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
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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