Release Date: May 5th 2023. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD
Orichalcum: Tracklisting
Yonder
Opal
Vagrant
Bloodbound
Members
Jacopo Cautela - Guitar/Vocals
Stephen Drive - Bass
Vlario Livera: Drums/Guitar/Vocals
Review
Orichalcum is the new album from Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metallers SLUGG who embrace the darker side of WEEDIAN and Post-Metal sounds with a ferocious metallic edge that can be quite unforgiving in places. The Psychedelic elements can be quite Progressive with SLUGG drawing vast influences from bands such as YOB, Pallbearer, ISIS, High On Fire and Mastodon. The vocals have a "rough in the diamond" Sludge/Punk attitude for the clean vocals and a more extreme side of the harsh growls that appear quite convincingly early on with the album.
SLUGG offers four tracks on the album with them running between ten minutes and twelve minutes in length. The grooves go through a wide range of emotions and styles with subtle production values allowing the band to do their own thing on the more outlandish heavier moments on the album. Orichalcum also benefits from cool sounding experimental Ambient Post-Rock textures which transcend into heavier Post-Metal themes especially on the excellent opening track Yonder.
Yonder allows SLUGG to develop their own Sludge/Post-Metal sound with a Progressive vibe allowing the Doom/Stoner Metal parts of the track to appear organically. The song has it's fair share of extended Sludgy instrumental jams which culminates in a high amount of RIFFS. SLUGG do offer a more Alternative approach towards the later stages of the track with the vocals impressing the most.
Second track Opal is the longest track on the album, running way over the twelve minutes mark. There's a sense of weariness and trepidation on the early stages with those Ambient Post-Rock sounds slowly merging into a more gloomier style of music. The Progressive textures have a slight ISIS (The Band) influence with the music slowly changing into a heavier direction. The distorted grooves allow the vocals to move and fully take over. Though, it's the music and SLUGG's steely determination to deliver something different that allows this to be the standout track on the album. Opal features slightly bleak and depressing strands of WEEDIAN music which become part of the album's creative DNA for the rest of the album.
The final two tracks Vagrant and Bloodbound carry on with the same creative structure as Yonder and Opal but with more reliance on SONIC activity and experimentation. Vagrant itself offers some of the heaviest and harshest movements on the album. The Psychedelic parts of both tracks can be quite hostile and unforgiving to listen to but there are some uplifting moments of Psychedelic Metal and Post-Rock/Metal with the lyrics being compared favourably to YOB and Pallbearer.
Orichalcum is an adventurous album that allows SLUGG to play many different strands of music within the Sludge/Doom/Stoner Metal underground scenes. They bring a sense of confidence that is quite refreshing to hear in today's scene. The album won't be for everyone but if you can last the journey then SLUGG will reward the listener with a stunning record that offers KILLER and EXCITING grooves throughout.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
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