sludge

On their third full-length, Minsk brew a swirling cauldron of massive sounds. It’s not unlike Through Silver in Blood. Both records fuse the anguish of early Swans with the crunch of Sabbath. Though Minsk are no Neurosis, the band is almost as adept at depicting the existential wasteland of modern man. Almitra’s Premonition Minsk aren’t […]

Homemade EHG shirt Invisible Oranges proudly presents its first podcast, A Better Tomorrow, hosted by Jess Blumensheid. Episodes will occur monthly. This inaugural edition is the heaviest podcast ever. In it, Blumensheid navigates the murky swamps of Southern sludge metal, with a detour up to Ohio. The track list is below. A Better Tomorrow #1: […]

Doomriders On June 14, Club Europa hosted the BrooklynVegan-BBG Showcase, curated by brooklynvegan.com’s Black Bubblegum. It should have been called Sludge Fest. The lineup featured Doomriders, Clouds, Sourvein, Unearthly Trance (replacing the injured Zoroaster), Javelina, Cough, Howl, Wetnurse, and Liturgy. I arrived during Howl‘s set. They justified their recent signing to Relapse with big riff […]

Argentinum Astrum sound like a bad hangover. They deliver headaches, blurred vision, and nausea in one untitled 26-minute track. This five-piece could astound black metal, doom, and noise artists alike by their originality. Argentinum Astrum push boundaries past mundane song structures. It’s surprising how much variation they can fit in one track. Excerpt 1Excerpt 2 […]

Zoroaster disappoint on Voice of Saturn. They seem far from their Dog Magic glory days. Unlike past releases, this one doesn’t milk low-end riffs for all they’re worth. This time, Zoroaster play the piano and redundant interludes, and it’s not a pleasant surprise. This waters down the album’s 54 minutes to only 33 of good […]

Lord Mantis Seventh Rule labelmates Lord Mantis and Wetnurse are teaming up on a US East Coast mini-tour. (See dates below.) Lord Mantis’ Spawning the Nephilim, which I reviewed for Decibel (#56, Isis cover), is no joke. I compared it to Kylesa and Khanate; Blabbermouth compared it to Black Cobra and Khanate. It’s brutal. Wetnurse […]

Oakland is one of the unhappiest towns on earth. It’s San Francisco’s ugly sibling, an industrial wasteland of racial tension. Stormcrow and Laudanum hail from there and sound like it. Sacred Death (20 Buck Spin, 2009) may be the heaviest split I’ve ever heard. Stormcrow turn in two tracks of Bolt Thrower-style metallic crust. They’re […]

Bison B.C. blend genres admirably on their Metal Blade debut Quiet Earth, a more complete package than their first release Earthbound. Molding together sludge riffs, prog metal solos, and thrash-like melodies, Bison B.C. leave little breathing room. They strike with gusto in “Primal Emptiness of Outer Space.” Dual guitarists and vocalists James Farwell and Dan […]

by Cosmo Lee At the moment, Chicago’s in the news for all the wrong reasons, so here’s a right one. Thrive and Decay is a split 7″ between two young, potent bands. Chicago’s Black September harkens back to the crust punk/death metal of old Bolt Thrower and the rough majesty of old Amon Amarth. Yes, […]

Photo by Scott Kinkade Tonight Philly’s Javelina begin a short tour spreading downtuned filth and beard envy. (See dates below.) The jaunt begins at Nara Sushi, a combination sushi joint/music venue. What a brilliant idea. Another stop on the tour is Star Booty, in St. Petersburg, FL. Evidently, it’s a vintage clothes boutique. I am […]