THE BEST OF 2017: The Top 6 of the 666 Pack Review 2017

By: Nikos Mixas

Artwork By: Joshua M. Wilkinson

If you’ve been paying attention, the 666 Pack Review is an abbreviated review column mostly focused on very new bands or bands that have submitted demo material to THE SLUDGELORD.  The basic premise is that 6 bands are critiqued using only 6 words and on a scale from 1 to 6(66).  What you see below is the best of the year for the 666 Pack Review.  Congrats and hails to those bands that made the list! 

6). Sparrowmilk - “Articles of Separation” (Cleveland, Ohio) (April 2017)

Instrumentals usually bore me, this didn’t. 

5). Dawn on Sedna - “Our Sky Has Changed” (Viareggio, Italy) (February 2017)

Some good sludge right there Sludgelord! 

4). Dwoom - “Pale Mare Demo MMXVII” (Sundsvall, Sweden) (June 2017)

Better than most signed doom bands.

3). Cacus  - “Dirty filthy godless” (Copenhagen, Denmark) (March 2017)

 Iron Monkey could learn from them…

2). Elder Devil - “Graves Among The Roots” (Fresno, USA) (July 2017)

Angriest submission of all the 666s! 

1). Five The Hierophant - “Over Phlegethon” (London, UK) (September 2017)

Most original of the Sludgelord offerings.

Band info: Sparrowmilk|| Dawn On Sedna|| Dwoom|| CACUS || Elder Devil || Five the Hierophant

6 NEW BANDS: Nikos Mixas' 666 Pack Review July 2017

By: Nikos Mixas

By: Joshua M. Wilkinson

It’s the July edition of THE SLUDGELORD’s 666 Pack Review!  We’re over halfway through the year and it’s about as hot as it’s going to get!  So….it’s time to drink beers and review bands!  If you’re new to this, each and every month we handpick 6review submissions and critique them by only using 6 words, then we rate them on a scale from 1to 666!  Check out our awesome (burp!) rating scale below: 

1– I liken this band to having too much to drink.  I’m going to get sick… 

2– Two is a lonely place to be…like drinking by myself. 

3– If you want to be just average, like a pilsner, that’s cool with us.

4 – Four, four beers makes you good…just like fried pork rinds.   

5– This is solid stuff and that’s not the alcohol speaking! 

666– THE SLUDGELORD thinks that you deserve a keg party for your efforts! 

Even though there was some partaking of adult beverages during the review process, let’s make it clear that it was done responsibly…with metal!!!  THE SLUDGELORD is a picky listener…and doesn’t care what you think of his opinions….

Bonglord- “Bonglord” – (Ann Arbor, USA)    Rating: 2

Not even bongs can save them….

Ogimaa- “Desolation” – (Winnipeg, Canada)   Rating: 4

Sick guitar tone makes me happy.

Gamma Goat- “Nocturnal Harvest” – (Gilman, USA)   Rating: 3

Soundgarden meets The Sword meets beer.

Ripis - “Monolith”– (Austin, USA)   Rating: 5

Windhand and Cough orgy with Pabst

Cutlass - “Cutlass”– (United Kingdom)   Rating: 1

I changed my rating twice…ugh…

Elder Devil - “Graves Among The Roots” – (Fresno, USA)   Rating: 666!

Went to the school of NAILS.

Band info: Bonglord || Ogimaa || Gamma Goat || Ripis  || Cutlass || Elder Devil