Tagged: sludgemetal

. . . Watching Slow Southern Steel as it was screened at Asheville, North Carolina's The Orange Peel a few nights ago, left me with a strange mix of satisfaction and a degree of skepticism. For those unaware, this is a documentary of the Southern metal scene; in particular it is an explanation through interviews and the odd sound clip of where that distinctive Southern Metal sound came from, why it sounded the way it did, and the rationale of the culture behind it. In short, this is a documentary about a regional sound, something [...]

Some intense vocals and riffs from this track on the new Oathbreaker album, Mælstrøm. It's out now on Deathwish . These guys have a pretty solid take on sludge metal. I'm not gonna sit here and act like it's the most thrilling sludge to come out in years, but these guys have a lotta promise, ya know? Their production is heavy as hell, they know a decent riff when they hear one, and the lead vocalist has a high-pitched rasp that rivals that of Weedeater frontman Dave "Dixie" Collins. She's definitely the highlight of this track.

In many ways, Providence's The Body embodies the term "challenging". Crushing walls of guitar create a sense of everything closing in, of dread on par with legendary bands like Khanate and Corrupted. Photos of band members Chip King and Lee Buford show them brandishing automatic weapons and wearing burlap sacks over their heads. Their lyrics are undeniably bleak and apocalyptic, and their recordings are broken up by unsettling samples. But that's only their core, their base elements. For a two-piece band, The Body has managed to elaborate their sound an impressive amount. By enlisting the help of a great number [...]

Get ready to raise your metal claw. We at Invisible Oranges are proud to announce that we will be co-sponsoring sludge-metal supergroup HAIL!HORNET's first ever American tour! HAIL!HORNET is "Dixie" Dave Collins (Weedeater, Buzzov*en, Bongzilla) on bass, Erik Larson (Alabama Thunderpussy, Birds Of Prey, Parasytic) on drums, Vince Burke (Beaten Back To Pure, Lunch) on guitars, and T-roy Medlin (Sourvein, Buzzov*en) on vocals. The band released their sophomore album, Disperse The Curse earlier this year on Relapse Records and the album can currently be purchased via Relapse here or iTunes here . [...]

Skeeters are snackin'. They're as big as half-dollars and they'll bleed you dry if you let 'em. The gators are patiently waiting. Some are stalkin' their prey. Shine a light and you can see the battalion of reptile eyes, like fallen stars strewn across the water's surface. Yes, we're in the icky Florida swamp, where it's scary-dark and it's nasty. I lived there once, and it's also where Confused Little Girl and Southern Gentlemen rose from the filthy muck. I told Racer that I've been listening to the independent release of this album [...]

A perfect example of an album that's greater than the sum of its parts, Beyond the Lightless Sky by Hull is a musical saga loosely based on the adventures of the Mayan Hero Twins . Hull's second effort showcases the contrast between light and dark, as if to call attention to one of the central pillars of Mayan belief: duality. A concept album like this, with the artist's intention so obviously laid out for the listener beforehand, is a tricky thing. Knowledge of a storyline can allow for a new level of intellectual engagement, but [...]

A perfect example of an album that's greater than the sum of its parts, Beyond the Lightless Sky by Hull is a musical saga loosely based on the adventures of the Mayan Hero Twins . Hull's second effort showcases the contrast between light and dark, as if to call attention to one of the central pillars of Mayan belief: duality. A concept album like this, with the artist's intention so obviously laid out for the listener beforehand, is a tricky thing. Knowledge of a storyline can allow for a new level of intellectual engagement, but [...]

. . . With Mastodon, Kylesa, and Baroness making concerted efforts to become this generation's Rush, Jesus and Mary Chain, and Thin Lizzy respectively, Black Tusk are pretty much the only Georgia metal act who still sound like they hail from the homestate of Sandra Dee and Uga. Let's explain that a little more . . . Mastodon have been moving towards a prog rock/hard rock sound over their last couple of albums, Kylesa have shown a heavy influence from the college rock bands of the early '90s on Spiral Shadow , and Baroness are incorporating [...]

This one gave me some difficulties. I hated it at first. And I like Black Tusk a lot, don't get me wrong. I liked the previous LP, Taste the Sin , I saw them live and thoroughly enjoyed their show, particularly their energy-- I don't even care how much they sound like Kylesa. I went so far as to write most of a [...]

This is the aural equivalent of Charles Bukowski (not, interestingly, the German classical he used to write about); I initally thought that Eyehategod was, and, though Hank did live in New Orleans briefly, he is most associated with southern California, and San Francisco-- so the bay area's Noothgrush I'm christening The Aural Bukowski. Why? They're decrepit, low-budget, oily probably-reeks-of-beer-sweat despondent riffmeisters. Much like Bukowski's poems. [...]

Icelandic metal band Sólstafir released a new two-disc record titled Svartir Sandar on Seasons of Mist two weeks ago, and I can't believe I almost missed it. They've got a really heavy and open atmosphere surrounding their music. The tunes here really build slowly and subtly, and I'd say this stuff would even appeal to those who don't even consider themselves metal fans. Even when these guys get loud, they stay pretty melodic and accessible. Above is the track "Ljós í Stormi," and I was drawn into this song at first [...]

Engine Quality sludge heftiness from Olympia WA. Stream the whole demo from their bandcamp page. http://engine1.bandcamp.com/al bum/engine-demo-album Kadavar Retro styled fuzz fiends from Berlin, Germany. One to keep an eye on I feel....you heard it here first. http://kadavar.bandcamp.com/ [...]

. . . The insane vastness of the Great White North creates a unique handicap for Canadian bands: Having to drive eight hours between worthwhile "markets" destroys the spirits of most bands—and leaves those who persist a hardened bunch, to say the least. This is very true of Winnipeg-based KEN Mode, a trio whose two constants, brothers Jesse and Shane Matthewson, have recently taken up touring full-time in support of their excellent slab of noise heaviness, Venerable, released in March of this year. I had interviewed frontman Jesse before the album's release and was interested in [...]

Through the mist . . . hiding at the end of the alley. Moonlight reflecting off the rain-soaked streets, illuminating dark corners of the gothic southern night. Haze swirls around the erected crucifixes topping the tombstones. Stone angels look on, hiding from the penetrating eyes of the gargoyles. A pulse vibrates. Heavy. Intensifying. Terrifying. Something stirs in the netherlands. The mist parts and Gideon Smith steps forward, six-string slung over his shoulders like a shotgun. The Dixie Damned join in his [...]

When I was visiting family in Kentucky earlier this summer I had no idea I was so close to such noteworthy new stoner rock. Cincinnati was just a hop, skip and a jump from where I was and I would have happily taken the short drive north for a chance to see Valley of the Sun . The Ohio rockers (Ryan McAllister, Aaron Boyer, Ryan Ferrier) have come out with a fantastic 5-track ep, The Saying of the Seers . Before anything else, first let me say that The Sayings of the Seers have [...]

Consular // Allapattah Blues This post came about because of two reasons. Reason #1: I am making a concerted effort to share more metal on my blog because it's a pretty big part of my life and I want you to like it too. Reason #2: I am basically going out of my mind insane waiting for this new Mastodon album and so I scoured bandcamp for literally hours searching for something to soothe my aching, sludge-metal-lovin soul. Well I'll be darned if Consular didn't scratch that [...]

. . . After I made the above graphic (which took a while for my meager design skills) and uploaded a carefully constructed mixtape, I realized I forgot about the previous Slow & Low #2 . So I guess we'll have two #2s - oops. Evidently, I am slow as well. Anyway, slow music: I get so much of this stuff - I've yet to make it through 2009's Deutschland's Doomed Vol. 1 compilation, which is eight hours long - that it's hard to know where to start. On my desktop, my [...]

. . . If a band's sound could symbolize a place, Seidr 's would be a forest in its home state of Kentucky: untouched by man, barren in winter, sweltering in summer, imbued with some greater force. Seidr has the familiarity of consistent change; just as winter becomes spring becomes summer becomes autumn, For Winter Fire (The Flenser, 2011) shifts from reverberating soundcapes to defiant riffs. Guitars drift in and out of focus. Harmonies meld, then fall away. Pianos, singing, and acoustic guitars weave together in calm counterpoint, only to be swept away [...]

• brooklynvegan - Seidr - A Vision From Hlidskjalf
• FlenserRecords - Seidr "For Winter Fire" Teaser

I'm not religious but recently I've been worshiping the 'lord. Well, Spiderlord anyway. Rejoice all ye people. For, lo, this band knoweth the way of hard rock and delivereth unto us righteous free music. Hallelujah! Spiderlord is a 5-track EP available for free download right now on Bandcamp. Racer sent me a link but i let him know pretty quick that i already had it. I'd already been listening for at least a couple weeks. Listening over and over. You will too once you get your free copy. [...]

. . . . . . . . . Hopefully these don't come to fruition any time soon, since one has to be dead to make it onto a US postage stamp. But these might make sweet shirts, if I do say so myself. Moonspell can't have all the fun , after all. — Cosmo Lee . [...]