Inter Arma – Paradise Gallows (2016) / 89%

The International Armada of Southern Post-Metal

After the impressive one-song extended play The Cavern released two years ago, Inter Arma doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. They’re one of the best american metal bands of their generation and their third full length will only solidify their status as a genre bending and untamable epic beast.

The first noticeable aspects of an album are always the artwork and the title and there’s a clear newfound identity found in the cover art of Paradise Gallows. Compared to Sundown or Sky Burial, it’s full of colours and could almost fit an indie rock band but the scene illustrated is bleak and ultimately fits the sound of Inter Arma. Compared to its artistic rendition, this album is far from being a shipwreck. It’s probably more the large rocky island in the background which is known for leading ships to their demise. Just like the crew of a well-managed ship, the songs on Paradise Gallows are fairly diverse but they learned to work well together to maintain the deck and ride the sea like no one else.

While somewhat sunnier than Sky Burial and overall perhaps softer, it’s still pretty heavy at times. The big Southern melting pot is the basis of their identity. They mix this depressive but warm and dirty sludge sound with healthy doses of black/death metal recalling the elusive Bölzer full of cavernous vocals but they keep things mid-paced or hellishly slow. Songs like the nine minutes “Transfiguration” bring forth the gloomy atmosphere while never losing the focus on tight and riff based metal. I guess we could say that their approach seems all over the place, right?

Maybe... but wait, there’s more! The combination of the massive Neurosis-like riffs with hints of funeral doom/death works quite well. The integration of psychedelic elements also feels natural (listen to the droney but catchy “The Summer Drones”) and there’s a slight nautical aspect to their compositions. It feels like you’re on the Atlantic, near the state of Virginia while listening to the darkest Nick Cave albums but your buddy suddenly plays his Eyehategod mix-tape on his boombox.

“Potomac” (speaking of said nautical feel) is this gorgeous instrumental song full of clean proggy guitar leads and piano and it’s a soft interlude before we’re served two extended heavy numbers.They’re all over the place with their styles of riffing and melodies but they’re surprisingly able to have a clear and solid direction while battling the intense waves made by the aggressive kraken.

Mike Paparo’s presence is outstanding in its richness and diversity. From the harsh yet deep black metal growls to the Mastodon-esque rough delivery of “Violent Constellations”, he’s a gifted metal singer. He’s also great at other styles including the tragically romantic vocals neo-folk of acoustic closer “Where the Earth Meets the Sky” and this sort of entrancing quasi spoken word (check out “Primordial Wounds”).

The guitars of Dalton and Russell range from megalodonian to intricate and psychedelic. This album is long (71 minutes) but it’s always inventive and spectacular. Their weaving of calmness and bludgeoning intensity has reached its peak on Paradise Gallows and the evolution of their sound since their 2010 debut has been an enjoyable process to follow. This is a great album.

Inter Arma on Facebook
I can't wait to see them Saturday in Montréal.

Metal Bounty Hunter: Volume 5

Karnon – Le temps sombre (2016) / 68%

Nah, it doesn’t sound like Agalloch

The Montréal quartet’s first release is a combination of modern melodic black metal, death metal, some progressive sludge/post-metal influences and metalcore. The most interesting thing about them is definitely the pagan theme explored throughout the French lyrics, it’s like a modern version of Belenos or just dudes like me who grew while reading Astérix comic books. I’d say this mythological angle is a welcome change from similar bands who generally have generic lyrics about life or something.

Musically, it’s not really my cup of tea. While I dig some of their influences (or used to, at least), the blend of sounds seems a bit artificial to me. At times, it’s like injecting the cold, mechanical sound of The Ocean to modern Immortal and while it’s mostly enjoyable and has well crafted riffs and guitar leads, it’s not something I’ll go back to. Also, I think that their shortest track “Vierge noire” with its Amon Amarth feel was more pertinent than the other, possibly more epic tracks.

The drumming is solid, the production and compositions are truly professional but Karnon is a band that’s developing its identity and should continue to do so. Nevertheless, if you dig melodic death/black with a pagan (non folk!) vibe, this is for you.

Bandcamp (pay what you can download)

Black Lung – See the Enemy (2016) / 76%

No bass, no problem

This trio from Maryland plays a vivid sort of psych doom/stoner with very groovy guitar riffs and buried, clean vocals. There’s some stoner bands who don’t have guitars and only rely on bass hooks (see Zaum) but Black Lung decided to go with two electric guitars instead. The rhythms are still infections since the instruments are downtuned as hell. “Crooked Fingers” basically sounds early Danzig turned psych stoner and it’s lovely. I haven’t heard their debut album but apparently it was softer and not metal like this one, nevertheless they still have some rock influences such as some balladesque parts of “Priestess”.

Their guitar tone is solid, they have sweet ass leads and the mix and mastering are well done but they lack a certain originality to distinguish themselves in this saturated doom/stoner world. If you like the genre and you’re always looking for another band to enjoy, check ‘em out, it’s fun stuff.

Bandcamp

Gargoyle – Reborn in Blasphemy (2016) / 74%

Lo-fi horror

"Have you heard the new Gargoyle?" asked my Swedish friend.

“The Japanese band?” I replied.

“Nah, this new Italian doom band”
“Ohhh ok”

And this is how I’ve discovered this quartet from Calabria, great story, right? Well, I can assure you that their music is a bit more interesting... Following in the footsteps of the horror doom masters Abysmal Grief, their music is occult dirges showing how dark and obscure the traditional doom genre can actually get.

The three songs are lo-fi doom with hints of blackened metal and distortion. The production is on more on the amateurish side than any doom I’ve heard this year but it fits the dark aura the songs go for quite well, I’d still would be curious to hear them with a solid production, one which could highlight their forces even more. Just find a larger cavern to record, guys. The vocals are somewhat harsh and were probably recorded in an underground cave or the small bathroom of one of their moms, there’s a lot of reverb and it fits the current occult black/death/doom movement. They don’t mess around with their compositions either, they’re kept relatively short and to the point, something that many of their peers don’t or just can’t do. Solid first release.

Bandcamp

Wretched Wizard – Empty Throne (2016) / 75%

Primitive Men

This young Ohioan duo just released their first album, a 19 minutes forray into aggresssive style shattering metal. On these eight songs, they go from hard hitting sludge to stoner/doom and metallic hardcore and they often do that on the same song. There’s a primitive, almost southern-ey influence as well as it’s not just heavy, it’s also atmospheric and some ideas could benefit from extraneous moments. I thought the short one minute interlude was cool but, yeah, it was only one minute.

I liked the loud production on the drums and guitars but the vocals are grating, not that they’re bad, the harsh growls are full of venom and spite as you could expect from a band like them but they’re much too predominant in the mix and frankly a bit hard to handle.

Bandcamp

Sea Witch - The Blackened Sea (2015) / 76%

Canadian doom tape triptych part 1 : Dartmouth, NS

I haven't heard the first two demos of this Nova Scotian duo but from I understand, they were sludgier or more rooted in black metal than this debut full length. Totally instrumental, this six songs tape (or digital) record bears its name extremely well, you'll drown in their deep shadowy currents (as shown by the classic Doré painting chosen to illustrate their music) and wake up as a corpse on a cold dark beach.

It's a pretty lo-fi affair but there's the maximum quantity of emotions that a two piece can produce, it's moving, deep and really feels like an oceanic voyage on the Atlantic ocean. There's a lot of atmospheric tremolo guitar moments mixed with a vivid sludgey funeral doom sound recalling the early days of Germany's slow titan, Ahab. There's also some stoner moments demonstrated by a huge guitar tone like in “Tempest”. Their songs, like falling inside the Mariana trench, are quite long (especially side A with two fourteen minutes tracks) and the album doesn't feel like it's too long even if it does get a bit redundant. It also gets old after three or four spins, I was very impressed when I first heard it though but it's just not totally memorable yet. There's something that it's still lacking, perhaps it's the lack of vocals, perhaps it's something else that I have yet to identify. I really liked everything but I know they could deliver something even more epic.

Nevertheless, this is a strong debut album with a well developed and established “nautical doom” approach (as the band mentioned on their Facebook page) and it's highly recommended for fans of introspective doom with many twists and waves. I need to check out their latest split with American black metallers Ecferus now to see how they're progressing but I need some towels and a bowl of hot soup before.

Sea Witch on Bandcamp

Baroness – Purple (2015) / 91%

Motherfucking Mace Windu would be proud!

After the ambitious Yellow & Green (2012) and their tragic accident, John Baizley and Baroness decided to streamline their sound and come back to the structure of Blue Record (still perhaps their best record as far as I'm concerned) and it was for the best as Purple is a grand record and a testament to the band leader of putting adversity behind him and move forward.

The main draw for this album is the automatic enjoyment you'll receive when you'll hear it, it's catchy as hell. Not that Y&G wasn't but it was more subdued and harder to grasp due to its somewhat tedious format. It all starts with the sludgey “Morningstar” before going to many places. I've rarely heard an album this varied that keeps things so focused and condensed. From their typical sludge rock to grungey accessible rock of the highest quality you can find, “ If I Have to Wake Up (Would You Stop the Rain)” is absolutely stunning. Baizley's vocals also never been that good, his delivery is excellent and there's a truly memorable urgency to his voice (see “Try to Disappear”). There's an hetfieldian influence (no wonders “Tallica likes them) and it's awesome. Long gone are the days where they use harsh vocals but they're not needed anymore, their sound has evolved into something else, something not as “red”, something more hopeful. They still have loud guitars, good riffs (“Desperation Burns”) but it's possibly heavier than Yellow (the heaviest half of their predecessor) and I mean, it should be after what happened to them. Music is always therapeutic (for the musicians and the fans alike) and it's obvious that the writing process was influenced by their bus accident.

When I called on my nursemaid
Come sit by my side
But she cuts through my ribcage
And pushes the pills deep in my eyes

Baroness has always been a highly intricate band and has been known to push the limits of the traditional metal or rock instrumentation and it's the case here as well. The drums are inventive, there's almost a Christmas bells influence on the aforementioned closer “If I have to Wake Up” and this is appropriate since the album was released in December! There's this shoe gaze/dream pop intro to “Chroline & Wine” and a wide range of rock influences ranging from hard rock to alternative rock. The interlude “Fugue” is basically R&B and it's glorious! They even channel their inner Thin Lizzy and unleash some solid licks. There's not a lot of bands who are successful at integrating the mainstream rock scene while retaining their identity, Baroness did it and they're now on the verge of stardom. They're hard working, super talented and with a clear and distinguished identity. In my eyes, their transition towards a rockier and more accessible sound was even more outstanding than Opeth's (a band with a similar progressive ability).

The guitars are singing their songs and I'm surprised by the amount of hope and positivity this record has, it's not always dark and this speaks wonders about John's thought process. Keeping the usual Baroness aesthetic (naked women, flowers, birds), the quartet has released another strong album, their fourth in a row.

Metal Bounty Hunter: Volume One

Interesting metal bands presented with shorter reviews instead of my usual, more longwinded style. I'll try to cover a wide plethora of genres, this first volume includes death metal, stoner/doom, heavy/doom and sludge!

Obsolete Mankind – False Awakening (2015) Explosive Montreal death metal

The first release of the Montreal band hits pretty damn hard. Composed of veteran musicians from many bands, Obsolete plays a vicious form of death metal that's highly uncompromising and is devoid of any flourishes and unnecessary details. There's no solos, no breakdowns, no progressive atmospheric breaks, it's hellishly fast and brutal for 35 minutes. The two guitars of Thiel (composer and ex-Neuraxis) and Dufour (leader of Phobocosm) are mechanical, aggressive and there's some of old school grind influences here (we're far from the current brutal death metal sound). The vocals of Marie-Hélène Landry are deep and will nail you on a cross. There's some variety in her vocals and I particularly liked the highest ones (listen to the start of “Distance”) and her socially inclined lyrics are quite interesting (three of the songs are in French as well!). While the compositions are top notch, there's a true lack of diversity here and it's hard to completely withstand the full thing in one sitting even if it's short. It's a decent debut but even bands like Immolation know how to diversify their music while keeping it dark and menacing.
75%
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Chu – XI (2014) Chuuuuuu chuuuuuuuuuu

From Kazakhstan, these five dudes play an atmospheric form of doom/stoner with a great balance between riffs and introspective moments. The short album (28 minutes) only has three songs including a 12 minutes opener but it's packed with content. While there's some vocals here and there, Chu is mostly an instrumental band with a shitload of solid riffing, soulful soloing (check out the solos on “Midgard” and some well placed ominous samples. The presence of two guitarists helps the band go into groovy details and the loud bass certainly fills any space that you could find in an instrumental band. Some moments reminded me of Americans Karma to Burn, it's just solid fun doom from a peculiar country. Now, if they could release a longer album, I'd be happy.
78%
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Chalice – Chalice (2014) Epic pilgrimage to Montpellier

Chalice, from Vermont, is a quite promising epic heavy/doom metal and their debut demo released last year needs more exposure. Lead by a woman named Hagthorn who's mixing medieval-esque clean vocals (listen to the wonderful “Gaudete”) with a more metallic, Manowar influenced delivery, Chalice are my exact cup (chalice?) of tea. The demo, basically a full length running length wise packs 2 very epic longer tracks as its second half with the wonderful “Merlin's Lament” being the longest at 11 minutes. The integration of medieveal elements in both their music and aesthetic was smooth and isn't cheesy like most European power metal about sword & sorcery. Influenced by the likes of Solstice (England) and pure 80s heavy metal, the quintet has solid compositions full of interesting progressions and tasteful twin guitar melodies. It's compelling epic metal with balls, power and some generous bass licks! I can't wait to see what's next for Chalice and hopefully they'll come visit Montreal soon since Montpellier is so near.
82%
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Slave Hands – Collapse (2015) Hell, sin and sludge 

The Helsinki based elusive trio (there's barely any information about 'em online) plays a violent blend of sludge/doom with some hardcore elements and it's totally nasty in the best way possible. Akin to the noisy Americans of Primitive Man, Slave Hands is all about downtuned guitars, slow mournful riffing full of misanthropy and venomous, spiteful vocals. Collape's six tracks are mostly midpaced, slow affairs but they never drag too much and it's a brief but dark recording. I was expecting a hardcore number with the 2 minutes “Modern Day Misanthrope” but it's still a thundering sludge song that will kick your ass into a coffin full of cajun food.The production is airy and lets all the hate flow through the thick guitars and the simple yet effective drumming. Recommended for fans of the genre(s). Like the sample in “Abysmal” says: “fuck the world”.
75%
PWYC on Bandcamp

Primitive Man, Opium Lord, Powercup & Basalte, July 18th 2015 @ Bar le Ritz PDB, Montréal

On this very humid Saturday evening, the colourful Bar le Ritz PDB on Jean-Talon street in Montreal was the host of a special and varied evening organized by Extensive Enterprise. This place, formerly known as Il Motore is rapidly becoming one of my favorite places to see gigs in Montreal since the sound is pretty good, the venue is just the right size and their choice of beer is excellent. Before the gig, I ordered myself a pint of the great Farnham IPA and met some buddies. Including the three gentlemen who were opening the night.

BASALTE is a newcomer to the scene and I really like what they play. I thought their debut album was quite solid (read my review: here) and their quality is easily transferred to the live setting. The trio doesn’t have any bass, only two guitarists and a drummer but it’s hardly a shortcoming for them. The three members all sing and this creates a cool contrast between the different styles used. Laurent, the drummer, is using a deeper, almost death metal influenced voice while the two guitar players intertwine between a sort of post hardcore/screamo influenced approach and a more traditional atmospheric black metal shout. Their first track was a new one and it was mixing their black metal roots with a lot of dissonant elements and a healthy dose of varied styles of hardcore. It’s refreshing and quite unique in the Quebecois metal universe. Their (too) short set was great and I can’t wait to see them again. Keep it up, guys!

8 volcanic rocks out of 10

POWERCUP is a local powerviolence/grindcore duo and they’re a fun bunch. They played a brief but enjoyable set (ten minutes with like ten songs?) and they kept making jokes about the city of Trois-Rivières (apparently they had friends from there in the crowd). The drums plus guitar duo played an energetic array of short songs full of catchy grind riffs and fast paced drums fills. Their non-metal grind approach is lovely and I’d take a thirty minutes set of their music anytime. They were perhaps more of a fit when I’ve seen them with Nasum and Brutal Truth some years ago since they were more in their element but they were a surprising addition to this lineup and in the end since all the other bands do include some forms of hardcore music in their formulas. They call their genre «renovation grindcore» since they have lyrics about house renovation and that’s a peculiar, hilarious theme befitting of their stage antics.

7,5 tasse de puissance out of 10

OPIUM LORD from England played an interesting blend of extreme music. They were quite solid, the slow sound of the more extreme side of doom metal felt right at home with the hardcore inspired sludge metal. They seemed too numerous for the music they play though, I don’t think they need two guitarists to make their point across.They had some more atmospheric moments but they’re not exactly Cult of Luna or Neurosis! Nonetheless, that’s a slight criticism, they had interesting tempo variations and their singer was a vicious and powerful beast at the mic. They were definitely a good touring companion for the headliner since they both share a liking for a hard hiting wall of sound approach.

7,5 «this sounds like the name of a stoner rock band into weed» out of 10

PRIMITIVE MAN, the headliner of the evening played a thunderous set completely full of nihilistic bass grooves and athletic yet pummeling drumming. The three piece completely obliterated the crowd with their blackened noisy sludge/doom metal. The members are in total harmony with each others, the guitars are acting as the older brother to the bass but together they crush during the slow (and very misanthropic) moments and they throw everything they got at your skull during the fast (often short and sporadic) moments. During these outbursts of aggressiveness, a small but dedicated part of the crowd went wild and created a moshpit. The drummer is the one who ties everything together and he’s rightfully placed in the middle. He’s not the fastest not the heaviest but boy, he’s impressive and moves so well. Their set wasn’t even more than a hour but it completely drains the energy out of your body.

Their music and their art are thoroughly linked since it’s all done by their frontman Ethan McCarthy and it’s brooding, dangerous and horrific, just like their music and I wouldn’t want it any other way. There’s just this peculiar feeling with the band that you don’t get with anyone else, from the mystical tattoos on Isidro Soto‘s (drums) body to the pictures of James Brown on their amps. They’re a band to experience live.

Their music just reeks of darkness and hatred for mankind and sometimes, it’s precisely what you need to end a Saturday night alongside some sweaty friends, cold beer(s) and a possible hangover with the obvious headache the next morning.

P.S., it’s fun when bands do have shirts for fat dudes like myself and their designs and prices are really cool, paying 25 dollars for a CD and a shirt is pretty rare (and rad) nowadays!

9 nihilistic dudes from Colorado out of 10

Extensive Enterprise has some of the best shows in Montreal, see you all at Sumac (edit: CANCELLED) and Thantifaxath who will destroy the same venue on August 2nd!


Originally published in French and English on Ondes Chocs: here's the link

Weirding – Each Birth Is A New Disaster (2011) 61%

An underwhelming disaster, I managed to survive.

From British Colombia, Weirding's first full length was released four years ago and while I have some reservations concerning it, it's still an album that managed to blend many particular influences and it wasn't the worst things I managed to discover this week.

Releasing a LP before experimenting with demos is always a bit tacky even though access to (cheap and proficient) recording gear is way easier than it used to be. Admittedly, This band should have released some demos before this full length since I think the production frankly blows. It has way too much distortion, the bass' feedback and huge presence is simply not quite enjoyable and it doesn't quite fully fit the genre they (try) to play.

I don't think it's an appropriate production for a full album but it gives a dirty/DIY sound to the doomy stoner/sludge found on their debut and that's not always a negative thing. Weirding could benefit from a heavier than thou production since that's the sound they're going for. This production can't compare to the massive hitters of the scene (thinking of Ufomammut for instance). The immense and sometimes earth shattering is often the weapon of predilection of a stoner band and I can't that I was shattered enough with Each Birth... The sound of this album can be compared to Mastodon's excellent debut minus the trampled under hoof production. I guess I'm sort of picky as I want my doom/stoner/whatever to sound like a freaking two tons rock but eh!

Nonetheless, The trio is certainly composed of tight musicians, the sole guitar attack is fun enough and doesn't need any extra help to get the band's point across. The drums are quite impressive albeit a bit too low in the mix but they're a good complement to the mid paced to fast sound delivered without a break here. The guitarist, Tim Wearing (weirding?) is also the singer and he's sort of okay. He uses the sort of semi harsh vocals, an approach that's quite generic for the genre they play but it works well in this context. They're rightfully placed in the mix and aren't too obnoxious or overly present. I think they should be way harsher or cleaner though, they're stuck in a middle zone and could benefit from a “think outside the box” option. It would give them some originality as there's plenty of (better) bands evolving in their genre. They could be more psychedelic and be a bit more complex.

The songwriting, as mentioned in the introduction is a bit all over the place but due to the poorness of the production (or perhaps its ability to make everything sound fairly the same) it's not that apparent. They go from modern stoner metal/rock to sludge quite often and, weirdly, the best track on the album (“Drowning in Flame”) is the one that branched out into stoner catchy territories. Sometimes, the riffs just don't fit the thin and harsh production, it's quite a bit groovy and almost joyful at times even though they probably didn't want to sound like that. 

What I hear is a band that has yet to find its right sound and has some difficulties concerning their approach towards how they should present themselves. Their songs aren't bad but they're not memorable either. It's a decent debut album from a band that needs to work on its craft a little, check it out if you're a big stoner/sludge/doom aficionado. 

Free album on Bandcamp

Subrosa/Rhino/Near Grey - August 6th 2014 @Petit Campus, Montréal

I was pretty excited when Boris, SubRosa and The Atlas Moth (a band I really enjoyed in April when they played with The Ocean) were gonna tour together. My enjoyment was destroyed when no Montréal dates were announced but my smile came back when SubRosa decided to go up north to play a gig while on a day off. I'm freaking glad they came.

Two local bands were added to the bill, I really think a three bands gig is the best. The gig won't finish at 2 am and it's easier to truly enjoy the music delivered by every entities.

Near Grey opened the gig with their instrumental post metal compositions. I've never really liked instrumental bands except perhaps Godspeed You! Black Emperor and even though this young band was enjoyable, it didn't quite grasped me. The three songs (for around thirty minutes) they played were redundant, plodding and all similarly built but their heavy parts were pretty fun. When there's no vocals, I feel there's often something missing from the equation. Like a cheeseburger without ketchup. Their guitar tone was very cool though and I can see the fans of the genre digging them, just not my thing, you know?

6 they wish they were Pelican out of 10
Near Grey on Bandcamp

Rhino were next and I knew what to expect since they opened The Ocean's gig and they're also not my thing. I can dig their atmospheric post hardcore approach since I'm a big Cult of Luna fan but they're simply not at their level. They have two guitarists but one of them is utterly unnecessary and tries to do landscapes and endlessly play with his pedals. The other one does all the job and provides good but redundant heavy riffs border-lining on metal.  But...but I just cannot stand their singer and his screamo tendencies, I don't think he's a good fit for their sound.

-10 cult points for drinking Le Trou du Diable beer without glasses like peasants.
6 hipster haircuts out of 10
Rhino on Facebook

SubRosa arrived on stage at around 10 o'clock and they totally met my expectations. It's pretty cool to see a metal band where women are the majority and even though the drummer's beard was manlier than Sean Connery's hairy chest in Dr. No, they're still only two men in the band! The two violinists (Sarah Pendleton and Kim Pack) weren't usually loud enough though but I think this was due to the venue's sound system. Nonetheless,  these electric violins really managed to create vivid soundscapes complimenting the guitar skills of frontwoman Rebecca Vernon who was clad in a black dress.

They played four songs from their excellent latest album More Constant Than the Gods but not “Cosey Mo”, a song I wanted them to play but oh well, it was a solid set anyway. The twelve minutes “The Usher” being a clear highlight. They also played two songs from No Hope for the Mighty Ones.The set was about a hour long and I wish it would have been at least ninety minutes, there's something magical and ethereal to their blend of doom metal, stoner, noise, drone & folk and it's totally entrancing. The soft, intriguing vocals of Vernon were like lullabies mixed with heavy riffs and the rare harsher vocals of Pendleton and the new bassist (who was tastefully loud as fuck). Great, great band.

10 metal needs more women out of 10
SubRosa's setlist:

1. Fat of The Ram
2. The Inheritance
3. Beneath the Crown
4. Ghosts of A Dead Empire
5. The Usher
6. Affliction

SubRosa on Facebook
Thanks to Yannick Marchand for the live pictures.

