So far this year I have listened to 3-4 great records and I can safely say that the fierce French blackened sludge-core purveyors ERLEN MEYERhave arguably released my favourite record of 2018 so far.Yes it is only 10 days old, but 2019 is going off with a fucking bang and on January, 25th of 2019 Argonauta Records are on the verge of releasing the best album of their long discography so far.
On 'Sang et Or', the French-based power quintet’s sophomore continues the experience of a concept that is paying tribute to the dark novels of Agatha Christie and the spine-chilling stories of Alfred Hitchcock. ERLEN MEYERare breaking boundaries of the monolithic and the crushing, mixing the sludge and Hardcore styles it won fame for, to deliver a devastating and utterly captivating record.
Today, THE SLUDGELORDis sharing a brand new video and the opening cut taken from their upcoming album! Watch and listen to the album opening track 'Coton Cardé' below.Turn it up and watch your speakers die.Tres bien ERLEN MEYER!!! Coming as CD and Digital Download formats on January 25th 2019, album pre-orders are now available HERE
Formed in 2016 and the creative outlet of Texas native Aaron Wall, Red Beard Wall’s delivery of heavy, hooky and concise compositions would eventually see the band signed to Argonauata Records with their debut self titled LP released in May 2017. With riffs that could level city blocks and vocals that are the perfect combination of soaring melody and caustic screams of despair, Red Beard Wall are back and set to deliver their most bone crunching material to date in the form of new long player 'The Fight Needs Us All' which will be hitting all good stockists on February 22nd 2019 as Digital Download, CD and Vinyl. The album pre-orders are now available in the following editions, bundles: HERELP: HERECD: HERE
Influenced by amazing bands such as, Floor, Helmet, Conan, Yob, Pallbearer, Baroness, and countless others, today we have a double helping of Aaron and his 7.5 tons of beard, as THE SLUDGELORD exclusively premieres a brand new track entitled “The Warming” which you can check out below. Not only that we invited Aaron to discuss some of his favourite records. Welcome to this Red Beard Wall edition of “Records of Their Years”.
THE SLUDGELORD: Favourite album from the year you were born?
Aaron: First off to you, oh mighty SLUDGELORD...thank you so much for having me!
I was born in 1977. Therefore the answer is Motorhead’sself-titled debut. Really not much elaboration needed.
THE SLUDGELORD: First record you bought with your own money?
Aaron: Yes! I remember well! I was 8 years old, I had saved up a little cash from mowing yards and such, specifically I got Van Halen “1984”, Beastie Boys “Licence to Ill” and Run D.M.C “Raising Hell”. All 3 of those records are still very dear and close to my heart. The very 1st time I ever performed was in a 3rd grade talent show. I did a mean version of the Run D.M.C.deep cut “You Be Illin.” Oh the memories from years gone by! Haha!!
THE SLUDGELORD: Favourite non metal / rock album?
Aaron: That’s a tough one, but I’d have to say Wu-Tang’s“36 Chambers”. I was a bit of a hip-hop nut in my formative years, and honestly still am, although obviously my love for the heavy eventually overtook to top position musically in my life.
THE SLUDGELORD: Album that most disappointed you?
Aaron: I guess I don’t think that way about records I don’t necessarily like. I just feel like it wasn’t made for me. I definitely try to look for something in it, that I do enjoy. If I cant, I move on to something that does move me.
THE SLUDGELORD: Favourite album of all time or if you prefer album (s) you’d run back into a burning building to rescue?
Aaron: I’m gonna choose 3. All from Mastodon, “Remission”, “Leviathan”, “Blood Mountain”. Those three albums reinvigorated my enthusiasm for heavy music. After growing up in Texas in the 90’s with Pantera being a huge early influence, a lot of metal had gotten stale for me personally. Mastodon brought a renewed and energetic love back that I though may have been fading away. That love and passion has not waned since.
THE SLUDGELORD: Favourite album (s) of 2018?
Aaron: Daughters, “You Won’t Get What You Want”. The intensity is so palpable throughout. The songs are just on another level. 10 out of 10!
THE SLUDGELORD:..and finally The last album you bought?
Aaron: The last album I bought, ironically enough is a pre-order of the new Red Beard Wall album “The Fight Needs Us All.” Extremely shameless self promotion, I know...but in my defence, it’s also 100% the truth. Once again, much much gratitude and appreciation for allowing me to be a part. ALL LOVE. ALL APPRECIATION. ALL HAIL!!!
Post-Doom Metal unit LOIMANN are about to celebrate the release of their third full length album titled 'A Voluntary Lack of Wisdom' this Friday, November 9th on Argonauta Records.
Formed in 2001 but under the major influences of desert rock bands alike Kyuss, Fu Manchu or Monster Magnet, LOIMANN's sound evolved over the years for a more doom and heavy psych approach. Recorded at O.F.F. Studios in Torino, Italy, during the summer of 2017 with Paul Beauchamp and Salvo Arico (Marmore/Khoy), the band's new work partially changed into the direction compared to their previous records, with a more direct and easy listening sound while never losing their heaviness. With 'A Voluntary Lack of Wisdom', LOIMANN deliver a crushing and extreme doom metal sludgecore beast with big harmonies to be stuck in your head! Find it out yourself, as today LOIMANN stream their brand new record in its entirely and exclusively with us at THE SLUDGELORD. Now turn it up and let your speakers die!!
The album is available at Argonauta Recordsat THIS location Band info:facebook
Wasted Theory’s second release with Argonauta Records, after the ‘2017 edition’ CD re-release of “Defenders of the Riff,” displays a disturbingly sober vision of slammed down, heavy rock invaders. Completed in the spring of this year, “Warlords of the New Electric”was recorded, engineered, and mixed by Joseph Boldizar(Ruby The Hatchet, Ecstatic Vision, The Age of Truth) at Retro City Studios in Philadelphia, PA.
Wasted Theory had the following to say about the record
"When we set out to write ‘Warlords of the New Electric’ we wanted to take the energy and enthusiasm of ‘Defenders of the Riff” and develop those vibes even further. In our opinion, this is the perfect companion to the last album. We didn’t want to put out the stereotypical third album where we start getting all experimental and bizarre. So, we did the exact opposite - we took our gritty rock n’ roll origins and pushed them even heavier into the material.
The riffs are harder, the fast stuff is faster and the doom stuff is doomier. This is the perfect album for those hot, sticky summer nights hanging out at your buddy’s BBQ bonfire and having way too much to drink. This album is very much a Wasted Theory album."
Argonauta will release “Warlords of the New Electric” worldwide this Friday October 26th 2018. The eight song, full album hammer strike will include Vinyl and CD formats, with Digital Download and today a couple days ahead of the release you can stream the record in full. So turn in up and let your speakers die
French Blackened Post-Core band DEMANDE À LA POUSSIÈRE are set to release their self-titled debut album this coming Friday September 28thvia Argonauta Records. The band delivers an impressive hypnotic yet aggressive sound which moves from Blackened Post Metal to Sludge and Doom, with an apocalyptic vibe of ambient bleakness. Dive into the dark sound of DEMANDE À LA POUSSIÈRE and stream their full album below, yurn up the volume and let your speaker die. "DEMANDE À LA POUSSIÈRE” is available to purchase (HERE)
Komatsu is a super-massive rock band from Eindhoven, formed in early 2010, their years of musical experience in all kinds of bands and individual creativity created a brutal mix of sludge, stoner rock and metal, the beast that is Komatsu was born.
After playing 85 shows in France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, England, The Netherlands, Brazil and Austria in support for the album 'Recipe for Murder One' released in 2016, Komatsu entered The Void Studio with producer Pieter Kloos in January 2018 to record the new album 'A New Horizon'.
Set for release on Friday September 7th 2018 on Argonauta Records (Vinyl/CD/digital formats) their new album will once again smash listeners, and to make sure you get the first listen before anyone, we’ve been given the opportunity to debut the record a day early, which you can check out below. Pre-Orders are available at: www.argonautarecords.com
Called an "enormously toned groove engine," Hollow Leg's train just keeps on a' rollin.' Now on the eve of their fourth full-length release since 2010, as well as a tour run with Witchkiss this October, the band is poised to raise their profile further still with the release of “Civilizations”, featuring nine tracks of sludge vitriol akin to Crowbar, Weedeater, and Eyehategod, the album will be available late 2018/ early 2019 via Argonauta Records.
Whilst the new album may be way off yet, today we can exclusively debut a brand new track entitled “Mountains of Stone” and for those of you who are familiar with the band, the heaviness and brutality of previous albums continues, built upon a foundation of dirty riffs, heavy bass and the assault & battery of the drums, this track demonstrates that there will be no stopping Jacksonville's finest over the next 12 months. Tune in and Let your speakers die.
Vocal treatments, humming effects and elements you rarely hear in sludge decorate the exteriors everywhere. The heart of these songs is firmly in the doom/sludge camp, but this iteration of Nibiru was fearless in an atypical fashion when it came to experimentation
“Netrayoni”2CD//DD track listing:
1). Kshanika mukta
2). Apsara
3). Sekhet aahru
4). Qaa-om sapah
5). Arkashani
6). Kwaw-loon
7). Sekhmet
8). Celeste samsara is broken
9). Viparita karani
10). Sothis
11). Carma geta
The Review:
Italian sludge trio Nibiru released last year's "Qaal Babylon" to some acclaim. The dense atmosphere and ambitious orchestration made it one of the strongest recordings in its discography. With interest up, its label has seen fit to remaster and reissue the band's second album, "Netrayoni." The results are as good as you might anticipate.
The reissue catches the sludge gods at some of their wilder best. "Netrayoni" got favorable reviews when it came out four years ago. It is a record that has held up quite well.
Nibiru's superpower has always been doing uncommon music. Its thick arrangements always have a flourish of something different. That is great for metal connoisseurs who will not be satisfied with just glacial chords, and want a new take on the music. The band is also apt to challenge its fans, as it does in the forbidding 11-minute opener "Kshanika mukta." A noise infused track, it's a step back a few years to what a slowed down version of The Body may have grilled in its backyard. There are syncopated guitars with distortion and quirky vocals. However, songs like "Apsara" and "Sekhet aahru" offer the traditional sludge as only Nibiru can do.
This album was released in 2014, when drummer Siatris was still with the band. Those who came to the group with "Qaal Babylon" may notice delicate divergences. L.C. Chertan was behind the kit for the last record, and the playing there was measured and quite deliberate at turns. "Netrayoni" sees a more ragged style take hold, which works for the record, particular on winding, freakier, more progressive cuts such as "Celeste samsara is broken." On the other hand, it is surely a ponderous matter to hear what the 16-minute "Kwaw-loon" might have become if Chertan had been on the original recording. Nibiru's delivery is nevertheless stunning.
If you are a newer fan, be aware this album is a departure. Vocal treatments, humming effects and elements you rarely hear in sludge decorate the exteriors everywhere. The heart of these songs is firmly in the doom/sludge camp, but this iteration of Nibiru was fearless in an atypical fashion when it came to experimentation. By all means, the current formation remains excellent. However, with "Netrayoni," you are sure to discover layers to the trio you may have missed on its last album. In all, this diversity is only going to make you love what they do all the more.
“Horsepower” is an interesting and accomplished album – a wonderful piece of doomy, gloomy, ritual rock – which should please fans of Greyfell’s previous work, and no doubt introduce many new listeners to the band.
“Horsepower” CD//DD//LP track listing:
1). The People's Temple
2). Horses
3). No Love
4). Spirit of the Bear
5). King of Xenophobia
The Review:
Normandy's Greyfellare in their sixth year of existence, and 2018's “Horsepower”is their second full length release (following 2015's “Vol. 1: I Got the Silver”). The entirely non-cheesy, yet nevertheless somehow retro rock-swagger of the first album endures, but the production and atmosphere of “Horsepower”are quite different to those of its predecessor; there’s something darker, bleaker, yet more polished and deliberate about this record, something that calls to mind the ambience, if not the actual sounds, of chilly1980s post-punk and pre-industrial.
“People’s Temple’s” droning gothy keyboard sounds are, fittingly, our introduction to “Horsepower”. Greyfell’s riffs are still big and fuzzed out with that same subtle eastern influence, but the desolate reverb soaked vocals, and the ever present whistle and wheeze of those keys set the scene – the agenda, really – for the rest of the record. They are the aural equivalent of the murk from a fog machine; adding intrigue and atmosphere to the phantom stage on which “Horsepower” is performed.
“Horses”starts out sparse and slow - fuzzy feedback and warping keys behind diving yet simple bass and drums – but gets progressively more aggressive and noisy. “No Love’s”Killing Joke-eque reverb bass intro becomes something much more bludgeoning. The dynamics remain the same – wide open echoing choruses and bigger, heavier verses. It works well, and it’s the template for the album.
Almost from its first note “Spirit of the Bear” proclaims itself to be the hugest, heaviest, most epic thing on “Horsepower”. Vocally, at times, it’s a bit like Simon Le Bon joined Godflesh. But in a good way. “King of Xenophobia”is doomier than all that’s gone before. The track feels like its about to go “full goth” somewhere around mid-way, but canters back around to its big riff which is eventually swallowed whole in the hungry fog of the ever-present keys.
“Horsepower”feels a lot like a first album and, while it’s not a gigantic departure, it’s oddly hard (for me, at least) to reconcile it with what Greyfellhave released previously. It is not a direction I would have anticipated the band going in, but that’s surely no bad thing.
While the album has a very deliberate, well crafted atmosphere of its own, I feel like there are times when it robs individual tracks of their identity – the sounds and dynamics of “Horsepower”are so consistent throughout that there is a very real danger of the dreaded spectre of “samey-ness” rearing its head. That said, “Horsepower”is an interesting and accomplished album – a wonderful piece of doomy, gloomy, ritual rock – which should please fans of Greyfell’s previous work, and no doubt introduce many new listeners to the band.
“Horsepower” is available to buy on CD via here and LP via here
There is a great deal of division when the topic of the royal family is discussed. Some people feel it it’s part of our rich heritage and an establishment we should be proud of, indeed without it, the economy of this country would suffer a great deal without the tourism they bring and yet others, feel that the very idea of another person bending the knee in the presence of royalty as absurd and demeaning, after all we’re all equal. You may be asking what the fuck has this to do with doom, but bear with me. The Royal Warrant is regarded as the ultimate seal of approval and appears on a number of popular food and drink products, to certify quality and so when we’re thinking doom releases, I’m thinking there should also be Royal Warrant, only the monarch of this Royal Warrant would be certificated with the seal of approval by the hand of doom himself Toni Iommi, and the first of the new releases of 2018 to be inducted is BIBLE BLACK TYRANT.
An oppressive and suffocating sonic endeavour that features Tyler Smith, Aaron D.C. Edge and David S. Fylstra (members of Eagle Twin, Lumbar, KVØID), BIBLE BLACK TYRANT are set to debut their majestic doom debut entitled"Regret Beyond Death" on 16th February 2018 via Argonauta Records, an album of such crushing density, it resembles the method of torture known as Peine forte et dure, in which a defendant who refused to plead ("stood mute") would be subjected to having heavier and heavier stones placed upon his or her chest until a plea was entered or until they died. So sit back, bite your tongue and prepare to be crushed as we debut all 11min s of the track “Wilderness of Steel and Stone”. Failure to enter your plea, results in death. Preorders are being taken here
Those who have followed Nibiru's past releases recognize the group has a way of creating dauntless music beyond what even the most experimental metal is about. "Qaal Babalon" is its best work to date, though you have to wonder how far the band can take this style next.
"Qaal Babalon" CD//DD track listing:
1. Oroch
2. Faboan
3. Bahal Gah
4. Oxex
The Review:
Standards for EPs versus full-length releases are a perplexing question. Is it a length thing? Number of tracks? And in a genre renown for sprawling cuts, what does it really mean anyway? In the matter of Nibiru, a performer that has its own talent for those long explorations, answers are even harder to come by.
Turin, Italy's Nibiru (not to be mistaken by the Russian metalcore band with the same moniker) are back to wrap up the year with a four-song release clocking in at nearly an hour. These have been an active few years for the trio. Nibiru's 2013 debut, “Caosgon”, was reissued in February 2016, the group offered up a fantastic EP, “Teloch”; and then more recordings in 2015 (“Padmalotus”) and 2014 (“Netrayoni”). Nibiru, in its releases, delivers a compelling brand of doom that melds drone, psychedelica and sludge. Drone and even a hint of funeral doom are perhaps the most prominent sounds in Nibiru's vision, and such may certainly define your love for the band, or it’s new, quite masterful, return in "Qaal Babalon."
The 19-minute "Oroch" begins the release with Ardath's transcendent guitar and vocals. Thick with effects, the instrumentation is supplemented with disharmonious drones. Black metal has its own symphonic offshoot. If drone doom had a related offspring, Nibiruwould be one of its great adherents. The song has a tremendously deep and apocalyptic feel to it all. As it chugs to the midway point, Ardath unleashes a ritualistic vocal that comes across as a particularly sinister chant more than a growl in the best, most infernal way. Make no bones about it – even for an ardent doom fan, this is a very punishing start. Yet its conclusion, with its black metal-esque curvature of lyrics, will be incredibly satisfying for those who stay the course.
