Release Date: December 06th 2024. Record Label: Electric Witch Mountain Recordongs. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
DEEP SEVEN Vol I - Track Listing:
1.PALM DESERT Elegy Of The Past 09:22
2.MOUNTAIN OF MISERY Hollow Water 05:36
3.SOLAR TRIP Blueshift 06:18
4.SPACESLUG Lost In The Tide 07:36
5.GOZD Disguise The Emptiness 06:22
6.O.D.R.A Breslau Babilon 05:15
7.SEALESS Fading Away 04:30
Review
Deep Seven Vol I is a compilation album featuring perhaps the best bands from the Polish Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal scenes with heavyweights such as Palm Desert, Mountain Of Misery, Solar Trip. Spaceslug, GOZD, O.D.R.A and Sealess all perform tracks of new material that explores the whole underground scene that Poland has given to the world over the last decade or so.
The album is a stunning collection of outstanding tracks with heavy Psychedelic passages high on the agenda and subversive Sludgy grooves that have a thrilling dynamic to them with Palm Desert, Mountain Of Misery and Spaceslug being personal favourite bands of mine. Though, I have to say the tracks that impressed me the most were from Solar Trip, GOZD and Sealess which was a very cool surprise. I've only heard these bands in passing but their songs were technically impressive throughout with stunning musical melodies that have an air of classic Doom and Stoner passages to them.
We all know what Palm Desert, Mountain Of Misery and Spaceslug are capable of with their trademark heavy cosmic sounds which is no different here. Palm Desert offers a dreamlike Post-Rock sound with Elegy Of The Past that’s topped off with a muscular Post-Sludge atmosphere with a trippy Shoegaze aspect to the track.
Mountain Of Misery’s track Hollow Water could have easily come off their acclaimed two albums In Roundness and The Land. This has a classic KYUSS and FU MANCHU based structure at times where the world of Desert Rock is given a Sludge Rock makeover. The levels of FUZZ is quite intense with the vocals being more Gloom based in places. The instrumental sounds have a rich level of detail within the Progressive flow that Mountain Of Misery delivers on the later stages of the track.
Solar Trip’s track Blueshift has a desolate Space Rock tone with minimal Electronic and Synth effects that expands into a heavier Desert/Stoner Rock tone. The long drawn out Droned textures is a cool deft touch before Solar Trip delivers a swirling vortex of Post-Rock and Post-Stoner energy which builds upto a classic style of subtle instrumental freakout passages and clever guitar solos that leave you wanting to hear more.
The next track Lost In The Tide from the mighty Spaceslug is perhaps the main draw for most people and you can’t blame them. As the band are once again delivering beautifully played and wonderfully constructed Cosmic Doom sounds that offer a monolithic sound that most bands cannot reach. The ethereal vocals are represented here with Spaceslug playing a more emotionally charged and abstract style of music with a rich Progressive Sludge Rock sound becoming quite intense along the way.
The final part of the album features music from bands I’ve haven’t had much experience with as mentioned previously but I have to give GOZD, O.D.R.A and Sealess credit for impressing me with their individual offerings. As they offer their own highly original style of music that ventures further into Space Rock and Post-Doom territory with deep levels of Ambient surroundings especially with GOZD’s stunning track Disguise The Emptiness.
O.D.R.A is more of a full on Doom/Sludge Metal number with moments of Industrial paranoia within their excellent track Breslau Babilon. I can hear influences from acts such as AUTHOR & PUNISHER at times within this track with a familiar sludgy undergroove once again providing a different creative narrative that Deep Seven Vol I continuously provides.
The final track Fading Away from Sealess is more of a sullen Post-Rock and Post-Grunge entity and is the most quiet and restrictive offerings which allows Deep Seven Vol I to close the album with a confident Ambient delivery and heartwarming vocals that once again has a different contrast to the other tracks on the album.
Deep Seven Vol I is a record showcasing the finest talents from the Polish Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal scene. I would have loved some other big hitters from the Polish underground scene to be involved such as DOPELORD or SUNNATA but maybe that could happen with future volumes of the series. However, as the recent Elephant Tree and Lowrider compilation album proved, compilation albums done right can be considered as Album Of The Year material and you can rank Deep Seven Vol I as one of those great albums deserving of that accolade.
Words by Steve Howe
Deep Seven Vol I is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Electric Witch Mountain Recordings.
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