This band that first brought their sonic anguish to ears in the 90s is back. They are doing what they do with raw emotion, and sonic fury that will make you a believer. I always say sludge is what happens when punks try to play doom, and this band proves that statement true again. The vocals howl against this with convincing misery, making no attempt at any kind of melody, just expelling their mental illness on your ears. While this is effective for the first song, how will this fare for the entire album? If the answer to this question hangs on the second song, then things are uncertain as it moves with a similar stomp. There is a little more rock nuance to the guitars but the vocals howl similarly. Then things break down midway into the sound and electronic accents bubble to life, making the atmosphere more interesting. This shows they are aware that plowing the same field will not suffice.
They are already making more effort than Thou did on their most recent album. By the time we get to "Entry Level Position" I have accepted this is as good as it is going to get when it comes to the vocals. Which were powerfully emotive when you first hear them, but then when they fail to shift from that are something you tune into the background. They move in a doomier direction, which in the big picture is a sideways move from where they were. "In Gold" is the first song where they switch it up, though the vocals stay the same. The riff is very Sabbath but it works. "Basement" is a slow-motion chaos that never connects as a song. But that might have been what they were going for.
"Open Trough Funeral" is carried by a more definite riff than some of the songs. The chug keeps it anchored as the vocals howl in the same manner they have been. The last song is sonically one of the best, but it really does not kick in until way half through the swathe of ambiance that consumed half the song. I'll give this album an 8.5, if you are a fan of this band then you might round it up a half a point as you know what to expect from the vocals and already have a tolerance for them.Only makes sense that this would be released on Southern Lord. /p>
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