LP Review: The Golden Veil by MAKE

It has been over three years since North Carolina’s connoisseurs of fine doom/metal/prog/psych MAKE delivered a statement of intent with their debut record Trephine blowing all expectations and hopes away with immense destructive doom metal that shook the earth’s crust. Now with their follow up full length, the three-piece have taken all of the metal infused demonic riffs, deathly vocals, and utterly sublime post-metal glacial sound-scapes, and crafted them into a thing of eternal beauty.

The Golden Veil opens with the gloriously titled ‘I Was Sitting Quietly, Peeling Back My Skin’ which menacingly awakens the record into life as it plays on a collection of distorted sounds and alien motions before parting to acoustically lead you towards the death chant of the gut-wrenchingly heavy ‘Breathe’ in all of its layered percussion-led, death vocals, guitar-crushing savagery. The tracks highlights how MAKE have grown as a band and become an all round heavier beast, at times suffocatingly so, but then their beauty shows in a track such as the gentle psychedelic progressive ‘The Immortal’ with stunning clean vocals swaying in the wind. Comparisons are understandably drawn with the likes of Isis, but MAKE aren’t copyists; they’ve taken their post-metal sound and created a very concise record, turning drawn out meandering numbers into shorter songs, enhancing their impact, turning up the brutality, and the beauty that lies within.  

The record continues in much the same vein, never letting you rest of notions of solitude or comfort, while songs such as ‘The Absurdist’ or ‘The Architect’ draw you in to their soul, what you find their is blackened embers floating away, laughing as they’ve pummelled your expectant body, one gentle guitar pluck after one crushing blow after one playful trippy heavy psych tone after another demonic scream at a time.

What Scott Endres, Spencer Lee, and Matt Stevenson have created here is quite extraordinary in its polar opposite assaults of space drifting laid-back beauty, and soul crushing heavy doom metal, blended perfectly together.  Where a lot of bands always fail to live up to their debut record, MAKE are one of those bands that every other musician envies, an band that rather than chase the flame of their early offerings, instead build, grow, and learn from everything they do, push themselves out of their boundaries and comfort zones, to strive to improve and make the best record that they can. If The Golden Veil is going to prove to be the peak of the band’s output then it is a fitting testament, but if they are going to keep improving, holy shit are we in for the greatest record ever made next time. 

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EP Review: 'Antique' by Lighteater

Lighteater are a post-rock ensemble out of Brooklyn, NY who dabble in the dichotomy of delicate intricacy and devastating brutality.  Antique, their debut EP, is a four song affair that weaves the graceful tapestries and crushing riffs created by guitarists Dominic Bartolini and Nate Derr with the steadfast precision of bassist Chris Kunitz and drummer Ryan Luby.  Give a listen to tracks like "10oz" or "Quiver" as the band transitions from meditative hypnosis to jarring cacophony instantaneously.  Vocals aren't even a consideration as Lighteater are content to let the music do their talking.  Listening to Antique is the aural equivalent of floating along in a calming sea, only to be pummeled by an unexpected tidal wave.  Realizing that may not be something you'd readily sign up to experience, in this case I'd suggest you wear your swim shorts and strap on a life vest, because this combination of grace and ferocity is a worthy endeavor.

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Sunday Sludge: Lotus Ash - "The Word of God"

I remember when Audioslave formed. I fucking loved Soundgarden as a teen, and Rage Against The Machine was extreme for the mainstream, so I was hooked. But you take Chris Cornell minus Kim Thayil's licks (and Matt's drums, let's be serious) and RATM minus Zach's spits, and who gives a shit? Audioslave was so bland I could barely stomach the term "supergroup," just a couple o' radio-friendly singles and foam filler for the uninitiated.

Heavy Planet alums Maidens and Northless may not boast such an inflated pedigree, but their members aren't foreign to sculpting dynamic post-sludge sounds leaning toward the year's best. Rarely does the sum outperform the parts, but today's feature is an exercise highlighting growth, and egos won't stiffen the sound this time. Lotus Ash's The Word of God is five walled progressions of post-sludge perfection saturated in a groove that's both infectious and proficient.

Redemption's epic rush of sound is immediate, revealing waves and layers that immerse the listener and nail down the mood. The isolation is countered by a strange sense of belonging (compliments of vocal drapery) and elements steadily meld and forge a staggering post-sludge statement. Heavy as this opener is, though, we also catch glimpses of vulnerability. The pensive progressions give way to hopeful elevation, challenging any of contemporary sludge's pedestrian, downtrodden stomp.

The buzzing transition into Soul of Man is near-apocalyptic, forcing us into a corner with the juxtaposition of cascading drumwork, murky rhythms, and majestic vocals. The ambition on display could kill lesser acts, but Lotus Ash's stone wall is cold, desolate, painful, and ultimately extraordinary. The buzz grows abrasive on the slow-rolling collapse and rise of the title track. The song expands upon itself and never relents as incredible post-metal beacons emerge to snatch marquee billing. Evolving, churning, swelling... But never willing to abandon a core of slow-simmered sludge. Awesome.

And about that sludge, Open Arms is the album's best example of caked aggression. Violent and antagonistic with a groove that won't be neglected, the grind is peppered with doubt. Drums get primitive, guitars screech, and the slugs find no pause. It's almost a harbinger for Scourge's devastation, aiming to dominate without prejudice. Metered and measured perfectly, this closer aims and stings with heavy swells, ignoring convention and painting a faint haunt with strange and calculated evolution.

Singing praises for The Word of God should hardly detract from what Maidens and Northless have given us, so perhaps I shouldn't make the comparisons. But Lotus Ash have abruptly thrust themselves into the discussions of 2014's best sounds. These five tracks are fluid and bulky, despondent yet at times glazed with hope. Throughout though, this record is very, very smart. It's not so easy to remain ignorant, and this release assures that ignorance won't be comfortable, if it's even permitted at all. You might believe you're losing yourself for thirty-two minutes. What you're really losing is an interest in shitty music. This is how it's done.

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Sunday Sludge: Sunken - "Recoil"

Eleven months ago, I lamented "We only get five tracks, guys?" after submerging myself in Sunken's hypnotic, swollen demo. It was, of course, entirely complimentary, as those five songs collectively imposed a residual thickness that's still protecting my skull from lesser, boring releases sent my way. Sunken seamlessly hover, cool off, hit pause, and ultimately explode with more power than any two-piece has a right to. But what another bass/drum duo might reveal as weakness only serves as Sunken's spooky, chest-caving catalyst.

These Belgians lugged those swollen tracks and squeezed four more just behind them, wasting not an inch of air space and filling a sonic void that, again, we never knew existed. Thirty minutes expand and improve on the litany of the band's accomplishments, teetering between wholly encompassing and distantly foreboding. On Recoil, Sunken have found their static-sludge stride, slowly rolling out elements both adjacent and obtuse.

The new sounds are bookended by two massive nine-minute haunts that perfectly define their sound and their dynamic. On Sunken, the slow swell of A.'s smooth bass returns, graduating to a crashing storm of static. J.'s drums encircle with cool progression as rhythms worm and poke around corners. The marriage of drum and bass finds Sunken nailing their mark here, with low thumbings taking the lead only to withdraw as the burn deepens. The devastation here is subtle, dealt slowly and even calmly. Amid the haunt, however, is a gorgeous, flattened scene.

Damaged is immediately loose and abrupt, juxtaposing what we've just tread. Stop-start noise is chaotic, attributed to stringy, buoyant bass that breaks for stomping statements. You'll detect a nod toward space, approaching a shipyard on a foggy fadeout. So the transition to Downwards is a smooth one, a midnight stroll that's deceptive and captivating. A. guides our steps, but J. never trails by much. We're pulled blindly into alleys and can't seem to commit to one route, dodging the gradual approach of danger. When paces lift, a blanket of fuzz descends and a strong, ever-increasing groove offers no escape. Our vessels begin to pop.

Perhaps everything has led to the closing title track, offering trademarks and undaunted patience. The patches of enormity drizzled over long, numbing stretches are certainly highlights, but simply MASSIVE doom crashes emerge at the midpoint. The denouement buzzes and swarms upon itself, staying true to form but huffing in a whole new level of buzz. The crashes craft an incredible burn, and these final moments make for a sticky experience.

Sunken's great triumph is their lack of predictability. Listening to Recoil, I can't pinpoint where the sounds are headed, whether I'll be crushed by the weight or lifted from the soil. There's much to sift through, and the largest compliment I can give this release is that it'll require multiple spins. One bass. One drum. Hell, you won't even notice there's no vocal. Each progression is a statement, each shift is another nervous tick you've now developed. The deeper you go, the more you want. Junkie.

