Release Date: 16th February 2024. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD
The Cull - Tracklisting
Don’t Trust Morning People
It Always Snow In South America
Kuru
Birth Is A Rope/Death Is A Knot
Pulling Teeth (Spitting Blood)
Youth For Euthanasia
Aorta
Feral
Review
The Cull is the debut album from Crossover/Groove/Sludge Metallers Verminthrone who describe themselves as Sludgecore but there’s a lot more to the band than that description. As the band play elements of Crust Punk, Doom Metal and Stoner Metal for a sound that is quite nasty with brutal beats and breakdowns that elevates the album to high levels of PISSED OFF volumes.
The vocals are quite content remaining in the heavier realm with a never-ending supply of death based growls, grunts and chants throughout the record. The Cull is quite thorough with the Crossover/Thrash grooves that appear within the early stages of the album with the Sludgecore aspects allowing Verminthrone to play some outstanding Doom/Sludge extended instrumental passages on tracks such as Don’t Trust Morning People and It’s Always Snows In South America where a sublime NOLA based aspect starting to form.
The music is constantly fast paced with the band playing some subtle screeching guitars that provide an unsettling mood. However, there’s some epic melodic moments on the album which will surprise many though Verminthrone impresses greatly on the more violent Sludge/Thrash/Groove Metal aspects of the album.
There’s an excellent STONER creative energy within the album even if it’s fuelled by bleak cynicism that appears within the excellent lyrics written for the record. The album feels inspired by bands such as POWER TRIP, DOWN, LAMB OF GOD, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, METALLICA and SLAYER with Verminthrone blasting their way through a classic style of 1980’s Thrash Metal, 1990’s Groove Metal and modern day aspects of Doom/Sludge Metal that all providing an refreshing style of HEAVY METAL to devour audiences with.
Other standout tracks include: Kuru, Birth Is A Rope/Death Is A Knot, Youth For Euthanasia and Feral with some of these songs marching confidently into Progressive Sludge territory and small traces of Psychedelic sounds starting to dominate in the background.
The Cull runs around thirty seven minutes in length but feels much longer which is another highlight of the album. With excellent production values which are handled by Tom Dring at The Arch Recording Studios (Dragged into Sunlight, Dvne, Venom Prison) allowing Verminthrone to destroy everything within its path and release an album that’s superbly entertaining and one that is always constantly engaging from start to finish.
Verminthrone may have opened the door for an exciting career and future for themselves within the UK/European Sludge Metal Scene with The Cull. Ignore this great album at your own peril. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Verminthrone for the promo.
The Cull will be available to buy on DD from Friday 16th February 2024.
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