Release Date: December 31st 2023. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD
Sloth - Sloth - Tracklisting
Hit And Run
Heavy Duty Thunderbolt
Sloth
Members
Alex Al Zouri - Guitar
Tom Svoboda - Bass
Marian Musil - Drums
Review
This isn't the USA based Doom/Stoner Metal band SLOTH but the Instrumental Doom/Stoner Metal Sloth from Brno, Czech Republic. Both bands have even released a self-titled album but that's where the similarities end. As this version of Sloth play a good old fashioned style of Instrumental Doom/Stoner Metal with Heavy Psychedelic sounds that has a slight stripped back approach which is more closer to distorted Doom Metal with some vintage rhythms that crackles with highly kinetic FUZZ based energy.
The album runs for around thirty one minutes across three great tracks where Sloth will appeal to fans of bands such as Clouds Taste Satanic and Belzebong. The ever present Black Sabbath influence is there though Sloth adds moments of Classic Hard Rock and Post-Whatever vibes to present an album that isn't afraid to slow the pace right down for a more moody atmosphere that becomes slightly Blues Rock based on the gentler moments played on the record.
The album opens up with suped up and speed punk obsessed number Hit And Run. This allows Sloth to showcase their fantastic blend of raw-sounding street level instrumental Doom/Stoner Metal with a certain streetwise rhythm coming through the creative ranks. There's a few moments where Sloth plays a slower and stripped back style of Instrumental grooves which allows the FUZZ ROCK attitude of the album to become more dominant.
I would guess the "REAL MAGIC" of the album and where Sloth impresses the most is on the final two epic tracks of Heavy Duty Thunderbolt and Sloth. Both of these tracks combined offer twenty six minutes of intense grooves which brings a constant change in tone and melody when Sloth slows the mood right down before unleashing heavy duty AMPLIFIER DISTORTED sounds that can be quite deafening in places. The notes are perhaps slightly too drawn out in places but Sloth are quite inventive with their music especially within Heavy Duty Thunderbolt which has a nightmarish kaleidoscopic element when the screeching guitars appear.
The final track Sloth sees the band add a Progressive attitude to their music which doesn't distil the Psychedelic Doom/Stoner Metal flow at all. This is the most aggressive and maybe original composition held on the album. The sludgy guitars allows Sloth to add an extra layer of heaviness to their long drawn out instrumental style with a creepy Post-Doom/Post-Stoner movement that slowly transcends into epic Psychedelic Weedian jams.
Sloth's self-titled debut release is a quality sounding release that will impress the Instrumental Doom/Stoner Metal masses.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
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