Release Date: August 06th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
Sermons Of Filth And Disgust - Tracklisting
1.Copperheads 06:27
2.You're Marked 06:02
3.The Butcher 06:51
4.Hogs Breath 05:57
5.Phoebe 03:31
6.Coffin Burners 05:31
7.Hammers and Wolves 05:12
Review
Sermons Of Filth And Disgust is the next filthy, violent and seedy chapter from Afghan Haze with the band fully transformed into Blackened Doom and Sludge Metal nihilists with a very violent Stoner Metal and down-tuned energy surrounding the whole darkness of the record. The band seems quite content in creating a world of drug induced violent forces which you can easily draw comparisons to the likes of EYEHATEGOD, Electric Wizard, THOU, BONGZILLA and SLEEP. The music operates at a slow-to-mid pace with the bone-crunching and amplifier distorted instrumental movements allowing a deafening level of FUZZED UP grooves to form especially within the opening track Copperheads.
Copperheads has a slight “EXTREME” melody with the lyrics floating between APOCALYPTIC and DEVIL WORSHIPPING vibes whilst having that free-flowing WEEDIAN energy that’s appeared on their previous records. I missed Afghan Haze’s 2022 album Hallucinations Of A Heretic as it was released at a pretty hectic time in my personal life but it’s great to see the depressing sound created for that record taken up a notch for Sermons Of Filth And Disgust. The vocals are harsh and violently delightful throughout but they’re quite easy to understand so you can fully immerse yourself with the bleak overtones of the whole message of the album.
Second track You’re Marked continues with the aggressive Sludge Metal delivery as Afghan Haze explore areas of Psychedelic and Cosmic based misery with the subtle switch over to a cool sounding Thrash based approach where the music does become a bit leaner, meaner and faster. The sound is quite abrasive with Afghan Haze exploring different avenues of the Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal world whilst keeping in with their DEMONIC creative attitude. The levels of Psychedelic and Fuzz passages.
Afghan Haze continues to explore a different and more fulfilling kind of sound on the excellent third track of The Butcher that combines NOLA based surroundings and that epic NIHILISTIC sound they’ve shown on the previous two tracks. The vocals add a certain “NO FUCKS GIVEN” energy with the lyrics yet again giving a nightmarish reflection of the modern world. The music floats between different areas of Blackened Doom and modern day Sludge/Stoner Metal surroundings that allows some of the more heaviest and surreal instrumental passages to form and appear.
The second half of the record continues the violent trajectory of the first half with Afghan Haze even more PISSED OFF at the world which results in some spectacular instrumental solos that’s even filthier, seedier and heavier before. However, the band show sullen touches of a straight forward style of Heavy Rock to form whilst never softer or gentle can be quite low-key compared to previous moments. Though, the whole atmosphere is built upon a ground of DEMONIC inspired “riff-centric” madness on tracks such as Hogs Breath, Phoebe and Coffin Burners that all make a lasting impression.
Afghan Haze never play it safe on Sermons Of Filth And Disgust as the record is brilliantly and brutally ruthless in almost every aspect you can possibly think of. This is the type of album that leaves you wanting to hear more after the forty mins run time is finally up.
If you want a nerve-shredding and gut-wrenching Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal experience from the underground scene well Afghan Haze are the band for you.
Words by Steve Howe
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