Release Date: May 24th 2024. Record Label: Totem Cat Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
Broke Sabbath: Tracklisting
1.LIFE KILLS YOU 03:26
2.TRUCKSTOP WARLOCK 05:35
3.A.B.A.C. 07:17
4.SHLAGHAMMER 05:04
5.ROCK SLOCK 08:31
6.UNIWORSE 04:23
7.SULTANS OF SIN 05:04
Review
Sludge Metallers Dopethrone return after a lengthy six year absence with their new album Broke Sabbath which is a grimy, nihilistic and pissed off take on their normal blend of down-tuned Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal. As the title suggests there’s a slight influence of Black Sabbath in the air but this album is more closely linked to the likes of Electric Wizard, THOU, Bongzilla and Weedeater with the seedy sounds that appear on the album.
Dopethrone are wildly chaotic and offers many unexpected movements of Sludge Metal on this album which we haven’t heard from the band before. There’s raw sounding production techniques used throughout the album that allows Dopethrone to achieve maximum WEEDIAN effect which gives their music a more violent feel.
Opening track Life Kills You is a fast-paced and aggressive affair with the downbeat energy appearing within the lyrics and vocals delivered through the track. The sound is helped by a buoyant and nasty soundclip that gives the track a more self aware feeling whilst allowing Dopethrone to become masters of their sinister domain. The instrumental sounds are down-tuned and quite vicious but there’s some fantastic riffs waiting to be heard which the band conjure up more despairing instrumental jams.
Second track Truckstop Warlock has a creepy CHURCH OF MISERY essence with its bass heavy atmosphere merged with the AMPLIFIER WORSHIP style of downtrodden Stoner Metal making a welcome appearance. The vocals are harsh and coarse but always brutally effective. The SABBATHIAN experience only tells half the story with Dopethrone slowly creating their own definitive style of music with the sludgy and psychedelic guitars leading the way.
Third track A.B.A.C. is one of the heaviest and nastiest tracks on the album but given a slightly demonic and satanic touch. Dopethrone adds a slight Progressive sound where the music is dominated by long drawn out sludge metal grooves and devilish vocals conspiring for perhaps one of the best tracks that the band have written to date. The LOW & SLOW methodology of delivering punishing grooves works amazingly well with the raw sound that dominates the grimy landscape on this track and for the remainder of the album.
Dopethrone do play some classic Doom/Sludge Metal guitar shredding throughout various stages on the album which gives this album a more riff-centric sound even when they blend harsh Psychedelic and WEEDIAIN influences into the mix especially on tracks such as A.B.A.C, Shlaghammer and Rock Slock.
Fourth track Shlaghammer sees Dopethrone continue to play and perfect their own unique style of LOW & SLOW sounds with a punishing underground essence which allows their music to become more DOOM & GLOOM obsessed but still with a healthy sideline in Sludge Metal aggression. There’s a mean creative energy that appears with Shlaghammer with moments of Droned Out Stoner Metal jams with the guttural vocals allowing Dopethrone to remain firmly in the darkness.
The next few tracks of Rock Slock. Uniworse and Sultans Of Sin has moments of epic and maddening guitar shredding with the seedy Psychedelic grooves aligning themselves further to the harsh vocals and brutal lyrical content that are some of the heaviest and bleakest tracks on the album. However, there’s moments of great humour that appears here and there which still allows Broke Sabbath to be have a thrilling “FUCK IT” experience especially on Sultans Of Sin.
Broke Sabbath is Dopethrone most outlandish and one of their heaviest records to date that will keep their legion of fans brilliantly entertained for a very long time to come. As this is perhaps their best album in years. Awesome. End Of.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Purple Sage for the promo.
Broke Sabbath is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Totem Cat Records.
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