INTERVIEW: THE SLUDGELORD RORSCHACH TEST with John Hoffman (Ledge/ Ex-Weekend Nachos)

In a twist to the usual interview format  our very own Nikos Mixas suggested THE SLUDGELORD RORSCHACH TEST: there are no inkblots and we won’t be subjecting bands to psychological profiling, rather we give photos that relate to metal then ask the bands to give THE SLUDGELORD their thoughts and/or your impression of every photo.  There is no right or wrong answers. 

Today at THE SLUDGELORD we invite John Hoffman formerly of Weekend Nachos and now mastermind behind his ripping new project Ledge to take part, so check out his answers below.  “Cold Hard Concrete” is streaming below and available to order here

1). Ex-BLACK SABBATH Drummer BILL WARD On His Former Bandmates: 'It's Plain To Me We're As Opposite And Opposing As Ever'

At first I thought this was just some scumbag from the Sopranos. I think Bill Ward is basically saying "We're a rock band, and we're friends, but we play music together. We're not always going to be pals." I can relate to that!

2). Rigs of Doom artwork ripped off by Metallica

Hmm, the colors are cool but I don't really have any opinion on this whatsoever. Totally indifferent but I love Metallica's first 6 albums!

3). Ledge – “Cold Hard Concrete”

It's the record I released this year! I'm pretty happy with the way it came out, and the artwork is bold, simple and brutal. If I weren't the main person behind this project, I'd probably still be very interested in checking it out!

4). Quicksand Announce First Album in 22 Years

I knew that was Walter on the right. Quicksand is a cool band but I never really got into them. I'm far too stupid and dense to really sink my teeth into a band like Quicksand or Rival Schools. Excellent stuff, though.

5). Ronnie James Dio Hologram Books First World Tour Dates

Well, it's about time. I have always preferred Ozzy-era Sabbath but Dio is so much more of a cool metalhead. I take that back, actually. Ozzy in his prime is 100% the best. I think I just get confused because Ozzy now is on TV wearing track pants and mumbling gibberish at his Hot Topic children. Dio never sunk that low. R.I.P.

6). Chris Cornell passing

Fucking awful. I love Chris Cornell's music. Well, I'm talking about Soundgarden. "Blow Up The Outside World" was one of the first songs that made me realize other people hated society besides me, I know the lyrics aren't really about that but just the song title made it click in my head and I remember that moment in my childhood. It was before I got into punk. Suicide is a tragedy. R.I.P.

7). Kid Rock Announces Senate Run

Nothing surprises me anymore. If only Joe C was still alive to be his assistant. Politics are a fucking joke and you know this.

8). Gene Simmons Attempts to Trademark "Metal Horns"

KISS was incredible but man, fuck that guy and his bullshit views. He's a fucking asshole.

9). Bloodhag Vocalist Dumps Coffee on Alex Jones

I thought that was Bill Stevenson at first. I'm not good at recognizing anybody but regardless, I could care less about this guy or his coffee. Doesn't seem like a nice thing to do to somebody though.

10). Full Of Hell Creates New T-shirt

Weekend Nachos and Full of Hell are friends! That t-shirt was funny but honestly, we made much funnier shirts.

Band info: bandcamp

TOP 16 ALBUMS: The Sour 16 (August 2017)

With English winter ending in July and commencing again in August, the summer as we know it, is over!  Now as we enter September, the sunshine may waver, but one constant source of light, is the inspiring music we embrace and celebrate. 

Mike Patton once said “what a day, when you can look it in the face and hold your vomit,” So to make things a little more bearable, allow yourself to indulge in a hefty dose of medicine, because it is time to present 16 of the best albums from August, it is time for your 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 HQ.

The results are compiled based upon the amount of page views the reviews have received and are then calibrated into the list below. 

16). Cult of Erinyes - ‘Tiberivs’ (387)

In short, ‘Tiberivs’ is fully realized and wonderfully executed. Any black metal fans sleeping on this album are doing themselves a real disservice.

15). Mudbath - "Brine Pool" (397)

While firmly a doom metal group, Mudbath is not afraid to introduce different elements. With a shrieking vocal approach reminiscent of black metal and flourishes you might otherwise associate with drone, Mudbath manages to make it work.

14). Dead Cross - "Dead Cross" (405)

While Dead Cross don’t quite deliver the all-out face-melting insanity you may expect from their constituent parts, this debut is still an exhilarating burst of queasy punk rock mayhem that reminds most young pretenders who’s in charge.

13). Timeworn - "Venomous High" (408)

Some of the most engaging moments on “Venomous High” come when Timeworn move slightly away from their core sound.  “All Chiefs” finds the band at their most unhinged as they unleash an arsenal of spidery math-metal riffs with breakneck rock’n’roll abandon. Anyone missing Swiss behemoths Kruger will find a lot to enjoy in this killer track. “Venomous High” is a fine offering from Timeworn that takes an array of well-worn modern metal influencesand blows them up on a grand scale.

 12). Nidingr - "The High Heat Licks Against Heaven" (414)

Given the amount of average extreme music that is available, Nidingr’s release is outstanding for such depth alone.

11). Geezer - “Psychoriffadelia” (424)

Guttural guitars and raunchy drums at the ready. Geezer delivers the intensity of the Melvins, one of the group's inspirations, while giving its own unique spin to stoner rock. While many others try, this is one band that is confident enough to step out and truly make this sound their own.

10). Sunrot - "Sunnata"(480)

Those who take the plunge into “Sunnata” will still be blown away by the fierce musical skill, emotional honesty, and undeniable potential of Sunrot.  Their truly exceptional full-length debut has set a high benchmark that, one hopes, is only the opening chapter of a lengthy, groundbreaking career.

9). Below The Sun - "Alien World" (533)

What you get is nothing short of spectacular. The soundscape intersects multiple metal subgenres, including funeral doom, black metal, drone and post metal. Moods throughout are bleak, as if the rumbling seas of Solaris are flicking gently at your mind and bouncing your hopes and fears to and fro.

8). Blues Funeral - "Awakening" (624)

Close your eyes and you can hear hints of Mountain and Blue Oyster Cult throughout "Awakening." The rolling title track is a true showcase for how these inspirations have shaped the Texasband. Such attention to the details most people probably never notice further ensures a level of quality that may surprise you. Not only is the music masterfully played, but nothing overpowers the composition

7). Red Mountains - "Slow Wander" (658)

...it is so refreshing to find a release that is all at once heavy, accessible and frankly beautiful in its construction.

6). Ledge - "Cold Hard Concrete" (700)

“Cold Hard Concrete" is that uneasy masterpiece you will value even more by year's end.

5). Pyrrhon - "What Passes for Survival" (796)

"What Passes for Survival" is an uncompromising album and you will learn that fast, right out of the gate.  It is impossible to listen to Pyrrhon's magnificent new release, without admiring the band's fearlessness and technical prowess.  This album is exactly what extreme metal doubters need to hear.

4). Weed Demon - "Astrological Passages" (1040)

Weed Demon is quite willing to show they can do a diverse attack that goes beyond a Melvins-ish crunch. It can definitely throttle you with heavy, sludged out guitars and drums. Yet, as you find on "Primordial Genocide" and elsewhere, Weed Demon can go from blasting to burrowing with its arrangements, zipping from fast to slow, metal to a variation on math rock, smoothly.

3). Devil Electric - "Devil Electric" (1097)

Although you'll not find a swerve or anything wildly disparate, Devil Electric is nonetheless entrancing. In particular, the group is guaranteed to energize any fan of heavy blues reminiscent of Black Sabbath, The Allman Brothers and similar bands.

2). Venom Inc. - “Avé” (1128)

This record, is a triumph. Venom Inc. have produced a record more than worthy of the Venom name and it contains some of the best and most “Venom” moments since the early 80's. I cannot praise or recommend this record enough to fans of Venom or just metal in general. The songs, performances and production all deliver.

1). Accept - "The Rise Of Chaos" (1407)

“The Rise of Chaos” is precise, prescient, presented superbly in terms of artwork and production and, more importantly, rocks as hard as anything I have heard this year. A tour de force.

A big thank you as always to our amazing writers, your dedication knows no boundaries and for that I am truly grateful.  August 2017’s SOUR 16 features reviews by:  Richard Maw, Daniel Jackson, Charlie Butler, Mark Ambrose, Mark Tremblay & Ernesto Aguilar

ALBUM REVIEW & FULL STREAM: Ledge - "Cold Hard Concrete"

By: Ernesto Aguilar

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 25/08/ 2017

Label: Translation Loss Records

“Cold Hard Concrete" is that uneasy masterpiece you will value even more by year's end.

"Cold Hard Concrete" CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Through Your Skull

2. Blacked Out

3. You Know Who You Are

4. Stalk Your Enemies

5. Disappearing God

6. Fuck Yourself

7. Last Shred of Hope

8. Condemned

The Review:

Metal music has had, over the years, many solo projects, intentional or less so as the bands lived on. Sometimes these projects can be quite divine, because they carry forward an artist's unique musical vision. Other times, you wonder how much it can be a self-indulgent endeavor or vanity plate weighed down by one musician's inability to work with others or compromise for the sake of art. Who of us has not witnessed a flabby presentation or two?

When it comes to Ledge, though, the debut full-length is much more of the former rather than the latter.

Ledge has been a prolific act so far, with a demo and a split LP with the band Disrotted both released within the last year. John Hoffman'sone-man extreme music escapade merges doom, hardcore and traditional death metal in an eight-song package that convincingly stands out from the crowd. Much of that distinction is simply due to Hoffman'sstyle. He's held the microphone for the likes of hardcore outfit Spine and grindcore act Weekend Nachos. In fact, Hoffman's body of work has always been quite original, with black metal and punk influences throughout. When you check out these previous performers, you will notice immediately Hoffman's copious contributions. Ledge is seemingly an outgrowth of the sort of creative output that requires enough room to put it all out there. This time around, Hoffman is the boss of everything, covering bass, drums and vocals. The result is a bruising musical trip certain to exceed your hopes for this stylish premiere.

On top of Hoffman's on-mic performance, "Cold Hard Concrete" stands out for a few different reasons. His arrangement of this full-length, sans extra musicians, is well done and pairs tracks stunningly. For instance, "Blacked Out" rampages at you from the start, only to grind to a sludge, then seguing powerfully into "You Know Who You Are." Hoffman's ravenous lyrics on "Stalk Your Enemies" find fellow travelers in the themes that come up in "Disappearing God." As you reach the doom-laden "Last Shred of Hope" and the doom/death metal-tinged closing song, "Condemned,"it is hard not to appreciate how Hoffmancomposed cuts to build on moods. Bass and drums set the apprehensive body from whence Hoffman's words lash out. "Cold Hard Concrete" is that uneasy masterpiece you will value even more by year's end.  Check out the album in full below.  

"Cold Hard Concrete" is available here

Band info: bandcamp