Mastiff - For All The Dead Dreams (EP Review)

Release Date: October 24th 2025. Record Label: Church Road Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

For All The Dead Dreams - Tracklisting

1.Soliloquy 03:29

2.Rotting Blossoms 02:52

3.Decimated Graves 04:24

4.A Story Behind Every Light 03:37

5.Corporeal 02:45

Members

Vocals - Jim Hodge

Guitars - Phil Johnson

Guitars - James Lee-Ross

Drums - Mike Shepherd

Bass - Dan Dolby

Review

Sludge Metal nihilists MASTIFF return with their brutal new EP For All The Dead Dreams which continues the filth and misery created on their critically acclaimed 2024 album Deprecipice. That record showed a new violent side to MASTIFF where their blend of Hardcore, Doom, Sludge and Post-Black Metal grooves showcase a band finally settling on their own blend of aggressive carnage for the underground masses to lose themselves in.

For All The Dead Dreams is another round of pure filth and violent Sludge Metal surroundings with the band adding a slightly chaotic and messy blend of NOISE METAL that has influences ranging from CARCASS and NAPALM DEATH ringing in your ears throughout. The EP lasts for fifteen minutes with MASTIFF still playing some intense riffs with a twisted sense of melody behind them especially on tracks Soliloquy, Rotting Blossoms and Decimated Graves perhaps also being the heaviest and standout tracks on the EP.

MASTIFF provide unbreakable beatdowns and pulsating grind movements with lead vocalist Jim Hodge showcasing his own aggressive style of HARDCORE vocals which moves further into the extreme metal world at times. MASTIFF once again prove why they’re fastly becoming one of the most essential and brutal Sludge Metal bands within the UK scene and with their music having a “NO FUCKS” given attitude this makes the band even more dangerous especially on the final two tracks of the EP with A Story Behind Every Light and Corporeal leaving the listener in a complete FUCKED UP state.

For All The Dead Dreams is everything you want from a brutally charged record that’s not afraid to get down and dirty by providing some of the most horrific and violent sounds you’ll hear this year.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Church Road Records for the promo.

For All The Dead Dreams is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Church Road Records.

Links

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Mastiff - Deprecipice (Album Review)

Release Date: March 22nd 2024. Record Label: MNRK Heavy. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Deprecipice - Tracklisting

1.Bite Radius

2.Everything is Ending

3.Void 04:07

4.Cut-Throat

5.Skin Stripper

6.Serrated 

7.Worship

8.Pitiful

9.The Shape

10.Thorn Trauma

Members

Vocals - Jim Hodge

Guitar - James Andrew Lee

Guitar - Phil Johnson

Bass - Dan Dolby

Drums - Michael Shepherd

Review

Doom/Hardcore/Sludge Metallers Mastiff opt for an even heavier and uglier sound on their new album Deprecipice that sees the band venture into Post-Metal heaviness with the right amount of violent Progressive melodies lurking within the more melodic parts of the album. Mastiff has a slight Post Hardcore energy within the more subtle parts of the album. Jim Hodge’s lead vocals are consumed by an intense anger but they can also be quite emotional on some of the most hard hitting lyrics the band have written for the album.

Deprecipice is brutally honest with the onslaught of pissed off sludge grooves that have a monolithic and apocalyptic flow to them on tracks such as Bite Radius,  Everything Is Ending and Void allowing Mastiff to capture a destructive void that leads into fast-paced and technically impressive slabs of Doom/Sludge Metal fury. The record is unapologetically nihilistic which is best told through the amount of grindcore blasts and beats which sets Mastiff onto becoming one of the heaviest and most intense bands the UK Sludge Metal scene has right now. 

The production values are off the scale with Mastiff delivering their finest album to date which pulls no punches within the volume department. Deprecipice retains its bleak cinematic vision on more outstanding tracks such as Cut-Throat, Serrated, Worship and Pitiful.

Mastiff delves into the dark arts of Extreme Metal with some first rate vocal experimentation which feels like they’re channelling into another dimension and bringing the true END OF THE WORLD along with them. The vocals range from harsh growls to demonic chants that provide an uneasy feeling especially when matched against distorted noises, grindcore beats and thrashcore breakdowns whilst retaining a Sludge Metal edge.

Mastiff could be compared to bands such as Neurosis, Primitive Man, THOU and Converge on this release as there’s similar creative themes to those amazing bands. However, Mastiff deliver their own blend of Doom/Hardcore/Sludge Metal riffage where they are the Judge, Jury and Executioner for those brave enough wanting to experience this intense album. 

I can see Deprecipice fastly becoming one of the most defining UK Sludge Metal albums of the last decade and one that can easily be described as an absolute masterpiece.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Hold Tight PR for the promo.

Deprecipice will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via MNRK Heavy from Friday 22nd March 2024.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Mastiff release crushing new video 'Serrated' ft. Harry Nott (Burner); announce new album Deprecipice

Photo by Nick Sayers

Mastiff have announced their forthcoming album, Deprecipice, will be released on 22nd March via MNRK Heavy. The new release features an onslaught of special guests including Ethan Lee McCarthy from Primitive Man, Harry Nott from Burner, Dan James from XIII and Rob Scott from Yersin.

The band have introduced the caustic new album by sharing a very special video for their first single, 'Serrated ft. Harry Nott (Burner)'.

Watch the video for 'Serrated ft Harry Nott (Burner)' below: 

Pre-order Deprecipice here: https://mastiff.ffm.to/deprecipice

The first single that Mastiff have unleashed from Deprecipice is the furiously aggressive 'Serrated' which features blistering guest vocals from Harry Nott, the vocalist for South London’s Burner, whose debut album It All Returns to Nothing was one of the hottest debuts of 2023 featuring in Metal Hammer 10 Best Death Metal Albums of 2023 & 50 Best Albums of 2023, released on Church Road Records. Also appearing on the new single, ripping a Slayer inspired guest solo, is Dan James, guitarist in Hull band XIII, who played with Mastiff on their 2023 tour with theatrical metallers, Avatar.

Commenting on the new single, vocalist Jim Hodge said: “Lyrically the track is about the ‘bullsh*t machine’, people blowing smoke up your a*se but you try to stay grounded. It’s too easy to fall foul of the reverse of imposter syndrome. We met Harry and the Burner boys when they came to Hull when they were supporting Employed to Serve. It turned out Burner were fans of us and after about 30 seconds of them playing we all became some of their biggest fans too.”

Adds guest vocalist Harry Nott (Burner): “'Serrated' is a relentless track and the vibe clicked instantly - I went into the studio and smashed it in a couple of takes with some quickly penned lyrics. Mastiff are the epitome of darkness, so I went hard on some apocalyptic imagery.”

Everything Mastiff does is in the name of intensity. Since forming amid the misery of Kingston-upon-Hull in 2013, the five-piece have crashed extreme metal, sludge and hardcore together to create the most brutal sonic onslaughts possible, all in the name of keeping their music fresh, raw and seething.

Signing to MNRK Heavy three years ago, Mastiff’s commitment to blunt-force aggression remains untempered. Their 2021 album, Leave Me The Ashes Of The Earth, was described by Blabbermouth’s Dom Lawson as a “horrifying slab of disgust” and “a sustained scream in the face of uncontrollable madness”. Now comes its long-anticipated follow-up: Deprecipice – an album that, somehow, smacks even harder than anything this band have unchained before, produced by longtime collaborator Joe Clayton (Wallowing, Ithaca, Tuskar) at Manchester’s No Studio. The beguiling artwork that runs throughout the album is by Paul Phillips at the award winning True Spilt Milk Designs, another long time collaborator with the band.

“We’ve gone quite a lot towards a hardcore sound,” says Hodge. “Where the last one was more death metal, this one’s a lot more staccato: a lot more defined, riff-wise.”

Unlike so many of their extreme metal peers right now, though, Mastiff didn’t source this rejuvenated savagery from the anxieties and frustrations of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the lockdowns ended and real life started to resume in 2021 and 2022, Hodge and Lee noticed the spirits of the world around them lifting. Feelings of trauma and isolation were beginning to enter people’s rear-view mirrors – and it was an overcoming that the duo couldn’t relate to. Lee was mourning the loss of his mother, while Hodge realised he was still grieving over the death of his five-day-old son, Isaac, in 2010.

