and good variation between raw male and female vocals. The fact that the band features two drummers is also much more obvious on "Spiral Shadow" than on the predecessor. While it´s not used to as great effect as for example the Melvins have done since 2006, the inclusion of two drummers in the band is still a great asset that works wonders on some of the tracks.

...in the end "Spiral Shadow" is one of those albums that caught my attention from the first to the last note and still does. Allthough not quite as eclectic and bold as Baroness development from the "Red (2007)" album to the "Blue (2009)" album, I hear quite a few similarities in the way that Kylesa travel beyond "regular" sludge metal aestethics on "Spiral Shadow". It´s enjoyable and it´s admirable and fully deserves a 4 star (80%) rating from me.

UMUR "Rural" is the 2nd full-length studio album by Swedish Atmospheric Sludge Metal/Post-Hardcore act Moloken. The album was released through Discouraged Records in November 2011. Moloken hail from the small city of Holmsund, which serves as a port for Umeå (the city that spawned Meshuggah). holmsund/Umeå are situated in the northern part of Sweden.

...I guess the geography lesson is meant to portray why Moloken´s music is so dark and oppressive. There´s just something unique about those people coming from the northern part of Scandinavia. A bleak melancholic mood that Moloken successfully transfer to their music. Moloken play a blend of atmospheric sludge and post metal/hardcore. Acts like Neurosis and especially fellow Swedes Breach come to mind. The vocals are harsh and shouting but with an additional howling tone that reminds me slightly of how Luc Lemay sounded on "Obscura (1998)" by Gorguts. This is of course not death metal but the vocals are pretty extreme (to my great enjoyment).

There are seven tracks on the 52:14 minutes long album. All high quality material. The tempo is slow- mid paced with good variation. The tracks are generally structually challenging and it´s no surprise that the 16:23 minutes long centerpiece of the album titled "Ulv" takes the prize as the most progressively structured track. While most of the album is dark, chaotic, twisted and aggressive, "Rural" closes with "Åland" which is a mellow and atmospheric post rock track. A good choice for variation, which also gives the listener time to reflect over what he/she has just listened to. The way a tracklist is build, is a crucial ingredient of any successful album release and "Rural" features a really nice flow. Add to that an organic and powerful sound production and there´s little here to complain about.

..."Rural" has actually impressed me a lot more than my initial listen suggested, and I´ve ended up really enjoying the album. it´s dark, chaotic, aggressive, challenging and upon repeated spins some original elements have also revealed themselves. A 4 star (80%) rating is fully deserved.

bartosso Trample! Trample! TRAAAAMPLE!!!

Holy mackerel, Mastodon! You're trampling my mind like an enraged Cysquatch after blunt knife castration! That's one of the most energetic albums to ever emerge from sludge, or even whole modern metal scene. I got into Mastodon's music not so long ago and I must admit that there are both things I love and dislike about their music. However, BLOOD MOUNTAIN is definitely an album that contains mostly the things I like about it. In my opinion, it's the second best Mastodon's release after CRACK THE SKYE.

Production of the record is very good but could have been better. While drums, especially bass drum, sound heavy and organic, there's something in the way they're produced, that irritates my ears. I guess the snare drum is to be blamed for that as it sounds a bit flat. Anyway, the whole sounds heavy and clean and it's not overproduced. Still, I think both LEVIATHAN and CRACK THE SKYE have better production.

As many reviewers have already stated, the record can be considered as a transitional episode between sludgy and aggressive LEVIATHAN and spacey/progressive CRACK THE SKYE. Stomping sludge element is still most prominent one, but experiments with song structures and spacey/psychedelic and progressive rock influences have become more noticeable. Most of the compositions are galloping sludge metal songs with Mastodon's typical leanings towards punk-ish aggressiveness combined with stoner metal feel (especially in the case of Brent Hinds' vocal delivery). Plenty of time signature changes, complex structures and incredibly compelling, unmistakable drumming by Brann Dailor, determines BLOOD MOUNTAIN status as a modern progressive metal album. I think the biggest drawback this record has, is the fact that there are no songs I consider to be masterpieces. Mastodon's great talent for long and complex compositions manifested in their following release, but here - despite a few absolutely fantastic songs - it's still underdeveloped. Besides that, I found some tracks to be simply uninspired or even terribly annoying ("Bladecatcher"-> what the hell is that? electro-grind-core-stoner metal?).

All in all, BLOOD MOUNTAIN is a very good eclectic progressive metal album, deeply rooted in sludge metal genre. If you're into aggressive and energetic metal with a twist, this record is for you.

TRACKS BY RATINGS: 9/10[fantastic!]: Crystal Skull 8/10[great]: The Wolf Is Loose; Sleeping Giant; Capillarian Crest; Colony of Birchmen; Siberian Divide 7/10[very good]: Circle of Cysquatch; Hunters of the Sky; This Mortal Soil 6/10[good]: Hand of Stone; Pendulous Skin 3/10[poor]: Bladecatcher

Time Signature Aeon...

Genre: sludge/post metal

Mondrian Oak are back and ready to take you on a journey through a soundscape of darkness and heaviness.

On "Aeon", Mondrian Oak deliver crushingly heavy, yet expressive and strangely haunting, sludged-up post metal, whose heavy beats and sludgy riffage, in conjunction with atmospheric breakdowns and softer passages, are bound to bring the listener into a trance-like state. Being one hundred percent instrumental, there are vocals or no lyrics to distract you. There is only a heavy bass, heavy but mildly distorted guitars, and big booming drums to paint your day black with musical bleakness - which is especially well captures in '6'.

For a sludge release, then, Aeon is definitely successful. It is very expressive and doom-laden, still with a feel of dark psychedelia. While there is a bit of noise-inspiration and dissonance every now and then, Aeon is perhaps more friendly towards listeners who are not familiar with the more experimental branches of sludge music, and might even prove to be a good entry point into the genre. Fans of doom metal might also appreciate this album for the very heavy and slow beats that it features.

(review oroginally posted at seaoftranquility.org)

Time Signature Tears won't soften steel...

Genre: avant prog sludge metal

The name "Wizard Rifle" is kind of weird, and the cover artwork of "Speak Loud Say Nothing" is also kind of weird in a humorous way. And, well, the music of this Portland-based sludge metal duo does have a certain sense of weirdness to it.

We are dealing with a release that definitely is challenging, has a progressive and even avant-garde feel to it, and which also diplays a sense of psychedelia. But Speak Loud Say Nothing is not overtly weird or unbearably avant-garde and, if you are already into sludge metal, it should be listenable, even if you are not really a connoisseur of avant-garde music.

Drawing on sludge metal heaviness and noise rock dissonance, Wizard Rifle explore darker and perhaps more chaotic aspects of the sludge metal universe, and they have quite successfully managed to strike a balance between avant-garde chaotic variation and the power of repetition and minimalism, as most songs contain flurries of riffs that are repeated to the point of the repetition itself starting to feel chaotic, and as soon as that feeling kicks in, they jump into another riff. A track like 'Megatherium' falls somewhere between sludge metal and doom metal with its use of heavy riffs and considerably slow passages, while 'Nobody' and 'Tears Won't Soften Steel' draw more on noise music, and the 10-minutes plus closer 'Leathery Gentlemen' sums up the overall nature of the album quite well, even adding new elements, such as blast beats and some tech thrash too.

In many ways, I think, this release carries on where Mastodon left off after Blood Mountain, so fans of Mastodon's early material might be specifically interested in this release (although we are not dealing with a Mastodon rip-off at all).

As mentioned above, "Speak Loud Says Nothing" is definitely a challenging listen with lots of progressive and avant-garde elements. Still, I think that it will not exclude people who are fans of sludge metal or noise rock in general and not necessarily fans of avant-garde metal, so if you belong to that group of people, you should check this release out.

(review originally posted at seaoftranquility.org)