Webzines likes us usually pay a lot of attention to bands but not that much on labels, which is a shame if you ask me. After all, the people behind those labels often work very hard to get their releases to the fans and quite sometimes under pressure from bands with high expectations and demands. So when English label Sepulchral Silence contacted us about their releases, I decided that this was the perfect time to do something different with our 'brieview' series. Sepulchral Silence was founded at the end of 2015 and already has some interesting albums on their bandcamp page. Let's get into a nice overview, shall we?

doom metal

Stoner doom from Venezuela with Spanish vocals and fingerlicking riffing, I guess there are worse way to start this brieviews-series. The intro is promising, diving right into the fuzzed-out groove of the stoner doom scene, and the rest of the songs follow that example, highlighting in songs like 'Testigos de la Miseria' and 'Fragmentos de la Nada'. Yet, something I absolute love about this album are the apparent influences from grunge rock. At least one of the band members has spent the nineties listening to Alice In Chains and company. Also, at least one of them has been a sludge-fan, presumably the vocalist. In all, this is certainly a must-have for fans of groovy stoner doom. 

blackened death metal

bandcamp

American horde Dystehist drags this review series into the extreme underground with their twisted but controlled chaos. Blending often industrial sounding death metal with some furious blast beats and strange, haunting musical passages, these guys created something mesmerizing and intense, something scary even. The tempo rarelyt stays the same for more than a few seconds. The thick, dissonant riffs punch, kick and gnaw and the deranged vocals bash on your conscience. Then there are the drums, which are fucking sick. For fans of technical death metal, this definitely is an excellent addition to their collection. For others, this will definitely destroy your nerves...

death metal

This French horde wrote the perfect soundtrack for the lawnmower scene from the Braindead movie. What you get on this ep is nothing short of brutal annihilation, loaded with thrash riffs, a frenetic tempo and insane growls and screams. The intensity is suffocating, often balancing on the edge between death metal and grindcore. The songs are also quite short, resulting in a tremendous assault of death metal blitzkriegs. Finally, there are some electronics being used, perhaps to enhance the atmosphere of the record but they're always suppressed by the massive beatdowns of the rest of the music. Only recommended if you like your extremes extreme...

black metal

Right, on to that other extreme, black metal. The cover tells me that this is quite an atmospheric album but once the music kicks off, I'm engulfed in the old school of the genre. This act from Michigan, US, comes up with a sound that is quite similar to the glorious acts from back in the days. Inspired by the likes of Immortal, Lord Belial, 1349, Dimmu Borgir and Mayhem, this one-man act certainly impressed me. Although bleak, eerie and at times quite brutal, this album is well-varied (even in the vocals) and definitely worth banging your head to. My favorite track here is 'The Necromancer' but all tracks are well-written and highly varied. Certainly recommended stuff...

black metal

Brazilian bands sure know a thing or two about extreme metal, and with this ep they prove exactly that. No intro, no dreamy atmospheric elements, just bleak riffs, blast beats and haunting screams. However, it does feel like these guys have been listening to some ancient heavy metal bands as well, as they know quite well how to perform epic instrumental passages with brilliant guitar solos. Yes, I was quite surprised by that aspect, especially since most of the music here is fierce old school black metal. 'Faceless' is my absolute favorite here, a massive blackened anthem, ferocious, clawing, scratching. If you're a fan of black metal, you have to listen to this thing, for sure!!!

death metal / grindcore

An unreadable bandname, skulls covered in blood and a title that doesn't predict a lot of pleasantries, we must be dealing with some brutal death metal here. And yes, this Argentinian quartet smashes some thick riffs, brutal growls and punishing drums through our throats, obviously inspired by acts like Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation and Obituary. The whole thing begins with quite disturbing samples before blasting out in an asphyxiating tempo. The vocals contain an array of growls, screams and pig squeals while the horrifying riffs beat you down quite effectively. Here and there you can find a bit of melody, but don't get distracted by that little bit of friendliness. This thing is out to destroy you. Consider this a warning...

death metal

The intensity never ends on this edition of brieviews, as we return to the US (Milton, NH to be exact) where we check out the untitled debut of melodic deathcore act The Last King. Now, on a personal note, I'm not really a fan of deathcore but I do respect the tremendous amount of vicious energy these guys produce. This has all the right elements to get the deathcore youngsters engaged in a sick, deviant moshpit. This is pure aggression, pure insanity and pure power. I'm going to stop listening to it because I'm slightly going mad. Yes, that is a compliment, I guess. I need a smoke now....

black metal

Wow, this is something interesting, a one-man black metal act from France, coming up with somewhat melodic yet still raging black metal. Obviously, there are plenty of one-man black metal acts but for some reason this one stands out for me. The music is quite repetitive, but in a good way. It makes the whole thing pretty damn immersive, almost hypnotic at times. I always find it fascinating to see that one man can produce (mix, write, record...) such an epic album and for that Koldkrypt definitely earned my respect. So if you're in for bleak, minimal, somewhat melodic and atmospheric black metal, you have to give this a chance. You definitely won't regret it...

Well, time for a little breather, a moment of peace and quiet, a relief from all the sonic violence I've already been through today. Because, my god, some of you people can make vicious music, how the hell can you keep up with all of that? Where does all that energy and aggression come from? 

Not that I mind by the way. In fact, I kinda like doing this, which is why I am still writing even though there's currently no music playing. Only the sounds of birds, wind and an occasional passing car float through the air right now. It's alright, we'll get back to the madness soon...

sludge / post-metal

This one is probably my favorite release in this edition of 'brieviews', mainly because I'm a fan of everything slow and heavy. This album sure is slow and it sure is heavy. Massive riffing, efficient drums and harsh vocals make up the majority of this album. The rest consists of psychedelic passages and tiny little breathers. You might need those to keep up with the intense energy coming from the whole thing. Fans of acts like Conan, Yob or Dopethrone can't go wrong with this one. So yes, I urge you to dive into the thick, muddy and fuzzed-out sound of these Italians. After all, they're Italians and we all know that some of them have pure doom running through their veins...

