Time Signature Hours...

Genre: sludge metal/rock

Not exactly newcomers to the scene, but perhaps still enjoying a state of relative obscurity, the Belgian sludge rockers Maudlin are back with their third release, the full-length album A Sign of Time, which you can acquire from the band's BandCamp page.

Drawing on the likes of Neurosis and Mastodon as sources of inspiration, the album naturally has a very sludgy inclination – without the Southern rock elements though – and offers heavy beats, heavy riffs, and a heavy fat distorted bass to provide the bottom. But do not expect the album to be a one ton behemoth of heaviness all the way through. There are several melodic and mellow intermezzos, and the vocals are generally clean, resulting in a overall slightly dynamic song structure approach and music which definitely qualifies as progressive.

There is even a slight hint of Yes in some of the tracks, as is the case of 'A Perfect Sky of Black' – whether this is i direct influence or inherited via the likes of Mastodon, I do not know, but it sounds pretty good. The guitar solos have more of a 70s hard rock feel to them, and, if there are any traces of Southern rock at all on this album, their locus is the guitar leads.

A pretty good album, A Sign of Time should appeal to fans of Neurosis, Mastodon, Kyuss, Tool, and Kylesa and other sludgy or post-metallic acts.

(review originally posted on seaoftranquility.org)