Release Date: October 24th 2025. Record Label: Seeing Red Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl
Alpha 1128 - Tracklisting
1.Chant of Cthulhu 08:18
2.Eternal Beast 05:36
3.The Wizard 07:05
4.Intermission 02:43
5.Nachthexen 05:20
6.Replicant 06:14
7.Infecticide 07:31
8.Exit Oblivion 05:41
Member
Chris Price · Vocals & Guitar
Wes Styles · Bass
Kyle Abbott · Drums
Review
Alpha 1128 is the debut album from Sonic Doomsters Cattlemass who offer a grittier take on the standard Cosmic Doom sound with the band influenced by the likes of UFOMAMMUT, Monolord, Slomatics and SLEEP. However, there are moments contained on the album inspired by the likes of KING BUFFALO and HOWLING GIANT especially within the mellow parts of the album and sometimes within the vocals.
Though, for the most part Cattlemass explore the Sludge Rock atmospherics of their music to maximum levels of DISTORTED heaviness and fuzzed up aggression which fully comes to life within the stunning opening track Chant Of Cthulhu.
Cattlemass can be quite obsessed by the DOOMED OUT surroundings of glitchy sounds and down-tuned experimentation but it’s brilliantly brought to life with the PARANOIA and LOVECRAFT inspired lyrics contained within the opening track. The band use the whole eleven minutes of Chant Of Cthulhu to their great advantage that has wonderful areas of Science Fiction folklore and imagery being developed throughout the whole album.
The second track Eternal Beast is where the KING BUFFALO and HOWLING GIANT influence I mentioned before within the vocals and subtle intricate flashes of Post-Stoner melodies that’s buried under the rubble of heavy fuzzy Doom/Sludge Metal grooves. The sound is quite violent and superbly psychedelic at the same time. Perhaps the perfect balance of COSMIC DOOM with the right level of Space Rock imagery being projected into the minds of whoever is listening.
I loved the constant switching to dark rock movements to wonderfully soulful Psych Stoner Rock landscapes. Cattlemass are a band who want to deafen folks with full on Spaced Out Doom and then soften that aspect with uplifting Psych Rock movements before injecting a truly destructive ATMOSPHERIC theme appearing within their lyrics. This is a great creative choice and perhaps clever tactic to play with people’s emotions throughout the album.
Third track The Wizard doubles down with the LOVECRAFTIAN influence with sludgy levels of Drone and Fuzz reign supreme for the early parts of the track. Haunting and frightening vocals perfectly set the scene for Cattlemass to welcome the upcoming Halloween / Winter season with superb COSMIC and FUZZ METAL grooves even when played at a cold and calculating slow-to-mid pace. One of the chilling and standout tracks on the whole album with flashes of intricate Stoner Metal instrumental solos appearing from time-to-time. This track feels like it’s influenced by Seventies / Eighties Horror films with some of the lyrics written for the album.
Fourth track Intermission is an Ambient/Psych/Space Rock number paying homage to the likes of Brian Eno, GOBLIN and John Carpenter. The song is quite solitary and cold natured at times. This does slow the album dead in its tracks but it does show a very cool and different side to Cattlemass where they explore the film and video game soundtrack genre with surprising results.
Cattlemass returns to normal business of Distorted Cosmic Heaviness on the second half of the album with the music becoming even more daring within the lyrics contained within the tracks. The music is off-set by different areas of Post-Doom, Space Rock, Psych Rock and other Cosmic territories with a thrilling modern distorted aspect allowing the music having a grounded street level aspect whilst being SCIENCE FICTION obsessed for the most part.
Other standout tracks include: Nachthexen, Replicant and Infecticide. As these were the tracks where I originally thought I had all figures but Cattlemass ventured into the opposite direction with trippy feedback loops replacing Psytchedelic entities with Alpha 1128 being quite subversive in the least expected of places.
Alpha 1128 is a brilliantly complex musical adventure into the Doom/Stoner Metal psyche which will surprise you in many ways that you won’t expect. This is quite a multi-layered record where I recommend multiple listens to fully appreciate the whole trippy COSMIC journey.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
Alpha 1128 is available to buy now on DD/Vinyl via Seeing Red Records US and Seeing Red Records (Rest Of World)
Links
Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram
