ALBUM REVIEW: With The Dead - "Love From With The Dead"

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 22/09/2017

Label: Rise Above Records

The opening quartet of tracks here offers up a relentless onslaught of earth-shaking doom. Tim Bagshaw is on fine form, unleashing an endless stream of mammoth riffs and lead guitar that channel the hazy evil of his finest moments in Ramesses.  Lee Dorrian’s half spoken, half roared vocals work well in amongst the carnage and are a breath of fresh air in the modern doom landscape.

“Love From With The Dead” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Isolation

2). Egyptian Tomb

3). Reincarnation of Yesterday

4). Cocaine Phantoms

5). Watching the Ward Goes By

6). Anemia

7). CV1

The Review:

The future of With The Dead seemed bleak following the sudden dismissal of Mark Greening shortly after the release of their debut. New LP “Love From With The Dead” shows there is plenty of life left within these undead servants of the riff.

It’s noticeable even from the bowel-churning opening notes of “Isolation” that “Love From With The Dead” is a different proposition from the band’s debut. Fortunately there is no change on the punishing heaviness front, but the strange atmosphere of their first album has been supplanted by a more conventional production and sound that befits the development of With The Deadfrom a studio project to a full live band. 

The opening quartet of tracks here offers up a relentless onslaught of earth-shaking doom. Tim Bagshaw is on fine form, unleashing an endless stream of mammoth riffs and lead guitar that channel the hazy evil of his finest moments in Ramesses, particularly during the epic churn of “Egyptian Tomb”. Lee Dorrian’s half spoken, half roared vocals work well in amongst the carnage and are a breath of fresh air in the modern doom landscape. The new rhythm section of Leo Smee and Alex Thomasdo a grand job of laying down an unshakeable foundation of low-end filth. 

With The Dead could probably draw upon an infinite well of sludged-up ragers like “Reincarnation Of Yesterday” and “Anemia” but it’s the deviations from the script that lead to the album’s finest moments. “Watching The Ward Go By” is a haunting and crushing dirge built around a single, desolate chord sequence. It emerges from a fog of eerie faraway sounds as a hushed, funereal hymn with Lee Dorrian’s spoken intonations heightening the dread. Around the mid-point the track erupts into a distorted nightmare that wrings maximum torment from the glorious monotony.

The best is saved for last in the form of the monstrous 17 minute “CV1”. It begins in familiar territory with lumbering riffs acting as a perfect foil to Dorrian’s impassioned rant about the sad decline of his home of Coventry. Around the mid-point the band lock into a minimal droning groove that the band hammer into oblivion. This acts as the backdrop for swirling psychedelic sounds and a rising tide of harsh electronic squall that finds With The Dead moving into a higher dimension of dark, mind-expanding noise.

“Love From With The Dead” could probably do with trimming some of its mammoth sixty minute plus duration to maximise impact but this is a minor complaint. This is a massive offering from With The Dead that demonstrates the band are still a force to be reckoned with in terms of heaviness and hints at a weirder future ahead.  

“Love From With The Dead” is available here

Band info: facebook

RIFF REWIND (19/5/2014): Serpentine Path - "Emanations"

Serpentine Path circa 2014

“Emanations” was the sophomore album from NYC doom super group SERPENTINE PATH.  The band’s 2012 self-titled debut was a boldly grim statement of unforgiving misanthropy that referenced both the filthy riffs of Autopsy and the stoney doom of Sleep.  Now officially augmented by second guitarist Stephen Flam, the mastermind behind NYC doom/death legends Winter, SERPENTINE PATH were truly a heavy metal all-star team (the band also features current and former members of doom legends Electric Wizard, Unearthly Trance and Ramesses).  Sure, the pedigree is undeniable, but regardless of their ‘members of’ status, SERPENTINE PATH were one of the heaviest bands on the planet.  Although there is no word on the current status of the band, Unearthly Trancereformed and Tim Bagshaw formed With The Dead with former Cathedral front man Lee Dorian.  SERPENTINE PATH released a previously unreleased song called “Venom” on August 26, 2015 which is available via their bandcamp page, but today our focus is on their sophomore release “Emanations” as we rewind the riffs 3 years ago to the day and look back at this masterpiece of doom which was reviewed by Richard Maw on 19/5/2014.

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Release: 23/5/2014

Label: Relapse Records

It is with a great pleasure that I can say Serpentine Path have returned and consolidated the reputation built on the first album. This is an example of the genre done right- the essence of metal is here with all the horror and darkness you could wish for. Gripping and repulsive all at the same time.

“Emanations” CD//DD//LP tracklisting :

1). Essence of Heresy (03:48)

2). House of Worship (04:17)

3). Treacherous Waters (07:46)

4). Claws (07:31)

5). Disfigured Colossus (05:59)

6). Systematic Extinction (07:15)

7). Torment (08:25)

The Review:

Serpentine Path return with their second LP of hate filled doom/death. The band's pedigree (Electric Wizard, Ramesses et al) is well known, so let's cut to the music.

First off, this is destined to be one of the genre's greatest releases this year. It is an excellent record. From “Essence of Heresy” onwards, the record oozes menace and horror. The tempos are slow and the riffs suitably snaking, creeping forward with insistence.

“House of Worship” is slightly quicker with riffs/lead work that recalls the early 90's DM scene. Think Obituary, not Cannibal Corpse, though. “Treacherous Waters” ups the song length and downs the tempo to a crawl. The vocals are brutal, the drums slow, the riffs stellar. There is something very nasty about the vibe of the album- in that regard it carries on the work of the superb self-titled debut. Grim stuff, and compelling to listen to with it- the track has double bass drums, good riffs and progressions and that intangible extra quality of unpleasantness.

“Claws” has a lovely downtrodden and sinister guitar refrain in the intro as the song builds up the sense of dread and paranoia. Again, the deathly vibes are there along with the doom- not as overtly as Hooded Menace, say, but present all the same. This is doom, no doubt, but with a strong injection of the slower elements of death metal as well- and it makes the band unique.

“Disfigured Colossus” brings the band to the latter half of the album and it sounds as the title reads- massive, hulking and ugly. The track fits perfectly as a set up for “Systematic Extinction”. Seven minutes of pitch black darkness. The grooves created are head nodding, to say the least, and the overall effect is of a car crash happening in front of you in slow motion.

“Torment” finishes this doom colossus with well over eight minutes of iron-fisted spite. The song is a good example of what Serpentine Path are all about- unstoppable riffs and rhythms that just keep moving forward, crushing all in their path.

It is with a great pleasure that I can say Serpentine Path have returned and consolidated the reputation built on the first album. This is an example of the genre done right- the essence of metal is here with all the horror and darkness you could wish for. Gripping and repulsive all at the same time.

Band info: Facebook|| Bandcamp

ALBUM REVIEW: Dead Witches - "Ouija"

By: Josh Nichols

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 10/02/2017

Label: Heavy Psych Sounds

This is another perfectly fuzzed out slab of doom from a band that doesn’t seem to know any other way.

“Ouija” CD//DD//LP track lisiting:

1.Intro
2. Dead
3. Drawing Down The Moon
4. Ouija
5. Mind Funeral
6. A World of Darkness

The Review:

Dead Witches is the latest incarnation of occult doom perpetrated on an unsuspecting world by Mark Greening (former Electric Wizard, also of Ramesses, With The Dead) and vocalist Virginia Monti (Psychedelic Witchcraft). With the help of Carl Geary on bass and the dearly departed Greg Elk on guitar, they have churned forth “Ouija” for your consideration, meditation and devastation. They aren’t trying to reinvent the genre here.  With their history and pedigree, you wouldn’t expect them to.  This all to brief slab of sludgy goodness is just the latest chapter in their already stellar careers.

“Ouija” creeks to life with a classic doom intro of rain on organ with cavernous guitar emanations, perhaps giving rebirth to the cover arts dead witch in the graveyard, courtesy of the always epic and over the top Goatess Doomwych. The intro gives way to “Dead”, a lumbering slow burn with crisp percussion and thick riffs, along with our first taste of Virginia Monti’s vocals, hazy and slightly distorted, with a tinny almost ham radio quality, like a voice from beyond.

On “Drawing Down the Moon” everybody flexes just a little. They take the tempo up a notch, Mark Greening gets loose on the kit, the riffs get thicker and more fuzzed out and the vocals wail and get more insistent as the song progresses. The back half of the track revs up to an unhinged gallop as Greg Elk works out a brief keening solo that struggles for life over the top of the jam session created by the rhythm section. The title track, “Ouija” follows, stepping the pace back to the lumbering burn of “Dead” but with a heavier back beat at the chorus.  This track is also the best showcase for Virginia Monti’s vocals, which find more range and swagger throughout. 

The final two tracks are a perfect pairing of heavy doom, and my favorites of the album.  “Mind Funeral” is the heaviest track and Mark Greenings finest behind the kit. Engulfed by a huge riff and a filthy vocal delivery from Monti, Greening throws away the wing nut on the high hat and proceeds to lay about the place, dealing fills at every opportunity for an epic highlight. They segue with ease as Greening cools it down with the 90 second intro to “A World of Darkness”. Everything goes quiet and a girls voice says “you’re gonna die up there” and they launch into another thundering riff, another stellar jam, another perfectly fuzzed out slab of doom from a band that doesn’t seem to know any other way.

“Ouija” is available to preorder buy here

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: 11Paranoias - “Reliquary for a Dreamed of World”

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 28/10/2016

Label: Ritual Productions

What sets 11PARANOIAS apart from other bands operating in the realms of psychedelic heaviness is the otherworldly atmosphere they conjure. Every note is enshrouded in a hazy fog that lends their music a darkly unsettling feel.

“Reliquary for a Dreamed of World” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Peripheral Metamorphosis

2). Destroying Eyes

3). Avallanius

4). Mutus Lieber

5). Meditation on the Void

6). Phantom Pyramid

7). Milk of Amnesia

The Review:

11PARANOIAS are a rare example of a super group that are as good, and possibly even better, than their constituent parts. Featuring Mike Vest (Bong, Blown Out, etc.) on guitar, Adam Richardson (Ramesses) on bass/vocals and Nathan Perrier (Capricorns) on drums, the band fully deliver on their impeccable heavy credentials, as demonstrated on previous LP “Stealing Fire From Heaven”. Expectations of greatness weigh heavy on new LP “Reliquary for a Dreamed of World” and 11PARANOIAS rise to the occasion and then some.

Opener “Peripheral Metamorphosis” wastes no time in getting down to business as the band launch straight into a huge, treacly riff. This track acts as a satisfying reminder of all that makes 11PARANOIAS great; minimal punishing riffs that bludgeon the listener senseless whilst elevating their consciousness to a higher plain, striking a delicate balance between hypnotic repetition and organic progression. What sets 11PARANOIAS apart from other bands operating in the realms of psychedelic heaviness is the otherworldly atmosphere they conjure. Every note is enshrouded in a hazy fog that lends their music a darkly unsettling feel. The band also show a rare grasp of dynamics, sometimes falling away to a hushed, restrained quiet that makes their ferocious onslaught all the more terrifying when it arrives.

11PARANOIAS marked themselves out previously by their inclusion of weirder elements that stretch beyond the standard boundaries of doom. “Reliquary for a Dreamed of World” sees them fully embrace these influences with incredible results. Monstrous, sixteen-minute highlight “Destroying Eyes” begins with their characteristic leaden riffs but as the track progresses the tempo slowly picks up until the track blossoms into a high octane stoner punk explosion. Relentless filthy baselines drive the track to ever-higher levels of intensity, a glorious racket that sounds like the Stoogesjamming with Acid Mothers Temple as Yobset the controls for the heart of the sun. “Phantom Pyramid” sees the band embrace extended periods of clean guitars to create an ominously intoxicating two chord slow burn that eventually erupts into molten distortion. This track sees them move away from doom to a more psychedelic rock sound although still crushingly heavy, like an iron-clad Bardo Pond.This bleeds seamlessly into the storming finale of “Milk of Amnesia”. Based mostly upon one churning riff of almost garage-rock simplicity, the band throws everything they have into a four minute adrenaline rush of primal ferocity. Its impact is all the more devastating in contrast to the longer, drawn out songs that precede and its unexpected immediacy makes for a brilliant end to the album.

“Reliquary for a dreamed Of World” is an incredible release from 11PARANOIAS. It sees the band raise their already impressive game to another plane with a cosmic onslaught on the senses that makes all other psychedelic doom bands sound like Oasis in comparison. This is the album that should make the band member’s other achievements irrelevant; what matters is that they were involved in the creation of this monumental record.

“Reliquary for a Dreamed of World” is available here

Band info: bandcamp|| facebook

EP STREAM & INTERVIEW: "Prepare for sonic detonation" as Wolves Carry My Name usher forth their "Black Earth Tongue"

Thrown into life amongst the nothingness of Siegen/Germany in 2011, Wolves Carry My Name play a bastardised infusion of 90s Sludge-Metal and ruthless Hardcore, making for an undulating sonic onslaught of blackness.

October 14^th will see Wolves Carry My Name release their latest EP in the form of “Black Earth Tongue” and today you can stream it in full below.  This one is guaranteed hyberbolic earworm for fans of Wolves in the Throne Room, Eyehatehod, Thou, Electric Wizard and Ramesses.  So if you like how that sounds, remember the three rules of Sludgelord, “Stop, Look, Listen” and prepare for sonic detonation.   Check out the EP and pre-order/buy it here

If that wasn’t enough, check out my short interview with drummer Moritz about the roots of the band and how the new record came together. 

SL: Can you give us an insight into how you started playing music, leading up to the formation of Wolves Carry My Name

Moritz (Drums) Yeah, sure. Back then in 2011 some of us were on the lookout for people to start a new band/project. At that time we didn't even really know each other. It pretty much was a typical “a friend of a friend knows someone, who might be into it” thing that made us connect with each other and so we somehow ended up jamming out some riffs together. That worked out way better than we'd ever expected and a couple of months later we were a band with an EP.

All of us have been in several bands before. Tobi played in a band blending Alternative Metal/Rock with some Stoner vibes, Adil and Konstantin were into Thrash and Death Metal while Dennis and me were rooted in the Hardcore scene and played in a band together. I think that our different backgrounds helped us a lot with getting this band started. You know, all the basics like 'how to write a song', having connections to the scene, bookers and so on.

SL:Although you are set to release “Black Earth Tongue” which will serve as your 2nd official release, For folks unfamiliar with your band, is there any bands on the scene past and present that you would use as a reference point to describe your band, and who or what continues to inspire you and push you to try new things?

Moritz: This is a tough one. Some of our influences are pretty obvious, I guess. You know, like Eyehategod, Weedeater, Iron Monkey, The Abominable Iron Sloth... the whole Sludge Metal starter pack. This might be the common sense we have. Of course, each of us has his own favorites. Some are into the classic Nola bands or prefer a more stoneresque sound, you know, like Elderfor example, some are into Post Metal, some like Crust, Hardcore, Black & Death Metal, Punk-Rock, Indie, Rap, 80s synth wave, whatever.

Not all of this is a real influence, but a lot of it inspires us in one way or another, maybe not even the style itself but the way some bands write songs, perform live, their artworks and attitude whatever. In the end each of us contributes his part. For me personally, Hang the Bastard were a huge influence, both their old and new stuff. I love that rough and angry hardcore energy mixed up with the Nola and Sabbath-riffing.

SL: What can you tell us about your upcoming record and where do you feel it sits within the context of current metal scene?

Moritz: After our first EP and the “Bone Carver” single we had trouble writing new stuff. We jammed out a shit load of riffs and had like up to twenty songs half finished. But it didn't even sound close to what we wanted it to sound. We also had some struggle because of the typical work issues. Some of us moved to other cities and it wasn't easy to manage the whole rehearsal and song writing process. It took us about two years and a serious period of laziness and bad mood to know where we wanted to go. We developed a more consistent sound. The songs are shorter and to the point, the riffs are bigger. It's pretty straight, pissed off and heavy. We skipped most of the atmospheric Post Metal influences and added a certain hardcore appeal. At least that's what it feels and sounds like to me. So long story short.. If you're into heavy riffs and pissed off vibes you should check out "Black Earth Tongue”.

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

Moritz:As I said before it was a long hard road with plenty of obstacles. We did a DIY pre-production in my apartment and the shitty drum machine sounds I used for the demo recordings (because I'm not a real technique freak or know much about programming drums) still haunt me. We've all put a lot of work and time into the production but it was worth it. We are really happy with the new songs. I think it really is a step up compared to the “Amongst Ruins And Ashes”-EP. After all the struggle with getting our shit together we now rehearse frequently and can't wait to play live again. Seems like the vibes in this band are way too positive for a nihilistic Sludge Metal band. Well, we'll be working on that, for now it feels really good.

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

Moritz:I remember the first day of recording very well. We hooked up with Manu (Parabol Audio), a really cool guy I know from a recording session in the past. He told us he wanted to try something different with the drums. So when we arrived in Viersen it turned out that I would record drums in a huge hall that was built for orchestras. The setting was really impressive and the sound was really BIG. I felt pretty important, too, more like I was recording takes for a new Pink Floyd album. I think the whole recording session was a cool experience for each of us. Working with Manu was really chilled and he did a damn good job.

SL:With a solid new album in the bag, how is your schedule shaping up over the next 12 months?

Moritz: We will play a couple of shows this year and we plan to do waaaaay more shows next year! So to each and every promoter/booker who likes the new songs: just drop us a line, we seriously want to play your favourite club, church, living room, whatever! We will continue writing new songs in the meantime. Next step is a full length album. We'll see!

SL: Finally, do you have any final comments/word of wisdom you’d like to bestow upon us?

Moritz: We just wanna thank you for your support, Aaron! We really appreciate the time you put into supporting small bands like us. Cheers to our UKfriends in Telepathy– check them out, if you're into mind-blowing atmospheric prog/post-metal!

Band info: facebook|| bandcamp