Tag: sludge

  • 16 – The Lifespan of a Moth

    16 – The Lifespan of a Moth

    Although sludge is usually seen as a southern staple, it also had a notable West Coast presence in its early years, with bands like Noothgrush outta Oakland and 16 from L.A., not LA. Like many early sludge outfits, 16’s discography is marked with a whole buncha splits and 7-inches, but The Lifespan of a Moth…

  • Inter Arma – Paradise Gallows

    Inter Arma – Paradise Gallows

    Generally speaking, I like my coffee downtuned and doomy, just like my metal. Never been a big fan of the blackened stuff, but Inter Arma caught my ear with their 2013 Relapse debut Sky Burial, which owes about as much to Neurosis as it does to Emperor. Hailing from the same Richmond, Virginia scene as…

  • Briefcasefest: Saturday, 21 May 2016

    Briefcasefest: Saturday, 21 May 2016

    Gabe Hugh’s review of Briefcasefest 2016 held at Toronto’s Coalition So, it’s the Victoria long weekend again and for those of you getting ready to spend it in the comforts of Kensington Market, either going to see some sights, shopping or getting a drink and grub – be forewarned that you may hear some interesting sounds…

  • Hopeless Youth – Devil, Walk with Me

    Hopeless Youth – Devil, Walk with Me

    Vancouver has seemingly got the Canadian market cornered when it comes to sludgy hardcore, so I was somewhat surprised to see that this band hails from Montreal. And while the name Hopeless Youth recalls so many of the “youth-oriented” 80s hardcore outfits (Youth of Today, Youth Brigade, etc), their sound is much more aligned with…

  • Cough – Still They Pray

    Cough – Still They Pray

    Virginia doomsters Cough return with their long-awaited third album, following 2010’s Relapse debut Ritual Abuse. This is not a band that moves particularly fast, as the 8 tracks on this 68-minute effort would attest. And while they do tend to drag out and drone on at times, the longest song on this one still falls…

  • Conclave – Sins of the Elders

    Conclave – Sins of the Elders

    Though they’re a relatively new name on the Boston sludge scene, Conclave includes members of notable 90’s acts Warhorse and Grief. No word as to whether their debut album’s title is self-referential. What we get here is over an hour of punishing sludge, with most songs ranging between 7 and 10 minutes. After an eerie…

  • Astrakhan – Reward in Purpose

    Astrakhan – Reward in Purpose

    I’ve been a big fan of B.C. sludge band Astrakhan ever since the release of their 2013 EP, The Pillarist. Their next EP was pretty good, too, combining the rugged grooves of locals like Bison and Mendozza with a bit of Baptists thrown in for good measure. Man, there is such an embarrassment of riches…

  • Helhorse – self-titled

    Helhorse – self-titled

    Because in Denmark, it’s H-E-single-hockey-stick. This Copenhagen-based sextet includes two guitars and two singers, one of whom also plays the piano, apparently. But these are no sons of northern darkness—Helhorse‘s sound is more akin to the southern grooves of Down, Crowbar and Orange Goblin. And this isn’t their debut, but rather their third album since…

  • Boudain – Way of the Hoof

    Boudain – Way of the Hoof

    This Louisiana outfit is named after a spicy Cajun sausage, so they’ve already whetted my appetite before I even press play. And it certainly doesn’t hurt that they hail from a town four hours north of NOLA, home to so many great sludge bands. These guys have been grilling, erm, killing it since ’06, but…

  • Beastwars – The Death of All Things

    Beastwars – The Death of All Things

    When I reviewed Beastwars’ debut, I noted that they were “the heaviest thing to hit Godzone since the Big Sheep Shearer,” and I’m sticking by that statement. Although New Zealand isn’t necessarily known for sludge metal, there is a wave of extreme, avant-garde, underground metal bands from the Isle of Phil Rudd… and these guys…