Tag: sludge
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Shortcuts: 7 Recent EPs, Singles, and Splits of Note
Ok – I’m busy. You’re busy. So let’s cut the shit and talk bad-ass tunes, specifically, some recent noteworthy non-LP releases that are more than worth investing what little precious time you have to spare. Dark Circles/Abstracter – Split LP (Halo of Flies/L’Oeil Du Tigre Records/Moment of Collapse/Sick Man Getting Sick/Shove) Damn. This one doesn’t…
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Graves at Sea – The Curse That Is
The first full-length from Graves at Sea isn’t just a long time coming, it’s a long time, period—eight tracks spanning 76 minutes! I guess that with just a handful of EPs and splits over the past several years, they finally got the chance to make the most of their studio time. The lineup here is…
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Lord Mantis – NTW EP
With an infusion of new blood from now-defunct Chicago outfit Indian, you might be expecting something slightly sludgier from this Midwest blackened doom troop this time around. A new sound, after all, would justify the release of this four-song EP, which clocks in at just over 24 minutes. “SIG Safer” immediately signals that Lord Mantis isn’t…
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Bardus – Stella Porta
When I think Philly, I don’t usually think noise rock, but French label Solar Flare Records, home to the likes of Sofy Major and The Great Sabatini, thinks highly enough of this young trio to offer them a deal—which is reason enough for me to give this a listen. Stella Porta comes crashing out of…
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Dream Death – Dissemination
Dream Death’s 1987 debut Journey Into Mystery is one of the great lost metal classics of all time. On their debut album, this Pittsburgh outfit combined the nascent sub-genres of thrash and doom into a self-styled concoction called sludge metal—that’s right, they were the Possessed of all things tuned low and played slow. Problem is,…
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Black Shape of Nexus – Carrier
This German sludge sextet returns with Carrier, their first full-length since 2012’s oppressive 80-minute effort Negative Black. This one’s considerably less lengthy, but equally punishing, with six tracks clocking in just shy of 50 minutes. “I Can’t Play It” opens the album on an ominous note with tortured screams and squealing feedback. This one’s a…
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Low Flying Hawks – Kofuku
After a while as a writer you come to rely on certain PR companies and labels to deliver the goods seemingly without question. In my case Sheltered Life PR and Magnetic Eye Records fall into that category. So when K0fuku by Low Flying Hawks landed in my inbox there was no hesitation as to whether…
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Black Cobra – Imperium Simulacra
Another sludge band coming out of the woodwork after a considerable recording hiatus; Imperium Simulacra marks Black Cobra’s first release since 2011’s Invernal. That said, this heavy duo has never really stopped touring—they’re due back on these shores in April with Bongzilla, CBSA-permitting. Imperium Simulacra comes barrelling outta the gate as expected, with “Challenger Deep”…
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Seven Sisters of Sleep – Ezekiel’s Hags
I have not heard from this L.A. sludge crew since their self-titled debut in 2011. Seven Sisters of Sleep have put out another album—and a whole shitload of splits—since then, but now that they’ve signed to Relapse, their status is about to get a big boost. While you might accuse such a band of dropping…
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AMATEUR CONCERT PHOTOGRAPHY HOUR: SLEEP @ The Phoenix, January 22, 2016
Seeing Sleep at The Phoenix wasn’t just another gig–it was a religious experience. Let’s just say there might have been more than one bearded dude bowing down to the almighty riff last night. And when the whole band came in at the beginning of “Dopesmoker,” everybody up front started headbanging in unison, like a buncha…