Release Date: September 19th 2025. Record Label: Sentient Ruin Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl
Kuboa - Tracklisting
1.Bulbocapnine - 06:27
2.Hogweed - 04:35
3.Granfalloon - 07:11
4.Nutria - 06:24
5.Jumbo - 06:14
6.Jimmy - 04:46
7.In Heaven - 00:58
Members
Owen - Drums
Hyunwoong - Guitars
Sunggun - Guitars, Vocals
Minhwi - Bass
Review
South Korean Doom/Sludge Metallers GAWTHROP finally release their debut album Kuboa and it’s an extremely heavy, gloomy, nihilistic and filthy release which should appeal to fans of GRIEF, Corrupted, THOU, PRIMITIVE MAN, EYEHATEGOD and Noothgrush. There’s no uplifting passages to lighten the mood as GAWTHROP invites you kicking and screaming into the violent darkness that Kuboa ultimately holds.
The levels of absolute fine delete to their "FUNERAL DOOM" aspect of their music just adds another level of EXTREME heaviness before the first song of Bulbocapnine completely ends just shows you how brutal this record is going to be.
The record has a menacing down-tuned and stripped back approach with lo-fi sludgy guitars with Sunggun’s violent vocals portraying a world of decaying death metal atmospherics. The music is constantly maneuvering around the violent distorted feedback instrumental mechanics that GAWTHROP fully sells their chaotic and horrifying sound that fully sells their DOOM & GLOOM outlook.
There are only a handful of Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal bands from South Korea with the likes of The Holy Mountain, Varim and Leper Temple that I’ve experienced over the last few years. However, GAWTHROP are the most bleak, violent and brilliantly impressive band I’ve heard from South Korea to date. This album proves that with thrilling grooves, brutal soundclips and violent vocals make this quite a brilliantly punishing record to fully listen to.
The songs that make up Kuboa all contain the same sense of nihilistic and down-tuned approach with flashes of extended Drone Metal and Extreme Metal musical interplay between all the band members. There’s some subtle flashes of Psychedelic energy appearing but this is drowned out by that droned FUZZED METAL destructive appetite that sees GAWHTROP transform into full-on DEATH METAL storytellers on tracks such as Hogweed, Granfalloon, Jumbo and Jimmy.
Kuboa isn’t for the faint hearted as this record shocked me with how brutal the record actually becomes with the down-tuned and low & slow aggression that’s helped via the excellent DIY production values. This allows GAWHTROP to have a fearless attitude where the EXTREME METAL part of their creative persona easily wants you to stay around for more violent punishment long after the thirty six minutes run time has run its course.
GAWTHROP may not be everyone’s cup of tea but if you’re a long dedicated follower of Death Metal and Extreme Metal but laced with Doom/Sludge Metal attitude then this is the place to be. As Kuboa is a highly complex, challenging and unforgiving listen that ranks as one of the best “EXTREME” records this year.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Sentient Ruin for the promo.
Kuboa is available to buy on the following formats the link below:
Links
