Old Man Gloom : "Seminar IX Darkness of Being"

A super group with members if Isis, Converge and Cave - In, these guys have a very sonic driven sludge sound having the most in common with Isis. Aaron Turner is the main aman behind this band so that makes sense. The first song droes of one riff. I am not playing this album very loud on my first listen. I am sure it would sound better if I was. There is feed back squealing out and they churn out a Neurosis style rumble.  These guys all have producers credits through out their career so we know they are capable of making things sound good. They have all also played on good songs, so are they going to write good songs when away from their respective bands is a bigger question.

"Heel to Toe" is more upbeat than what you typically think of sludge beings, perhaps it's more on the sludge n roll side of the equation. WEven with the throaty vocals it's a better song than the opener. In the final minute thye lock into a groove that very much reminds me of Isis. There is more of a Cave-in feel to the opening riff of "the Bleeding Sun"  and very little that brings Converge to mind. The vocals are a lower growl on this one similar to what they did on the final minute of the opening track, After three minutes of noise the finally begin to kick into the real song on "Canto De Santos". This one has more sonic pound to it.  The first Converge like moment is when things build up to more of a punk speed.

"Death Rhymes" is obviously more Cave- In with it's acoustic strum.  It's an ok song, not a great one. "In Your Name" has a heavier punch to it and a darker kick . There are some rock n roll riffs hidden in the corners of the mighty chug. "Love is Bravery" closes the album. Thanks to a creepy bass line it's a darker song and when it kicks in does so with more feeling to it's heft.It is likely the album's song. I will give this album an 8.5 and see how it grows on me.

Sumac : "What One Becomes"

This is a super group of sorts, consisting of Aaron Turner whose former band Isis would get flagged by the FBI if they every re-united. Along with Turner are Nick from Baptists and Brian Cook from Russian Circles. With their powers combined they make the kind of too cool for you metal you might imagine. It's sludge with post-rock nuances and math rock twists to the chugs to keep it from being more metal. The vocals have a lower more death metal grunt. They come on pounding at you then mid way into the second song the going gets weird and the atmospherics was the song way in swells of feed back. The bass tone is pretty serious and this has the potential to really bring the smack down, when not getting caught up with trying to through the math at you like they have something to prove. The drumming is technical, but still has plenty of balls.

The elven minute "Clutch of Oblivion" awakes with a slow pulse ringing out. The guitar work is very sonic , but refined. It has a western wander over it that reminds me of Kyuss' more introspective moments. The ghosts of both Isis and Russian Circles can be felt here. When the coarse roar of the vocals converges back into the song there is more of your typical sludge thing going on. Things build into a more mathematical groove midway into the song. "Blackout" takes great thought into where to place it's meticulously timed poundings. This creates a math rock meets sludge dynamic. It's hard to argue against the execution of this, but it's more of an exercise in instrumentation than a songs that really pulls me in for repeat listens. At seventeen minutes it makes this a very over indulgent exercise almost to the point of being masturbatory. At around the nine minute mark they begin to make me watch the clock. It eventually builds into something with a burlier rock groove that goes off on a Fugazi like jam.

The last song is plenty angular and plenty heavy, even building up into blast beat of sorts, but it kind falls flat on me. This is metal for people who are normally listening to Shellac. I am sure fans of These Arms are Snakes and Russian Circle are really going to dig. It has more of a pumped up noise rock vibe, than hitting you hard on the sludge tip. I'll give it a 7.5, but I know plenty of kids who are too hung up on being hip, slick and cool will be listening to this like it's a badge of courage.

Mamiffer : " the World Unseen"

It's been a strange mix of reviews the past couple days so I am going to keep the weird going. Aaron Turner is more than likely glad he is not in a band called Isis these days. That name alone is click bait. This project is much different focusing on atmosphere with Faith Coloccia handling the vocals. Synth and piano takes center stage away from the guitar, which is often just left to ring out from the corners. It is pleasing to the ears though the ethereal nature of what they do requires a little more glue in the song writing department, just ask Sigur Rios or the Cocteau Twins. Thus making this an album that is more of  pleasant back ground music as it pulses in waves rather than giving you anything to sink you teeth in. So if you are waiting for a riff or a groove then you will be waiting for some time as they are not coming.

One question you might want to ask your when approaching this album is how many drugs do you do? Or do you like to listen to music before you go to bed. Both options are helpful. The middle section of the album might make you space out and forget this is playing while you float around the room. There are really only three movements of this album that feel like real songs. When I say this I get emails from the bands all the time complaining about how they were using real instruments so that makes it a song. Once you get more spaced out than Tangerine Dream, then you are dealing more in wavelengths than you are music. There are some nice fey dreamy moments on this album, when they decide to make them more like a song I really like it, not something I need on my iPod, but it works for what it is. The fact the album cover looks like space is very fitting.

"Domestication of the Ewe" is the next song that finds the vocals helping to congeal the space into something like a song. This is broken up into three parts so I think it was the second part that pulled me back in.  I normally rate albums using a formula of dividing the albums good songs by the total number of songs, this album defies that form of measurement, so I am going to go off of what percent of this album was I interested in it or did it catch my attention so based off that scale I think I can give it a 6. The beginning was strong and then when the vocals came back in toward the album's 3rd act my ears perked back up. If you are checking this out because you are a fan of Turners other work then refer to the second paragraph of this review as it's nothing like Isis , Sumac or Old Man Gloom.
Mamiffer "Parthenogenesis" from Daniel Menche on Vimeo.