Release Date: 02nd February 2024. Record Label: Bonebag Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl
Cataclysm - Tracklisting
1.Cataclysm
2.Flesh Wound
3.The Void
4.Only Violence
5.I.H.O.D.
6.Fauna
Members
Bass Guitars: Sean Durbin
Guitars: Sean Burn
Vocals and Lyrics: Craig Newman
Drums: Daniel England
Review
Cataclysm is the debut album from UK Psych/Doom/Stoner Metallers Troy The Band who impressed me with their 2022 release The Blissful Unknown where the band showcased their wicked blend of Doomgaze merged with Progressive Doom Metal textures with a subtle Psychedelic Rock sound.
Troy The Band changed their style ever so much for this release by employing a heavier Psychedelic Sludge sound with a distorted FUZZ based energy. Channelling bands such as Mars Red Sky, King Buffalo and Elephant Tree but with perhaps a heavier DOOM based appetite which allows the Doomgaze or Shoegaze element of their music to be the heaviest part of their music.
Opening track Cataclysm is fueled by dark surrounding sonic passages with Craig’s vocals having a more grounded and threatening presence compared to their debut EP. The song remains gloomy throughout with Troy The Band playing a great style of Trippy Psych jams and the heavier Sludgy grooves that’s dominated by a Post-Doom/Stoner Metal atmosphere which becomes more central to the bands creative ideas on later stages of the album.
Second song Flesh Wound is a more Progressive based song where the song is populated by distinctive extended instrumental movements which have that slight level of heaviness that moves the album to AMPLIFIER DISTORTION territory. The song has a bittersweet and melodic tone despite this track perhaps having the heaviest grooves on the whole album. There's moments of TORCHE's classic style of DOOM-POP laced within this song with some fantastic instrumental work by Sean Burn (Guitar), Sean Durbin (Bass) and Daniel England (Drums) creating a whirlwind of aggressive noise with pure headbanging riffs that allows Troy The Band to feel like they're delivering a Greatest Hits album instead of their debut release. Craig delivers another wonderfully spirited performance which can be tender one moment and outrageously aggressive the next.
Third song The Void opens with a subtle paranoid AMBIENT sound with the sludgy distorted guitars moving against a Post-Rock flow. The song even allows Troy The Band to inject a realistic Alt Rock movement into the album. The song is quite easy going with the superb Psychedelic parts soon changing into heavy levels of Doomed Out Stoner Metal. Troy The Band start to experiment with their sound by including a subtle Drone based energy without compromising their gloomy Doom-Pop vision. The later stages of the track allows the band to change their sound yet again for a thrilling conclusion of distorted and down-tuned energy.
The second half of the album continues with the twisted style of FUZZED UP Doom Metal with catchy Stoner Metal grooves being played with a more DEMONIC purpose especially on tracks Only Violence and Fauna. The sound of the whole album is vibrant, clear, crisp and allows the band to sound quite threatening when the time calls for this which becomes more commonplace on the second half of the album. Wayne Adams recorded, mixed and mastered the album and he delivers the goods yet again.
Troy The Band pay homage to the mighty BLACK SABBATH and SLEEP on this album with the tracks Only Violence and I.H.O.D. being perfect examples of this. The instrumental sounds are down-tuned to near perfection with a free-flowing Heavy Psychedelic attitude leading the listener into a powerful trance.
Cataclysm has everything you could possibly want or need from a debut album such as this. The record has powerfully seductive grooves from start to finish which leaves you wanting to hear more. Troy The Band could be headed for an exciting journey and building within the Doom/Stoner Metal underground scene that may lead them to playing some of the biggest stages within the scene sooner rather than later.
Cataclysm will be considered one of 2024's definitive Doom/Stoner Metal albums to be released and an early shout out as a potential Album Of The Year contender.
Simply unmissable. End Of.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Infecting Cells PR for the promo.
Cataclysm will be available to buy now on DD/Vinyl via Bonebag Records from Friday 2nd February 2024.
Links
Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram
