Release Date: October 13th 2024. Record Label: Wet Records. Format: Digital Download
Sludgehammer - Track Listing:
Sludgehammer
Praise The Sacrifice
Members
Mário Fonteles - Guitar and Vocals
Anastácio Júnior - Guitar and Vocals
Kevin Cavalcante - Drums
Jonatas Monte - Bass
Review
Brazilian Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metallers Void Tripper returns with a new double single Sludgehammer / Praise The Sacrifice. The new release is a different beast compared to their acclaimed debut album DOPEFIEND with the band wanting to move into other areas of music such as Grunge, Fuzz and Psych Rock. There were moments of that music on their debut album but this time it’s more fully fleshed out here with progressive melodic structures and with political commentary coming into focus with the lyrics that Void Tripper have written for both tracks.
Sludgehammer opens with a wicked Drum solo from new member Kevin Cavalcante with flashes of guitars and bass slowly appearing. There’s a controversial Donald Trump soundbyte to show you where this track is heading with Void Tripper becoming quite politically motivated within both tracks. Shades of NOLA SLUDGE reigns supreme here with nods to bands such as DOWN, CROWBAR and Corrosion Of Conformity being heard. The vocals are harsh but quite easy to understand. The sludgy aesthetics are there but it’s the aggressive FUZZED UP levels that make the most impression with the band sounding vastly different to their debut album.
Praise The Sacrifice is a less dramatic affair with the stripped back vocals showing another different side to Void Tripper though it’s the music that makes the most impression with the stylish Sludge/Stoner Metal sound aiming for a bombastic style of Psych Rock and NOLA that joins forces for a gloomy atmospheric sound. The later stages become mostly DOOM and GLOOM obsessed with some epic flashes of killer guitar solos along the way.
I can see why Sludgehammer was chosen as the main single for Void Tripper to release here though Praise The Sacrifice is still a great track within its own right. Sludgehammer delves into the current political climate that’s happening all over the world and the track is quite daring in many ways which could see Void Tripper becoming one of the boldest bands to look out for in 2025 when their new album will hopefully be released.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Ygor at Wet Records for the promo.
Sludgehammer is set to be released digitally on October 13th via the American label Wet Records.
Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/voidtripperband
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/voidtripperdoom/
Bandcamp: https://voidtripperdoom.bandcamp.com
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0u26mTrsDxNiMa2yEiWc4e
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe69fs3XH1_NhoFerpmzB6A