Through the middle of the recording, "Faboan"and "Bahal Gah" are both the most provocative tracks because they are each going to demonstrate a side of Nibiruyou would not expect after the start of"Qaal Babalon." "Faboan" is the most accessible song on the release. It is not only a faithful and compelling doom composition, but there are post-rock and punk influences evident particularly across instrumental bridges. As such, as a second cut, this is a surprising and excellent choice because it builds on the imposing opener with something more comprehensible to the new fan. The next song verges into territory blazed by the opening, while managing to introduce sludge and drone that make it less disorienting than the selection could easily go off into. Praise be to L.C. Chertan on drums, whose work really steadies the song and brings out the potency of its first three minutes. Again, Ardath proves to be an agile vocalist, hitting a lower register and meeting the downtempo mood and effects.
Before you get the idea that Nibiru are now shooting for Mastodon-level acceptability, the band closes with "Oxex,"far more temerarious an entry than even the opening. Where to begin? Few extreme music songs ever neatly fit a category. Nowhere is that more pronounced than here. From its ceremonial drum beginnings to its gentle guitar contrasted against the serrated vocals, Nibiru enters into a trancelike state, with even a tambourine. At unexpected moments, doom bass lines pick at your flesh, but the mood refuses to until around the ninth minute. Then, with a hellish whisper, Nibirugoes not into a raging metal romp, but… silence, then drone. And then… things you will just have to listen to find.
Those who have followed Nibiru's past releases recognize the group has a way of creating dauntless music beyond what even the most experimental metal is about. "Qaal Babalon" is its best work to date, though you have to wonder how far the band can take this style next.
Sator keeps you listening with its true-school doom vibe -- not sludge, not stoner, not psychedelic... straight-ahead doom that you've just got to admire."Ordeal" is an exemplary entry into the genre, and one that its fans may undoubtedly value.
"Ordeal" CD//DD track listing:
1. Heartache
2. Ordeal
3. Soulride
4. Sky Burial
5. Funeral Pyres
The Review:
Sator is, at first listen, one of those bands you have to step back from to appreciate. Many performers particularly in metal and genres with a devoted fan base face a similar issue. It is incredibly hard to make something that stands out. The conventions of the music are such that true distinctiveness is rare.
The Genoa, Italy trio debuted in 2015 with a self-titled release, drawing a myriad of comparisons including to Neurosis and early Eyehategod. Those are lofty comparisons, perhaps. However, on "Ordeal," Sator manages to buck expectations with an impressive array of guitar attacks that make the material feel energetic. Sator keeps you listening with its true-school doom vibe -- not sludge, not stoner, not psychedelic... straight-ahead doom that you've just got to admire.
"Heartache" opens the release and it is, unsurprisingly, one of the strongest tracks. With a deep bass and drum steering the cut and a titanic guitar riff in the mix, Sator make a good first impression. The vocals are rattling with distortion, which only rachets up the fearful aesthetic. This segues into the title track. The band wrings out of these low notes and turgid bass fixtures a song that, like many songs on the album, offers a story you have to listen for a second time. Part of that is just its atypical vision for arrangement. "Soulride" continues the listening journey and proves a worthy successor. Its start is positively massive in terms of chords, and Sator doesn't let up.
The vocal effects detract at times from the overall arrangement. On lessser recordings, such effects are done to mask deficiencies in range and tonality. You don't walk away with that impression here. Instead the production seems carefully chosen to mesh with the mood of "Ordeal." And what a dense and down mood it is. Every song's tempo gets slower, muddier and more despairing as the record continues. How songs are organized and the progression of feeling that comes with it is one of Sator's strongest points on the album. Tracks get more and more crushing as time moves on, and the result is so very satisfying.
The album closes with "Funeral Pyres," a 15-minute journey that is a smashing closer. While perhaps overlong -- the song would be equally good with 2-4 minutes trimmed away -- the group's willingness to see its concepts through, even when it might be easier to slice up something more accessible, is demonstrative of its commitment to a sincerely doom album. Throughout its peaks and valleys, the final song proves to be a showcase of Sator's best qualities and maybe areas of improvement. Nevertheless "Ordeal" is an exemplary entry into the genre, and one that its fans may undoubtedly value.
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