TOP 16 ALBUMS: The Sour 16 (September 2017)

Allow yourself to indulge in a hefty dose of riffs, because it is time to present 16 of the best albums from September, 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 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). Boris - "Dear"(623)

From the opening track, “D.O.W.N. –Domination of Waiting Noise–“, Boris conveys punishing volume so effectively that your ears will ache at practically any level.  Every note and every layered vocal has been obsessed over, placed perfectly in the mix, and acts as a distillation of twenty-five years of intense collaborative synthesis.

15). Order - "Lex Amentiae" (637)

This is harsh, in-your-face, old-school black metal. From the opener "Winter" onward, Order stakes a claim to the thorny crown with its barbarous shrieks, lumbering bass and unyielding guitars.

14). Biblical - "The City That Always Sleeps" (679)

“Mature Themes,” the opening track and lead-off single, certainly showcases a barrage of noise that hits like a barbed-wire baseball bat, but rather than making miles doing this sludgy-psych thing, Biblical branches out far and wide, traversing sonic landscapes that are as vast as the country the band calls home.

13). Major Kong - "Brace for Impact" (713)

Poland's Major Kong tests the limits of music with its new recording, "Brace for Impact." The eight-song release is entirely instrumental and rooted in a science fiction theme. Heady indeed, but Major Kong give you a dense, impressive album regardless.

12). Made Of Teeth- "Made Of Teeth" (721)

Made Of Teeth have produced a confident, punchy, and savage debut that provides the listener with labyrinthine levels of surprises around each corner.

11). Monarch - "Never Forever" (784)

Monarch orchestrates layers upon layers of sound that roil gently like a dirty bayou. Bresson's vocals – from plaintive wisps to growls and beyond – make Monarch unlike anything else you hear in doom or drone. Such innovation is why the outfit has cultivated a devoted following throughout their extensive career. Never Forever" gives you a side of Monarch that is rarely seen, and is indicative of a fearless performance. Drone is seldom this accessible, or distinguished.

10). Usnea - "Portals Into Futility" (815)

The guitars are thoroughly dissonant and murky, the bass is husky and drums voluminous. Then there are the vocals, which feel like they're being delivered with the sort of urgency of someone trapped at the bottom of a deep well. The whole composition of the record is just magnificent for doom fans.

9). Queens of the Stone Age - "Villains" (1040)

The musicianship is some of the best out there, and QOTSA knows its lane and sticks with it. Suffice to say, if you are already a QOTSA fan, chances are this recording will not disappoint, or may just a little. For others, there is an entirely different dialogue.

8). Ufomammut - "8"(1078)

The time signatures will still have you scratching your head and the chugging rhythms are no less heady as they are pummeling. The choice to structure songs rather than to orchestrate them means that the ideas unfold quicker than what we’re used to. A totally different listening experience, sure, but it’s one that offers yet another opportunity to throw some quality, heavy psychedelic doom on the turntable.

7). Spirit Adrift - "Curse of Conception" (1119)

“Curse of Conception” is a glorious success and a dazzling evolution of an already excellent band. 

6). Dyscarnate- "With All Their Might" (1181)

For those death metal fans expecting endless blasting, look elsewhere. For those who want a pit destroying festival of riffs: look no further. This is Dyscarnate’s best album so far and a real beast of modern death metal.

5). With The Dead - "Love From With The Dead" (1401)

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.

4). Belphegor - "Totenritual" (1802)

Once again, as they have over the vast majority of their discography, Belphegor has produced an excellent album of the best blackened death metal. This is every bit as good as anything else the band has put out from one of the best extreme bands in the world, no question.

3). Satyricon - "Deep Calleth Upon Deep" (1914)

 ‘Deep Calleth Upon Deep’ is something of a spiritual successor to ‘Rebel Extravaganza’ in that the goal appears to have been to take an established sound and create the weirdest, artsiest version of it they could and there is evidence of a sweeping creative resurgence throughout the album as a whole.

2). Monolord - "Rust" (2105)

Monolord hits all the superlative notes when it comes to doom and the album's closing tracks, "Forgotten Lands" and "At Niceae," are as close to perfect as you can get.

1). Paradise Lost - "Medusa"(5226)

Depthless despair, thick production with pounding drums accentuating the force of the material and those classic melodic leads are all encompassing, making this their heaviest album  in years and amongst their best. “Medusa” can and will turn you to stone- as you will be shocked and stilled by just how good it is.

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

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