Release Date: December 10th 2021. Record Label: BSFD Records. Format: DD/CD/Vinyl
Memorial - Tracklisting
1.Into The Soil 00:52
2.Follow This Land 05:10
3.Spring Of The Abyss 09:23
4.In The Hiatus Fall 07:13
5.Memorial 05:05
6.Lost Undone 06:10
7.Of Trees And Fire 08:24
8.At The Edge Of Melting Point 03:51
Members
Bartosz Janik - guitars, synths, vocals
Jan Rutka - bass, vocals
Kamil Ziółkowski - drums, vocals
Review
Memorial is the fourth album from Progressive Doom/Space/Stoner Metallers Spaceslug and sees the band joining the bleak mystical sounds of their last few releases with their earlier albums Psychedelic Space Rock outlook. The album is a major return to form after the bleakness of 2018’s Eye The Tide. An album that I love now but struggled initially at first. However, no such issues with Memorial. As Spaceslug are bang on point doing what they do best.
Perhaps considered the “Mastodon” of the famed Polish Doom/Stoner Metal Scene well I least consider them as this. Memorial definitely has a certain “Crack The Skye” flavour with the intricate progressive melodies held on the album. There is a real soulful identity to this album and it also contains that “magical” Space Rock rhythms that Spaceslug are known for.
The album equally balances the uplifting grooves and the darker progressive Sludgy and Gloomy based Psychedelic Doom riffs which you get a proper taste of in the excellent few songs of: Into The Soil, Follow This Land and Spring Of The Abyss. The vocals are stunning and you can feel real emotional depth to the vocals and lyrics contained on this album.
The Psychedelic Cosmic vibes of the album may be considered the true “engine” of this album but the vocals are the true “heart and soul” of this release. Spaceslug moves effortlessly from different styles of modern sounding Psych Doom/Stoner Metal with each song. The album has a real Ambient and Post-Rock flow which you can hear on Spring Of The Abyss, In The Hiatus Fall and Memorial.
The later stages of the album may contain the heaviest and gloomiest moments on the record but end this album on a real high. Exquisite vocal melodies rule supreme throughout the entire record and when the harsher growls do appear they’re equally moving as the clean ones.
Memorial is backed up by first rate production values which isn’t surprising since all of Spaceslug’s releases sound excellent.
Spaceslug are the best band from the Polish Doom/Stoner Metal scene and Memorial proves that fact time and time again. This is my favourite album from Spaceslug and without doubt is one of the best Doom/Stoner Metal releases of the year.
WOW. End Of.
Words by Steve Howe
Memorial is available to buy now on DD. CD in early Jan 2022 and Vinyl in Summer 2022.
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