Dope
Rider –
Tracklisting
1.Dope
Rider pt. 1 05:13
2.Dope
Rider pt. 2 08:05
Review
Underground UK Sludge Metallers – Kurokuma – return with their
latest EP – Dope Rider. This is a concept EP based on the legendary
comic strip of the same name written by Paul Kirchner for High Times
beginning in the 1970s.
I
only know a little bit of both Dope Rider and Paul Kirchner. As one
of my pals is a huge fan of Paul’s work and he provided me on the
backstory of Dope Rider before writing this review. Though I’m only
here to concentrate on the music. If you want to find out more about
Dope Rider and Paul Kirchner then I suggest you head over to Paul
Kirchner’s brilliantly entertaining blog here.
Anyway.
Kurokuma have recently gained some major attention being part of the
recently released documentary – The Doom Doc. As Joe Allen from the
band is part of Holy Spider Promotions which is the major focus of
the acclaimed documentary. So any new music from Kurokuma is only a
good thing.
And
they deliver the goods with this fucked up heavy sludge metal assault
on the senses. The EP contains 2 songs and lasts for 13 minutes.
Kurokuma create brutally heavy progressive Doom/Sludge Metal sounds.
Maybe taking influence from CONAN but still creating their own
distinctive style of music.
The
vocals are brutally raw and real. This is perhaps Kurokuma’s most
grittiest and most realised record to date. Its’ best to listen
judge this EP as one epic song instead of two parts. The music is
constantly bleak and Kurokuma try their hand at different things on
Dope Rider.
The
overall sound is perhaps one the best parts of the EP. Which isn’t
surprising since Sam Thredder (Slabdragger) recorded the EP and Chris
Fielding (CONAN) mixed and mastered the EP. So what you have here on
Dope Rider is the one of the best upcoming UK Sludge Metal bands
working with two of the most highly regarded UK Doom Metal musicians
and the results are amazing.
Words
by Steve Howe
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