TOP 16 ALBUMS: The Sour 16 for February 2017

Let it be known fellow Sludgelordians, “The Sour 16” returns.  The Sludgelord presents the very best riff based music to pour scorn on this desolate day and strike upon us the might of the riff, to inject our veins with sin and guide us on journey of subservice to doom, an act that goes against the very laws and teachings of populist culture, and for those that wish to come with us on our quest, kneel with me as we embrace the thunderous din that is, “The Sour 16”.

You know the drill by now, each month, you the reader are unwittingly compiling a list of the top 16 records of the month, covering all genres of metal.  Is it not a chart, in which reviewers or contributors extol their opinion about their favourite music.  To put it simply, “The Sour 16” are the records that have been trending the most at Sludgelord Headquarters.

The results are compiled based on page views alone and calibrated into the list below.  All reviews can be viewed by clicking the artwork and we have included album streams wherever possible. (Total views since their publication are highlighted in red)

16). Morta Skuld - "Wounds Deeper Than Time" (579)

15). Crystal Fairy - "Crystal Fairy" (629)

14). Woe - “Hope Attrition” (660)

13). Weltesser - "Crestfallen" (711)

12). Grey Widow - "II" (720)

11). Dread Sovereign - "For Doom The Bell Tolls" (739)

10). Brutus- "Burst" (820)

9). Wiegedood - “De Doden Hebben Het Goed II” (924)

8). Psychedelic Witchcraft– “Magick Rites and Spells" (979)

  

7). Darkest Hour - “Godless Prophets & the Migrant Flora”(1011)

6). Death Alley - "Live At Roadburn" (1023)

5). Cult of Occult / Grim Van Doom - "Split" (1096)

4). Sleep - "The Clarity" (EP) (1437)

3). DOOL - "Here Now, There Then" (1439)

2). Unearthly Trance - "Stalking the Ghost" (1526)

1). Widows - "Oh Deer God" (1705)

A big thank you as always to our amazing writers, your dedication knows no boundaries and for that I am truly grateful. February’s  “Sour 16” features reviews by:  Victor Van Ommen, Ben Fitts, Theron Moore, Brandon Green, Charlie Butler, Chris Bull, Jake Wallace, Conor O’Dea & Grim Trashcan

ALBUM REVIEW: Crystal Fairy - "Crystal Fairy"

By: Victor Van Ommen


Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 24/02/2017
Label: Ipecac Recordings

Very much the sum of their parts, Crystal Fairy stares down the listener with psychotic energy, what you get are 11 songs of screeching, high intensity riffs, hooks that are both jagged an accessible and a chemistry within that makes these tunes jump out of the speakers.

“Crystal Fair” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Chiseler

2). Drugs on the Bus

3). Necklace of Divorce

4). Moth Tongue

5). Crystal Fairy

6). Secret Agent Rat

7). Under Trouble

8). Bent Teeth

9). Posesión

10). Sweet Self

11). Vampire X-Mas

The Review:

Considering Crystal Fairy’s lineup, it’s no wonder that the band brings tunes with a high riff-factor on their self-titled debut. Starring King Buzzo and Dale Crover, the fold is further filled out with Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (At The Drive In) and Teri Gender Bender of Le Butcherettes. The album consists of 11 songs, each one dives deeper into a bizarre pit of screeching, high intensity riffs.

Very much the sum of their parts, Crystal Fairy stares down the listener with psychotic energy. It’s Dale’s job to lay down the law, which he does most notably in “Bent Teeth.” Rodriguez-Lopez helps bridge the gap between Dale’s intense push and Buzzo’s guitar, but the star of the show here is Terri Gender Bender. Whether she’s owning the title track with her gnarly snarl or spitting out the Spanish language lyrics in “Secret Agent Rat,” it’s her voice that’s keeping the Crystal Fairy boat afloat. It’s her voice that’s front and center. And it’s her voice that makes this band unfuckwithable.

Ignore the label “supergroup” in this case and instead take in Crystal Fairy for what they are; a tight unit delivering tight, quirky rock songs. Sure, the tunes are filled with hooks that are both jagged and accessible – which is what we should expect from a band that’s half Melvins – but there’s something about the chemistry in Crystal Fairy that makes these tunes jump out of the speakers.

“Crystal Fairy” is available to preorder/buy here

Band info: bandcamp|| facebook