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New Band To Burn One To: BASK

"Set amid a soundscape of Americana roots and wall of sound heaviness comes a refreshing and breathtaking band from Asheville, North Carolina. Bask is the name of today's featured band and the name couldn't be more fitting. Soft and mesmerizing melodies tangle with a whirlwind of deafening riffs to not only tranquilize but pulverize. If you think that country and doom don't mix, then think again. Death, despair heartbreak and disaster are the perfect mixture to set forth this raging leviathan and does just that on the opening track "High Mountain Pass". An eerie and crooning vocal yearns of days gone by on the wearisome tracks "American Hollow", "A Man's Worth", and "Shake the Soot From Your Boots" with the latter being my favorite track on the album.

The band sums up this wonderful listening experience into their closer "Endless Summer". A little ditty about "Jack and...ah fuck that shit! , the band builds upon a swirling riff and hitches a ride on a combine and undoubtedly destroys everything in its path. 

I think I'm gonna grab myself a nice tall ice cold glass of Country Time lemonade and let the summer wind blow through what hair I have left. on top of my head as I "bask" in sweet oblivion. 

UPDATE: The album has been released on This Charming Man Records and the band is supporting High On Fire and Black Tusk in Europe. Tour Dates

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Sunday Sludge: Rongeur - "As The Blind Strive"

Twenty years ago, Kyuss instructed us to "listen without distraction." The older I get, the more difficult this becomes. It's probably unfair, but some Sunday Sludge screenings are broken into two or three acts. When a band fuzzes my way and chews up less than twenty minutes of my morning, they may aleady have a distinct advantage. But the inner controversy erupts when a record spins all too quickly and I'm left hungry.

Such was the case with As The Blind Strive, a four-track demo from Oslo-based post-sludgers Rongeur. Ticking just past 19, the songs lick low-slung rhythms with callous barks and shit-caked guitar spikes, a delicious amalgam that'll require a second helping. Focused, divergent, and jarringly violent, it doesn't take long for this collection to shake off its shine.

Three vocalists offer varying levels of angst, ranging from eye-opening growls to storms of anguish. Violence is directed both inward and outward, deliberate in its opening target on Lying Bastard Whore. But the vacant post-metal sorrow litters tinny plucks and intermittent bass peaks that lend a bounce, blinding the flattened spite and scurrying into the fuzzy, distorted Traitors. Here the filth emerges and threads a thick chug, numbing via repetition and ticker-tape guitar.

Jon Hogg is quicker and more straightforward than its predecessors, but the mossy stoner pace hits a halt at the midpoint. The slow slugs lumber and loom with hanging reverb as the stomp sets up the seediest of summer camps, abruptly closing and tying into Why Would You. A deliberate trot swells to a steamroll, swirling dust and storming under cymbals. This closer burns hottest on its steady gait, bouncing and blistering to punch out the stoner tag. It's short, but fuck... it's sweet.

For the remainder of my day, Rongeur WILL BE the distraction and I'll get nothing done. Combining stoner-sludge and post-metal elements should create a clusterfucked toss, but As The Blind Strive defies odds and glazes the vast sorrow with white-knuckled crisis. Varying pace and never settling in, Rongeur batter us with every brand of heavy. And we'll drop everything once they're ready for another round.

For fans of: Neurosis, Pelican, Rodha
Pair with: Torpedo Extra I.P.A., Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.



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Sunday Sludge: Ortega - "Crows"

"How can you listen to that screaming and all that noise?" I can't listen to it for you, and explaining to you why I love the music I do would parallel Neil deGrasse Tyson trying to convince Ken Ham of just about anything. There's a catharsis, I guess. There's a tightening and a release, a heave and a purge, even a melody here or there. But without a hook, a lyric you can understand, or a three-minute force-fed package of polished shit, you'll never hold their attention. And that's sad.

You're not gonna find much elation in Ortega's Crows, a one-track taste from the nederlanders' as-yet unnamed album expected later this year. The near-nineteen minute crusher is as close to despondent as you could imagine, but fuck all if it doesn't sound goddamn delicious. Crows offers a couple smoke breaks, but when the swells become storms, make sure your neighbors aren't watching. Continuing in the band's style of "epic ocean doom," the heights, depths, and expanses are explored in the track's rich, blackened turmoil.

