Eternal Champion : "Ravening Iron"

 I normally do not like power metal. I mean I like it in it's original form Iron Maiden, Priest, Halloween, and even Iced Earth who are one of the last bands to really it do it right. All too often it doesn't have much in the way of power . They guys pack a punch in the first song and the vocals are not too cheesy. They came really strong on the first song, but the second song about their 1000s of sword, is not as strong. It doesn't suck it just did not feel as new and fresh as the first song. I also feel we are beginning to get some of the more overdone trappings here. They do offer redemption on "Skullseeker" . It has the classic sound , and some balls while still caring about song writing and not just throwing galloping riffs at you.

"War at the Edge of the End" runs off a great deal of harmonized guitar parts. It feels like it is more mired in tropes than the previous song. The vocals are a little more dialed in so I think that factors in. He has a more laid back style and is not overly operatic which I appreciate, but he could punch the melodies a little more. The guitar solos do not really wow me either. The guitar harmonies that open "Cowards Keep" feel a little more Thin Lizzy. The theory I had with the vocals on the previous , hold merit as the vocals are on it with this one and it's a better song, despite not being that jarring of a departure from they were doing. 

They pick up the pace, not that these guys are ever slow, most of the time they border on being speed metal. I like what happens more on the verses than the rest of the song. They remind me a little of Sanctuary if Dane never used his falsetto. This guys barely does the yodel. It is pretty far back in the mix. When they do slow down on "Banners of Arhai" . I will give this on an 8.5 , it's pretty killer for what it is more often than not 

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November is Doom - Molasses : "Through the Hollow"

 This is in some ways a reunion of the Devils Blood , but with out Farida's brother, who would have been next to her the most crucial member of that band. There is less of a retro feel to their sound. It is more progressive and less jammy. She still has the pipes. Her bluesy alto lends it self to that 70s feel, but they are doing a good job on the first song of not getting tied into nostalgia. The are like their former band in the sense they do not give a fuck and will kick things off with an 11 minute song if they feel like it.  When I said less jammy I did not mean not jammy at all, as they do go into that direction by the 3rd songs, but it is pretty awesome when they do so I am fine with that . If you are going to jam then you got to bring the groove, and they do. 

 I do also like the darkness that infuses " Get Out From Under". I am not saying it's darker than the Devil's Blood as the darkness here is not as sinister perhaps leaning more in the Shocking Blue direction. Despite not going anywhere I like the Swans like drone to "Corpse of Mind" . We are back to a more occult rock groove on " the Maze of Stagnant Time" . The title sounds like a Dungeons and Dragons module. Much the Devils' Blood this band is not metal but influenced by it. There is a smooth and darker groove to "I am No Longer" . It is also the song that comes closest to their doom influenced roots. Yeah I suppose you can say both these guys and the Devil's Blood are proto doom. Truth be told both bands are closer than Pentagram. 

They even go further with groove on " Death is" . The bass player is working over time. This is not what you would expect even after making it midway into the album. This is how prog should sound. 'Tunnel" is more of an instrumental interlude than an actual song. They end the album with the ten minute 'the Devil Lives" . Good to go out on a positive note. They lyrics are great. There is more of a rock swagger. I will give this album a 9.5 . Not something I am going to listen to everyday, as it is often a lot to ingest, but I more than enjoyed what I have heard after given this album many listens. Was released on Season of Mist. 

Higher Power -"27 Miles Underwater"

 

In some moments this British hard core band is like an emo version of  Snapcase. The chorus is sweetly sung. Midway they allow themselves to break into melodic atmosphere. There is still enough of a hard core hammering to make them at least on par with a band like Boy Sets Fire. "Shedding Skin" shows the guitarists know what they are doing. The verse breaks down into something more alternative, before stomping back into hard core. They begin to lean harder into the emo side of what they do on "Lost in Static" . The fact they are singing about space ships makes me excuse the almost pop punk direction. The guitar is more aggressive on "Rewire", but the vocals stay pop punk until the chorus. 

"Low Season" is the single from this album. It is more accessible. I like the few bars he goes into his lower more grunge era voice. It is a well written song, might not be hard core but there is plenty of groove. "Passenger" has more in your face punchy groove to it. Yes there is a 90s alternative feel in the middle, and this album tends to split it down the middle on which way they want to go. They are more of a Helmet place with the syncopation of "King of My Domain". The first notable guitar solo is on this song, if there were others up to this point they did not make an impression.  They know good and well Helmet has a song of the same name. It's a strummed , ballad of sorts.

"Staring at the Sun" finds them coming back with more bite. They back off on the more melodic chorus, but it would have been harder for the to explode any louder than where they were at. At the center if all the trappings were stripped away from the last two songs they would be hard core. But I am glad the trappings are in place that obscure this fact as that is what makes this band stand out from all the other hard core bands I have heard lately. I will give this album a 9.5 , I am glad they decided to make themselves stand out.

Metz : "Atlas Vending"

 There is Am Rep quality of the 90s set against a more Stooges-like swagger. He is more Iggy Pop on the first song, he sings a little more on the second song. His voice has more of a rasp to it, yet manages to be more melodic on " Blnd Youth Industrial Park" . They get rowdier and more on "The Mirror". I like the angular dissonant nature of what they do it just does not hook me in for this song. Yes, it is very sonically rough around the edges but that only goes so far. These guys are good songwriters and things are allowed to progress in a more compelling direction. 

"No Ceiling " and " Hail Taxi" are both more punk in their direction with the latter having more of a Fugazi feeling which of course works well for me. They are more abrasive and noise-ridden than Fugazi with a grunge undertone.. "Draw Us in" has more of rambling punk feel, like the Afghan Whigs. "Sugar Pill" is a little more melodic though not a great deal as the pace picks up. The vocals are urgent and raspy. They kind of remind me of Drive Like Jehu here. It makes a few more listens for this one to grow on me. That Fugazi feeling I got earlier is lurking around but to a lesser degree. I really like "Framed By the  Comet's Tail" because is is darker and he sings more on it. He sings with a ragged desperation. They do explode out of this song with a big build up, so dynamically I am not sure where there has not been more of this but will take what I can get. 

