J-Man In the world of underground atmospheric metal, Sadgiqacea and Grass are two of the biggest names in the Philadelphia area. These two hard-working acts both sport unique sounds that walk the line between psychedelic sludge and pummeling doom metal, so a split LP between the two local, and rather similar, acts seems like a match made in heaven (or hell, if you prefer). This four-song split album shows both bands delivering two lengthy compositions, all of which are captivating journeys in their own right. Although split albums often seem to consist of a group's “leftover” material, everything offered on this LP is immensely satisfying. Fans of doomy and psychedelic sludge metal will find plenty to enjoy here.

Sadgiqacea is a band I've enjoyed quite a bit for the past year or so, but Grass is a new name to me. I knew to expect an aggressive, bone-crushingly heavy, and slightly experimental style of filthy doom metal from Sadgiqacea, and it seems like Grass actually plays a pretty similar style on this album. The Grass portion of the split perhaps has a bit more of a post-rock influence, but the bottom line is that if you enjoy one of these bands, you'll definitely like both. Sadgiqacea opens up the split in full-force, with the extremely powerful and Mastodon-influenced “The Great Divide”. “Avianizer” is an epic tune that shows the more psychedelic and reflective side of the band's music, while still including plenty of pummeling riffs to satisfy those who crave a heavy edge in their music. Grass begins their side of the split with the eleven-minute masterpiece “Future Ruins” that seamlessly melds sludge metal, experimental doom, and post rock into a unique mold that is distinctly their own. “Chasing Demons Out the Holler” is a heavier song than the previous one, but it still has an epic and quirky sensibility to satisfy more forward-thinking metal fans.

Although I could've wished for possibly a bit more material from both bands, the bottom line is that this is still 35 minutes of absolutely top-notch sludge/doom metal. Sadgiqacea and Grass both are unique bands with something new to offer to this crowded genre, and their abilities as musicians and composers should guarantee success in the coming years. Those with a curiosity about what the Philadelphia metal scene has to offer will definitely want to check out this split - but make sure you act quickly, as the limited edition 12” vinyl is only available in 500 copies. I'd say 4 gold stars are well-deserved for this impressive split album.

The Block This review will talk about the Sadgiqacea side of the release, even if it is a pretty meager side. Consisting of only two songs on the Sadgiqacea side, “Thy Will Be None” and “Nature's Antidote”, this release by both Sadgiqacea and Ominous Black is pretty good. I only know Sadgiqacea, partly because they held a small venue concert at a local record store a few weeks back. During the show they were very energetic and they really put on a good show. I had listened to this release the day before the concert and when I went I was surprised to find out that Sadgiqacea is, in fact, only a two-piece band. The kind of music they play is great and with only two members in the band I was very surprised at what they could do.

The music on this release is very good, especially the bass work by Evan Schaefer, who also plays guitar. They use a lot of distorted affects on the guitar, and I’m not too keen on that, but it has a good sound, and overall both the guitar and bass sound very good together. Both members of the band sing, and are quite good at it. While the style isn’t my favorite, I appreciate it very much and it has grown on me. The drumming by Fred Grabosky is pretty good, and drives the album along in a nice fashion. The production isn’t the best, and the vocals are kind of muddy, but it isn’t that bad when all is considered. All in all this is a great band that is definitely worth checking out. Their music is all for free download off of their bandcamp, so I encourage you to go check it out, you won’t be disappointed.

J-Man Sadgiqacea is a two-piece sludge metal band from Philadelphia, and Submerged in Manichea was their first EP. This release is a 25 minute journey through the darkest depths of sludge metal, filled with killer riffs, teriffic vocals, and a remarkable dynamic level. The fact that this much noise (and quite beautiful noise, at that) can be created by a duo is truly remarkable - both members of Sadgiqacea would fit under my definition of top-notch musicians. I had the pleasure of seeing these guys live at a local venue just a few days ago, and they absolutely killed it. They were energetic, tight, and at the top of their game. A bit of material from Submerged in Manichea was played at the concert, and I remember that the crowd really went crazy during "A Piercing Numb". Seeing Sadgiqacea in a venue with around 20 dedicated listeners really is a must-have experience for anyone in the Philadelphia area.

The music on Submerged in Manichea is a mix of sludge metal, doom metal, psychedelic/stoner rock, and even a touch of post metal. A band like Neurosis would probably be a good comparison to Sadgiqacea. These guys aren't your standard Neurosis rip-off, though. They have their own sound and execute it pretty damn well. I really love all three songs here (though "A Piercing Numb" is probably my favorite by a narrow margin), and the musicianship is stellar. The group only consists of Fred Grabosky on drums and vocals and Evan Schaefer on guitar, bass, and vocals; yet the sound here is complete and could very well be disguised as a 4 or 5 piece band. Fred Grabosky's drumming is fantastic - he manages to be hard-hitting and powerful, yet still deliver more technically demanding parts as well. Evan Schaefer's guitarwork (and bass playing) is also excellent. He really knows how to create some lush soundscapes with his instrument! When I saw Sadgiqacea live, he only played a single guitar during the whole show, using a lot of distortion pedals and equipment to create tons of different sounds and overlay his fretwork in a live setting. That was a lot of fun to watch, especially when you're only a few feet away from him. Vocally, Sadgiqacea delivers somewhere between shouting and clean singing (with the occasional growl in there), reminding me a tad of the "Viking metal" acts that adore that sort of vocal style.

Production-wise, Submerged in Manichea is as raw as can be. The vocals are somewhat low in the mix, the guitars sound filthy, and the drums sound heavy and clear. This is the perfect sound for this kind of music.

I've been really into Sadgiqacea lately, and Submerged in Manichea may be the best introduction into the band's spectacular music. After all, it's available for free from the band's BandCamp page, so there really is no reason not to check it out. Groups like this make me proud that I'm from the Philadelphia area - I'd put Sadgiqacea up there as one of the best sludge bands on the international scene right now. This one comes highly recommended and with a big 4 star rating. I'll be keeping a close eye on this band, eagerly awaiting whatever is up their sleeves next. Any fan of absolutely filthy, yet still melodic, sludge metal needs to head over to the band's BandCamp and get this one now!