Release Date: March 21st 2025. Record Label: Electric Valley Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl.
Distant Skies And The Ocean Flies - Tracklisting
1.Intro
2.Among Us
3.Chosen
4.So High So Numb
5.Sink or Swim
6.Satellite 05:34
7.Ashes Remain
8.Interstitial
Members
Scott Fisher – vocals, guitar
Scott Wilson – drums
Warwick Poulton – bass
Review
Aussie Sludge/Stoner Metallers Amammoth second album Distant Skies And The Ocean Flies is quite an aggressive and obsessively bleak record with the band developing harsh atmospherics with a violent Fuzz Doom sound. With the band aligning themselves more closely to the likes of CONAN, High On Fire, BONGZILLA and SLEEP. There’s a deep fascination with LOW & SLOW and REVERB based heaviness within this record which comes out in full force across the opening tracks of Intro and Among Us. The sounds are weighed down by a mighty thick level of NOISE and GRIME which Amammoth have used on their previous records but not as fully developed or as heavy as this great album.
Second track Among Us is the longest track on the album with Amammoth using a classic ELECTRIC WIZARD mentality for their lyrics and how Scott Fisher’s muscular vocals are delivered. The sound may seem simplistic at times but it’s the little things that you begin to notice at how progressive and refreshing everything sounds. Subtle flashes of Psychedelic Beats and that claustrophobic Doomed Out energy that resonates from the excellent rhythm section of Scott Wilson on Drums and Warwick Poulton on Bass respectively. The song is quite slow to begin with but the band speed things up ever so slightly with a killer Blues Rock sound developing which allows the record to become more OCCULT focused at times.
Distant Skies And The Ocean Flies lyrical themes cover topics such as extraterrestrial life, religion, aquatic and UFO’s that will thrust the listener into many complex ideas and theories. However, Amammoth have quite the talent of keeping everything grounded and realistic. The sounds become more blurred with elements of Groove, Drone and Space Rock appearing more on more on tracks such as Chosen, So High So Numb, Sink Or Swim, Satellite and Interstitial which allows Amammoth the perfect opportunity to finely tune their seedy style of LOW & SLOW to reach greater musical heights.
The record never loses its sense of bleakness and self-loathing at the world. There are no uplifting instrumental passages or tracks for Amammoth to lighten the mood with. This is a band who focus upon the darker side of Sludge/Stoner Metal and just run RIOT with this style of music. Distant Skies And The Ocean Flies is an exhilarating experience where you may need to switch off from the world after listening to the album.
Amammoth are one of the heaviest and filthiest bands to emerge from the Aussie Sludge/Stoner Metal scene in recent years and they sure do have the necessary talent to back that up with a MASSIVE SOUNDING record that should propel the band onto bigger and greater things. Be prepared to see this album claiming one of those important Album Of The Year Contender spots before the year is out. It’s already grabbed a place on mine….
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Qabar PR for the promo.
Distant Skies And The Ocean Flies is available to buy on DD/Vinyl from the links below.
Electric Valley Records Official
Electric Valley Records BandCamp
Glory Or Death Records (North America Only)
Links
https://www.instagram.com/amammothdoom
https://amammoth.bandcamp.com