Density saturates the onset, slowly coaxing us into a mammoth cavern offering little light and even less life. Waves smack, vocals emerge from the darkest depths, and Ortega go heavy on the post metal via majestic licks piercing a darkened sky. Somber reflection marries isolation, somehow spanning the most vast of scopes. Weathered forms start to give and the sounds crack everything they touch. Peppered in are distant plucks, circling and dazing until a viscous push swallows and distends. Listeners won't notice the burning hum, as the stomp of sludge delivers far more devastation.

Spiraling nightmares trump the burning buzz, unlocking trapped memories and tripping a black stutter that tries to tell us there's no redemption, no inward glimpse of hope. Here again, Ortega jump the tracks between violent and tranquil, but Crows offers an existential fade that's more internally combative than their previous efforts. Freedom from death's grips simply isn't on the menu this morning. But some find beauty in death. Some find beauty in darkness. Some will get it.

For fans of: Neurosis, The Ocean, Isis
Pair with: Happy Ending Belgian Abbey Ale

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Al's 10 best of 2013

As 2013 quickly fades away and drowns in a foggy haze of weed smoke and fine beer the memories of yesteryear are already difficult to muster, but with the veritable slew of outstanding releases throughout '13 I am left with one big glaring memory of another great year for heavy music in all its forms. Our beloved genre goes from strength to strength and with the consistently high quality of heavy music having been released over the past 12 months there is no sign that our scene is fading away with all the other memories that get locked up within the lost rooms full of a thick green haze and frothy hoppy goodness.

Despite my crumbling memory there have been some landmark releases that will forever stick in my mind so this is my 10 best of  '13, a list I have selected from my regular playlist and pulled together from the reviews I have written for Heavy Planet, bar one. This is not an exclusive list and is in no particular order but be sure to click the titles where you will be taken to the bandcamps or 'tubes of these band's amazing music.

Tentacle - Ingot Eye

Tentacle are one of Ice Dragon's many alter egos and they just so happen to be the slowest and most sludgy, dirge filled and filthy Leviathan of otherworldly doom you are ever likely to have plowed into your metal ravaged earholes. For me, this album has everything I want to hear from doom; from it's Lovecraftian hymns howled by a crazed Cthulian high priest, to the ultra black laments that seize control of body and mind and have you involuntarily curled up on the floor and weeping in hopeless terror; the 4 odes to the deep that comprise "Ingot Eye" will slay any hardcore sludge/doom/drone/sickness fan. When the Tentacle gets you, that's fucking it. You give up. *Protip: not to be listened to on your mp3 players whilst trudging the streets as the effect described above only leads to long stints in psychiatric hospitals and a lot of horrible medication.*

(((Tentacle Facebook)))

Maeth - Oceans Into Ashes

Maeth's debut release "Horse Funeral" blew me away when I first heard it. Then, a year later, I listed to their follow up release "Oceans Into Ashes" and I was stunned by what was I was hearing. Maeth are masters of their craft and it shows on this album in a blaze of searing and spine tingling post metal, massive doom riffs, gentle and/or mystical ambiance, powerfully crusty sludge outbursts and electronically sonic experimentalism. Maeth are different and follow no well worn and obvious codes as they forge their own path and it is highly enjoyable to hear. Maeth have a very strong character about them and it shines brightly in their music. With 2 albums under their belt at a level of quality that few can match so early on in their careers; soon enough everyone who loves heavy music, be it doom, sludge, post metal or drone; will know the name and music of Maeth.

(((Maeth Facebook)))

Desert Storm - Horizontal Life

I first discovered Desert Storm when their album "Horizontal Life" was sent to us for review. Soon after that I found out they were to play my home town during their tour supporting super-boogie, hard rock Texan trio Honky on their UK tour. I was immediately taken by "Horizontal Life" but when I heard them live I knew then that Desert Storm are a UK band not to be ignored or pushed aside in favour of more well known UK heavy bands. Desert Storm mean business and they are damn hard working to as they always seem to be on the road touring the UK. "Horizontal Life" is an album packed with big bluesy and groovy stoner metal riffs delivered with a confident swagger and gruff that gives a big nod to Clutch at times but Desert Storm add a big heap of dirty sludge metal and even gentle psychedelia to their sound to make it their very own. The song writing on "Horizontal Life" is brilliant and I don't think I will ever get bored listening to this album. I can't wait to hear what they release next and I can't wait for the opportunity to see them play live again.