The woozy "Parasite" is more disjointed and gives in more to a spastic noise tendency. We went from the most impressive song on the album to the least. I like the 90s Sonic Youth vibe of the last song. The vocals are rougher around the edges and more punk than Sonic Youth, but work really well.  I never really paid a great deal of attention to these guys before, but they have my attention now I really like this album and feel it will grow on me, so I will give it a 9. Out on Sub-pop

Hatebreed " Weight Of the False Self"

 

From playing in hardcore bands I have been exposed to these guys , and Jamie Jasta is a big metal head who gets around, so more than familiar , but never spent a great deal of time with their albums. From what I am hearing here, it sounds like there is les Slayer influence here and more of a return to their hard core sound. Granted very based hard core at that. We got tough guy break downs and plenty of gang vocals . Jasta barks out the self help hard core lyrics. The guitars are however produced more like a metal record. They are pros at killers that is not called into question .I think where we might find the sticking point for me is in the vocals which are so far a one trick pony. 

I like the chorus, but the lyrics go almost over board on the motivational speeches. I do not want anything positive in hard core. I do not want the world to be made better I want to burned down. But there are some decent hooks in this song. " Cling to Life" does not make much of an impression , but the more metallic " A Stroke of Red" is the best song so far.  Jasta comes closer to singing on the chorus of " Dig Your Way Out". The verses are blazing fast and do not do as much for me. The riffing is more aggressive in the drive of " This I Earned" . For some reason I am beginning to get Slipknot vibes at this point the album. "Wings of the Vulture" is pretty par for the course with little in the way of surprises when it comes to these guys . The drummer how ever proves he is fucking crazy. 

It sounds like he is quoting bible verses on "the Herd Will Scatter" .  'From Gold to Gray" is pretty much color by numbers for this sort of thing. The guitars are more melodic going into "Invoking Dominance" closes the album. I will give these guys an 8.5. Yeah it is mass marketed hard core for the same demographic that listens to Slipknot, but these guys have been doing it for some time so they are good at what they do. Out on Nuclear Blast.

the Top 10 Sludge Albums of 2020

 

 

It's that time of year again . We have needed sludge  more than ever this year as it is pretty apocalyptic in nature. So here are the best of the current crop. When I am done sorting through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I will then compile the top 10 albums of the year. I know many of you are ready for 2020 to be over with. Hate to break it to you but nothing is getting better next year. As far as 2020 goes for sludge there are only 3 or 4  new bands on this years list .The very fact these bands made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Sure you can bitch and complain about your favorite band not being on the list. However  I listen to five new albums a day so yes I heard your favorite album and was not impressed. No  I do not care what you think about it.I do hope you can find your next favorite on this list and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out audio on these guys. Anyways here are the top 10 Sludge albums of 2020

10- Beggar- "Compelled to Repeat" 

This band's sense of groove and the excellent drumming keeps the tropes of the genre in play fresh. This is s very filthy sludge still  able to hold it's own in the songwriting department

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/11/november-is-doom-beggar-compelled-to.html

9-Mantar -" Grungetown Hooligans 2 " 

Yeah, this is a covers album of 90s grunge era bands. This album is a lot of fun even when they dip further in obscurity. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/06/mantar-grungetown-hooligans-2.html

8-Alkymist- " Sanctuary" 

This Danish band is beautifully dark. They have thrown more Celtic Frost influence into the mix with this album which is more introspective. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/04/alkymist-sanctuary.html

 

7- Elephant Tree - "Habits" 

This band blends elements of grunge and shoe gazing into their sound, this more varied and dynamic approach is what put them above other bands on this list. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/11/november-is-doom-elephant-tree-habits.html

 

 

6-Ilsa - "Preyer" 

There is more of a straight forward aggression on this album. It took a minute for this to grow on me but further listens helped to solidify it's place here. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/10/ilsa-preyer.html

 

5-Today is the Day - "No Good to Anyone" 

It's both heavier and more melodic than previous releases though as expected these things meet at a weirds juncture. By heavier it's more an emotional heaviness than metallic heavy. This album hits you with a depressing heaviness. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/02/today-is-day-no-good-to-anyone.html

4- Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean- the Vestige" 

A good example of how it is possible to be heavy as fuck but still take the time to not only care about song writing , but play around with it and take chances. They even cover Death Cab for Cutie.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/11/november-is-doom-chained-to-bottom-of.html

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3- Fange - "Pudeur" 

At times touching on death metal, this French band goes above and beyond with heavy chaos. This could have easily been the number one album, but the top two edged them out in terms of song writing. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/11/november-is-doom-fange-pudeur.html

3-

2- Thou & Emma Ruth Rundle - "May Our Chambers Be Full" 

Thou is known for experimenting , but aside from their covers have not really wowed me, I think they just needed a different singer as they allow Emma to shine. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/11/november-is-doom-thou-emma-ruth-rundle.html

1- (16) -"Dream Squasher" -

Spoiler alert this is in the top five metal albums of the year. The songwriting it pretty much perfect. These guys pulled it together and rose to the occasion as they never have before/

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/05/16-dream-squasher.html

November is Doom - Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean : " the Vestige"

 

This album is heavy as fuck and should go on the record as being one of this year's most crushing albums. How does this fare in terms of song writing well lets find out. It opens some where between sludge and doom, with the vocals saying it over toward the sludge side. There are some Eyehategod vibes to this. I like the chugged attack to "Four Cubits and a Span" . There is more of a doom tempo and mood to " the Dead Who Climb up to the Sky" .  Even this some gains some traction and is not content to sit still. Speeding up into a blast beat for a couple of bars. The black metal influence is pretty mild. The song moves in a very interesting direction almost kinda indie rock. 

"Hollow Feeds the Emptying Death" has more of a traditional stoner doom swagger to it. Not overtly blues , but in the Sabbath rumbling direction. Yes they do hit you wit ha very heavy pounding on " Escape! Harmony is Disclosure" , that doesn't get interesting until it finds more of a palm muted groove. Of the two covers they do The Death Cab For Cutie is superior to the Devo song. Granted I am also more familiar with the Death Cab song. 

They cover a great deal of ground on "With Every Wrist Outstretched" . It goes from angular sludge to more of a death metal blast beat, though the vocals stay the same. There is dissonance and darkness so I am happy with the song. A little dynamics and melody and I am good to go. This one is not big on any melody , but it is interesting enough for me to compromise. "With Every Sword Unsheathed " has more of a stoner metal feel to it. When the clean vocals come in toward the end of "Out Brief Candle" I am not surprised even though they sound kind emo, because they covered Death Cab so that only makes sense. The album ends with a more dirge like take on sludge. Over all this album was fun, I will give it a 9.  

Inquisition : "Black Mass For a Mass Grave"

 

There is talk among critics regarding what a band maturing mean . Some think is involves some closer to selling out. Younger bands have a great deal of zeal and energy, when you get older you mellow as a person and one might hope not being a total wasted mess. Does this band have heavier albums? Yes. In fact the two previous to this almost steam rolled you with sound. This one finds the sound more stream lined. It opens with a more rock n roll riff. One of the thing I am most pleased with is one of the things some might not like is the atmospheric layer of guitar on the first tow songs. These melodic leanings  do not stop there, they continue perhaps even to a fuller extent on "Necromancy Through a Buried Cosmos" . It is a more traditional metal pacing , no that they have really exploded off into blast beats so far on this album. 

The more traditional metal riff that opens " Triumphant  Cosmic Death" holds the kinds of hook to it that I want to hear more of . The blast beats do come in on this song, but there has already been such a range of dynamics it works . I do not hate all blast beats I just do not want them to be the default. The guitar lines become more wandering and intricate on "My Spirit Shall Join" . The eerie cold ness still sets the mood even in the more melodic moments which finds me still classifying this as black metal . You could almost say "Majesty of the Expanding Tomb" is mellower, than their previous effort. It kind of floats along like mist over a river. It should also be noted at Dagon's croak is not a droningly monotone as it has been in the past. I was ready for the pace to pick up by the time we got to "A Glorious Shadow" . Sure it find falls more in line with other thrash centric black metal, but still feel like the band. They stay in a similar drifting  forward on the languid waters of hell with "Extinction of Darkness and Light" . 

"Hymn to.." find them still floating in the more placid parts of hell. In some ways this album reminds me of Deafheaven , it is certainly this bands most melodic work. It is a shame only their actual fans are going to hear and not a larger audience to the metal media's self righteous slant to these guys. If you do not want your metal bands  to be dangerous and bucking the moral norms like barbarians from hell, If you are like " Oh my god I did not expect them to be actually evil , the whelp you are a poseur who only likes the trapping of darkness and not the reality of it.  At one point in time Satanic bands were seen as riding the edge, now you have gothed out hippies pretending to be a kinder gentler take on Satanism that is false as hell. I want bands that are burning churches, eating children and hate everyone , They get some teeth back and sink them on the storming "Beast of Creation..."  I will give this album a 9, I can leave it on and let it play . 

Soft Kill : "Dead Kids R.I.P City"

 There is a more 80s new wave touch this time around. The vocals are breathy baritone croon not unlike Jesus and the Mary Chain. The mood is lighter than the Mary Chain gang. Yet darker than the kind of Crowded House pop that dominated the radio during the time this sound pays homage to. They nailed the sound for sure, now lets see what they do with the songs. The second song has little but more of a Cure like drive to to. I like better than the first song. The 80s college pop runs even deeper in the breathy vocals of  "Matty Rue" that features the vocals of Adam Klopp from Choir Boy. They dip into shoegaze on "Floodgate" which finds Tamyrn lending her voice. There is also a slight Smiths  like atmosphere to how the vocals hover.. Which considering they are one of my favorite bands makes this a huge compliment.

 Where atmosphere worked on the previous song , it  causes "Crmey" to blow away in the breeze. There is more balls to the tension of "Pretty Face"? The synths are still pretty thick in the mix, but the song works more often than not. "Ducky" has a little more of a dancey feel to it thought the vocals back off and mutter in hushed tone just over the bass line that holds the song together. "Inverness' finds us back to a more brooding blend of new wave. The bass line once again is the back bone of the song holding it together for them to dream their melodies around. It is a little more Modern English in it's intent. 

"Oil Burner' is another more shoegazing song. Perhaps they are not as skilled at this sound as Nothing, but it works with what is going on here and appreciate the sonic nature of it. The last song is kind of an emo ballad/along the lines of what you might expect from early Foo Fighters. Certainly  veers in a different direction from the rest of the album. I will give this album a 9, it sounds great and the songs are strong. Not sure how much I will listen to it given the fact I already listen to the bands it is drawing influence from. 

Aesop Rock : "Spirit World Field Guide"

Opens with the title track which is really a spoken word intro. The first actual song is a lesson in what hip hop artists should do. He has a complex word flow weaving around the beat which has enough groove that your head never stops bobbing to the beat. The second song works off of what he already established works. On "Dog at the Door" he gives a minute and a half demonstration on how to switch up word play . He spits faster on "Gauze" which has a more interesting backing track , his lyrics darting in an out the paces in the music. If anyone doubts that hip hop can be just as vital and technically musical art form as any genre needs to listen to what he is doing here.  "Pizza Alley" find a more atmospheric mood underneath him which he makes work, but it is not as compelling as the first 4 song, 

"Crystal Sword" is not only as compelling as the first four songs it might even be better. At least that is my first thought though the beat is not as biting so the groove is not as urgent. "Boot Soup" is really interesting , as it is different from the other songs, the musical shift it makes is what wins me over. The way it shifts in the last minute of the song is jaw dropping. "Coveralls " works , though perhaps not the top tier of the albums songs. "Jumping Coffin" has enough funk to it so it sounds retro and futuristic at the same time,  The futuristic path is the road taken on "Holy Waterfall" . This one is without question one of the album's best songs. 

"Flies" is under a minute , while he crams more song into that you might expect. It does not go where the other songs can due to time constraints. There are 21 songs here , so with a double album like this I am not expecting every song to totally hit to the maximum. "Salt" musically paints a picture with the kind of surreal atmospheric weirdness we have known him in play in for sometime. "Sleeper Car" opens organ and then uses a more disjointed array of sounds . He is experimenting more with album for sure. "1 to 10" is more of an interlude than the other ditty that was under a minute.  "Attaboy" finds the funk again and it works well as he gets back on the spirit world lyrical theme. 

There is a more organic almost rock feel going into " Kodokushi" then the drugs kick in. "Fixed & Dialated" he creates a hook just by saying " hold up". Timing is every thing. The drums on this one are kicking so that helps/. "Side Quest" is just over a minute, so it falls into the same place as the first song that was under a minute. He hits you with a lot of songs here. The album is familiar yet different and give you an example of what he is one of the best at what he does so I will give it a 9 since the parts that did not knock me off my feet from the get go just need to grow on. 

November is Doom- Holy Death : "Deus Mortis"

 

The first track is really just feed back and droning drums so we will write it off as an intro. Yes this is more doom than some of the sludge bands we have covered this month, but they also have an Entombed fixation. Going as far to to cover "Wolverine Blues" . The first song is more deliberate than Entombed so lends it's self more toward doom. More though not full fledged so do not go and throw away your Electric Wizard album's just yet. The vocal are a low gruff bark very much in the vein of Entombed. This is also not uncommon for sludge bands. I will say it once and I will say it again, sludge is doom for punks. The raw nature of what is going down here weighs in favor of this verdict.

The title track is gloomier so leans more in a doom direction. The drums sit back in the mix as the guitars dominate here. The vocals bark in a manner , a little more aggressively than they did on the first song. Their guitar tone is mean as fuck. They might be all some of you need to sell you on this. They are very effective at being heavy as fuck. Since the last song is that Entombed cover, I am going to need the song after this to prove to me their merits as song writers. They have gotten by with just being heavy and having a great guitar tone thus far. So better than just narrowly edging out the cool riffs alone does not a good song make rule. Lots of bands do not make that cut so that is something. 

This make or break song is more doomy. It lumbers on a more droning riff, almost like a death metal band covering Black Sabbath. In all fairness these guys might be more death doom than they are sludge. The focus is firmly on the chug. Dynamics are not their bread and butter, hitting you with the mammoth weight of their riffs is. To their credit they chose the song "Wolverine Blues" rather than "Full of Hell" so the second most popular song on that album. I think covering a song by a band you are obviously influenced by is kinda pointing  the finger back at yourself. I will give this album a 8.5, they got by on heaviness and tone alone, so it can work , you just gotta do it right and these guys did. 

November is Doom- False Gods : "No Symmetry​.​.​.​Only Disillusion"

 

This band from New York as a fair bit of buzz about them. Is it warranted ? We shall see. The first song has more rowdy punk drive to it. It shifts into a riff that makes me think, this is what happens when hard core kids get into Black Sabbath. The vocals stay gruff , but have a little more melody to them. They slow down into a more of a groove and it works all the way around. Is it the most original thing I have heard? No but it works for me. By the end of the song it gets dismal in a more Crowbar manner.  

Then "I Know Too Much" is pretty typical as it reminds us of my theory that sludge is really just doom played by crusty punks. This has more than enough punk roots to prove this . It is almost like blackened punk at first then slows down into more of a groove. The vocals are still pretty punk. When does go full on sludge it is punchy as hell. They stomp back at you with "All That's Left Behind" . They use a similar formula to one that occurs on previous song  'Lords of Emptiness" is not only superior to this song. But it might be the album's best song., It starts off as more of a battering ram and smooths out in a darker more melodic pulse.

There is a smoother strum going into the last song "Eternal Failure" The vocals are cried out in a manner closer to singing. It works of a singular throb that progresses well into a more apocalyptic dynamic I will give this one a 9, not sure how much I will listen to this one, but there is no denying  what they have done here. A dark enough vision of sludge that will appeal to fans of doom. More end times doom saying to it's gloom that mournful despair of what we think of as doom here , but a blazing success none the less. 

The Mix Tape - Emo EDITION

Woah I am reaching back into like  mid 90s to early 2000s . A time when I was pretty numb, but there were moments when I allowed the chemicals ebb for a moment and then felt too much. But those moments were more real. These songs take me back to a place where I allowed my self to be present in real life, something I am miles and miles better at, from where I was. Wow... um that got introspective fast, on a lighter note these song also bring back the breath of fresh air I took to feel the chill in the air and turn to winter, before depression cranked up and I went back to just listening to metal. This is what I get for sleeping past therapy I start processing things while just writing an intro to a mix -tape, which is a happier more carefree thing. Here is where emo was not a ugly word referring to hair cuts on Myspace, there is also a little 90s grunge thrown in, since some of it intersected at one time.

Dashboard Confessional - " Hands Down"

 

 Hum - "Stars"

 

 

Sunny Day Real Estate - "Theo B"

   

 

Weezer - " Say it Ain't So"

   

The Juliana Theory- "Is Patience Still Waiting" 

 Jimmy Eat World - "For Me This is Heaven"

Five Eight- "Oh Surgery" 

 Foo Fighters - "Walking After You "

   

Mineral - "Parking Lot"

 

 

the Get Up Kids - "I'll Catch You"

 

November is Doom - Fange -"Pudeur"

 

This band from France is fucking cool. This album came out back in April. They are more blackened sludge than doom, at least on the first song. They are nasty and relentless. Heavy in the same way Hexis is.  They do slow down half way into the first song , with something that is gloomier but more sonically vicious than most doom. The second song hammers at you. There is a hard core anger . The atmosphere is bizarre as it haunted the other wise hyper aggressive attack. Industrial is also an influence. Not uncommon in sludge. The third song is more like an industrial noise interlude as it is recorded in such an opaque fashion I am not sure how it could be a song. 

The song that follows this noisy interlude is still intense but after what happened before it this is a breather. It is like an industrial song set against death doom. The chanted gang vocal chorus gives it a more memorable hook. These fuckers are all over the place. This is much more deliberate and less chaotic for sure. They continue to abuse your ear with some of the densest death doom you will hear. The vocals go into more of a Today is the Day place. It is really dark so I am here for it. It is like a doomy take on hard core when they hit "Croix de Paille" . It does speed up in a more blackened direction . "A Blanc" has a more death metal feel to it's stomp. It is rough around the edges , but generally interesting , how ever not as tightly written as the previous songs. 

They go into another robots on meth industrial interlude. The vocals are spoken and not focused in the way some one like Author & Punisher would approach it. It is harsher. When it gets to the last song I begin to realize one of the things I like about this band is they remind me of Angkor Wat , but if Angkor Wat as a sludge band not a thrash band. I will give this album a 9.5 , color me a fan. It's very heavy and harsh. but still focused on songs , when they are really trying to play them and not batter you ear drums with robo torture. 

Blunt Razors : "Early Aughts"

 I have been a fan of Planes Mistaken For Stars since the late 90s. This project feature the tow main songwriters from that band, Gared and Neil.  This embraces the emo side of what Planes Mistaken For Stars did , so I am over the moon about it as the first album had more of that Sunny Day Real Estate side to it . I remember the first time I saw them it was all punk and none of the softer touch. His voice still has the rasp to it but tempered with a more introspective side. Musically they kind of drift closer to slow core.  The arrangements are more minimal and stripped down or this might be shoe gaze. Too rock for folk. It does not neatly fall into any sub genre. 

If the National was more depressed and soaked in whiskey the results might be similar. Things slow down further into a more minimalist lingering for "Around You" . lyrically this is as depressing as anything you might have wanted from their previous band. This song doesn't grab me as firmly as the first three as it drifts with out going any where. "Amber Waves" is more sonic in the layers of atmosphere. Vocally he remains at the subdued pleading as if the emotional put into each word has alreayd made him break down and he is trying to sing despite this. 

He puts more into singing when they cover Kate Bush's "Under Ice". Granted he still singing it in his style and their version is not as dramatic as Kate Bush's., not that he has a voice that comes close to Kate's , but I have always him for what he does so it is cool to hear two of my favorites singings converging in this manner.  I will give this one a 9.5 , due to the kind of droning minimal nature of what they are doing the Kate Bush cover helped with this score for sure. If you like Planes Mistaken For Stars this is a more dialed back version but still worth your time. 

 

November is Doom - Decembre Noir : "The Renaissance Of Hope"

 

This is on the more death metal side of death doom, but is dark enough to bear mention here and from opening song it feels like the riff asre going to rock enough to make this German band well worth our time. The title track is less impressive though still good when it locks into a more aggressive and punchy groove, but as a whole is largely more death metal. Which is not a problem except for the  fact it begins to sound like all the other death metal I have already heard and a band like Pulchra Morte does better. I am beginning to see what the death doom formula is by song three. It seems to be take a death metal riff and layer a second guitar part than is melancholy. If you took out the second guitar part it would just be slower death metal. 

This band is very good at what they do even if there is a formula in place. I think the casual not even listener but fan of the genre will not recognize what is going on here. Even die hard fans have allowed themselves to become so indoctrinated that they turn a deaf ear to it. They are more committed to death metal on 'Streets of Transience" for better or for worse. I do like the lower gothy vocals that come in. Though you can't trick me with Sisters of Mercy trappings alone.  They stay on the more deathly path with "Wings of Eschaton".  The melodic turn on the last song is welcome. The growled vocals are well placed to create more of a hook.

I enjoyed this album listened to it several times. While it works well within a formula , they have a knack not only for riffs , but how the eave them together to make the formula effective. I will give this album a 9. It is one of the better death doom albums , just a notch under the new Pulchra Morte, which says a lot. 

Macabre : "Carnival of Killers"

 

It should come as no surprise to anyone that I am into serial killers. I am familiar with this bands work though finding their album is not the easiest. They are not straight ahead death metal. There is a more spastic grind core hint to their songs. They seem more technical on this album than the rawer version of the band I heard in the past. They have been at it since 1984, so know what they are doing by now. The second song is more deliberate in pacing. The vocals are more sung than snarled or growled. They have a very Mr Bungle like fluidity to the way the song shifts. Their drummer is fucking as insane as the killer they sing about. 

"Stinky" goes off the rails. It gets too crazy with nothing to really connect to except the crazy. "Tea Cakes" feels more grounded . I am not sure if I would call it catchy, but it gives you more to hold onto like a fat chick. " Them Dry Bones" is a doo-woop tribute to Dr. Holmes/ I had high hopes for " Richard Speck Grew Big Breasts". But it is all over the place. They do pull it together for the chorus, but it touches on the more punk side of metal. Thus the grindcore connection. There is a similar disjointed jerking of the fun house ride on "Slaughter House" 

The drumming is insane on "the Lake of Fire" . As a  song it hammers forward in a very straight forward manner. More coherent than some, this however makes it less experimental. It really depends o what you want from these bands . The song does have enough teeth. "Warte Warte " is too German for it's own good. It is also too punk. They thrash out on the Timothy Mcveigh anthem "Now It's Time to Pay". They tend to like using kids song more on this album perhaps , the wheels on the bus part of the Ted Bundy themed "Bug" is another too punk moment. They get more metal for "Corpse Violator" . I want more of what they are doing here. The last song is a straight ahead thrashing blast with some circus thrown in.  I will give this album an 8. The vocals are improved and production is cleaner , but I want harder and darker from these guys. 

Chris Stapleton : " Starting Over"

One of the may half dozen newer country singers I like . He is at the top of the heap when it comes to talent.  He is a little more optimistic and upbeat than I normally like to hear from him, but it might grow on me. He plugs in and gets into a more blues based southern rock for " Devil Always Makes Me Think Twice". He belts it out and puts grit into it when he gets midway into the song and then we are back to what I want from him. You really get to hear the emotional intensity he sings with in the soulful "Cold" ." When I'm With You" is a traditional country ballad. He kicks into a more rock brand of Country on " "Arkansas" . Lyrically it has a touch of outlaw country to it. 

The album begin to take a more folkish turn with " Joy of My Life" and even "Hillbilly Blood" which despite it's lyrics doesn''t not have as much twang to it as you might suspect. I am happy any time he is belting it out and the latter is fairly dynamic. "Maggie's Song" is about his dog. It's a folk ditty that is fine for what it is , not as compelling as some songs on this album. Keeping in the tradition of having his best song based on drinking "Whiskey Sunrise" upholds this. His singing is soulful but more straight forward with less in the way of vocal acrobatics. 

"Worry B Gone" is straight up honky tonk rock n roll . It good for what it is not among my favorite songs. From a song writing perspective there is a more honest feeling to the slower "Old Friends' . "Watch You Burn" is about the shooting at the Route 91 Fest in 2017 . The song has a lot of swagger. The crescendo of the song has a gospel choir. "You Should Probably Leave" would not be out of place on a Bonnie Raitt album. The album closes with " Nashville TN" Which is a return to the old country sound. I will give this album a 9.5, while I am sure he stands head and shoulders above most artists on country radio I do not feel he is really going as above and beyond vocally as he has on previous albums. 

November is Doom - Kirk Windstein : 'Dream in Motion "

 

Not sue what this solo album means for the future of Crowbar. It came out back in January and I am just now caring enough to check it out. It might be a little more melodic than Crowbar. It has a little more of a doom feel than sludge to mean as there is a tone of sorrow to the riffs.  You gotta give to Kirk he might not have the best voice in metal but he works with what he has well. After the opener we get into what amounts to gloomy power ballads. The vocals are really well done and produced so I am ok with it. It is like the WASP album we never got. 'Once Again" pretty much picks up where the previous song left off. The guitar has more jangle to it which is one thing I guess we would not be hearing on a Crowbar album. 

When the third ballad hit by admiration of Kirk's voice is being to get tested. If this was a Cure album, I might be fine with things going this way. It doesn't suck. There is great guitar playing on it. The distortion kicks back in for "Toxic" . No it is not a Britney Spears cover.  The distortion is welcome, but in truth some of the ballads feel more inspired.  "the Healing " is a doomy instrumental that is melodic enough to hold my attention . I do not have the most encyclopedic knowledge of  Crowbar's discography like I do with Black Sabbath or David Bowie. But I have never hear Kirk sing as well as he does on "Necropolis" , which the name is deceptive. Its another ballad not a head banger , but it is well done , if you are going to write swamp soaked power ballads this is how to do it.  

"the Ugly Truth" leans in more of a misery ballad direction, but has more rock moment than many of the others on this album. I was surprised at how well he nailed the cover of "Aqualung" . Even as it is so ballad heavy this album does grow on me and proves to be an enjoyable listen. I will give it a 9 . If you are a fan of Crowbar or this era of 90s metal, this is a must.  

November is Doom - Celestial Season : "the Secret Teaching"

 

I am more than OK with melodic gothic funeral doom. I am also fine with this band from the Netherlands  being very influenced by My Dying Bride. The first song works off a low growl, where the "Ouroborus" introduces low gothy vocals .Even on the first song they still change it up and never let the vocals hang on the same vocal approach , it is just not as melodic as the vocal eventually become. It is very dynamic . They use a great deal of exotic chord progressions . They have a great sound and everything is well layered, the songs sorrow out of a theme and ebb and flow from there. This album also provides a strong case for keyboards in metal . " For Twisted Loveless" is a little more Paradise Lost and feels like it is an extension of the previous song. 

"Long Forlorn Tears" works off the darker more romantic side of doom . It is a little more up tempo than the hesitantly plodding pace of funeral doom. It picks up into a proto thrash speed by the end. "Amor Fati" backs way off. There is a spoken word sample before it begins to kick back in. The song is mainly an instrumental. "Salt of the Earth" starts off with more of a death doom flavor to it. Unlike death doom it is  more melancholy than aggressive. They are really skilled at layered the guitar parts. There is a more prog feel to "They Saw It Come From the Sky" . "Lunar Child" benefits from interesting sounds conjured and the way the vocals are layered. 

"Veil of Silence" is much like their other songs until, they go off and rip the ass out of a guitar solo like this is Pink Floyd. One of the more impressive solos I have heard this year. I think this is the third Type O Negative cover I have heard this year. I am glad this band is finally getting it's due. One of the women handles Pete Steele's more sun vocal parts. Over all an excellent album glad I found it will certainly find it's place in the top ten doom albums. 

November is Doom -the Red Widows : "Fuzzifixion"

 

This album came out last year, but since it is doom month here , it is fitting to take a listen to doom of all types and times. It also means that this album is good enough that I think it needs to get more coverage so you guys and gals can go back and give it a listen on yourselves. This trio from London uses many of the elements of traditional doom. To their credit the focus is on a fuzzed out throb and they are not trying to re-invent any Sabbath riffs. I would be this more in the zip code of Electric Wizard. The vocals of Alex Corvino stand out. Her alto is low and haunting , with a great deal of vibrato behind it. Not an Ozzy clone for sure. 

The songs are on the longer side with the opening track breaking 13 minutes. I have more patience with doom bands than black metal bands when it comes to length, as doom has girth as well. 13 minutes of a pulsing lumber works better for my ears than 13 minutes of blast beats. Not to say I do not love black metal as readers here know I do, I just want to here less drone from black metal and slower paced doom lends it self more to the lingering drone. The bass tone gets burly on 'Lucifer's Maiden" . This song is even darker than the previous one which might be what I like about this album. The chorus has more of a chant to it. In the middle of the song where the guitar solo falls they kind of jam off the path. When they come back in they do so in a heavier manner. 

By the time I get to "There Is No God" I am feeling the Satanic leaning lyrical theme which lends to a darker mood that translates into the overall sound. This is also one of the things I like black metal for . There is a harder punch to the pound of the drums to this one .It might be a handful of bpms faster than the other songs, but has a similar feel. I also like the slight punch to the vocals on the phrase " Wake Up" .  There is a more atmospheric ebb and flow to the dynamics of " Cursed Forever". I like the hint of effects on the vocals. This might be the album's best song. The lumbering weight of what they do is felt in it's fullest impact on the last song. I like the use of samples on this song to create a bleaker feel. I will round this up to a 9.5 , it is very straightforward but effective and a fun listen I recommend it to all who like their doom on the dark side. 

November is Doom - Shepard : "First Hand"

 

This month it is important we learn the difference between doom and sludge. Doom has to have a mournful sense of darkness to it. This album does not have that . In fact it is not all that dark at all. What it is feels like a ore modern rock slant certainly production wise to sludge. I like this opening track, the second song feels like they are falling into all the metal tropes. Though there are few sonically heavy riff, though the rule here is cool riffs alone does not a good song make. It does have more of a throbbing Deftones like bounce to it. They go into a more forceful bellow rather than the Burton C Bell like chant like singing . 

This album does remind me of what it might be like if Will Haven smoked a ton of weed and became a Fear Factory cover band , but without any keyboards. The drumming is more Deftones as their is not much in the way of double bass/. The sonic quality of the second songs does begin to grow on me after the 3rd listen . "Wendigo" picks up the pace and the song gets muddy. There is nothing that worked in the first two songs being implemented here. Even as an instrumental  "Vestigial" is a much better song as it has more melody and room to breathe, working of a slower more angular riffs that rings out well. "Persephone' works even better., The vocals have more purpose and the riff is aggressive yet has a nice hook to it. 

 "the West" which closes the album is not as memorable as the first song. There are a few hooks here and there, but the over all flow is not as present. It does break down into a more melodic section that helps with the sense of dynamics, but it doesn't catch me as much. I will give this album an 8.5, the listens I got from this were enjoyable. I would not say it's an upbeat album , but it is not dark enough to become part of my normal listening. 

November is Doom - High Priestess : " Casting the Circle"

Remember ten years ago when the sub genre 'occult rock' was on the rise. Ghost is arguably the biggest band to come from that scene. Many were female fronted like Christian Mistress and The Devil's Blood, though none of them really broke big after their moment. The pendulum swings back around and with the rise of Instagram witches perhaps the time is right.  The title track that opens the album is more exotic. I love it when people make their guitars sound more like sitars , yet you can still tell it is a guitar they playing. So he first song is more influence by Ravi Shakar than Black Sabbath. 

We do not hear the more traditional strains of doom come in until the second song. It is dark enough to keep me happy so that says something.  There is more of a dark retro rock feel to " the Hours" . Much like the previous song they keep the overall retro feel in place. It has a slithering groove . Though it does not slither as much as the  17 minute "Invocation"  which jams  around the Hungarian minor scale. I love the Hungarian minor scale. 17 minutes is a lot. They do take you through a journey where that scale is played in varying degrees of heaviness There is great guitar playing through out the song. 

The album ends with the three and a half minute "Ave Satanas" . This is yet another song with Satanic theme. My gut tells me they are not actually Satanists, as it is dark but not sinister, and that is something you can not really fake unless you are Slayer. It is more of an outro than an actual song. It is pretty much just an atmospheric vocal piece. I will give this album an 8, I loved the guitars , but the vocals bored me. 

November is Doom -Grin: " Translucent Blades"

This German duo consists of a duo of a chick playing bass and a drummer. They kick up a pretty big sound for such. The both sing or vocalize in some manner.  The first song might have amore feral intensity to it that makes it heavier , but I appreciate the more Jesu like tones of "Orbital Grace". It is just more song focused. The same could be said about the title track that follows , though it does allow for more weirdness. Particularly in the more conventional chant of the echoing vocals  There is more a droning psych feel to "Husk". The vocals need to do more hear as it is kind of more of a sound than a song.

The type of sonic pounding they provide on "Electric Eye" is more typical of what you might expect from bass and drum. The vocals are heavily effect and do not really provide a focal point to the song. The chant of the weird vocals gives some form and focus to the other wise rumbling jam going on below them. "Holy Grief" is more sludge powered, It feels more in line with a band like Kylesa. The sung vocals work with the groove rumbling along with it that still gives the song to breathe. It is a song that grew on me with additional listens. There is a proggy hippie vibe to "Antares" which is the only song that is on the mellower side. 

They get back to heavy with the last song. It sounds more like a bass on this song, but it works for where the yare going with it. The vocals are spoke with some grit and growls are panned in the background. The vocals fall some where between Lemmy and Tom Warrior. There is an "Orgasmatron" grinding  to the song. It drones along without progressing much beyond that point.  I will give this album a 8. It was fun listen, you might be into it more than I wise.

November is Doom -Cardinal Wyrm :" Devotionals"

 I am not sure what is going on here. Apparently this band thinks they are playing doom. There is little going on musically in the first song that makes me understand why they think this. This is a hipster metal supergroup with members of Vastum, Terebellum and S.C.R.A.M involved. They are obviously not the principle song writers for these bands because the song is barely coherent in composition. This is their fourth album so it has to be intentional./ The more snarled chat is the closest thing we get to a hook . The lead vocals are terrible in that they seem to have no clue with what the band is trying to do and so pitchy it makes me wince. It is more deliberate but not quite doom on the second song. More like a weird mix of grunge and proto thrash , with wanna bee Candlemass vocals . It is not until the third act of this song that we hear anything in realm of doom. The vocals are off doing their own thing during that moment. 

There is more cohesion with the vocals on " Imposter" . If the pre Mike Patton version of  Faith No More were hippies during the "Introduce Yourself" days I can hear them doing something like this. It is some where on the outskirts of sludge and doom. I could see the vocals having a bit of death rock influence. This is the only way what they  yare doing makes sense."Selimesh" is the first song that has a more prominent doomy angel to it , not unlike Crowbar in the mood it invokes . More Sabbath influenced riff wise. The vocals begin to sour the song, the are more manic and remind me of old Gwar. 

"Canticle" is the first song that I have really liked. It has punch and purpose. The vocals work with what they are doing. I get the impression this band is more punk than a bunch of LSD  dropping heshers. The pace picks up for "Abbess" and the results are less impressive. I do not hate what they are doing on "Nightmarchers" I suppose this fall into the parameter of doom to some extent . The last song also touches on doom themes and flavors, but kinda bores me as a song. I will give this album a 7.5. It has it's moments , perhaps I did not like it as much since it was not doom enough for me but if you like more meat and potatoes proto metal sound then I think a 7.5 is a fair score. 

6.5

November is Doom -Lowrider: "Refractions"

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p>This Swedish band came before Monolord, the Truck Fighters and Graveyard, who are the countries exports when it comes to this kind of music.  More in your face than some of the other stoner metal I have heard this month. Granted we are only a week into the month. In some ways these guys remind me of Atomic Bitch Wax. Not as hopped up on cocaine in feel. The vocals sit on the songs in a manner more like Kyuss. The second song finds the vocals a little smoother , before they begin to jam out of this song and the vocals seems more like a flavoring to the jam rather than a narrative. Where All Them Witches did not care about vintage sounds these guys do making this a nod to an era.

 "Sernanders Krog" is more coherent and less. This guy is not the world's greatest singer, but what he does works with what is going down here. I find with this album I have to sit and pay attention to the songs or this album all runs together as a jam . "Ol Mule Pepe" is more of straight up rock n roll song, that moves somewhere between Motorhead and Black Sabbath in it's pacing. NOt hte albums most interesting song as we have already heard countless bands do this sort of thing. There is more jamming that goes down after this song. If that is your thing then you will like it. I am sure it sounds great live, but since live is not a thing , It doesn't make sense to just write song that are fun to play live/. 

The last song "Pipe Rider" is more melodic and dynamic. The vocals are more relaxed less overtly rock n roll. He was probably riding his pipes before he went in to records them . It is a fun ride for sure. I will give this album an 8.5 , I think this is a fair score when I weigh it against something like All Them Witches who brought a newer fresh sound to the table that I am more likely to listen to more. 

November is Doom -All Them Witches : "Nothing as the Ideal"

 

For a band who has a tendency to play the more mainstream festival circuits, these guys are heavy than you might expect. The vocals are very laid back. The guitars are the most aggressive aspect. The song is well written and I like the vibe they are giving off at least on the opening track. The chug of guitars remains tense for "Enemy of My Enemy" . The vocal remain coolly dead pan in their baritone delivery. I say delivery as it is not quiet a croon. Just like the fact the vocals are not that aggressive finds their sound teetering on the brink of what I call metal . There is a jazz like guitar interlude called "Everest" that for the purpose of this review I  am not counting as a song.

"See You Next Fall" working off a more brooding groove that broods like a song might if it was written by some one who spent a fair amount of time worshipping their bong. On cool thing about this band is they are not pre occupied with emulating some retro sound. This album sounds very modern in it's pristine production. The guitar tones are pretty unreal.  They go in a more subdued blues direction on "the Children of the Coyote Woman". It is well done for what it is , I am more into the odd juxtaposition of sounds they employ on the very dynamic "41".It takes his smooth almost folkish singing and sets it gets a darker harder edged sound ready to explode/. 

"Lights Out" is the heaviest song so far. I like how his vocal style does not back down from what he does in the face off the music shifting beneath him to such a furious storm cloud. The like their chugs. It falls some where between upbeat Sabbath and proto thrash. The last song really changes gears. It is more like trippy folk music at first. The melodies are not the catchiest on the album, the song works at a fairly minimalist strum that slowly builds . The song drifts off into atmosphere. Then when it comes back in for the last three minutes it sounds like a totally different song. I will give this album a 9.5 , it is really well done and sounds great . It's a fun rock album and I imagine it sounds great high. 

Nothing as the Ideal by All Them Witches

November is Doom-Elephant Tree: "Habits"

 

I  said we were going to touch on doom adjacent sub genres and this album does just that . I like the vocals on the opening song that remind me of some of the more trippy rock bands from the 90s. It blends Catherine Wheel like gazey rock  sludge fuzz. There is also a tinge of grunge to this. Great guitar tones . Aside from a marginal variation in the tone of the groove the second song is almost too much like the first . Thing switch it  up for a harder more grunge like mood for "Exit the Soul" this song build by the end into the first very doom centered riff. Even then it is a more powerful lumber than something filled with despair. 

'the Fall Chorus' is an odd hippy inter lude. I can also hear the folk influence on the vocals in the song that follows before it builds into a more rock dynamic that has more in common with a band like A Perfect Circle. I like their playing here and how the drummer serves the song. The song drops down to a lower more brooding middle section that is even closer to a Tool vibe I really had to turn up the volume as it dropped the dynamic down so low. This album has to be played loud to be effective.  "Wasted" is more hard rock, and has elements that fans of doom , like the almost Sabbath like bass solo will enjoy. It is however not the most hooky of their songs. 

There is a glaze of doomed lethargy that glides over the more lazy flow of the last song "Broken Nails" I appreciate the atmosphere and like how well the song moves in the clod of it's groove until  being slowly hammered into place by the punches that ring out. If you grew up in the 90s you are going to love this album. I will give it a 9. Very solid and deserves more listens. It makes sense these guys are British I suppose, as they maintain their clam even when getting heavy.