Release Date: June 13th 2022. Record Label: Various. Format: CD/Cassette/DD/Vinyl
From Fiery Tongues - Tracklisting
Thawed Slag Blood
In The Dirt's Embrace
Adorned For Loathing Pigs
From Fiery Tongues
The Barren Aftermath
Members
Bobby Legaspi
Rallye Ibanez
Ronaldo Vivo
Ronnel Vivo
Review
From Fiery Tongues is the debut album from Basalt Shrine. A Sludge/Doom Metal band from The Philippines. This is perhaps my first exposure to heavy music from that part of the world and I'm mightily impressed by what I've heard. Slabs of Drone, Noise, Psych and Post-Metal combine with the trademark sounds of the Sludge and Doom Metal underground.
Parts CONAN, High On Fire and Mastodon with vocals that veer from gloomy chants and death based growls. There's a subtle Psych Doom atmosphere that has a slowly evolving Ambient texture for Basalt Shrine to run amok with.
Opening song Thawed Slag Blood is a Drone/Doom/Ambient Metal song with gloomy Occult vibes and creaking Ambient sounds for a very slow moving song. The song manages to be an interesting style of bleak creative choices and sounds with the band perhaps drawing influence from BONG and SUNN 0))). The vocals are purely long drawn out chants with a slightly SATANIC vibe.
Second song In The Dirt's Embrace is an almost eleven minute song that has extreme death based vocals with the music being a violently aggressive style of Sludge/Doom Metal with minimal Stoner grooves being added throughout. The Drone element is laid on pretty thick with a more Progressive flow allowing the distorted guitars and drums having a truly PRIMAL sound. Levels of DOOM based FUZZ flows freely at will. One of the standout tracks on the album with Basalt Shrine adding an early-era Mastodon and High On Fire mentality on the later stages of the song. I loved how the song slows down to a more soothing Post-Rock/Ambient Rock atmosphere that does have echoes of YOB and Neurosis.
Third song Adorned For Loathing Pigs as you can tell from the song title is another bleak exploration into the brutal side of Doom/Sludge Metal. The song carries a more nuanced Blackened Metal approach with the harsh/clean vocals bringing real substance to the album. The music is aggressively catchy with pounding drums and subtle downtuned guitars for a more DIY Psychedelic feel. The riffs are mostly long drawn out Drone based grooves. However, Basalt Shrine keep the mood engaging with their excellent use of Ambient/Psychedelic textures that become part of the band's musical DNA.
The final two songs From Fiery Tongues and The Barren Aftermath sees Basalt Shrine venture deeper within the Drone/Post-Metal rabbit hole with flashes of modernly progressive Stoner Metal whilst retaining the albums earlier DIY Sludge/Doom Metal Mood. Both of these songs are more direct with perhaps a Punk Rock feeling that allows the listener to be part of the action. The music on From Fiery Tongues may take some time to take shape but the Post-Metal riffs allow Basalt Shrine to create brilliant sounds of their own.
The Barren Aftermath is a great way to end the album with. Heavy pounding Post-Rock/Post-Metal atmospherics combine with Psychedelic Sludge/Doom Metal sounds for perhaps the standout track on the album. Quiet, Loud, Calm and Aggressive can all be used to describe this song. The song has a caustic stop/start approach with the slow paced nature of it all. The second half of the song becomes heavier and more primal but this shows how brilliantly talented Basalt Shrine actually are.
From Fiery Tongues is a tour-de-force of modern day Doom/Sludge Metal allowing Basalt Shrine to announce their arrival as truly important talent in the years to come.
The HYPE is real with Basalt Shrine. Ignore these guys at your peril. As this is a brilliant debut album that everyone should give attention to.
Words by Steve Howe
EUROPE
Electric Spark (Netherlands) / Vinyl: www.electricsparkrecords.com
Surrogate Rec. (Ukraine) / Jewel Case CD: www.surrogaterec.com
Cruel Nature Records (UK) / Special Edition Cassette Tape: cruelnaturerecordings.bandcamp.com
Three Moons Records (Poland) / Limited Edition Cassette Tape: www.threemoonsrecords.com
Aim Down Sight Records (Germany) / Limited Edition Cassette: aimdownsightrecords.bandcamp.com
USA
Electric Talon Records (Philadelphia) / Digipak CD / Cassette: www.electrictalonrecords.com
ASIA
PAWN (Ph) / Cassette Tape: pawnrecords.com
Harrowing Industries (Indonesia) / Digipak CD: harrowingindustries.bandcamp.com
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