Slugdge – Gastronomicon (2014) / 92%

All hail our intergalactic slugs overlords

And beneath the shattered sky the earth will grieve / except for man, who shall be granted no reprieve

This British duo released a surprisingly great album last year with Born of Slime and they're already back for more slug metal with Gastronomicon. Don't misunderstand the humorous aura the band has for lack of depth and content since the band is as rich and deep as one could be. Matt Moss' lyrics of lovecraftian slug proportions are excellent. Evil, poetic and over the top, they pay homage to omniscient mollusks and I mean, what could be more original than that? It's not another yet cryptic satanic cosmic cavernous album and we should all be grateful for that. Remove your black sunglasses and your bullet belt and laugh a little.

Like many projects nowadays, Slugdge (I can't think of a better word to describe them) is mixing innumerable styles to create a potent and quite interesting concoction. The guitars can be crushing, melodic and spastic and always play something vivid and intelligible. The death/sludge/black metal mix could seem chaotic at first but the whole thing is coherently and cunningly put together. There's  a good balance between longer numbers (the seven minutes title track is immense) and shorter, no less awesome numbers like “Slimewave Zero” and the album doesn't overstay its welcome and leave you asking for more.

Mixing the early sludge attack with complex drumming of Mastodon, the progressive extreme metal explorations of bands like Edge of Sanity or Arcturus with hints of old school death, brutal death and probably some more influences. The duo obviously doesn't want to do simplistic things and they achieve to do everything they wanted to do with this second opus.

The main element that made me fall in love with Slugdge is definitely the vocals, Moss' combination of blackened death growls with clean vocals can immediately recall the great Dave Hunt of fellow English black/grind overlords Anaal Nathrakh. The way the clean verses are brought in the songs are truly inspired by them  and I'm totally fine with that since this is by far my favourite element of albums like Hell Is Empty, and All the Devils Are Here. These powerful clean vocals are, to my joyful reaction, essential moments in every songs but the aggressive, vitriolic extreme metal is never overshadowed. Quite the opposite, the amalgamation of both gives an occult demeanour to Gastronomicon.

Production-wise, it's stronger than the debut, the guitars are tighter, the vocals more at the forefront and a bit less buried. Self produced, the album is solid, well composed and professional and I cannot fathom why they're still unsigned.

Most of the time, metal should not be taken that seriously and that's also a doctrine shared by these guys, like on their debut (with “Eyehatesalt”), there's once again a title that parodies one of their influences called “Salters of Madness” and I find that utterly funny. English humour is clearly the best! Ornamented by another sublime romantic inspired slug art, you just can't go wrong with that, it's showcasing the classic metal side of the band but with a new, modern and imaginative side. One of the best albums of 2014, I welcome my new slug lords with open arms.

"Pay what you can" for the album on Bandcamp
Slugdge's slugbook page

IRN – IRN (2013) / 87%

Spiteful beaver sustained with sludgey maple syrup

Out of Toronto, this trio of metal veterans released this awesome piece of music last year and it deserves a lot of credit for being so fucking heavy. Mostly coming from a black metal background, the musicians created a sort of relentlessly intense doom metal with big hints of sludge, post hardcore, noise or even some stoner metal. One thing that is certain is the fact they're heavy as fuck. I regret missing the opportunities I had to see them live now but they're playing Montréal quite often nowadays alongside like-minded bands such as Show of Bedlam.

Alongside their friends of Thantifaxath (perhaps the best contemporary Canadian black metal band), they're apt at creating entrancing atmospheres nursed by the rich simplicity of their sound and their ability to stir the dissonant and the slow together. The three songs release starts with this massive seventeen minutes song called “Adrift Between Burned Out Villages”. Despair and desolation are two of the stronger emotions this track relies upon. It's slow, crushing and the vocals of Jeff K. are a nasty affair, harsh and deep, the bassist don't waste anytime in introducing himself, he fucks you up with all the spite he's capable of and you're not asking anything else than that. His bass skills are good too, very present and a great companion to the massive and well produced guitar riffs. The production is airy but quite dreadful, it's very efficient for a debut album, these guys are aware of what's needed to create a solid yet atmospheric album.

As for the guitars of Ken McDonald, you can definitely feel he knows exactly what he's doing, the dude studied jazz music (he has his own quartet where he plays the double bass) and it's apparent since he's in the “less is more” category. He's also yet another big fuck you to anyone denigrating the artistic qualities of metal musicians. Technicality is irrelevant, true musicianship doesn't bother with that as he delivers fuzzy riffs like a machine. There's no leads, they would be pretty useless to demonstrate all the darkness they're elaborating, it's composed of well calculated slow riffs with the atmospheric weight of at least twenty corpses. The two other songs are seven minutes numbers but they don't deviate from the formula established in the first half, it's slow, brooding doom/sludge of the highest calibre distilled and refined till the content is accurately measured to be optimal.

Akin to the French sludgey doomsters Eibon or the crusty black metal played by the Brits of Dragged Into Sunlight, IRN likes to integrate samples to their music alongside their spiteful vocals. Chosen by the drummer Will Bustin, the samples are speeches about social problematics such as procreation by intellectuals such as Joe Coleman or Robert Anton Wilson but also movies like the classic Italian flick Alucarda. It's giving a sort of post modern feel to the whole thing, handling current issues and presentation the band as a current, non archaic sort of unit. It's not relying on the past influences but it's rather exploring the vastness of the heavy sort of sludge that is perhaps a bit more prevalent in Europe, a continent where the destruction contemplates the luxurious constructions from the past eras.

Establishing themselves as the premier “extreme” doom band in the North, IRN simply kills its opponents with this half an hour of music. Sad honesty is delivered with ease and pain on the self titled statement! It's free (or pay what you can) on Bandcamp so you, merry readers, have no excuses, leave your happiness at the door and get crushed underneath their layers of slow riffs and nasty screeching.

Theories concerning the name of the band:
-Irregular Rageful Nomad
-Intelligent Roadie Normalisation
-Irish Rotting Nihilism
-Ivysaur Raikou Nidorino

IRN on Facebook
IRN on Bandcamp - Free download 
Ken M.'s quartet
Interview with the band done by Breathe Plastic

Owl – You Are the Moon, I Am the Night (2013) | 83%

“No regret! No retrospection!”

Christian Kolf is one of the most interesting musicians in the modern German metal scene. Fronting the weird doom/death band Valborg which is constantly releasing strong albums since their inception in the early 2000s and the excellent psychedelic sludge/whatever band Woburn House, he's a busy man. Owl is another project of his and it's still top notch metal, they're at their second full length stage and I feel they improved compared to their 2011 debut. Before continuing, I'd like to warn you that if you don't like long ass songs, just go back to your safe ten songs for forty minutes death metal album and be comfortable in your conservatism.

The approach found on “You Are the Moon, I Am the Night” is rather unique, it evolved from their self titled album into something more refined. It's exploring the realms of death metal but at the same time, incorporating enjoyable, exterior influences. Their basis remains death metal and it sounds like if Morbid Angel found a bigger brain or Nile got kicked out of their Egyptian McDonald. It has a very grandiose concept and an epic sort of riffing with a great guitar tone

The vocals of Kolf are deep and cavernous, akin to Steve Tucker era Morbid Angel, they definitely get the job done even though Kolf is first and foremost a composer, you can hear the similarity found in his other bands but transferred into a death metal setting compared to the mixes of . These rough vocals can be catchy and they sometimes rely on repetitions of lines to prove their point like “I will destroy you!” on the title track. Quite visceral! Outside of the harsh vocals, there's some profound but not cheesy cleans. Furthermore, the title track features a strange semi harsh, sludgey and almost spoken word French, it seemed to be poetry and it felt familiar but it appears to be original lyrics, they're quite good too. A romantic metaphor about the sun and the moon, very adapted to their profound music.

The album starts with two monster tracks, the eighteen minutes title track and the fourteen minutes “Clouds of the Mourning Spring”. Both very intricate and atmospheric songs full of nuances. The release ends with an ambient track just like it did on their previous album but fortunately this time, it's fortunately only fourteen minutes rather than half an hour, thank Satan for that. I like ambient but this was simply too much for me, after ten minutes, we got the message.  Nevertheless, there's still a tendency of being simply too atmospheric. I can't help to think that the last ambient track is unnecessary, Kolf has an ambient band called Gruenewald, I reckon he could keep these influences for this project instead. Still, the ambient influence is incorporated into their sound on the three metal tracks, it's certainly a part of their identity. Structurally speaking, it's not the most cohesive album, there's even a one minute interlude that would had been integrated easily in one of the other tracks. It's a bit too loose and could benefit from a tighter direction.

They can be compared to state brothers The Ruins of Beverast in a sense that they're dissecting their genres while adding instrumental, hypnotizing and emotional parts. They're both using various elements to develop their approach and in the case of mister Kolf, he's not scared of diving into atmospheric sludge/post metal to get what he's looking for. That's reflected by the cultoflunesque production and the coldness of the riffs. There's no place for long leads that are giving their sometimes overpaid place to clean guitar parts that are creating interesting background soundscapes. This mix of hard hitting slow and doomy death with sludge influences is really damn enjoyable and the songs don't feel like they're twenty minutes long.

Owl is for adventurous listeners who have a desire for for a subtle, progressive and atmospheric death metal recipe. It's still keeping the sense of dread the genre is known for but it's making it airy and dreamy. Like an owl, it's living in the dark shades of the night, waiting for a naive prey to appear. Bringing it to its nest to be devoured, lifeless.

It's recommended even though they could remove the fat from their sound but then the project wouldn't be that justified since Valborg already explores a tighter doom/death sound albeit with a twisted behaviour. It's an uncompromising album proving once again that death metal can think outside of the box and be particularly inventive. Owl is fighting the old school death metal scene while also being free from the constraints of a modern and technical sound which is overcompensating with solos and noodling. Comparable to Portal, the Germans are relying on building frameworks made out of unorthodox structures and influences. Owl, on the other hand, creates something with a sense of familiarity, it's not as discordant and unapproachable.

Owl FB
The CD is sold out but you can get the digital album here

Bedowyn - Wolves & Trees (2013) | 79%

Bedowyn Soundclash

Bedowyn is a new quartet from North Carolina and they released their first EP in August this year. The band plays a good mix of many different styles wrapped up in a modern but enjoyable coating. With only five songs, they managed to incorporate many different approaches but their vision always remained tangible and that's an achievement for a debut release. Not as insanely heavy as state brothers Weedeater, they still include their share of stoner infused vibes.

They have this instrumental side that works very well, the opener “Bisha'a” and half of “Snarling of Beasts” are instrumental songs and they know how to write groovy, interesting riffs. It has this similar vibe that you can find on Baroness' Blue Record. Heavy, albeit melodic metal driven by leads but yeah, you won't find much sludge here even though there's some hints here and there. Similar to the Georgians, they have a very good sense of riffs progression proving that even though it's the first band for the four musicians, they're all pretty experienced and talented. The core of their sound is perhaps a sort of stoner intertwined with heavy and doom metal. The vocal approach is definitely rooted in stoner with this mildly harsh vocal offering recalling Orange Goblin mixed with some harder hitting vocals like on “Evil/Right”

Their ability to crossover between the different sounds is impressive for a new band. It's well integrated in their five minutes track and there's no wandering with longer songs full of clutter (read my review for The Albion Codex). They still include some atmospheric moments and even experiment a little like on “O'Bitter Sea” which is almost a stoner version of Primordial. It has this oceanic vibe and acoustic guitars and it's not cheesy at all. 

They have the skills to write concise, crafty and catchy songs and while it's nothing quite new since they're only mixing existing styles in their formula, it's an interesting EP and an obvious potential is there. Even though I don't think it will give them their own headlining tours throughout the US, I'm not sure you can find a better opener for bands like Mastodon, Kylesa or even High On Fire.  They'll have to fight a certain derivativeness to a certain degree but their sound is quite mature already and that's nothing a good producer and intelligent support can fix.

Managing to be both in the comfort zone while trying to find new ways to push their sound, Bedowyn is simply a good band with smart and intelligent elements rightfully placed. Clean guitars, throaty but not too aggressive vocals and warm, well produced riffs made this EP a success and established a band with a shitload of potential. Someone should sign these guys, I'm sure they can pierce their market, they're hard working, their duel guitar attack is cool and they have this melodic edge which could appeal to a mainstream metal market while not alienating the others. 

Bedowyn on Facebook
Get their CD or digital download on Bandcamp

Eibon – II (2013) | 90%

The Baguette Doom Series pt. X : War Triptych

Eibon is back with their sophomore album after their excellent debut “Entering Darkness” and II definitely pushed their sound forward with its adventurous format of two song for forty minutes of music. I believe the identity of the band is more refined on the new album, it feels very French compared to the rather international sound of their first full length. There's samples in French related to the First World war and this mixed with the awesome painting of Otto Dix, one of my favorite artists, really evokes the despair and the mindless violence of the Great War. The suffocation of the trenches and the foul, deadly odour of the mustard gas are present throughout the long dirges. It's not something romantic like the gardens of Versailles, it's the dark look of 20th century France, full of bitterness, full of rivalries, full of corpses.

The first track, “The Void Settlers” starts with a lot of feedback and despite its nineteen minutes duration, it doesn't waste any time and attacks the listener with a fast riff and the harsh throaty vocals of Georges Balafas (also in Decline of the I , a post black band and Drowning, death metal). Even though they like lengthy numbers, the band can't really be integrated into the current post metal or atmospheric sludge trend but it can be compared to the first 2 Cult of Luna, their self titled and “The Beyond” were more violent than their later material and it's definitely an influence on Eibon. Their material can be atmospheric but it's always rooted in stoner doom rather than in Neurosis styled explorations. Slow heavy riffs, distorted bass licks and interesting yet simple crescendo riffs. Their double guitar is also well used in their sound and not just during the crushing moments but also in the calmer, unsettling moments without vocals like midway through the first song. A guitar is playing this cool lead while the other keeps throwing heavy groovy riffs at you, the songwriting is as good as the musicianship.

II is subtle but bold at the same time. The band managed to pull off the twenty minutes track concept with ease and dedication. I'm not particularly a fan of ambient or noise music but they're very good at it. I even felt this side of the band could had been expanded. Like on “Elements of Doom”, there's a two minutes ambient intro and it's quite well done and it ends with lush keys and the sound of water hitting the dry concrete of your pitiful art deco neighborhood. Navigating the fiery fields of world war I, the beauty has evaporated. It's mean and aggressive and it even has some black metal elements both in the tremolo riffs and the vocals delivery from time to time.

Eibon's II is one of the essential sludge release of 2013. Their sound is massive and ugly like a beautiful woman giving birth to a midget. It has this appeal that only the masters of the genre can achieve. Maybe this French band can become one as they're definitely on the right track.

Eibon on Facebook