FALSE GODS : "Lost in Darkness and Distance"

Both of their previous albums impressed us here as this band continues to blend hardcore with sludge in an emotionally visceral manner. However, the hard-core side of the equation is not as prevalent as the band's more metal leanings this time around. The songwriting has continued to mature, the opener tracker is higher energy with a darker tension running through it that brings earlier Neurosis to mind, but is catchier than bombastic in how it hits. There is more of a deliberate sludge lumber to the throbbing "Straw Dog". 

The drums to "Enemy That Never Was" churn the song like a storm building up, as the dark cloud of guitar balances the atmosphere with a crusty chug at times ringing out more in a sonic zip-code not removed Amibex. When they lock into expressing this more metallic mood, it contrasts with the sections of punk singing that evolve from the normal roar of the vocals. to create an effective dynamic. "Imposter" is more melodic with the guitar ringing out to open the door wider for the vocals to put more effort into their raw, throaty, bellowing singing style. It works really well and creates a mood that carries a more expansive emotional current that bleeds with honesty.  This is more memorable than just pounding and roaring. The weightier moments of the song are still present enough and should not make longtime fans feel betrayed by what might be seen as a more accessible form of songwriting.

 At the end of the day, songwriting is what matters and not heaviness. This might come as a shock to readers of this blog for me to say that, knowing how I love heavy music, I want the heaviness to feel like an organic extension of who they are, rather than posturing, and that is what happens here. "Suffering in a Strangeland" rides a palm-muted tension, as the vocals offer an articulated roar, and the personal lyrics paint a bleak picture. I like how much darker things have gotten on this album. It's a real cathartic form of darkness. The riffing on this song is almost grungey, another sub-genre that is not the first time sludge has collided with, in fact, in the 90s, these two were more entwined. 

"Worldless" almost feels like a crusty version of the "God Hates Us All " era Slayer. The last song does not maintain the hyper-aggressive momentum, nor does it really need to, as the burly mid-tempo head bobbing throb works just as well. I will give this one a 9, making it consistent with the previous albums, though going in a more straightforward sludge direction. This one drops July 25th 

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