black metal

These Mexicans claim to create "possessed black metal" and, judging from what I hear on this bizarre piece of work, that might be spot-on. After a strange intro, the evil quartet treats us to some of the most chaotic, deranged and frightening pieces of black metal I've ever heard. They are influenced by everything between King Diamond, Sodom, Emperor and Darkthrone but what they make is harsh, noisy and ritualistic. "True black metal" as some may say, directly honoring the intensity of those old school releases. Even the production quality comes very close to those old, obscure albums with it's sharp and pungent sound. Recommended? Yes, but only for the true die-hards in the blackened scene.

black metal

I can't find a lot of information about this act and that's a bit of a shame because this album is a stunning piece of work. I've been a fan of atmospheric and depressive black metal back in the days but this album tops a lot of those old releases. From the very beginning, this act takes the listener on a journey through a strange, eerie world. I know, most depressive or suicidal black metal bands do that but they rarely sound as deeply emotional as this one. Besides, by dragging in elements from doom, punk sludge and post-metal, as well as coming up with original melodies and almost gothic orchestral arrangements, this act created their own identity, more varied, more haunting and bleaker than ever before. 

sludge / stoner / doom

Nope, this is not the famous sculptor and painter, HR Giger, this is a torpid and sluggish doom band, coming up with three monolithic tracks. On this ep, they slam a decent amount of fuzzed-out, downtuned and immersive guitar riffs in your face, add an array of battery rams and top it of with harsh, rough vocals. That being said, the whole thing comes with enough variation to keep you balanced between stoned head nodding and fiercely headbanging. Finally, there seems to be some kind of garage rock attitude to the whole thing. I can't really grasp it, I don't know where it comes from but it definitely sounds like these guys had a lot of fun recording this...

black metal

bandcamp

Again, we're facing an obscure but highly interesting black metal release, a one-man act from Norway this time. If you're a black metal fan, you absolutely need to check this one out. It's a awesome blend of depressive or suicidal black metal with the black 'n roll from bands like Khold or Abbath's I, topped off with some brilliant atmospheric passages. The long tracks on this album have an excellent drive. There's no need to lose himself in continuous blast-beats and that I quite admire. Besides, the level of variation is perfect, leaving plenty of room for hypnotic headbanging sessions. I have no favorite track here, as I'm nominating the whole thing to go into my best-of-2016 list...

death metal / thrash metal

Four guys from Valencia, Italy, who play a gore induced mix of death metal and hardcore, I'm not sure that this is going to be my cup of tea. On the other hand, I always quite enjoyed the aggressive, short outbursts of brutal death metal in the past and this album kinda reminds me of that era. True, the music is quite elementary, influenced by thrash metal but the old school feeling of the whole thing is highly enjoyable. Besides, I'm quite that songs like 'Day Of The Dead', 'Burn Away' or the punky 'hard times' are perfectly suited to start some moshpits, even in your living room if you're into that stuff. Perhaps I should just call this "party death metal".

black metal

American acts often have a different approach to certain musical styles and black metal doesn't escape that trend. Hailing from Corpus Christi in Texas, Votan comes up with twisted, often chaotic black metal, interlaced with elements from pagan metal, thrash metal and death metal. The result is simply epic, constantly balancing on the edge between melodic and fierce and easily keeping the listener in its grasp. There's a certain greatness coming from this album, probably caused by the concurrence between the keyboards and the riffing. Yet, it still sounds somewhat experimental and that's a good thing. I surely want to see these guys in Europe soon...

death metal / black metal

Blackened death metal from Dhaka, Bangladesh, that is something you don't hear every day. But you could, and perhaps you even should lend this ep an ear. After all, regardless of where it comes from, old school black and death metal are still some of the truest and most brutal genres in the world, and this album is no exception. After an intro, Serpent Spells throw three slashing pieces of music in our faces, loaded with malevolence and a dark, haunting atmosphere. The ep kinda reminds me of the vintage blackened sound of nineties Europe, fueled by thrash metal and mercilessly grinding through the listener's skull, a sense of melody and a massive heap of aggression. Lovely stuff...

nu-metal / rapcore

Hah, nu-metal, one of the most rediculised sub-genres within the world of heavy guitars. Yet, just like its older brothers, death, thrash, death and doom metal (to name a few), nu-metal refuses to step aside, refuses to go silent. French quintet Blunderbuss faithfully follow the path of bands like Rage Against The Machine, Limp Bizkit and Papa Roach. Parts rap, accompanied with striking guitars and lively drums, and parts irrisistible headbanging bliss, that's what you get on this ep, highlighting in the stunning tune 'Jump' and 'Stop It Now'.  I also dig the melodic approach here, and I'm quite sure I'll be shaking my ass off when I ever get the chance to see these guys perform 'Vee Stoneheart' on stage...

hardcore / punk

We already reviewed a band named Zeit in the past, so don't get confused with this one. The Zeit I'm talking about in this brieview, hail from Italy and are currently slashing a massive heap of chaotic, noise rock induced hardcore through my speakers. In ten songs, lasting a bit over twenty minutes, this combo rages on in a highly destructive and pulverising manner. There's no breather, except maybe for the eerie instrumental 'Disguised'. The rest is simply brutal and chaotic hardcore, solely focused on intensity and ferocity. Consider this a warning, this ep is a massive assault on your eardrums and on your sanity. With stuff like this, the world as we know it is bound to come to and end soon...

post-metal / sludge / doom

Time to groove things up a little, without losing the intensity of this whole brieview-writing session. We're in Sweden, where members from several hardcore, progressive and death metal bands combined their love for slow, downtuned and heavy music. The result is this awesome kick-in-the-groin, loaded with monolithic riffs and brutal screams. The three songs on this ep are and immersive blend of sludge, stoner rock and doom metal, perfectly suited for fans of Isis, Mastodon, Baroness, Cult Of Luna and so on. I can only hope that this is the harbinger of great things to come for Grizzlyman. I definitely want to see them perform awesome tracks like 'Last King' (my favorite here, mainly because of a little The Cure reference) live.

black metal

One song, sixteen minutes, constantly altering between frenetic black metal and haunting ambient passages, opening with didgeridoo sounds, that's what you get on this stunning ep by Australian duo Somnium Nox. The overall atmosphere is intensely dark, perhaps one of the darkest things you'll ever hear. On one hand, this ep perfectly fits in with today's post-black metal scene where even Pink Floyd could be regarded as an influence. On the other hand, this is as brutal and ferocious as some of the harshest blackened acts out there. Fans of bands like Blut Aus Nord, Altar Of Plagues, Deathspell Omega and Drudkh, this is a must-have for you, so get your hands on this thing, now...

crust / d-beat / black metal

When members of Endstille and Dysangelium form a band from the idea that modern day music lacks violence, you could be damn sure that something extreme is heading your way. Well, Kommando is extreme. They call their music 'Machinegun Punk', which stands for an intense mix of black metal, death metal, hardcore, crust and d-beat. It shouldn't be a surprise that this ep is loaded with brutality, violence and sheer noise. The songs are short but furious, a vicious assault on anything you could possibly imagine. With songs like 'IndoctriNation', Bitching Hours' and 'Alle Gegen Alle', this ep is arguably one of the most aggressive releases you can buy this year...

mathcore

Mathcore, a genre I never really understood, but I guess that's the whole idea. We're in France, being utterly confused by a trio of musicians without boundaries. On this album, these guys come up with complex yet immersive pieces of music, hinting towards the noise rock scene and the world of (extreme) (post) metal alike. In a way, this sounds more like free jazz to me, but distorted and perplexing. There are some pieces which are perfectly suited for a little headbanging session while other passages are way too complex to make any kind of movement. In fact, the best way to dance to this is mouth wide open while being completely paralysed physically. Weird stuff, intense but weird...

hard rock / rock

Still in France, but this time with something a little more radio-friendly, rock-radio friendly that is. Ego Miss Blinded is a rock band from the region of Paris, mainly influenced by bands like Metallica, Kiss, System Of A Down, AC/DC and even Bob Marley, but no, there's no reggae on this ep. What you do get, are five strong songs with plenty of power to get your rock-ass shaking. Opener 'That's What I Am' is a potential rock-hit, 'The Knife To Your Throat' is a vivid old school anthem, 'Alive' is a grungy ballad and the 'Raise Your Head' dual track reminds me a little of Guns 'n Roses meets Motley Crue, or something like that. In part 2, I can even hear flashes from Pink Floyd. Varied stuff, that's for damn sure...

death metal

Right, back to the extremes, this time with a brutal old school death metal band from Chile and their short but scathing album 'Serpent Of Chaos'. Opening with eerie soundscapes and haunted voices, this album slowly fastens its grip on the listener, a bit like a constrictor perhaps. Yet, once 'Via Sinistra' kicks off, Porta Daemonium kick you down with their crushing and grinding sound. The tempo is tremendous. The drums constantly hammer on your skull while the thick and sick riffs rip your insides apart. Meanwhile, the vocalist growls all kind of unpleasantries into your ear, eventually leaving you behind in a pile of rotting flesh, as an offering to the dark lord. Enjoy...

heavy metal

I've been writing about old school stuff a few times on this edition of 'Brieviews' but believe me, dear reader, it doesn't get more old school than this. English metal band Vulturic Eye say this about their music "...if Rush were a nihilistic metal band..." and I can only agree. On this ep they come up with vintage heavy metal, reminding me of old Iron Maiden, old Judas Priest, Dio perhaps. The songs are pretty varied and show a great deal of musical craftsmanship, especially my favorite one 'Legacy Of Failure'. So, whoever claims that there's no decent heavy metal being made today, please shut your mouth and listen to Vulturic Eye. If they don't make you change your mind, you're officially old...

grunge / alternative / rock

Here's an album that has been playing quite a lot in the past few weeks, yet I never managed to write a review about it. Why? Well, perhaps the answer could be found in the reason why I played this album so often. It's loaded with gritty nineties grunge and alternative rock without actually coming from the nineties. I played it every time I wanted something grungy without actually playing those same old Alice In Chains and Soundgarden albums. This album is something like a 'best-of-grunge-which-bands-forgot-to-record-in-the-heyday-of-the-scene'. That being said, this album is 429 times better than most modern rock albums and you absolutely need this in your collection.

blackened hardcore / crust

"Lambs", cute name which hides tonnes of aggression, brutality and torment. This Italian band simply throws every harsh metal style they could find in one massive blender, adds an array of screams and pours their agony over their audience. The overall tone on this three track is intense and dark. The songs are loaded with blackened hardcore riffs, seemingly also inspired by extreme noise rock. They're not afraid of blast beats or fierce thrash metal drumming. In fact, I don't think these guys are afraid of anything. This is a tremendous force, out for utter destruction, physically and mentally. You have been warned...

dark hardcore / sludge

Perfectly fitting in with the previous ep in this episode of "Brieviews", comes the newest effort from Hungarian ruffians Cvlt Of Grace. In mere fifteen minutes, this trio smashes a blend of crust, sludge and hardcore through my already racked eardrums. The overall atmosphere is intensely dark and the sound is tremendously crushing, certainly in haunting tracks like 'Dogfaced Children' or the confusing beast 'Black Sack'. This is gutripping stuff, certainly not recommended for the faint of heart. With lyrical themes including the immigrant crisis, anti-fascism and other current unpleasantries, this Cvlt is preparing to smash the rotten establishment we dwell in.

ambient / crust / sludge

Ok, perhaps I can handle one more of these scathing hardcore infused sludge crust releases. This one is coming from Polish neocrust mob Nukk and it's arguably the most destructive ep I've heard in a while. Not only because their crushing blend of crust and hardcore, but also because of the horrifying ambient/noise passages and the overall feeling of despair and anxiety. Even when the whole thing gets a bit less aggressive, this ep simply never gives you a moment to rest, to come to your senses. Each quieter passage is simply an impedance for the massive musical blow that follows. Nukk leaves no survivors, that's for bloody sure. 

metal / death metal / thrash metal

As a little preview for their upcoming album, Finnish metallers Rekoma come up with a tasty ep, an intense blend of death and thrash metal with both clean vocals and deep growls. There's also room for some doom metal and even American groove metal; Yet, what I hear most on this album, are influences from the Scandinavian metal scene, loaded with dark melodies and brutal riffs. All of these elements, certainly make this an ep with a tremendous headbanging capacity. You try to keep your head still on smashers like 'Lambs Of Sacrifice' or 'Trial'. Maybe you'll succeed but it won't be easy, certainly not if these guys play this live in an equally convincing way.

death metal

Iron, Blood And Death Corp 

Imagine Dismember, Morbid Angel and Benediction building a tank. Now imagine the sound of that tank while in rolls over your skewered body. That would bring you pretty close to the stuff I'm listening to right now. American act Ligature Wound released an excellent slab of raw old school death metal where every single elements seems to be exactly where and what it needs to be. In six tracks, definitely containing a few highlights in today's death metal scene, this ep is as filthy, grinding and brutal as it gets. Fans of the genre should not ignore this act, on the very contrary, they need this thing...

black metal

Drought, a mysterious entity in the black metal scene, comes up with a severe, rough and hypnotic blackened ritual. This ep, revolving around the transformation of man into the übermensch, contains four epic pieces of extreme music, repetitive but varied, chaotic and intense. The music is a great example of modern black metal, certainly inspired by the old school but ever looking forward. The sheer speed of this whole thing is quite suffocating, rarely giving the listener a chance to calm down. Only in the final track 'Collapse of Maya (Transfiguration of the Warrior)' you get a few soothing passages, but even these are haunting and eerie. Recommended stuff... 

sludge / doom

Bands that "don't limit themselves to tags and genres" are all well and good but they don't make my job any easier. I have to tag them, which sometimes isn't the easiest task in the world. Then again, on some occasions it's perfectly safe to push a band into a certain genre, knowing that the fans of that particular style will enjoy the album and hopefully spend a little bit of cash on it. At this moment, I'm going to address the sludge fans among us. 

Seventh Hundredth Unicorn are a two-piece band from Milton Keynes, UK. They claim to make "heavy rock", influenced by bands like Black Sabbath, Neurosis, Mastodon and Isis. Personally, after listening to this album a few times, I'd change "heavy" into "massive' and "rock" into "sludge" because that's exactly what you get on this debut: massive sludge metal with a thick wall of noise, pummeling drums and brutal screams. I know very little sludge doom fans who can resist that recipe.

The album opens with 'Our Worlds Collide', immediately throwing in elements from doom, sludge metal, hardcore and noise rock. It sounds as if someone is screaming at you while you crawl through a thick puddle of mud, broken glass and barbed wire, a military drill with a sergeant who can't stand your ass. In that aspect, and in the category "best songtitles", 'Jesus Was My Age, When He got Nailed' is one of my favorites.

Sometimes, the tempo goes up, bringing a bit of a punk attitude to the already bloody melee. Even more, there's grunge riffs to be found, and some furious blackened passages as well. Alice In Chains meets Isis meets Conan in 'Death Of Glory In The Serpent's Eye' or Rise Against meets Neurosis in 'Rule Of The Mob', or something like that. I guess you'd have a decent idea about how punishing and brutal this album is, a decent enough idea to buy this thing. So go ahead...


​Serge

doom / sludge

Well, talking about bands that are hard to find in my inbox. It took me to the end of the first track of this album to search for 'Merchant' in a '@merchantsofair.com' inbox. And yes, that is quite a long time. It's doom metal, remember? That first track isn't the longest one on 'Suzerain' but it already is a massive, eight minutes lasting monster of epic riffs, psychedelic solos and sludgy vocals. This is gonna be awesome.

Merchant is a band from Australia, Melbourne to be exact. In the past two years this quartet has been building their way up the doom ladder. They shared the stage with acts like Pallbearer, Ithaqua, Horsehunter, Watchtower and Holy Serpent.  In four tracks, in all clocking off at about fifty minutes, these guys spew out their guts, accompagnied by torpid sludge metal and cosmic doom. Like I said, "awesome".

The music reminds me of acts like Winter, Yob, Conan, Cough... It's slow, deranged, crushing and methodical, like an ever growing insanity. 'Mourning Light', for example, is a repetitive punching on your skull, before it bursts out in punk-induced sludge metal, finishing the job of breaking your spirit. Or how about the massive title track, a slowly raging beast, uncontrollably rolling through your speakers and into your dreams. 

I don't know, I'm just imagining a thick, dark green puddle of sludge oozing out my speakers at this moment. And I like it. I think every fan of psychedelic doom and sludge metal should check out this album, it's an eargasm you can feel in your stomach. This is a brilliant piece of work. I can only hope that these guys will tour the old continent soon, perhaps play Desertfest or so. I can't wait to see this live...


​Serge

sludge / grimecore / grindcore

Our local weather service predicted a massive thunderstorm today, with loads of rain and hail balls but at the moment the sky is wide open and the sun shines. What a disappointment. Luckily, I found another raging storm and I'm letting it blast through my speakers at this very moment. A bunch of extremities, thrown into a concrete-mixer, played loud and with attitude, that's what this band is all about. And I quite like that.

Their name is Hungry Like Rakovitz and they've been around since 2008, although the initial idea started back in 2004. Since then, they have been touring, recording & rehearsing. They shared the stages with bands like Godflesh & Eyehategod and with good reason too. These guys are intense and heavy as fuck, blending elements from death metal, grindcore, black metal, sludge and hardcore into one massive aural punishment.

The album opens with and intro ('Under A Wolf Skin We Lurk'), followed by one of the slowest songs, and quite frankly also one of my favorites. 'Dissident' reminds me somewhat of doom icons Winter with its grinding sound and its raunchy atmosphere. Both elements remain throughout the whole album but here and there the tempo goes up, way up. 'Inevitable Return To Darkness (Obscuritate I)' comes up with the blast beats and the blackened screams.

'With Death In Our Hearts' seems to nudge towards old school death metal with a chaotic and strangling sound. 'Trophies, Not Prisoners' repeats that recipe, be it in a more industrial way. So, where's the sludge, you might ask. Well, it's everywhere in this thick, vicious sound, and especially in 'Wildweed' and 'Refusing Light'. In all, this is a tremendous slab of extreme metal, created solely to torture and eliminate your very soul. I guess that's a compliment. 


​Serge

acoustic / alternative / sludge

If this was any other AmenRa release, I probably wouldn't have started this review today. Today, I don't feel so good, at least not well enough to face a massive amount of drones, screams, fuzz and resonance. A virus or some bacteria are keeping me away from musical brutality today, giving me a headache, a waterfall of snot and a sore throat. Yet, this is no ordinary AmenRa release, not in the crushing and fierce way most people know these guys.

In 2009, AmenRa released the acoustic ep 'Afterlive',  which showed a completely different side of the band. Five years later, they played a number of acoustic sets, reinterpreting their own songs in an intimate setting. The performances were recorded on tape, to be released by Consouling Sounds. On this album, you can also find collaborations with Belgian poet Sofie Verdoodt and two amazing cover versions.

One of those cover versions is the gloomy 'Parabol', originally a Tool song. It's  a chilling version which reminds me a bit of Colin's (vocals) solo work in CHVE. However, the cover I was most looking forward to, is their rendition of 'Het Dorp' by Belgian singer/songwriter Zjef Vanuytsel who passed away last December. This cover is a true tribute to Vanuytsel where AmenRa perfectly captured the original atmosphere of the "kleinkunst" song. This is a stunning tearjerker.

The other tracks aren't any less interesting by the way. Even in an acoustic setting, AmenRa manage to create a dark, heavy and immersive atmosphere. 'Buiten Datum', another Dutch song (or poem), is one of my favorites here It reminds me a bit of some of Tiamat's best works or Anathema's emotional ballads. 'Wear My Crown' is another brilliant piece of music, another highlight on this album.

In all, this is a beautiful album, showing how talented the guys from AmenRa really are. Here and there I'm even reminded of Neil Young, certainly in the song 'Aorte'. I never thought a sludge metal band would remind me of Neil Young or Tom Petty or even Johnny Cash. But then again, this ain't no sludge album, this is a testament about how talented, innovative and creative Belgian artists really are. So check it out, even if you're not an AmenRa fan. This is top level musicianship...


Serge

doom / sludge

Hell yeah, Dö are back. The Finnish doom trio released 'Den' (read review) in the beginning of last year and now they throw this massive full-length in our faces. This album shows everything Dö are good at, only better. In short: this is a fierce slab of psychedelic sludge doom, the soundtrack to everything that can go wrong in your life, from heartbreak to apocalypse. Face it, a lot can go wrong, you better be prepared.

The album opens with the awesome 'Born Under Black Wings', a fierce doom metal track with harsh, fearsome grunts. It's followed by 'Everblast II (The Aftermath)', which clearly shows the Black Sabbath influences. It also shows how these guys evolved, both as musicians and as a band. They sound well-attuned and quite meticulous in their overall sound, which is brutal, aggressive and pummeling, but still majestic as fuck.

Some readers might have already read that I'm not really a fan of guitar solos, but what Big Dog blasts out of his instrument is simply awesome. They add this, oh so welcome, psychedelic effect to the music. Besides, his somewhat Eastern orientated approach in 'Ex Oblivione' is pure musical bliss. I guess this is one of my favorite tracks on this album, perhaps the least suited to bang your head but perfect to smoke a joint to, if that's what you're into.

I also really dig the bass guitar on this album. In the beginning of 'Kylmä', Hank does something brilliant, something that sounds like a tribute to Cliff Burton and Peter Steele. The rest of the song is pretty damn pounding to. Try listening to this song while watching the scene from The Ring where the girl crawls out of the television set, I dare you. Oh, and kudos to drummer Joe E. Deliverance. The 'E' stands for 'epic' and that's exactly what this album is.

They also dare to do something different, like include an acoustic ballad named 'Hail the Fire'. It's a short song but nonetheless a welcome breather after and before the sheer brutality in the rest of this album. Yes, "before" because the best is still to come. It comes in the form of the monolithic closer ' Forsaken Be Thy Name'. This song simply is stoner doom at its best, immersive and punishing. Brilliant.

I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised by this trio. They certainly grew to the next level of doom metal by coming up with a very mature and varied sound. You can hear that they're serious about their art. The production quality is excellent, placing them among the greats in this scene. Nothing should keep Dö from grinding themselves a way to the main stages at the Desertfests, Roadburns and whatever related events you can find.


​Serge

sludge /  noise rock

Several decades ago, I worked as a volunteer on some sort of holiday camp (which we often referred to as a child-dump). While we were preparing the activities for that summer, one of us made up an impossible mission: take 100 grams of toilet paper and rip it to pieces until you get 200 grams. That one holiday, eating an entire raw union wasn't the hardest mission on that camp. Many kids tried, all failed miserably.

I guess it's our Belgian humor. We are so damn good at utter nonsense. Just look at our government, our traffic and our music. We invented new beat and we invented popcorn music. But we're also good at making shitloads of noise and slamming it in your face at high velocity. Hey, we have AmenRa, remember? Our latest assault comes from the otherwise quiet town of Beringen in Limburg, 30.000 Monkies, screaming, scratching, clawing and biting.

30.000 Monkies have been all around our country in the past few years or so. It has become quite impossible not to see these guys live. I've seen them a few times and each time I was blown away by the wall-of-noise they create. Combining harsh noise rock with severe sludge influences and some slight ambient breathers doesn't seem to be enough for them, so they thrown in some doom, a handful of blastbeats and some completely inaudible noise. Oh, and they scream.

If you want bands to compare these guys with, think Melvins, Melt Banana, Sonic Youth, Merzbow, Lightning Bolt, Harvey Milk, Yob, Sleep, Neurosis, AmenRa... From opener 'Melaena' to closer 'Juice', 30.000 Monkies drag you along an array of musical brutality, often interluded by dark and haunting soundscapes . Personally, I think my favorite track is 'Mountainesque I', a crushing piece of music that completely rips you apart until you weigh twice as much.

The verdict? Well, look at it this way: our country is completely absurd, twisted and chaotic. 30.000 Monkies created the perfect soundtrack for a biopic about Belgium, an equally absurd, twisted and chaotic record. The difference is, I tend to take 30.000 Monkies way more seriously than any of our politicians, policemen, civil servants, lawyers, judges, employes or car drivers. At least I like listening to this album, it's one of the few Belgian things that don't piss me off...


Serge

sludge / post-metal

Ok, I'll listen to one more song before I go do some useful things around the house. The fact that it's a twenty plus minutes last epos of grinding guitars, brutal screams and scathing drums is not an issue. It never is. I've always loved elaborate and narrative music, even since I heard 'Má Vlast' from Czech composer Bedřich Smetana. I know, it's a bit weird to compare sludge metal to classical music but hey, we live in a weird world.

Coffinfish is a band from Krakow, Poland, formed in 2011. 'Epilogue' is the third and final part in their lovecraftian/weird tales trilogy. It's a massive piece of work, coming very close to the works of bands like Isis, The Ocean, Eyehategod or AmenRa. The song continuously evolves, from calm, soothing and immersive soundscapes to harsh and brutal outbursts of sludge metal. Vocals too range from powerful screams to almost epic, clean chants.

Unfortunately, that is about all I can write about this release, but it's also all you need to know. If you're a fan of post-metal and sludge, you can blindly trust me when I say you should get your hands on a copy of this ep. For fans of the genre, this is a must-have, that's for damn sure. So what are you waiting for? It's just one song, remember?


​Serge 

noise rock

Right, back to distorted guitars, nutripping drums and oral brutality. Why? Well, because I've just discovered what I feel is one of the most interesting acts in the world of noise rock. "Yeah, yeah, you say that about every band", you might say now but that's not entirely true, certainly not in this scene. As some of our readers should know by now, I'm a sucker for crossover stuff and this is some serious crossover between noise rock, hardcore punk, sludge metal, psychedelic rock and stoner stuff.

Bardus hail from the United States, Philadelphia to be exact. Formed in 2011 and inspired by Eyehategod, Melvins, Unsane and Queens Of The Stone Age, this trio has been slashing their way through the heavy underground scene like Jack Nicholson slashes through bathroom doors. With this album, their second after the debut 'Solus', Bardus look to solidify their status as a DIY band, a very, very loud DIY band.

The album opens with 'Smoke Bath', a massive Helmet meets Foo Fighters basement rehearsal room rocker. Harsh guitars, pummeling drums and those brutal screams, lovely. Yet, gradually, Bardus show their other sides by incorporating psychedelic guitar solos, crushing sludge passages and groovy stoner rock pieces. 'Monolith', 'Haze' and the massive and doomy 'Oracle' are highlights but the entire album is a stunning trip.

You want some other bands to compare Bardus with? Well, here we go: Cult Of Luna, Isis, Converge, Neurosis, Entombed, Sonic Youth, Swans, Vandal X, Agnostic Front, Exploited, Baroness.. the list could go on and on. But most of all, this simply is Bardus: a massive heap of aggression, noise and groove, best to be enjoyed while you're smashing your brains in with an electric drill.

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Serge

doom / sludge / stoner rock

What a miserable day today, even though the sun is shining and everything seems to be ready for spring.  One way or another, I woke up pissed and tremendously misantropic. I read through some newspaper articles and thought 'well, you probably deserve it' whenever I saw someone who died or got hurt. I know, it's not a nice thought, but I don't care. No today. Today I think I just want to play some fucking doom on a fucking harsh volume level and watch the world burn.

Enter Menhir and their cosmic stoner doom. This trio from Groningen and Utrecht (Netherlands) have been rolling their astrosludge over audiences since 2012. Now they come up with this unforgiving ep, a fearsome blend of psychedelic doom and psychedelic stoner sludge if you like. In merely three songs they succeeded in convincing me and I'm quite positive that this ep will convince you too, if you're a fan of this genre that is.

Do you remember when Obelix threw a massive menhir on unsuspecting Romans? Well, you might feel pretty much exactly like this Romans when this ep hits you, crushed and overwhelmed by all this power. At first, the three songs on this tape sound like typical sludge tracks, loaded with fuzzed out guitars, pounding drums and harsh, raw vocals.Yet, at times there's some room for highly psychedelic passages, a bit repetitive and certainly hypnotic.  

The only downside is the fact that this tape is a bit too short, certainly for this dreadful excuse for an early spring day. So perhaps I'll put it on repeat and let the monolithic riffs disturb the, usually horrible, jazz rehearsal session my neighbours are having. My advice? Buy this tape, you definitely deserve it. If you're a misanthropic doom metal fan you'll love it. If not, this ep might destroy you. Hurray!!!


​Serge

doom / black metal / sludge

That face has been haunting me for weeks now, if not months. Staring from behind the computer screen, it infiltrates my dreams and raises my expectations. Somewhere, in an unknown and eerie place, those eyes lurk through the darkness, seemingly looking for either victims or allies, or both. I'd rather not be a victim, so after weeks of waiting, I decide to become an all and finally give the album a spin.

Swiss blackened doom horde Rorcal are about to become the one of the biggest forces in today's extreme metal scene. I'm not just saying that to please this beast, hoping it won't devour me. I'm saying that because I can feel it. Rorcal is everywhere, or so it seems. In my inbox, my download folder, my webzine, my head. Everything seems to be "Rorcalized". The past few weeks have been feeling like something was about to happen, something massive and relentless.

So we can be lucky that it's just a Rorcal album and not a terrifying natural disaster or war, which in a way is also a natural disaster if you think about it. I know, "just a Rorcal album" sounds pretty awful, especially since this isn't just an album. 'Creon' is the musical equivalent of a nuclear explosion or a meteorite impact. It's harsh, it's unforgiving and it's incredibly dark in nature. Above all, it's hypnotic and immersive.

In four long tracks, Rorcal does as Rorcal does best; blend black metal, doom metal and sludge, or post-metal if you like, together and blast the whole thing out in a fury of haunting noise. There's an almost constant wall-of-sound, regardless of the eventual tempo created by the drums. In a way, it doesn't seem to matter if these are blast beats or pounding doom drums, the level of intensity remains pretty much the same for fifty-one minutes.

The same goes for the vocals, which are being spewed out in a ferocious rage. From death growls to blackened screams and, just like the rest of the instrumentation, the vocals refuse to leave you in peace for as long as you will listen. And yes, you really want to listen. You want to scream along in absolute ecstasy, scream out your frustrations towards your job, your significant other, this society, the lameness of some of your relatives.

'Creon' is scream therapy and, in that aspect, probably one of the best versions of this therapeutical approach. I've been listening to a lot of albums in the past few decades and this is about as intense as it can possibly get. So Rorcal, I take my hat off for you, even though I ain't wearing any. You created something stunning, something that will hopefully inspire loads of bands to take extreme metal into the future. Job well done...


​Serge

doom / sludge

Uh-oh, it looks like there's some fierce competition in the doom metal scene, blatantly aiming for the thrones of Yob and Conan. I don't even think it's a surprise that this competitor hails from Italy. After all, this country has been giving us so many brilliant doom albums in the past few years. Now, the Italians throw another brutal steamroller in our faces, but steamrollers like this one can be thrown into this face every day.

The band doesn't even seem to be that old, according to their facebook page, they only started in 2015. Perhaps in that case, these are the first five tracks they have written and recorded. In a way it also feels like that. While opener 'Branches Of Evil' is pretty much a clone of Conan or Yob (which isn't bad for a new band), 'Eyes Of The Blind Man' shows a growing, attuning band and 'Liar Behind Me' secures that evolution.

'Tornado' is exactly that, a slow motion piece of downtuned guitar noise and thundering drums, intense, immersive and simply pretty fucking awesome. It shows that there's more to Deadsmoke than just being the next in line in the doom scene. Perhaps 'Tornado' is my favorite track on this album but I just love the flow and conceptual feel of this whole thing. It's massively atmospheric, even through the thick layers of riffs and soundscapes.

Besides, Deadsmoke finishes this album with a true ode to doom metal. 'Night Of the Vipers' is a stunning track, where even the sound plugging in the guitars has its place. And isn't that what this whole scene is about? Pure amplifier worship, ecstatic, hypnotic and a little bit insane. I'm already imagining the Belgian edition of Desertfest by the end of the year and I really hope that these guys will be there, grinding over an unexpecting audience and mashing they heads to pulp.


​Serge

doom / drone

These days, several bands are competing to become the heaviest band in the world. Several of them are trying to be the second Sunn O))) or a thick, sludgy version of Om, for example. Technology made it possible to create vast drones and thick, fuzzy riffs, two elements that are adored by doomers allover the world.  I admit, I am one of them. I just can't get enough of those pulverising sounds and with Bismuth, it was love at first sight.

I watched this English duo at the Incubate festival in Tilburg, in a venue which I like to call 'the discovery cellar'.  Over the years, I've been in that cellar many times, adding band after band to my favorites list.  Bismuth immediately ended on top of that list at that year's edition. I 'liked' them on facebook, the most common form of fandom these days, and started following them. You can also find an interview with Tanya on this website. (read)

'Unavailing' seems to be the logical next step to that awesome gig.  With this album, they seem to have perfected their sound.  Opener 'Tethys' rolls on like a thick slab of mechanized tar, while Tanya growls and screams her heart out. This song is incredibly heavy and smashes pretty much all the competition, instantly.  Even when the intensity goes down a bit, and when vocals turn clean and somewhat sweet, this thing keeps stomping on your eardrums.

​Then, and that is pretty unexpected, 'Of The Weak Willed' starts in a different fashion.  There is almost nothing left of the monolithic heaviness of the previous track.  The riffs are more gentle, the drums are modest and the vocals are angelic and dreamy.  Has Bismuth suddenly turned into a shoegaze act? Not really, but I can definitely hear some Bohren Und The Club Of Gore influences here. For the record: this song is brilliant, a nice surprise but still quite typical Bismuth.

'The Holecene Extinction' seem to continue that milder approach but suddenly turns back into the massive gnawing and scratching beast that we know Bismuth for.  More thick riffing, more distortion, more fuzz, more screams.  Here another band comes to mind, namely Winter, which is obviously another great compliment for this duo. The album closes with the equally destructive 'Solitude And Emptiness', perhaps my favorite track here.

So yes, Bismuth certainly managed to come up with one of the most varied albums in today's slow metal scene, and perhaps also one of the heaviest ones.  This stuff certainly comes highly recommended.  If you are into immersive drones and stomach turning madness, this definitely is something you need in your collection.  Now let's hope this album is followed by a tour. I want to see this live again...


​Serge

sludge / punk / hardcore

Well well, this is a delightful shitload of noise, dragging itself through my speakers like a thick slab of tar, blackening everything it touches.  Ok, maybe not tar because tar is way slower than this thing.  But before I go into the review, let's complete the list of genres. We have sludge, hardcore, punk, doom, thrash metal, noise, black metal, new wave, grunge, alternative rock, death metal, grindcore, blues, stoner, progressive, noise rock and psychedelic rock. And I'm only halfway through this album.

Chestburster is a trio from Kouvola, Finalnd. Besides from being a pretty damn heavy band, they are obsessed with horror movies, which obviously explains the band name.  According to their biography, they make music whenever they manage to drag themselves away from the Alien-boxset. As far as I'm concerned, judging from what I'm listening to now, they can do that a lot more from now on.

The first thing that came to mind when I was listening to opener 'Faces In The Rain' and follower 'Experienced Virgin' was: "this is what The Ramones would have sounded like if they were a sludge metal band".  With thick, fuzzed-out guitars and dynamic, up-tempo drums, Chestburster immediately convinced me, which sometimes isn't easy.  Yet, these sludgy punk songs suddenly made place for something different.

'Gas Station Pilgrim' for example, or the bluesy follower 'The Arm Stretches Out' slow the whole thing down and turn this album into a psychedelic doom metal thing. Then there are slabs of grunge, with depressed, clean vocals and also some outbursts of blast beats.  Some of the solos remind me of old Slayer or Testament stuff while other passages seem to come close to Fields Of The Nephilim.

'Rojo Sangre' might be one of the most varied songs here, blending about half of the aforementioned genres into one epic song. 'Licking Letters' feels like something from the dirtiest corners of the grunge scene in the nineties, and so on.  I'm not sure if you can still follow but that's ok.  By now you should be aware of two definite facts about this album. One: it's heavy. Two: it's varied.  So if you like heavy analog music with plenty of variation you don't have to buy any other album than this one this year.  This one will certainly do...


​Serge

post-hardcore / sludge

Well, time for something dark, heavy and relentless. In fact, after listening to this piece of work, I wonder how the hell the city of Copenhagen is still standing.  One gig by this Danish act should be sufficient to send shockwaves of destruction over the city, making it instantly collapse.  At least, that is what I envision while listening to 'Loss'.  This is one incredibly heavy piece of work, a possible soundtrack for the apocalypse.

At first listen, LLNN could easily be placed among bands like AmenRa, Eyehategod, Cult Of Luna and company.  With heavy, monolithic riffing, pounding drums and fierce hardcore vocals, this act created something brutal and crushing.  Yet, after a while, some other influences seem to shine through.  There seem to be electronics here, sci-fi soundtrack material and other haunting soundscapes.

Of course, all of those are drenched in sheer brutality.  LLNN rarely lets the listener rest and, even when the intensity goes down, they never really lose their grasp.  Well, 'grasp', more like a stranglehold perhaps.  'Rapture' and 'Monolith' are harsh, unforgiving and overwhelming slabs of noise.  'Calamity' goes even further, even to the point where it all becomes a little too much for me. Me, a seasoned fan of extreme music who is used to a lot.

And then we're not even halfway through this album. There's three more of those nutripping tracks left to discover, including the well-varied title track 'Loss'.  I'll leave the other two songs up to you, but beware, this stuff is way too harsh and intense for most people.  I've actually pressed 'stop', not because I don't like it (I do like it) but because my cat suddenly looks frightened by this. She had never been frightened by music before.  So, LLNN, perhaps that is a compliment...


Serge

sludge / grunge / doom

Third I Rex

Well, this must officially be the hardest band to find on the internet.  I'm not one to easily give up but here I had no choice.  Not only did I not find this band on social media, the vast amount of Google pictures I've been through made me have to pee.  So, Sea, if you're out there somewhere, let me know and share this review on your pages. I'm quite sure you guys will like what I am going to write about this album.

Sea is a band from Boston, USA.  In fact, that's all I know about this band. Yet, that makes it easier to focus on the music.  The debut ep contains three songs, basically stoner doom metal tracks but seemingly influenced by a lot more than that.  Post-metal, sludge and, most surprising, grunge are present throughout the entire ep, which gives the whole a great nostalgic atmosphere, almost making me wish I was back in the nineties.

But let's stay in this era, and make it a whole lot better.  Opener 'Seer' seems to combine the crushing sound of bands like Yob or Pallbearer with the grittiness of Alice In Chains or Stone Temple Pilots.  In that aspect, The Melvins are never far away as an influence.  However, Sea prefers to remain on their own domain, perhaps even coming up with a whole new sound in the doom metal scene.

There is plenty of room for melody and you can find a decent number of psychedelic solos. 'Moros' begins like an ancient Metallica ballad and turns into an hypnotic sludge metal track, thriving on fuzz and a headbanging-worthy tempo.  Hell, there are even some death growls to be found.  Closer 'Chronos' follows that path and is possibly the heaviest track on this album. This might be what Mudhoney would have sounded like if they decided to become a sludge doom band.

Most of all, this ep makes me want to see these guys live. I'm sure they will be immensely successful at Desertfest (hint)   What they have come up with is one of the most surprising albums of the year so far.  I never expected all these genres to fit together this well, and then there's even a perfectly fitting black metal passage too, because, why the hell not? If you were a grunge fan in the nineties and a doomer now, this ep will certainly please you.  

​Serge

stoner / doom / sludge

After carefully listening to this album yesterday, it returned in my dreams last night.  It was a frightening image, a massive fish with huge tusks, making low frequency noises which could split rocks and crack skulls.  According to ancient legends, it was this fish that was responsible for some of the earthquakes and tsunamis in ancient history.  Me and some friends had to go on a dangerous mission to eliminate the animal.  Some of us got eaten, others got impaled on one of those tusks.  Only two of us survived, by coindcidence me and another doom metal fan.  We never killed the beast.

Mammoth Salmon is usually seen in Portland, Oregon (USA), causing massive vibrations with its deep, droning groans and repetitive strokes.  It first appeared in 2012.  Scientists claim that the animal materialized out of the drones and downtuned guitar noises of today's stoner doom scene, perhaps in a huge lake near a stage where bands like Conan, Yob and Pallbearer once played. Much like its predecessors, Mammoth Salmon thrives on fuzz, a slowly dragging tempo and a rough, raspy voice.

The animal could best be described as an aquatic steamroller, using crushing heaviness and hypnotic noises as main weapons to mesmerize and devour its prey.  That prey will never know what hit it and before it realizes it, it's being dragged down into the beast's lair and overwhelmed with this scathing sound.  That is, if it hasn't been impaled on those tusks already.  There, deep down in the darkest corners of the lake, the Mammoth Salmon hides away from humanity until a new opportunity for feasting on their flesh arises.

The animal has an album out, which you can download for free on its bandcamp page. My advice: if you're a stoner doom fan, you should really get your hands on this download, or on one of the cd's, which come in an eco-pack using soy ink and post-consumer recycled cardstock and packaged in crystal clear eco-bags.  Come on, go get it, support your environment, even if there is something frightening about it.  After all, it will be here long after you are gone...


​Serge

doom / stoner / sludge

This is my record attempt for 'fastest review ever', trying to publish it as soon as possible after it arrived in my inbox.  Some people have already told me that I'm pretty quick with these things and I would like to figure that out for myself.  So let's take the challenge, even though it's not really fair to some other bands who are still waiting for my verdict.  On the other hand, I'm not that important for everyone's success, right?

Ok, perhaps I have to be honest first.  I wanted to take on this challenge because of the fact that this is doom metal.  Everybody who has ever read my reviews will probably know that almost blindly admire this genre, one with very few disappointments.  This album certainly doesn't belong in the 'disappointments' bin, although I wished opener 'Monolithian' was longer.  Perhaps it's meant to be an intro but it surely has the power to be twice as long, reminding me of Yob or Conan by the way.

Morag Tong is a doom metal band from London, England and this debut is completely free to download if you like (don't worry, you also can pay).  Besides the opener, there are some tremendously massive songs here, highlighting in the dragging but groovy title track 'Through Clouded Time'.  Driving on slow but dynamic drums, monolithic doomed riffs and epic clean vocals or screams, this song is almost a prototype of how this version of stoner doom should be.  Yeah, it is.

Halfway through that song I have already forgotten about the shortness of the opener and I'm getting hungry for more.  Luckily, there is still 'The Eyes Of Man' another one of those crushing, grinding and drilling guitars and those haunting drums.  Fear, anxiety, anger, despair, if those are your musical preferences, you should download the hell out of this.  And, band members, come over to the old continent soon, I definitely want to see this live...

Alright, twenty five minutes, not bad but I feel I can do faster than that.  Perhaps one day I'll try again but for now, I'm going to play this again and dance naked in the rain outside.  Have fun...


Serge