GHOROT - Obsidian (Album Review)

Release Date: April 10th 2026. Record Label: Lay Bare Recordings / King Of The Monsters Records. Formats: CD/DD/Tape/Vinyl

Obsidian - Tracklisting

1.Void Drinker

2.Lascaux

3.A Seeping Infinitude

4.Beneath the Soil

5.Lafayette

6.Deluge

Members

Carson Russell - Bass Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals

Brandon Walker - Drums, Vocals

Chad Remains - Electric Guitar, Amplifiers, Vocals

Review

Blackened Doom/Sludge Metallers Ghorot return with their impressive third album Obsidian which is perhaps their most daring, heaviest and darkest record to date. The band go all in with their Blackened Doom Metal vision which goes into slight Post-Metal territory with its Progressive themes making an early appearance within the outstanding opening track Void Drinker, The vocals are a mixture of harsh growls, death chants and some clean vocals which are quite easy to understand even when they’re all singing over each other. 

Though, that only tells half of the story as Ghorot brings a wicked Stoner Metal influence which allows the band to play some truly epic instrumental solos with a fresh modern day Psychedelic element despite the apocalyptic surroundings and filth ridden chaos happening for the majority of the album.

There’s a grizzled and determined commitment from Ghorot to provide some of the heaviest and filthiest extreme sounds on the record but they still bring a wonderful sense of rhythm and melody to the listener. You feel this sense of musical wonder on tracks such as Void Drinker, Lascaux and A Seeping Infinitude with that violent EXTREME energy being played through every angle.

The album does become ever more creepy and violent with each passing moment with Ghorot venturing into abrasive SONIC METAL landscapes on the later stages of the album. The vocals are quite challenging at times with each band member having their own individual chance to take the spotlight from each other but it works superbly well as you’re giving a unique perspective when they all suddenly appear or change at will.

If you ever wonder what HIGH ON FIRE would sound like if they added elements of BLACK METAL into their music then I urge you all to listen to the standout tracks of Lascaux, Beneath The Soil and Deluge though that’s my own thoughts and impressions. You can also hear bands such as THOU, NEUROSIS, MASTODON and PRIMITIVE MAN but Ghorot always keep to their own musical vision and create their own great blend of music which will have you coming back for more punishment long after the record has finished.

Obsidian is perhaps the album that allows Ghorot to be truly considered as a force to be reckoned with. As this is their most impressive record to date on all counts. This is an exciting blend of crushing grooves and punishing beat downs that can be quite complex at the same time. Ghorot never shy away from touching upon hard-hitting subjects whilst putting the listener through a pulsating and brutal workout of EXTREME levels of DOOMED OUT HEAVINESS. 

This is a masterclass of Blackened Doom/Sludge Metal. End Of.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to GHOROT for the promo.

Obsidian is available to buy now on CD/DD/Tape/Vinyl via Lay Bare Recordings, King of the Monsters Records, and GHOROT.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp

Blackened Doom/Sludge Metallers GHOROT New Album OBSIDIAN Available For Pre-Order via LAY BARE RECORDINGS and KING OF THE MONSTERS RECORDS

From the depths of Boise’s blackened doom comes OBSIDIAN, the third full-length from GHOROT (US).

PRE-ORDERS are live now via Lay Bare Recordings, King of the Monsters Records, and GHOROT.

Following the critical acclaim of Loss of Light (2021) and Wound (2023), GHOROT returns with their most crushing and atmospheric work to date. Forged in the depths of blackened doom, OBSIDIAN continues the band’s descent into bleak sonic territory.

Limited pressings:

125× heavyweight Oxblood vinyl
125× heavyweight Black vinyl

Cassette and CD available in the USA via King of the Monsters & GHOROT. 

New GHOROT T-shirt and long sleeve designs will surface alongside the OBSIDIAN pre-orders.

PREPARE THYSELVES.

GHOROT Members

Carson Russell - Bass Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals

Brandon Walker - Drums, Vocals

Chad Remains - Electric Guitar, Amplifiers, Vocals

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Ghorot - Wound (Album Review)

Release Date: October 06th 2023. Record Label: Lay Bare Recordings and King Of The Monsters Records. Formats: Cassette/CD/DD/Vinyl

Wound - Tracklisting

1.Dredge 07:35

2.In Absentia 07:13

3.Corsican Leather 06:49

4.Canyonlands 09:05

5.Neanderskull 07:50

Members

Carson Russell - Bass Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals

Brandon Walker - Drums, Vocals

Chad Remains - Electric Guitar, Amplifiers, Vocals

Review

Wound is the new album from Blackened Doom/Sludge Riff Destroyers Ghorot and it offers a nihilistic wasteland of Doomed Out Sludge Metal thuggery where the band excel delivering Psychedelic Grooves with a menacing brutal vocal style. There’s a twinge of slight Stoner Metal aggression even if on the more extreme side of the genre. The whole album marches to the sound of its own twisted and down-tuned heartbeat.

There’s some trippy Amplifier sound effects spliced throughout the album with a dark unnerving Industrial feeling heard from the very start with the excellent opening track Dredge merging a slightly distinctive NOLA based groove. Creaking sludgy guitars manifest into more substantial moments of nightmarish extended grooves and classic guitar solos that perhaps allows Ghorot to be more inspired by bands such as DOWN and EYEHATEGOD.

All the tracks have an air of Progressive confidence with nearly all of the tracks running over the seven minute mark which allows Ghorot to play their intense music at seismic volumes. Ghorot becomes more aggressive and expertly confident on the next couple tracks of In Absentia and Corsican Leather where the mood conveys one of freakish and sludgy industrial beats with perhaps the dirtiest and riffiest jams being played on these tracks alone. The lyrics also take a more drastic turn with them becoming more satanically charged which is perhaps also down to all members participating with vocal duties at various stages of the album. 

Ghorot find the time to experiment with Post-Metal aesthetics on the more quieter and self-reflecting moments of the album but still retain it’s Blackened Metal nature that builds upto some real proper “Head-banging” moments which reminded me of ISIS (The Band) and early-era Mastodon.

The final two tracks of Canyonlands and Neanderskull is where the real magic happens with Ghorot exploring their bleak creative vision even further. The flow of the album manifests into a torrent of nasty down-tuned Progressive Sludge/Stoner Metal grooves with that abrasive Blackened Doom Metal sound running amok with the sublime vocals leaving a wave of destruction along the way even when the mood becomes quite melodic which I didn’t expect. 

Wound is a statement of brutal intent where the band have built upon from their acclaimed debut album both musically and creatively speaking. This is a mature and sometimes more violent offering where Ghorot are masters of their own domain. 

Wound is perhaps the album you need to own right now if you dig your Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal with an emotionally charged Blackened Metal approach. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Plug Music Agency for the promo.

Wound is available to buy now on DD/CD/Cassette from Ghorot. Vinyl is available from Lay Bare Recordings and King Of The Monsters Records.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Idaho's Blackened Doom Titans Ghorot Unleash Haunting New Video and Track from Upcoming Album WOUND

Prepare to be engulfed in darkness as Idaho's enigmatic blackened doom band, Ghorot, return with a mesmerizing video for new track Dredge, taken from their upcoming album WOUND, set to release on October 6th via Lay Bare Recordings (Nijmegen, Netherlands), Transylvanian Recordings (Oakland, CA) and King Of The Monsters (Phoenix, AZ). The band's latest offering delves deep into the abyss, showcasing their mastery of the genre and their commitment to pushing boundaries.

Shot on location in the untamed forests of Idaho, the visuals conjure an eerie and primal atmosphere that perfectly complements the band's sonic assault. In the video, viewers witness the band performing the track live as well as engaging in ancient rituals that harken back to a time when humanity was more intimately connected to the natural world. The juxtaposition of their raw performance and these ritualistic scenes creates an eerie and captivating narrative that is not to be missed.

This release sets the stage for Ghorot's upcoming album, which is sure to be a defining moment for the trio. With a reputation for pushing boundaries and defying genre norms, Ghorot promises an album that will challenge and captivate listeners in equal measure.

Pre-order WOUND on limited edition 12" 180g vinyl. Comes in Black, Black/Gold Splatter, and Black/Gold Galaxy Varieties. Limited to 100 pressings each worldwide. Vinyl created in partnership with Lay Bare Recordings and King of the Monster Records.

EU - https://laybarerecordings.com/release/wound-lbr046
US - https://kingofthemonstersrecords.limitedrun.com/products/747008-ghorot-wound-lp-preorder

To celebrate the release of the album Ghorot will be embarking on an extensive US tour in October 2023.
Dates

10/7 Neurolux Lounge - Boise, ID
10/11 Aces High Saloon - Salt Lake City, UT
10/12 Skylark Lounge - Denver, CO
10/13 Ren’s Den - Albuquerque, NM
10/14 Three Links - Dallas, TX
10/15 Hi-Tones - San Antonio, TX
10/16 Boozerz - Corpus Christi, TX
10/17 The Lost Well - Austin, TX
10/18 The Rock House - El Paso, TX
10/19 Yucca Tap Room - Tempe, AZ
10/20 Til Two Club - San Diego, CA
10/22 Transplants Brewing - Palmdale, CA
10/23 Kilo-Watt Bar - San Francisco, CA
10/24 Cafe Colonial - Sacramento, CA
10/25 Sam Bond’s Garage - Eugene, OR
10/26 High Water Mark - Portland, OR
10/27 Fun House - Seattle, WA
10/28 Karate Church - Bellingham, WA

Thanks to Warren at Plug Music Agency for all of the details.

Links

Facebook | Instagram | BandCamp

Ghorot - Loss Of Light (Album Review)

Release Date: July 23rd 2021. Record Label: Inverse Records / Transylvanian Records. Format: DD/Cassette/Vinyl

Loss Of Light - Tracklisting

1.Harbinger 0619

2.Charioteer of Fire 11:04

3.Woven Furnace 03:52

4.Dead Gods 06:54

5.In Endless Grief 12:25

Members

Carson Russell: Bass Guitar, Vocals

Brandon Walker: Drums, Vocals

Chad Remains: Guitars, Amplifiers, Vocals

Review

Blackened Doom Metal Unit Ghorot don’t “FUCK AROUND” on their new album Loss Of Light. A record that takes a “No Holds Barred” approach with Ghorot flirting between the different darkness levels and density themes of Doom/Sludge Metal. The vocals are pitch-black “DOOM METAL” as the riffs themselves with Ghorot telling a bleak tale over 6 songs for over 40 minutes or so.

Opening song - Harbinger - opens with an ice-cold and almost Ambient/Drone sound before bringing a Psychedelic Classic Doom style of music with some interesting musical choices and bang-on guitar solos. The vocals come drifting in and bring a more “extreme” vibe to the album. However, Ghorot still retains a platform that allows them to play classic Heavy Rock guitar solos. So there are still echoes of light within Ghorot’s dark world but it soon delves further into almost Post-Black Metal territory.

Second song - Charioteer Of Fire - starts off as a Post-Doom/Post-Rock song with twinges of Psychedelic sounds and a Spaced Out Flow. This song moves slowly to the extreme side of Blackened Doom/Sludge Metal. This is a varied and interesting journey Ghorot takes before the extreme parts of the song appear and I enjoyed the Post-Rock/Post-Metal aspects of this song the most. This is an epic song running slightly past the 11 minutes mark. The vocals don’t appear towards the later stages of the song but the “Sonic Experimental” style of this song was one of my favourite parts of the whole album. There is still a sense of “foreboding DOOM” from the very start and Ghorot does a damn fine job holding the different styles of music together and no doubt offering the best track on the whole album. If you’re a fan of THOU and YOB then this song wants to have a word with you.

Third song - Woven Furnace - is a more straight-forward song for Ghorot to get down with. Shades of early-Black Sabbath are given a Blackened Doom/Sludge Metal makeover with a gloomy Punk Rock aesthetic that makes this one of the riffiest and addictive tracks on the record. Expect the unexpected with Ghorot. As you feel you have them all figured out and they surprise you once again. None so much with this song. As this song feels like “Rock And Roll Excess” but the extreme approach still makes this a very dangerous and aggressive song to listen to.

Ghorot went “ALL OUT METAL” with the final two songs on the record - Dead Gods and In Endless Grief. Two songs forging once again different levels of Doom Metal and Sludge Metal but with a Psychedelic Metal and Cosmic Progressive outlook allowing Ghorot perhaps play the heaviest and boldest parts of the album.

Loss Of Light is without doubt one of the most engaging albums I’ve heard from the more extreme side of Doom/Sludge Metal. This is a thrilling spectacle of different styles of Metal that ultimately pulls no punches but still allows dedicated followers of the scene and casual fans to be entertained brilliantly throughout the 40 minute plus running time.

Overall, this is a must have album. End Of Discussion.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to the various folks who sent me this album to review. 

Loss Of Light is available to buy on the following formats and record labels below:

Worldwide CD & Digital - Inverse Records(FI)
inverserecords.bandcamp.com

Worldwide Cassette & Digital - Transylvanian Recordings(US)
transylvaniantapes.bandcamp.com

Worldwide Vinyl & Digital - Independently Released(US)
ghorot.bandcamp.com

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp