ALBUM REVIEW: Monte Luna - "Monte Luna"

By: Mark Ambrose

Album Type: Full-length

Date Released: 02/09/2017

Label: Indepedent

With a little bit of trimming, their debut would be a contender for breakout of the year.  As it stands, this should portend greatness for a duo as eclectic and skilled as any I’ve heard in 2017.

“Monte Luna” CD//DD//CS track listing

1). The Burning of Elohim

2). Nameless City

3). 6000 Year March

4). Nightmare Frontier

5). Inverted Mountain

6). The End of Beginning

The Review

               

This year has been an absolute banger when it’s come to excellent records.  With so much brutal filth to laud,  Owlcrusher, Belus, Shroud Eater, and Fisterall put out shatteringly exceptional releases. 

With a self-released, self-titled debut LP, Monte Luna throw their hat in the power duo ring and perform admirably, a psychedelic, spacey blast of eclectic stoner metal, Monte Luna goes all in with six tracks that range from blast beat fury to soulful blues riffage.

It’s tempting to think “The Burning of Elohim”, the shortest track (at nearly five minutes), is an introduction for the massive cuts that follow.  But it’s too full on its own to be a mere intro cut.  Clarke’s abrupt shifts between shriek and croon are almost disarming, but ultimately a real asset.  His dexterity in guitar styles serves as an guiding principle for Monte Luna, as Phil Hook can instantly lock into a bluesy, soulful swing or pummel through punishing blast beats.  On “Nameless City”, a thirteen minute doom jam centered around beefy riffing and Clarke’s grungey, bluesy vocal, Hook stands out with precise but loose meat and potatoes rock drumming that serves the doom fretwork, especially when guest guitarist Jon-Paul Girard goes for an extended wah-wah jaunt through pentatonic scales loaded with some vintage Blue Cheer fuzz.

               

The feedback-heavy martial tone of “6000 Year March” sounds like the music an orc would blast before heading into battle, complete with shrieking tri-tone riffs and a husky, yowling vocal delivery from Clarke.  The ambient outro, layered with samples of occult movie dialogue, feels a bit overlong, especially since the next track, “Nightmare Frontier”, is an abrupt departure.  Pushing his voice into soulful heights, Clarke almost sounds like Cedric Bixler-Zavala, albeit in a less falsetto register. The subdued bass and drum line, countered by a sinewy, sludgy riff, makes “Nightmare Frontier”an irresistible banger.  When the track culminates in an ascending guitar lead, there’s no doubt that this is the standout cut on the record.

               

If “Nightmare Frontier” is the catchiest cut, “Inverted Mountain” may be the absolute filthiest track.  Clarke pushes his vocals to shredded extremes, and the relentless feedback is molar rattling.  A downbeat midsection, seething with sonic manipulations courtesy of Hook, witnesses Clarke careening from forlorn wailing to sinister crooning, before launching into speed metal mania.  The end of this brutal sprint also highlights the one glaring issue of the record: the extended ambient codas.  When the following track, “The End of Beginning”, has its own mellow intro, the appended few minutes feel like a real drag.  Which is a shame considering the finale is a brutal assault on its own, vaulting from slow dirge to blast beat assault.  Clarke once again pushes his vocals to extremes, and his guitar ranges from ethereal to demonic.  That this stellar track has another outro – this time acoustic – only diminishes the transcendent, destructive finale.

               

When measured against the heft and might of the majority of this otherwise excellent debut, Monte Luna’ssonic noodlings are a bit nitpicky.  But the truth is that this stellar combo only obscures its own songwriting and performance chops.  The finale to “The End is Beginning” feels like the chaos and violence of Ragnarok itself… until they tack on a few extra bars and nature sounds.  With a little bit of trimming, their debut would be a contender for breakout of the year.  As it stands, this should portend greatness for a duo as eclectic and skilled as any I’ve heard in 2017.

“Monte Luna” is available here

Band info: bandcamp|| facebook

INTERVIEW: Owlcrusher - "Apocalyptic, Hateful and Nihilistic Blackened Sludge since 2008".

Sludge, doom, funeral doom and all the many sub genres within it could easier be viewed as the easier versions of metal and your average half baked pipple faced journalist will probably try to argue that point, but to me the counter point to bands such as Rings of Saturnis that technicality is one thing, but often what is lacking is that all important “feel”.  Does the overall experience of an album with mechanical dexterity leave you feeling cold or does the power of a slow Sleep like dirge make you feel all warm and fuzzy?

