Release
date: November 03rd 2017. Label: Crypt Of The Wizard Records.
Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
Stoic - Tracklisting
1.Nothing
Dreamt 08:48
2.Blue
Robe 03:54
3.Ruptured
Earth (Head In Sand) 06:11
4.Faeder
Ure 04:12
5.SKHUL
V 08:07
6.SKHUL
VI 12:09
Members
Alex
Wilson: Bass guitar, Piano, Percussion, Vocal
Paul
Antony: Drums, Percussion, Programming, Vocal
Oliver
Martin: Guitar, Keys, Percussion, Vocal
Review
UK
Psych/Sludge Rockers - Ghold - return with their new album - Stoic.
This sees the band return with a more offbeat and experimental
offering compared to their previous albums. Adapting a more Melvins
style approach with their music. Stoic is deliriously heavy with
moments of Sludge driven Noise/Doom/Psych Experimental Rock Music
allowing Ghold once again to stand out from the crowd.
Opening
track Nothing Dreamt is nine minutes of dark twisted sludge/doom
metal madness. Even with the song being primarily a Doom/Sludge Metal
song it's good to see Ghold embracing a more Post-Punk sound. It
allows Ghold to be heavy and restrained at the same time. The vocals
from are vastly different from previous albums and the psychedelic
noises only offer a brief glimpse in what is to follow.
Second
track Blue Robe opens with post-rock/ambient sound with earthly
vocals being sung in the background. This is a stark contrast to the
opening track even when Ghold start to add heavier strands of music
to party. The song has an eighties synth vibe that would feel right
at home on a classic Michael Mann film such as Thief or Manhunter. A
very gloomy and abstract song that makes you wonder which direction
this album is heading into next. This is one of the best tracks on
the album. It's not the heaviest but it's quite emotional in places
and shows you how daring Ghold are with their music.
Third
track Ruptured Earth (Head In Sand) returns Ghold to the forefront of
their Doom/Sludge sound but with a more industrialized feel. Not
quite Godflesh but it almost goes down that route. The vocals and
lyrics work superbly well with the fast-paced and distorted music
Ghold create here. There are even a few cool riffs to head-bang to as
well.
The
second half of the album sees Ghold continue their weird experimental
journey into new levels of heaviness for the band with fourth track
Faeder Ure being a more doom/drone track that doesn't offer any
genuine excitement. Though the album returns to winning ways with the
two part combination of SKHUL V & SKHUL VI offering twenty two
minutes of finely tuned experimental Doom/Sludge Metal.
It
may take some time for the heavy riffs to appear but Ghold expertly
build up the anticipation for some of the albums heaviest and
standout moments. Ghold have never released the same album twice.
Each album they've released so far has all sound so vastly different
to each other. it seems Ghold want to explore as many different
musical avenues they possibly can.
On
this form I hope they carry on as Stoic is perhaps their best album
to date. Let’s see what the next album brings..
Words
by Steve Howe
Thanks to Lauren at
Rarely Unable for the promo. Stoic is available to buy now on
CD/DD/Vinyl via Crypt Of The Wizard Records.
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