Friday, 29 November 2019

ONHOU - Endling (Album Review)



Release date: November 30th 2019. Label: Lay Bare Recordings/Tartarus Records. Format: Cassette/DD/Vinyl

ENDLING – Tracklisting

Dire
March Retreat
Silence

Members

Henk - Bass
Alex - Guitar/vocals
Arnold - Drums
Florian- Keys/vocals

Review

Endling is the crushing new album from Doom/Drone collective ONHOU and it’s a heavy slab of crushing Doom Metal that’s pitch black and full of different exciting sounds. The album is bleak from the start with the down-tuned grooves and distorted vocals allow this album to fully consume your soul. The music is wild and vivid from the start with elements of Post-Metal, Doom, Sludge and Drone Metal allowing ONHOU to add a gloomy Psychedelic vibe to the whole flow of the album.

Opening song – DIRE – flirts between Post-Metal and Blackened Doom riffs with a heavy apocalyptic theme running throughout the song. The song has a lot a ground of cover with 17 minutes of pure punishing Doom/Drone grooves being played for both your pain and pleasure. The song is quite progressive but it’s the bleak atmosphere that allows ONHOU to have a dangerous and gloomy sound of their own. The band feel inspired by Neurosis, THOU and Wolves In The Throne Room. ONHOU never shy away from playing their music that’s packed full of manic and violent twisted energy.

Second song – March Retreat – opens with a standard Doom/Sludge Metal sound that soon adds a slightly disturbing Psychedelic vibe in the background and the vocals just command your attention. The sludgy progressive parts are the most interesting part of the song with the gloomy atmospherics allowing ONHOU to create a creepy and superbly entertaining blend of Extreme Metal.

Third song – Silence – offers one final round of Sludge/Doom/Drone Metal madness for ONHOU to impress you with. The eerie Psychedelic tones do their job superbly well again with the distorted vocals and sinister Doom riffs leave you wanting more. This is my favourite song on the album as it’s played at a deliberate slow pace but it has a more menacing tone and presence that sent chills down my spine.

Endling is an unflinching and unapologetic display of Sludge/Doom Metal that ranks as one of the heaviest and bleakest albums of the year. ONHOU take no prisoners with this album and that’s what makes this album such an AWESOME EXPERIENCE to listen to on these dark winter nights slowly coming in.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Order ENDLING:

Vinyl (LBR026) - https://laybarerecordings.com/release/endling-by-onhou-lbr026
Heavy weight 180gr 12” black or snow-white vinyl. With double-sided insert and single sleeve w/ 5mm spine.

Tape (TAR145) – https://shop.tartarusrecords.com

Limited edition of 100 cassettes housed in a die-cut cardstock case, housed in a screen-printed burlap bag.

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