Release Date: August 18th 2023. Record Label: Various. Formats: Cassette/DD/Vinyl
Church Of Bong: Tracklisting
Bong Aeterna
Dies Bongrae
Members
Tommy
Ogo
Selly
Review:
Church Of Bong is the new album from German Doom/Stoner Metallers Earthbong that sees the band offer two epic songs lasting around twenty minutes each. The band have taken a more Drone Metal route for this album with the music being ultimately very slow compared to their previous releases. With a more subdued and distorted environment, Earthbong still focus upon playing that heavy “LOW & SLOW” approach that we’ve come to expect from the band. Sludgy Doom grooves are more progressive with the band reaching Doom/Stoner levels that will please fans of bands such as CONAN and YOB.
The vocals have a more primal energy to them when they finally appear on the excellent opening song of Bong Aeterna. The instrumental work is cold, calculating and quite methodical with how they deliver the bleak atmospherics for this track alone. There’s an almost Blackened Stoner Metal sound trying to burst out at the seams which comes mostly through the harsh vocals Earthbong deliver on this track. With the riffs being mostly long drawn out with some regular outbursts of short turbo-charged effects which can be quite freaky and psychedelic in places with a swirling Post-Doom attitude being quite deafening to listen to. The later stages channels bands such as UFOMAMMAUT and the mighty SLEEP but still being contained within Earthbong’s own creative DOOMED OUT realm.
Second song Dies Bongrae has a more deceiving attitude with the Drone/Doom Metal hybrid sound slowly working upto the Sludge/Stoner Metal grooves. The music is once again quite complex with that deliciously seductive and evil FUZZ sound running amok with a bleak bass guitar heaving feeling that draws comparisons to bands such as SLEEP, Electric Wizard and CONAN. The song is broken into different stages of HEAVINESS with each aspect focusing upon a different style of Doom/Stoner Metal with the heavy Sludgy creative forces moving along to a world-weary Drone Metal beat. This is perhaps the bleakest track on the album which sees Earthbong operate with a “LESS IS MORE” approach on this album which feels quite different when compared to their previous albums.
Church Of Bong is a mighty big step up for Earthbong to take creatively speaking. As they. Earthbong play a wide array of different sounding grooves that have an air of intelligence behind them. This is another fantastic and wonderfully entertaining release from the band and proves why they’re one of the best bands from the European Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal underground scene right now.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks Earthbong for the promo..
Church Of Bong will be released on the following formats listed below.
Church Of Bong - Digital (August 25th 2023)
Church Of Bong - Cassette via Evil Noise Recordings (August 25th 2023)
Church Of Bong - Vinyl via Black Farm Records (Late 2023)
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