Release Date: February 22nd 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD
Oxygen - Dirtmother
1.Satellite 14:48
2.Oxygen 09:45
3.Collision 15:23
4.Abyss 13:32
Members
Guglielmo Allegro - Everything
Review
Oxygen is the first full length album from Instrumental Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal artist Void Sinker and his eighth overall under the Void Sinker name. The record follows a similar destructive pattern to their 2024 release Stuck and is perhaps considered a spiritual successor to that record. I wouldn’t call it a sequel as Oxygen is populated by heavier and thicker slabs of Drone Metal amongst the crazed Instrumental Sludge/Stoner Metal sounds. With Guglielmo leaning heavily into the Cosmic Doom style of music that’s inspired by the likes of CONAN and SLOMATICS yet again.
There is a sense of bewilderment within Oxygen which allows Void Sinker to steady the ship with longer drawn out sounds, noises and trippy effects with the music still being superbly HEAVY which comes into focus on the mammoth opening track of Satellite. The track is very slow going with a harsh DRONE backdrop of overlapping guitars, pounding drums and subtle Psychedelic mid-tempo changes which allows the Space Rock effects to make themselves known.
The later stages of Satellite veer into the darker stratosphere of Drone Metal which leaves you questioning your sanity with that feeling lasting well into the rest of the album. The other tracks held on Oxygen do become quite OPAQUE and heavy handed with Guglielmo perfecting his own blend of CAVEMAN DOOM or COSMIC DOOM when the spaced out interludes of down-tuned Sludge, Doom and Drone formulate for another Progressive style music. The music is played at a devilishly slow-to-mid pace with the record having sudden outbursts of slightly faster grooves which is quite satisfying to hear.
The other standout tracks from Oxygen are Collision and Abyss which sees Void Sinker continue with his destructive style of music with a cold desolate attitude being quite intense and melodies. There are gloomy synths and nightmarish psychedelics to match the cold winter months this time of year ultimately brings. With AMPLIFIER DISTORTION being one of Void Sinker’s main creative tools to delight and scare listeners with, this record does have a certain BONGRIPPER flow and influence which I’ve just noticed after repeated listens.
Oxygen is another worthwhile and superbly produced album from Void Sinker. I still prefer Stuck as the most definitive VOID SINKER record but Oxygen isn’t too far behind. This one has a more “riff” friendly attitude even if the music is violently passionate with the neverending onslaught of nightmarish COSMIC themes.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
Links
Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram
