GAWTHROP - Kuboa (Album Review)

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:

LP, CD, MC and digital formats worldwide via Sentient Ruin

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram 

STOMACH - Low Demon (Album Review)

Release Date: July 18th 2025. Record Label: Hibernation Release. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Low Demon - Tracklisting

1. Dredged - 04:25

2. Bastard Scum - 08:33

3. Get Through Winter - 08:21

4. Oscillate - 04:48

5. Shivers // Drafts - 17:17

Members

John Hoffman - Drums/Vocals

Adam Tomlinson - Guitars

Review

The brutal Doom/Sludge Metal unit known as STOMACH are back with their new album Low Demon and it’s an expertly created exercise in punishing landscapes and violent grooves that will pummel you into submission from the very start. The band is made up of John Hoffman (Weekend Nachos) and Adam Tomlinson (Sea Of Shit and Sick/Tired) where they continue the nightmarish trajectory they created on their outstanding 2023 debut album Parasite. 

For the most part STOMACH play long draw out  Doom/Sludge Metal sounds that retain a horrifying storytelling aspect to them There’s echoes of Weekend Nachos and Sick/Tired heard within their music though the fast-paced aspects has been replaced by a long drawn out style of DRONE which is powerful enough to cause moments of sheer uncomfortable NOISE throughout the album. 

Low Demon is best described as PURE SONIC WARFARE with it’s neverending style of filth and industrial beats with a slight Progressive energy appearing on the longer tracks of Bastard Scum, Decaying Winter and Shivers // Drifts. The album is made up of two shorter tracks of Dredged and Oscillate which are just as bleak and violently heavy as their larger counterparts. 

The vocals from John Hoffman are violent, harsh and quite extreme which does make it hard to understand the lyrics at first but after a few listens I started to understand them more clearly though I wish I didn’t. As STOMACH touch upon some pretty hard hitting subjects with a NO HOLDS BARRED approach which could easily be the perfect nihilistic soundtrack for current worldwide events. 

I wasn’t prepared for how Low Demon would affect me emotionally and musically as this album has haunted me for the last few weeks. The last time I felt like this was for Primitive Man’s classic 2013 album Scorn and STOMACH have a similar creative energy and vibe to that great band. STOMACH’s music maybe more Drone and Sonic based but the use of extreme music is the same with both bands delivering the same results of highly destructive EXTREME DOOM / SLUDGE METAL to great effect.

The standout tracks for me are Oscillate and Shivers // Drifts which sees STOMACH adding elements of Grind and Prog Metal into the mix. These two tracks make up about twenty two minutes of the album’s forty three minutes run time. STOMACH perhaps experimented the most on this part of the album with overlapping layers of distorted feedback with those harsh aspects of Extreme Metal bringing one final blast of decaying filth that will live on in my dreams and nightmares for a long time to come.

Overall, Low Demon is a masterclass of Extreme Metal that gives the modern day Doom/Sludge Metal scene a great sense of twisted Dystopian Paranoia you rarely nowadays fully experience. 

WOW - is all I can say. I’m going to take a well deserved rest after listening to this album. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!!!

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Earsplit PR for the promo.

Low Demon is available to buy on DD/Vinyl via Hibernation Release

Links

BandCamp | Instagram

Yersin - The Scythe Is Remorseless (Album Review)

Release Date: 10th January 2024. Record Label: Trepanation Recordings. Formats: Cassette/CD/DD/Vinyl

The Scythe Is Remorseful - Tracklisting

1.TRIUMPHANT 

2.MOUTHS LIKE OPEN GRAVES 

3.THE SCYTHE IS REMORSELESS 

4.LUST FOR CRUST

5.RED MIST

6.TO THE MASSES

7.DOOM

Review

The Scythe Is Remorseless is the second full album from Sludge/Grind/Crust/Doom/Death Metallers Yersin and it’s quite a brutally aware assault on the senses with Yersin playing a pummelling blend of Psychedelic sounds and bone-crunching Death grooves. The music is aggressive and violently pissed off from the start with Yersin playing a no-holds barred style of Grindcore/Sludge Metal fused with Death/Doom Metal imagery with that classic Blackened Crust flavour showing small elements of Hardcore Punk.

Yersin are from Sunderland located in the North East Of England which is quite close to my hometown of Newcastle Upon Tyne. I’ve known about Yersin for quite some time and I was a fan of their 2020 debut release but The Scythe Is Remorseless is on another level. As Yersin play fast and loose with the rules of Extreme Metal and start playing their blend of highly original Grindcore grooves with that powerfully potent Doom/Sludge Metal element being heard on the early stages of the album on tracks such as: Triumphant, Mouths Like Open Graves and The Scythe Is Remorseless.

The music can be quite hard to adapt at first with the ferocious anger coming from Yersin which sees the band being influenced by heavy hitters such as Napalm Death, Fuck The Fact, THOU and Agoraphobic Nosebleed whilst offering some subtle flashes of delivering subtle and menacing moments of Doom/Sludge Metal riffs amongst the Death/Crust/Grind carnage that Yersin mostly create and play with demonic relish throughout the album.

The instrumental work is nothing short of breathtaking in places especially with massive amounts of thrash beats and grindcore blast beasts. Usually I struggle with Grindcore vocals the best of times but I have to say I fully understood lead vocalist Chris' outstanding vocals. Even when they moved into more extreme levels of harsh grunts and growls. The lyrics came perfectly clear to myself and I do struggle with vocals from the Extreme Metal world. 

Yersin plays some of the filthiest, heaviest and brutal EXTREME guitar sounds I’ve heard quite some time especially on tracks such as The Scythe Is Remorseless, Lust For Crust and Doom. The album is quite brisk running under twenty five minutes in length but that’s part of the course for an album such as this. Yersin doesn't waste a second in playing an album that will no doubt cater more to the masses of the Extreme Metal Underground scene than the normal Doom/Sludge Metal crowd I normally cater for.

However, it’s always good every now and then to leave your comfort zone and experience something that leaves you uncomfortable which is what The Scythe Is Remorseless. Yersin delve into the darkest depths of the Extreme Heavy Metal scene with elements of 1980’s Black Metal and 1990’s Grindcore allowing the record to transform into something unexpected and that’s an intelligent release that oozes violent charm and charisma throughout. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Yersin for the promo.

The Scythe Is Remorseless will be available to buy on CD/DD/Cassette/Vinyl via Trepanation Recordings from January 10th 2024.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram | Twitter

Exclusive Premiere Of New Split Single Featuring DEAD + Defektro / Skullfork

Djaara Country, Castlemaine, Australian DIY heavy duo DEAD preview the first split singles from their ambitious “pop” record, Burn Us Clean throughout December, 2023.

Along with the 9 original A-Side tracks, DEAD have enlisted a plethora of their favourite bands to record B-sides for the project. The result is a compilation of raw and exciting sounds from across the extreme music world.

DEAD are releasing the first three singles and their B-sides throughout December in digital and physical form, featuring Norway’s MoE, Gay Witch Abortion from Minnesota and tracks from Japan’s Defektro and brutal locals Skullfork.

Each 7” is released in an edition of 150 with sleeves hand printed the band. A box set version featuring all nine singles in an edition of 50 has already sold out. Dead will release a second, more modest box set for those who missed out. All singles will be available in digital format.

When it comes to the Burn Us Clean project, the band explain that “like most things DEAD does it started with “Hey wouldn’t it be fun if…” And for us “fun” usually means biting off more than we can chew and pissing off someone in the process.”

We’ve never been a radio band but insist our songs are full of melody – not our fault people are too lazy to find it. So, after recording Raving Drooling (our version of a metal album) we decided to write a pop record; a whole album of singles that could, in theory, be played on the radio.

But how do you make a simple idea like that overly complicated? What if we released each single as a split 7”? And made a box set version as well? Sounds suitably stupid.

But hang on why is this only coming out now? Well…we started this record pre pandemic, with much hope in our hearts. We worked again with Toshi Kasai to track it and laughed till it hurt. And then everything went dark. We couldn’t do what we loved most, we lost people dear to us. And all of a sudden pop songs didn’t feel right. We released a noise record, a live album and the long form instrumental The Laughing Shadow.

And now Burn Us Clean; A series of nine singles that is also an album and also a showcase of some of our very favourite bands active right now. An embracing of the short attention span that permeates our music culture more and more every day. Yes we can write singles!”

Information about the first 3 B-Side Bands:

Vol I - MoE (Norway):

We’ve had the privilege of touring with MoE across continents. They are simply one of the most phenomenally heavy live bands you’ll ever see. A relentless work ethic, an insatiable desire for capsaicin and a refusal to land inside any genre.

Vol II - Gay Witch Abortion (USA):

We met these delightful fellas on our first US tour and they instantly became the most played band in the tour van. Their musicianship is awe inspiring and they write damn good tunes to boot. We just love what they do and how they go about doing it.

Vol III - Defektro and Skullfork (Japan/Aus):

Defektro makes noise music in a way that is absolutely unique to him. Builds his own instruments and pedals and plays with fire on stage; literally, not metaphorically.

Skullfork is unlike any other band we’ve ever come across. The world is better for having their music in it. Sam (Guitarist of Duckeye) somehow steers this unruly ship and we’re so grateful that he does.

DEAD BURN US CLEAN SPLIT 1 with MoE and SPLIT II with Gay Witch Abortion are both out now via BandCamp

You can now listen to the next exciting chapter from DEAD with Defektro / Skullfork performing their own intense blend of Hardcore/Punk/Metal Grooves with a FUCKED UP sense of aggressive and ferociousness that will leave you breathless.

You can buy all of the Split Singles now featuring MoE, Gay Witch Abortion and Defektro / Skullfork

Thanks to Hearts & Minds Agency & We Empty Rooms for all of the details.

Links

Bandcamp
Facebook
Website
Instagram

Catafalque - Dybbuk (Album Review)

Release Date: October 13th 2023. Record Label: Code 666 / Aural Music. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Dybbuk - Tracklisting

1.Manifestation

2.Infestation 

3.Oppression

4.Possession

Members

Dan Dolby (bass)

Michael Shepherd (drums)

Thomas Ott (guitar and noise)

Frenchie (vocals and noise)

Tanya Byrne (vocals and synths)

Review:

Catafalque are something of a supergroup from the UK Doom/Sludge Metal Scene featuring members of bands such as Mastiff, Gnarl and Bismuth. Throw in an ex-member of Hundred Year Old Man and you have the ingredients for a punishing Industrial/Drone/Doom Metal Band. The band is a new entity for me and that’s quite surprising since they're about to release their third album Dybbuk.

Dybbuk is full of harsh and nightmarish industrial Doom/Drone based sounds across four tracks that runs for around thirty eight minutes in length. Catafalque do add a world-weary Distorted Noise creative aesthetic to the album which allows the slightly demonic vocals to run havoc with the trippy Electronic sounds that appear on the album. Experimentation is key for Catafalque throughout the album with even Author & Punisher and Godflesh inspired moments of demonic noises appearing within the harsh tones of the opening track of Manifestation.

Catafalque set the scene early on with an album that embraces Old School Doom soundscapes with the more menacing style of Blackened Industrial Metal and long drawn out Droned Out textures that can be quite punishing to listen to at times but also brutally uplifting at the same time especially on the epic second track of Infestation. 

Dybbuk does take elements of Heavy Doom from bands such as CONAN, THOU and Electric Wizard but it’s that nihilistic Droned Vision that allows Catafalque to move into more extreme levels of Sonic and Noise Rock experimentation. The vocals are a mixture of pitch-black growls and ethereal chants that left me with quite a numb feeling when paired with the harsh Sludgy guitars that have a sense of BORIS and SUNN 0))) running through its veins.

The final two tracks of Oppression and Possession takes the music even further into brutal levels of Industrial Metal and Drone Metal which feels like the band are conjuring the devil himself to unleash HELL ON EARTH. However, Catafalque start to play a more standard style of music that includes some intense extended guitar solos that feels it’s powered by a fucking chainsaw mostly heard within Oppresion. Catafalque still have a wild and reckless creative attitude with their music that airs cautiously on the more extreme side of Metal with a frantic based Ambient undercurrent allowing these two tracks to be the most outstanding aspect of the album.

Dybbuk is quite frankly a deeply disturbing, violent and extremely challenging album to fully listen to. However, the record is also beautifully played and put together from everyone involved. The production values are off the scale that allows Catafalque to portray themselves as one the most EXTREME bands to come from the UK Doom Metal scene in quite some time and I loved every single second of this fucked up release. This is a jaw-dropping release. Just be prepared that you may be in therapy for a long time to come after listening to Dybbuk.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to C Squared Music and Catafalque  for the promo.

Dybbuk will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Code 666 / Aural Music from October 13th 2023.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Dread Witch - Tower of The Severed Serpent (Album Review)

Release Date: January 27th 2023. Record Label: Bottomless Pit / Gateway Music. Formats: DD

Tower Of The Severed Serpent: Tracklisting

The Tower

Serpent God

Leech

Wormtongue

Into The Crypt

Severed

Members

Mikael Rise - Vocals

Dennis Larsen - Drums

Andreas Cadaver - Guitars, Bass and Keys

Review

Tower Of The Severed Serpent is the new album from Danish Doom/Sludge Metallers Dread Witch and like their name suggests, the band bring a sense of bleak heaviness to this album but also being quite inventive wit their progressive and trippy psychedelic sounds they bring to the album. The PR Sheet that accompanied this release stated this album would appeal to fans of CONAN, Triptykon and Devin Townsend. That is perhaps the best way to describe Dread Witch down to a fine art.

As this album matches the bleak monolithic Doom/Sludge grooves that CONAN are known for whilst bringing a warped Progressive creative spirit into the album that have a Devin Townsend edge to them. Tower Of The Severed Spirit is quite riff-centric which you can hear on the stunning opening track The Tower which fuses down-tuned Sludgy guitars and gloomy Doom sounds for a slight WEEDIAN and FUZZY based song. The vocals from Mikael are aggressive, harsh and bleak but they're very easy to understand. So you can hear all the bleak thoughts the band have written for this track. The song is quite intense with Dread Witch playing a wicked style of Psych Doom with flashes of a Post-Sludge environment that grows bitterly cold towards the end of the song. 

Second song Serpent God continues with the slightly experimental Sludge/Doom Metal sound with a menacing backline showing brief glimpses of a more extreme style of music waiting to appear. The music is down-tuned yet again but with a fresher sound that Dread Witch impresses even further when blending Psychedelic soundscapes that have a warped cinematic feel. There's a cool sideline of Thrash Metal appearing within this track and when the band start using distorted soundclips then Dread Witch brings a more OCCULT based presence to this track. This is a creepy and unsettling track which allows Dread Witch to show a more sinister and sadistic side to the band. This is one of the most challenging and perhaps most interesting tracks to listen to from a creative point of view.

Third song Leech has an entirely different feel at the start with Dread Witch employing a Post-Doom or Post-Rock environment before moving back to their primal Doom/Sludge Metal sound. The song still remains vastly different to the opening two tracks with Mikael's vocals having a bleak sense of despair to them. The music is more chaotic and offers a more modern based Psych Doom Metal vibe with an Ambient style of music allowing the band to become a band that thrives upon taking bold creative risks. This is where perhaps the Devin Townsend influence strongly comes into play as the song is a wicked collection of different sounds, themes and harsh environments. 

The second half of the album carries on the twisted experimental vibe of the first half with Dread Witch excelling even further with highly volatile down-tuned Sludge grooves with a despairing and seedy FUZZY presence on tracks such as Wormtongue and Into The Crypt. The album perhaps becomes more Death Metal based with the vocals and riffs starting to drift further into the more extreme side of metal but still offering the Sludge/Doom Metal purists plenty of great moments to lose themselves in.

The major surprise of the album has to be on the final track Severed which is a superbly played and wholly intimate Instrumental song where Dread Witch play moments of Ambient Metal, Psych Rock, Sludge Metal and Doom Metal with a less chaotic presence. The song is worthy of closing the album with Dread Witch playing some of the album's most interesting sounds on this track alone.

Tower Of The Severed Serpent oozes creative style from start to finish with Dread Witch playing a multitude of different sounds within the Doom/Sludge Metal realm. 

Dread Witch are an exciting band from the Doom/Sludge Metal underground scene and you can expect to hear top-level experimental sounds on this album. The album also benefits from excellent production values that allows Dread Witch to have more depth to their overall sound which also helps this album to be a refreshing change of pace from other Doom/Sludge Metal albums currently being released.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Dread Witch for the promo.

Tower Of The Severed Serpent will be available to buy DD via Bottomless Pit and Gateway Music from January 27th 2023.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Dolor - Let Rain Fall Eternal (Album Review)

Release Date: June 01st 2022. Record Label: Blue Bedroom Records. Format: CD/Cassette/DD

Let Rain Fall Eternal - Tracklisting

1.Separate From Yourself 10:54

2.One More Cut 07:00

3.Blighted 05:28

4.The Collapse Of Truth 08:30

Members

Trent Kremeier - Vocals

Cameron Davis - Guitars, Synths, Piano

Arthur Callies - Bass

Aaron Budny - Drums

Review

Let Rain Fall Eternal is the new album from Progressive/Post-Metallers Dolor with the band adding a twisted and blackened vision to the mix. Partly inspired by Deafheaven and Pallbearer. This album is on the harsher side of Post-Metal and some may consider this Post-Black Metal with the heavy shrieking vocals that firmly remain in the more extreme side of metal.

Opening song Separate From Yourself has all the classic hallmarks and tricks from the Post-Metal underground but the atmosphere is quite noisy, glitchy and abstractly violent. The tone of the song has a fresh “DIY” appeal and Dolor plays some excellent Sludge based grooves whilst injecting a little bit of Ambient/Psych/Post-Rock surroundings into their overall sound. Abstract vibes appear when the clean vocals make an appearance and you feel you’re listening to an entirely different band but it works to Dolor’s favour. As they show many different sounds and multiple identities to create an engaging and complex listen.

Second song One More Cut carries on with the bleak grooves that have a certain distorted and downtuned feeling to them. Dolor plays a more riff-heavy blackened approach on this song with the Deafheaven aspect and influence coming into play. The song has a wicked stop/start approach with the rapid fire guitar sounds working quite well with the slower elements of the song. Perhaps the most calming and aggressive song on the album with Dolor living outside the Post-Metal world and more within the Blackened underground whilst making a song that’s easily accessible to outsiders as well. The instrumental work is first-rate with the harsh extreme vocals from Trent. All building up to perhaps my favourite song on the album.

The final two songs Blighted and The Collapse Of Truth allow Dolor to take things further with more experimental sounds coming into play on Blighted.

Blighted is more of an Ambient/Drone/Doom based song with purely an instrumental focus. It’s good to see a different side to Dolor.

Things do become heavier and gloomier which Dolor handles with creative ease on the final song The Collapse Of Truth which is another one of the album's finest moments which leaves you wanting more.

The album isn’t the best produced but that’s what Dolor wanted to achieve with this release as the band give this description of the album:

Salvaged from a corrupted hard drive, Dolor's "Let Rain Fall Eternal," presents four cuts of something uncompromisingly bitter and morose. This album is the product of years of neglect, stunted progress, and resurrection. Progressive post sludge for those of us still stuck in the muck. Languishing in a pit of despair. Longing for a way out...

However, the whole sound of the record is quite captivating with its raw intensity you can hear from start to finish.

Let Rain Fall Eternal isn’t going to be for everyone. However, if you’re looking for an album to unleash your aggression against today’s uncertain times then Dolor is the band for you. 

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

https://www.facebook.com/bluebedroomrecords/
https://twitter.com/blue_bedroom
https://www.instagram.com/bluebedroom_records/
https://bluebedroomrecords.bandcamp.com/

In This House Of Mourning - Penance (EP Review)

Release Date: March 1st 2022. Record Label: Self Released. Format: DD

Penance - Tracklisting

1.The Path Worn Down 09:53

2.Judgement 03:03

3.Cruel Death 08:15

Review

Penance is the debut release from Death/Doom dealers In This House Of Mourning that falls into the Extreme Metal category. With the band focusing on the Funeral Doom aspect early on before descending into Death Metal grooves and growls. This isn’t the easiest of music to listen to and I rarely venture into Death Metal nowadays but there is a captivating menace to In This House Of Mourning’s style of Apocalyptic Death/Doom Metal.

The 3 songs on the EP is a varied listen and features some fantastic Progressive Doom and Death Metal aggressive grooves but still having an Extreme edge to everything. The EP can be quite punishing with the vocals and the music is the standout aspect of this release especially on the two epic songs The Path Worn Down and Cruel Death.

The production is intense and raw with the band taking a very sullen and dark view of the world amongst the lyrics contained behind the death based chants and growls. Or what I could actually make out what was being sung. The music is what kept my attention and I may have liked this EP even more as an instrumental release. That’s not a complaint at all. If you’re a fan of Death Metal then you’re going to love this. I’m mostly a Doom, Stoner and Sludge guy and rarely hear these brutal styles of vocals. Though the vocals are impressive and quite frighteningly fantastic when the mood calls for it.

Overall, In This House Of Mourning have released an absolute belter of a release if you’re a die-hard Death Metal/Doom Metal fan. If not then you may be in for a nasty surprise with this superb debut release.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Facebook | BandCamp