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Toner Low - III

"III" has to be up there (or down) with one of the heaviest albums released in '13. Hailing from the Netherlands, Toner Low have been around a long time and have put out 3 amazing albums of ultra heavy and hypnotically groovy stoner doom. "III" saw Toner Low take their already low tone and push it even lower. It is dangerous to play this album too loudly and through a big bass cab as it will cause your house fall down and probably your neighbor's too. These are frequencies that trigger earthquakes and make you shit yourself but the 4 tracks that comprise "III" are hugely satisfying to hear. Toner Low manage to make their extremely heavy sound warming to the mind, body and soul as their riffs are trance inducing walls of low freq bliss. Hit many bowls, toke as much green as you can and be prepared for a body crushing experience that will leave you catatonic and dribbling in lowend vibrations, but maybe wear a diaper just in case.

(((Toner Low Facebook)))

AMENRA - Mass V

This album was actually released at the end of 2012 but since I didn't get to hear it until February '13 when I reviewed the album, it makes it onto my 10 best of last year list because for me this is one of the best post metal/power doom albums that I heard in '13. Released on Neurosis' Neurot Recordings, AMENRA come very much from the Neurosis cult of darkly spiritual, earthy and ancient doom and black ambient post metal. A crushing anguish slices through every track on "Mass V" but there is always an underlying essence of determination and hope buried deep within and for those with ears and minds to listen and to understand, "Mass V" is a work of almost religious reveling in introspective but ultimately liberating post metal and atmospheric doom. Whilst AMENRA are cold and harsh and bring images of frozen dead forests smeared with a mist of ghostly memories of lost and pointless battles there is a glint in the eyes of those long dead warriors and the dead trees show tiny green buds on the cusp of bursting. It's deep man.

Throughout 2013 and since signing to Neurot Recordings, AMENRA have toured extensively with many sold out shows and much discussed appearances at several big festivals, and with a UK appearance supporting the mighty Neurosis at Temples Festival in May, AMENRA and their "Church of Ra" will draw their disciples from far off lands for a night of solemn prayers to the doomed.

(((AMENRA Facebook))) 

Trippy Wicked and the Cosmic Children of the Knight - Underground EP

Trippy Wicked returned last year with the highly anticipated "Underground EP" that showed TW take a darker more sludgier direction than their previous album, "Coming Home". Although TW have never been averse to thick and fuzzy sludge-outs, TW have never sounded so dark, so foreboding and so ultra crushing as they do on this EP. That last bit is not strictly true, I admit, as TW have always been ultra crushing but the fact that the "Underground EP" contains 5 odes to a dying world makes it all the more devastatingly crushing. Surprisingly, 2 of the tracks on the EP are instrumentals, if this can even be called an EP as it feels more like a mini-album, in that it feels so very complete, so solid, as if TW achieved what they set out to do with this EP. Not "as if", they DID achieve what they set out to do, and they achieved it brilliantly. The tone is set for the apocalypse; there is desperation and there is fear but most of all there is hope.
TW had a busy '13, hitting the road to play numerous very successful shows across the UK and with many more lined-up for '14, I do hope TW find time to write a new record this year as with every release they just get better and better.

(((Trippy Wicked Facebook))) 

Gonga - Concrescence 

After something of a long quietus/hiatus for Gonga, they finally returned in '13 with "Concrescence" and my oh my was it worth the wait. Being something of a departure from their previous releases, Gonga released an entirely instrumental album that had them explore a myriad of riff currents but without ever dropping the unmistakable Gonga sound. The seamless transitions from colorfully airy psychedelia to fuzzy warm desert grooves to big and earthy pulverizing doom to experimental and jagged jazz metal are all fine examples of Gonga's long mastered riffcraft abilities. The weaving together of these elements in Gonga's own unique way makes "Concrescence" a highly enjoyable listening experience and shows that Gonga have explored and matured their sound over the years but they still rock as hard as they ever did. Despite no longer having a vocalist, Gonga held onto their vision and went back down into the riff crypt for a few years and only resurfaced when planet earth was ready to hear "Concrescence". Gonga's return is most welcome indeed.

(((Gonga Facebook))) 

Monachus - Below

Sweden's dark psyche, doom, sludge kings Monachus released their second album under the name Monachus, after having previously been named Icos. I love all their work whatever they're called but "Below" took their already huge sound and managed to make it huger. The riffs throughout "Below" are of a  truly memorable kind, to the point that any given riff from any song on "Below" sometimes suddenly pops into my head whilst I'm brushing my teeth for instance or holding a door open for an old lady; I hear Monachus' riffs in my mind and then I have to listen to them all day and the next day and the day after that. I get a craving and I need a Monachus fix and my mind won't rest until I get it. Their riffs and their delivery of those riffs and the vocals that are sung and growled so proudly, so encouragingly; they are very pleasing to my doom and sludge addicted ears and that is why "Below" makes it onto my best 10 of '13 list. Monachus take a big leaf out of the books of Isis and Neurosis but there is no mimicry to be heard from these 4 Swedes who have carved their own lasting mark into the great monolith of post metal blended with sludge. There are much howls of triumph throughout "Below" that one cannot help but raise up the arms in celebration. To what, I don't know, but it feels fucking good to do it anyway.

(((Monachus Facebook))) 

 Obelyskkh - Hymn to Pan

When I first heard Germany's Obelyskkh and their album "Hymn to Pan", I was at first stunned then a little confused. I had never come across Obelyskkh before and I spent a large chunk of time trying to work out why a band and album were so good and how it was possible that I had never heard of them. After a bit of research I discovered that Obelyskkh prefer to stay fairly low-key and they originally intended to never put any of their work to record, but they have and the universe is a better place for it. "Hymn to Pan" is a stunning example of masterfully woven doom and sludge metal that oozes with earthy vibrations and organic melodies. The riffs on display throughout "Hymn to Pan" are towering slabs of solid granite that reach to space and which have their roots deep down in the earth and Obelyskkh play their riffs like they are the legendary pagan warrior kings of yore sounding out a battle cry to defend their lands from the invading Roman hoards. The songs on "Hymn to Pan" are breath taking and full of a raw and heavy power that is up there with the very best of doom and sludge bands that we already know and love. Obelyskkh have shown with "Hymn to Pan" that they can at least equal those big dog bands and then some. I believe "Hymn to Pan" to be a classic in its genre and will be seen as such one day. Obelysskh play their take on the genre with an intention to make it last, to set it in stone and when we are all long gone, "Hymn to Pan" will go down as a true legend in its own right.

(((Obelyskkh Facebook))) 

 The Lion's Daughter & Indian Blanket - A Black Sea

"A Black Sea" is the result of a collaboration between dark and sombre folk group Indian Blanket, and black doom metal band The Lion's Daughter, both hailing from St. Louis, MO. What these 2 bands have achieved together is an absolutely perfect fusion of doom and folk into a cohesive single element that is breathtaking in it's brilliance. This is the only release on my list that I did not review as it fell upon my ears right at the tail end of '13 but since then I cannot stop listening to it. I am a fan of folk music in its many forms, and I especially enjoy dark and earthy and psychedelic folk, which there is unfortunately very little to be heard, although there are some rare gems in amongst the inevitable tweeness of most 'dark' folk bands. I have not come across either band before but upon first hearing "A Black Sea", I became an immediate fan of both. On "A Black Sea" The Lion's Daughter & Indian Blanket weave an intricate tapestry of solemn violins, acoustic guitars and tragic words against a huge wall of heart crushing doom riffs, explosive percussion and harsh black metal vocals. It is beautiful to hear and could well be considered a masterpiece of folk doom metal. "A Black Sea" will be a major fixture on my playlist for a long time to come as I doubt I will ever get tired of hearing it. I hope these 2 great bands follow this amazing album with another collaboration sometime in the future.

(((The Lion's Daughter Facebook  - Indian Blanket Facebook)))

~*~

2014 is already looking to be another storming year for heavy music with Sleep announcing that they are recording a new album and Electric Wizard vaguely hinting at the release of their next album, this is one doom/stoner/sludge fan who is quite ravenous at the prospect at wrapping my ears around new music from some of my most beloved bands. Lets raise our jugs of ale and bongs and give thanks to the lords of lowend for the heavy gifts which we receive.

Onwards, forwards my friends!

Live review - Loserpalooza 13 with Sonance, Spider Kitten, Ghast, Atomck, Pohl, Homoh.

Here's something a little different from me today. I was lucky enough to attend a show last Saturday put on by one of the fine gentleman from the mighty Spider Kitten, a band that is fast rising in the UK heavy scene and who have previously received a very favorable review here on Heavy Planet for their album "Cougar Club."

This was the third annual Loserpalooza event held in Cardiff, the capitol city of Wales, put on to showcase some of the cream of the crop of doom, sludge and black metal bands hailing from the South West of the UK and the line up of bands on the night chosen by the event organizer and guitarist Chi from Spider Kitten was of a highly impressive standard with each band playing excellent sets to a venue packed full of appreciative doom metal heads.    

                             

Things kicked off fairly early with HOMOH taking the stage with an already busy venue of adoring fans and new converts. Complete with singer/guitarist Gareth with his faced daubed in black face paint, HOMOH tore through a disgustingly filthy set of sludge in a similar style as EYEHATEGOD. They played some older tracks from their "DEMOH EP" with a few new ones played which showed an interesting development in their sound which seemed more raw and stripped down than their previous work but was no less eye gouging and brain fucking. Despite the guitarist having problems with his guitar strap he fared very well indeed and proceeded to bash out riffs with his axe raised aloft in true black sludge heroisms. I was very impressed with HOMOH's live set as they are a band with a great stage presence and with new recordings in the pipe line and reworkings of tracks from their DEMOH EP, HOMOH are sure to be a band that will make a lasting mark on the sludge metal scene everywhere.

HOMOH

HOMOH BANDCAMP

After a short break for toots and refills of ale it was time for Pohl from Bristol UK to impress the rapidly growing crowd of hungry doom and sludge lovers. Previously a 2 piece they now have a bassist which, although they were already heavy with a gargantuan sound, he is a welcome addition to the band. Pohl's set was tight and full of fast paced and incendiary drumming with fat riffs and song structures that brought to my mind Big Business and The Melvins. Pohl never fail to impress and by the end of their set everyone in attendance was fully fired up and eager for the next priests of heavy to step up and preach the gospel of riff.

POHL BANDCAMP

Atomck were up next and this 3 piece ripped through a set of fierce and face melting grindcore and powerful noise with a very energetic vocalist utilizing much of the venue and even climbing onto the bar to shout harsh howls and guttural screams into the mic. Atomck are firm favorites in the South West metal scene and have played numerous gigs over the years and it shows. They are fast, noisy, aggressive, heavy and down right fucking balls kicking loud. I felt pretty exhausted by the end of their set but there was no way I was going to bail half way through the night so after a couple more ales and a few tokes I was feeling well enough oiled to hang around to witness the inevitable storm of doom lined up for the rest of the evening.

ATOMCK BANDCAMP

Ghast soon followed with a set of the doomiest of doom and furiously blistering black metal. It was a blend that worked very well and had everyone present nodding their heads in metal appreciation. This 3 piece from Swansea, Wales, know black metal as well as they do doom and blend the 2 genres seamlessly. Ghast looked very at home on stage and played a range of tracks that kept me interested and wanting to hear more by the time their slot was up. The crowd loved every second and showed their appreciation with loud roars, claps and whistles, satisfied that Ghast's chapter in the Loserpalooza book was firmly scribed and will not be forgotten any time soon.

GHAST FACEBOOK

Another short break for booze, buds and banter and then it was time for Spider Kitten to blast out their pleasingly heavy and slow and low doom with a set consisting of tracks that I have not heard from them before and none that appeared on their previous release "Cougar Club" so it was an honor to hear the tracks before they are put to record. Spider Kitten's sound has moved on somewhat from their last release with some tracks having long atmospheric and minimal moments of experimental doom that reminded me a little of Harvey Milk's work and sometimes The Melvins but the inimitable Spider Kitten sound and their dark bluesy vibes were still very much there. Their set was ground shaking and brain crushingly heavy and their riffs mouth watering and mesmerizing and had everyone, myself especially, captivated by the vast waves of low end and the high precision drumming from drummer Chris West (ex bassist of Taint). With nearly every member of the band taking their turn to sing vocals, Spider Kitten are a band that work together in an almost darkly spiritual unison with doom riffs so expertly executed it is no wonder that Spider Kitten are turning many heads in the UK doom scene their way right now. Big things are coming for this band and I and many others are very excited to hear what they have in store for us next.

SPIDER KITTEN

SPIDER KITTEN BANDCAMP

Finally it was time for Bristol born Sonance to step up to the wood and they proceeded to lay everyone flat on their backs with a set that was blinding in its creativity and mind blowing in its execution. Their doom is as heart felt as any of the bands that played on the night and with members on the floor and level with the tightly gathered crowd of maniacal doom brains it was like a 60's happening but with more hair and more black and more swearing. One guitarist at the end of their set crouched down with his guitar on the floor while he teased out beautifully chaotic noise and the rest of the band joined him in evoking a monolithic wall of doom that caused red eyes and tears of heavy joy in all. There is a post metal tinge to their sound but for the most part they were doom and sludge all the way with the doom surge only being broken by moments of deeply atmospheric and introspective drone wanderings until the spine folding explosion of doom and sludge lay a final waste to an already wasted crowd.

SONANCE

SONANCE

SONANCE BANDCAMP

Loserpalooza is a truly brilliant one day annual banquet of heavy music which any of our readers would appreciate and enjoy and with such a high quality of bands chosen for the show, the south west of the UK proves itself to be a veritable hotbed of amazing doom/sludge/post and black metal bands made up from many of the metal warriors that dwell in this particular corner of England and Wales.

Here, wrap you ears around this compilation put together by Spider Kitten guitar and vocalist and Loserpalooza organizer Chi to hear what I'm talking about.

Thanks and hails to all bands and all those involved in putting on an unforgettable night of true doom worship.

LP Review - "Oceans Into Ashes" by Maeth

Maeth are different. Very different are Maeth. They sound like themselves although if a category they must be placed then it'd be post metal, sludge, doom, progressive, heavy metal, ambient, drone and psychedelic etc; for they are all those sounds plus more and often all at once. My jaw rested firmly on the floor while I sat bolt upright staring in a wild gaze at something, I don't recall what, while this incredible noise oozed into my ears and left me feeling cleansing waves of vibration surging up and down my spine.

Maeth follow their brilliant debut "Horse Funeral" with a masterpiece of experimental metal that, if you appreciate such infinite potential metal explorations, will leave you as stunned as I am at what I'm hearing, for the third time today. What Maeth have created with this album is immense in its variety and it contains everything I like to hear all blended together like a master artist does with paint, palate, brush, canvas and easel. "Oceans Into Ashes" is a veritable feast of sound with each metal morsel being as equally sumptuous as the last.

It opens with the 2.5 minute "Prayer" with seagulls, a small motorboat that passes by and gently soothing acoustic guitars that drift into electronic take-off's and then we're taken straight into the triumphant post rock and metalisms of "The Sea In Winter" which hints just a little at the journey that lays ahead.

Then comes "Nomad" which for me was 10 minutes 50 seconds of sheer amazement. This track has everything and everything is played so well and sounds so good that I had some kind of auditory orgasm.
It opens with a feedback drone that leads to soul stirring guitar twangs and a phasing electronic buzz until a bash of snares launches the track into double fist raising metal surges and hugely satisfying post rock finger work. Things suddenly twist into a weird almost prog sludge that boarders on math metal until it morphs into crusty sludge in the style of Downfall of Gaia, Monachus and Fall of Efrafa. Thunderous tribal drums then lead to drifting drones and chaotic and mystical tribal pipes that build an uncomfortable tension towards jagged rhythm'd post metal and eventual heavily crushing doom that ends in pleasant guitar soothings. Phew!

What follows then is an epic journey that will leave you all starry eyed and full of wonder at how life enhancing our united musical preferences are and Maeth celebrate this with an album packed full of the most pleasing of metal in all its many morphing forms. I would only be doing Maeth and this album a disservice if I were to review each track in turn so I urge any that read this to delve into Maeth and be ready for explorations in metal that will leave you stunned. If not then you're not paying attention. "Oceans Into Ashes" is a long album at 11 tracks with 6 of them running close to or over 10 minutes each but at no moment did I lose interest at all in the 3 sittings I have had with it so far today.

This album will definitely be on my best of the year list.

                      BANDCAMP // FACEBOOK