Author: Gruesome Greg
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Hellbound staff picks, January 2018
This year at Hellbound we’ve decided to revive an old tradition – our monthly staff picks/playlists! We’ve asked our regular and longtime contributors to weigh in on a few categories as follows (expect a few variations to our lists throughout the year, as well as some individual quirks and touches): Listening to – an album,…
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Heave Blood and Die – Vol II
Now, based on the band name you’re probably thinking I’m about to review a grindcore outfit, or maybe an uber-kvlt black metal brigade. Well no, not even close—although they are from Norway. But their sound is far removed from the grim, frostbitten forest. Instead, they’re more akin to the Georgia prog-sludge of early Baroness or…
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Blackwülf – Sinister Sides
You can tell Blackwülf is from Oakland right from the opening notes of this, their third album—the Bay Area quartet channels local legends like Sleep and Acid King in their stoner doom worship. Speaking of legends, Geof O’Keefe of Pentagram fame plays guest guitar on a cover of the proto-stoner Cream classic “Sunshine of Your…
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Hooded Menace – Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed
Death doom can often be hit or miss for me, but I was a big fan of Hooded Menace’s last album, Darkness Drips Forth, which seemed to be a little light on the “death”—except in the vocal department. I’d be perfectly happy if they followed a similar path on this one. An ossuarium is a…
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Coffin Torture – Dismal Planet
This South Carolina sludge duo only had three indie EPs and a couple live-off-the-floor albums to their credit, but The Sludgelord liked them so much, they started a label just so they could sign ‘em. So that’s gotta count for something. Dismal Planet offers up seven tracks, most around the seven-minute range, on their full-length…
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Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard / Slomatics – Totem
You gotta love Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard. It’s like someone fired up a Random Doom Metal Name Generator, gave it a few spins, then picked their two favourites. What’s also cool about this band is that they sing in Welsh, although one of the titles of their two contributions to this split LP with UK…
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Apostle of Solitude – From Gold to Ash
I rarely, if ever, have been disappointed by Apostle of Solitude. The veteran Indiana doomsters have been at it for more than decade now, and their last three full-lengths have all found favour in my books. (“December Drives Me to Tears” is one of my all-time favourite doom tunes.) These guys tend to be gloomier…
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AMATEUR CONCERT PHOTOGRAPHY HOUR: COC/EHG/Pale Mare/Ol’ Time Moonshine @ Opera House, January 9, 2018
While I don’t wish ill will on anyone, Zakk Wylde’s illness turned out to be a blessing in disguise last night. The bill was originally supposed to be Black Label Society, Corrosion of Conformity and Eyehategod at Rebel Nightclub…
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The Good The Bad and The Zugly – Misanthropical House
I’ll admit that the reason I listened to this Norwegian outfit was because of their name—Clint Eastwood is my spirit bear. But if you ever wished Kverlertak had somewhat intelligible English vocals, or that The Hellacopters had somewhat unintelligible sludge-metal vocals, then you’d probably dig this 31-minute debut. Opening track “H-Bomb” hits you like a…
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Come to Grief / Fistula split & -(16)- / Fistula split
Cleveland’s Fistula might not be a household name to more casual fans of sludge metal. But they’ve been spreading their brand of caustic misery since the late 90’s, and suffice to say, they’ve made a few friends along the way. These two splits, released simultaneously on the band’s own Patac Records, see them share the…