For me low and slow gets my vote and when songs are played with the ferocious intensity and terrifying precision of a group as remarkable as today’s guest Owlcrusher, their combination of glacial riffing, blistering vocals, and sludge is every bit technical as the best shredders, because it feels cathartic, invigorating and plain addictive, which your average tech band just can’t replicate.    

From the opening of Owlcrusher’sdebut full length, the whole mammoth affair has a delightfully unsavory flavor: even the ambient tones recall the scuzzy industrial planetscapes of Eraserhead.  But when the trio comes to life, the sheer scope is undeniably menacing.  With three tracks spread across 45 minutes, each song embraces sprawl and space: the reverb heavy drum tone pounds like the pulse of a leviathan.  The low end guitar tone crackles with fuzz, while the bass rumbles so menacingly that, with the right sound system, you may get your guts churning like you’ve just been forced to smoke a whole pack of unfiltered cigarettes – you’ve got the cold sweats, your insides feel poisoned, and you’re probably gonna puke, but god damn it you’re not hooked.

Today after many months of delay (e.g. my own tardiness), I can present a short and yet insight interview with bassist/shouty person Steve Hobson from the band. A band we rate very highly indeed.  So check it out below and don’t forget to like, follow and share their music. 

So when you’re not heading up funding raising events for the annual Ornithology convention, can you give us an insight into how you guys started playing music, leading up to the formation of Owlcrusher?

Well, for a start, it’s probably worth saying at this stage before some fucker sicks PETA on us; we’re not as anti-owl as the name suggests. Thats reference to Moloch; the Owl from the Bohemian Grove Cremation of Care ceremony, which might or might not be a real thing. Not for us to say. We don’t condone any harm coming to birds or animals. Especially not spooky ones that have a reputation for scaring the shit out of people.

As for the band, it’s a bit of a saga. Me and Andy have known each other since we were kids. We lost touch for a while but started hanging out together when we started drinking under bridges in our home town. By that stage he’d started playing guitar and jamming with Damo. I’d been playing in bands for a while at that point and we tried to get something going between us. This was about 2001 and I moved away shortly after that and joined Bad Boat (Me and Andys other band), while Andy and Damo formed Throat Locust. Over time Throat Locust turned into Dwell in Sun, who changed their name to Owlcrusher around the time I took over the vacant bass slot, so it kind of came full circle eventually. That sort of brings us to now.

Although you released “Owlcrusher” (your debut full length), nearly 10 years after your inception, for folks unfamiliar with your band, is there any bands on the scene past and present that you would use as a reference point bands to describe your band, and who or what continues to inspire you and push you to try new things?

I suppose it would be different for each of us where that’s concerned. I think on the whole its stuff like Burning Witch, Goatsnake, Moss, and so on who would be obvious reference points, but after 10 years hopefully there’s other things going on in there as well. I’ve always thought there was a bit of a Godfleshfeel to it; and threes definitely nods towards a black metal aesthetic. Not in a huge way, because if your Black Metal record is sounding like us, your record player might be fucked, but threes a coldness to it, especially in Andys vocals, that leans us that way a bit I think.

As for what inspires us, musically there’s not really anything you could call a unifying band or style. We’d be here all day listing the stuff we’re into; it’s different for each of us these days and a comparatively small amount would be anything like Owlcrusherin the strictest sense. Owlcrusher’s more of a way of processing negativity and making the ugliest noise we can so we don’t go spare at the horror of it all. Catharsis is a word that gets bandied about a lot, and can sound a bit trite, but I think we’re all a little more well-adjusted and approachable from day to day because Owlcrusher sounds the way it does. 

Does anything spring to mind when you think about the completion of your new record and how is the mood in the camp at present

I think the fact that it took a year to the day to get it finished made us feel a bit daft. Moods good though. We’ve just signed to Seeing Red Records and they're sorting the kind of physical release we could probably not have afforded, as well as actually having enough faith in us to make us want to be a bit more proactive in return. We've definitely a lot more fire in our bellies to put some effort into touring and the like.

What stands out as your overarching memory from the recording sessions?

Amp Porn. We were greeted at the studio by walls lined with old and new equipment for every conceivable sound we could have wanted, so we indulged ourselves a bit. I played through a bass rig that was taller than me, Andy had a Matampand Mesa Boogie setup to record into two different channels at once and Damo got to experiment with a bunch of cymbal setups (even though he settled on his own original one in the end) and Niall (Doran, the engineer at Start Together Studio who recorded us) astounded the shit out of us by being equal to any stupid suggestion we may have had. If we said "I want to play that left handed twelve string and have it sound like seagulls he'd say "ok. How many seagulls?"

Couldn't ask for a better way to record really.

With a new record in the bag, how is your schedule shaping up over the next 12 months?

We're not really looking too far ahead quite yet. We want to get the CD out, do some launch shows, then hopefully get some touring done in support of it should the opportunity present itself. We've already started into writing the next one, so that should be out by 2027 all being well.

Finally, do you last words?

I imagine my last words will be "stop pointing that at me" or "yes I can catch it". Something like that.

 The End

“Owlcrusher” is available digitally here and on limited CD here

Band info: bandcamp|| facebook

TOP 16 ALBUMS: The Sour 16 (July 2017)

Olde

Yes, it is that time again O ye lover of riffs, “THE SOUR 16” returns.  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 THE SLUDGELORD Headquarters.

The results are compiled based on the amount of page views the reviews have received and are then 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 the red)

16). Entrails - “World Inferno” (370)

I can't find any fault with this album from intense opener to epic closer of “The Blood Breed”, the band don't put a foot wrong. This is raging death metal, plain and simple

15). Viscera/// - “3: Release Yourself Through Desperate Rituals” (373)

"If one were forced to classify the band’s current sound, post-metal might be the safest category, but even that vaguely defined subgenre does not quite do the band justice, as it fails to mention the strains of psychedelia, black metal, hardcore, death metal and the band’s grind roots to are still very present in VISCERA///

14). Eternal Black - "Bleed The Days" (374)

The sheer weight of the riffs will indeed threaten to pull you under, as they deliver just the right amount of menace to go with the fuzz. There is a hefty dose of soul in the music here, along with a pervading blackness.

13). Norska - "Too Many Winters" (393)

“Too Many Winters” is a captivating collection of powerful doom steeped in Norska’s unorthodox and compelling personality.

12). Cloud Rat/Disrotted - "Split LP" (413)

This is an awe-inspiring release from two incredible bands who can seemingly do no wrong at the moment and continue to deliver an embarrassment of heavy riches in 2017.

11). Goatwhore - "Vengeful Ascension" (458)

“Forsaken” jumps out of your speakers and down your throat and suffocates and entertains the listener in the best way possible. There’s nothing quite like what this band can deliver – the riffs, vocals and drumming is first class and unique

10). God Dethroned - ‘The World Ablaze’ (466)

If you’re a longtime fan like me, this album is everything you’d want and then some. ‘The World Ablaze’ is all of the best elements of the God Dethroned’s entire discography amalgamated into a single album.

9). God Root - "Salt and Rot" (518)

God Root have managed to craft one of the most ambitious, progressive, and emotionally harrowing offerings of 2017.  The cosmic journey of “Salt and Rot” is one that will leave you shaken to your fleeting, human core.

8). Voivod - "RRRÖÖÖAAARRR", "Killing Technology", "Dimension Hatröss" (Reissues) (534)

7). Wounded Giant - "Vae Victis" (581)

there are moments of majestic riffing and an impressive amount of variation on offer

6). Owlcrusher - "Owlcrusher" (697)

With three tracks spread across 45 minutes, each song embraces sprawl and space: the reverb heavy drum tone pounds like the pulse of a leviathan.  The low end guitar tone crackles with fuzz, while the bass rumbles so menacingly that, with the right sound system, you may get your guts churning like you’ve just been forced to smoke a whole pack of unfiltered cigarettes – you’ve got the cold sweats, your insides feel poisoned, and you’re probably gonna puke, but god damn it you’re hooked

5). Destroyer of Light - "Chamber of Horrors" (719)

I will have to say that this album falls into an epic category for its great compositions, the honest heart involved in creating such a journey of ebb and flow, the range of emotion that continues what true music is about; music that continues what early St. Vitus and Trouble were doing, but DoL are creating it their own way.

4). Cirith Ungol- "King of the Dead"(Ultimate Edition) (724)

It's a very engaging listen, 33 years on and is an absolute must have for any fan of doom- or anyone looking at how the genre started to really form into something (along with the work of Vitus, Trouble et al).  An essential album and a worthy reissue. Enrich your record collection and your life by buying it!

3). Melvins - "A Walk With Love & Death"(727)

On “A Walk with Love and Death”, the Melvins do both things that their cultish fans love about them, and do them both damn well.

2). Venomous Maximus - "No Warning" (731)

In some places on the album, those qualities are phrased in the same ways that fans have come to expect, and so admirably, but in other spots on “No Warning”, Venomous Maximus explore new ways to do that which they’ve always done: create infectiously and wonderfully diabolical music.

1). Olde - "Temple" (866)

Olde’s “Temple” is doom metal done the way it should be. It is well-crafted, forward-thinking, and a contender for one of the best records of the year.

A big thank you as always to our amazing writers, your dedication knows no boundaries and for that I am truly grateful.  July 2017’s “SOUR 16” features reviews by:  Richard Maw, Daniel Jackson, Charlie Butler, Ben Fitts, Mark Ambrose, Mark Tremblay, Jay Hampshire, Jack Taylor & Eric Crowe.

ALBUM REVIEW: Owlcrusher - "Owlcrusher"

By: Mark Ambrose

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released:18/07/2017

Label: Seeing Red Records

With three tracks spread across 45 minutes, each song embraces sprawl and space: the reverb heavy drum tone pounds like the pulse of a leviathan.  The low end guitar tone crackles with fuzz, while the bass rumbles so menacingly that, with the right sound system, you may get your guts churning like you’ve just been forced to smoke a whole pack of unfiltered cigarettes – you’ve got the cold sweats, your insides feel poisoned, and you’re probably gonna puke, but god damn it you’re hooked

"Owlcrusher" CD//DD track listing

1. Feeble Preacher

2. Owlcrusher

3. Spoiler

The Review

One of my oldest friends also happens to be one of the most skilled musicians I’ve ever met.  He’s not exactly unimpressed by speed shredders, but he taught me a lesson a few years back: if you want to truly punish yourself and hone your precision to a razor fine edge, try running through a song at half speed.  Try to cut that in half again.  You will never see skilled musicians doubt their own abilities when each flubbed chord, each sour note, each early cymbal crash rings out like a screamed expletive during an Easter Sunday mass.  Sludge.  Doom.  Funeral doom.  These aren’t “easier” versions of metal when they’re played with the ferocious intensity and terrifying precision of a group as remarkable as Owlcrusher.  This Northern Irish trio has been ripping for nearly a decade and have justself-released their debut LP: their combination of glacial riffing, blistering vocals, and sludge chaos have caused ripples in the underground metal press.

From the opening of “Feeble Preacher”, the whole mammoth affair has a delightfully unsavory flavor: even the ambient tones recall the scuzzy industrial planetscapes of Eraserhead.  But when the trio comes to life, the sheer scope is undeniably menacing.  With three tracks spread across 45 minutes, each song embraces sprawl and space: the reverb heavy drum tone pounds like the pulse of a leviathan.  The low end guitar tone crackles with fuzz, while the bass rumbles so menacingly that, with the right sound system, you may get your guts churning like you’ve just been forced to smoke a whole pack of unfiltered cigarettes – you’ve got the cold sweats, your insides feel poisoned, and you’re probably gonna puke, but god damn it you’re hooked.  Speaking of poisoned viscera, guitarist/vocalist Andrew Spiers sounds like he’s been living on an unholy mix of crematory ashes and sulphuric acid, in the best way possible.  His whispers, shrieks, and guttural moans weave through the massive spaces between riffs and fills, creating unbearable tension before retreating to the shadows for some triumphant guitar solos.

Title track (band theme song?) “Owlcrusher”has an undeniably catchy guitar hook that repeats, harmonizes, and curls on itself in the final few minutes, settling into a groove so sweet it’s nearly human – before collapsing into sublime, shrieking feedback and demonic wails.  But don’t let Spiers’ almost classic metal riffs, harmonies, and trills fool you: “Owlcrusher” is a punishing, depressive experience.  Closing track “Spoiler” feels like a real-time treatise on decay.  For a brief span, Hobson and McKeown drop out entirely, and their absence highlights their crucial, precise rhythmic balance to Spiers’ looser, sludgy guitars.  When the trio reasserts itself in the album’s closing minutes, the lurching propulsion is as exhilarating as funeral doom gets.  With a debut this dirty, this skilled, and this menacing, I hope to hell I don’t have to wait nearly a decade for more Owlcrusher.

“Owlcrusher” is available digitall here and on limited cd here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook