Unitron After a promising debut EP in 2016, Kittie drummer Mercedes Lander's sludge/doom band The White Swan has returned with their second EP. As opposed to the more atmospheric sludge vibe of the debut, The White cranks up the heaviness and focuses more on beating the listener over the head with crushing blows of sludgy guitar. Lander is no stranger to doom metal, as Kittie experimented with a bit of doom metal on "Pink Lemonade" from their 2001 masterpiece Oracle.

Each of the songs just blast through the speakers so much, that they create a heavy reverb that shakes the floor. Speaking of floors, The White Swan perfectly makes use of the contrast between crushing doom metal and screeching feedback distortion that is reminiscent of the sludge/doom band Floor. The two tracks that use this contrast are the opener and closer, the instrumental "North Carolina" and the seven-minute long dirge of the title track. The latter is up there with the best doom metal tracks, as that's how you make epic doom metal. It's an instant headbanging anthem, which is so crushingly heavy. It pounds the skull with riff after riff, chromatic walks, booming gong effects, and Lander's massive drum sound which is just as muscular as ever.

Mercedes Lander also plays guitar, keyboards, and sings along with drumming, and is quite the multi-instrumentalist. The keyboard effects often heighten the heaviness of the music, and her singing can sound both soulful and misanthropic. The other two band members, Shane Jeffers and Kira Longeuay, are no slouches either. Jeffers' guitar solos sing beautifully, especially the one in "Lions", while Longeuay's bass blends with the crushing guitar to maximize the heaviness.

In only a short year between EP's, The White Swan has created a masterpiece. If you're looking for some crushing and sludgy doom metal with a bit of atmosphere and melody, do yourself a favor and check out The White EP. Hope you found this review helpful, feel free to comment!