“The album’s called Deprecipice, and that pretty much sums up where me and James were when we wrote it,” says the singer. “We were both standing back on the edge of a depressive void.You have to keep that primal feeling,” Hodge continues. “I think, if you take too much time, you start to second-guess yourself. We try to be as true to ourselves as we can.”With Deprecipice, Mastiff have made a magnum opus that bleeds with genuine pain. As earnest as it is ferocious, it’s already an album of the year candidate for a year that’s only just beginning.

Mastiff hit the road in March touring the UK, including London’s legendary The Black Heart with North East extreme metal outfit Yersin. Pick up tickets here.

Tour dates:

22 Mar: Hull, Polar Bear
23 Mar: Glasgow, Audio
24 Mar: Edinburgh, Bannermans
27 Mar: London, The Black Heart
28 Mar: Brighton, Green Door Store
29 Mar: Bristol, Crofters Rights
30 Mar: Birmingham, Devils Dog
31 Mar: Nottingham, Rough TradeMastiff are:

Line-Up

Jim Hodge – vocals
James Lee Ross – guitar/vocals
Phil Johnson - guitar
Dan Dolby – bass
Michael Shepherd – drumsFor more information:

Links

https://www.facebook.com/mastiffhchc
https://twitter.com/Mastiffhchc
https://www.instagram.com/mastiffhchc/
https://www.mnrkheavy.com

Thanks to Rarely Unable PR for all of the details.

Mastiff - Leave Me The Ashes Of The Earth (Album Review)

Release Date: September 10th 2021. Record Label: eOne Music. Format: CD/DD/Cassette/Vinyl

Leave Me The Ashes Of The Earth - Tracklisting

1.The Hiss 04:08

2.Fail 01:15

3.Repulse 03:59

4.Midnight Creeper 01:49

5.Beige Sabbath 02:06

6.Futile 04:05

7.Endless 02:43

8.Scalped And Salted 03:48

9.Lung Rust 06:59

Members

Vocals - Jim Hodge

Guitar - James Andrew Lee

Guitar - Phil Johnson

Bass - Dan Dolby

Drums - Michael Shepherd

Review

UK Hardcore/Sludge Metal mob Mastiff return with their blistering and brutal new album Leave Me The Ashes Of The Earth which sees the band continue to evolve with their Pitch Black and almost Black Metal sound. After a well-received appearance on 2020’s Controversial Video Game Cyberpunk 2077 Soundtrack, the guys are now signed to American Label eOne Music after spending 4 years with APF Records. I was worried the guys may have toned down for their new label but it seems the guys have gone further and more extreme with this album.

This album is a brutal and bruising encounter where Mastiff challenges their own expectations on what it is to be heavy in today’s modern world. The end result is a short and concise record that moves to the more extreme sides of Hardcore and Sludge Metal with the bands earlier doomier elements now given an almost Black Metal makeover. Fast-paced slamming beats and brutal drumming only add to the effect with the pissed off growls from lead vocalist Jim Hodge.

With a running time of 30 minutes, this record does have a slight Napalm Death feel with the shorter tracks bringing a heavy amount of aggression and progressively bleak sounds. Though Mastiff still bring their own trademark style of Hardcore and Sludge Metal to an oppressively bleak message contained on the album. There are still a lot of cool “head-banging” moments for fans of Sludge Metal. Just be prepared for a “grindcore” feel and energy to this album.

The record still has a huge “likeability” factor and maybe I shouldn’t say that about this record as Mastiff may want a different experience and sound for people to listen to. However, there is an addictive quality to this record and the production is excellent with even more surprising that the album was recorded in 5 days. It doesn’t feel rushed at all with Mastiff bringing their “A” game to this album.

The majority of the songs run between 2 mins and 4 mins in length but there is still a lot of variety to Mastiff overall sound with the band impressing the most on: The Hiss, Fail, Beige Sabbath, Scalped And Salted and the stunning final song Lung Rust.

Leave Me The Ashes Of The Earth is a no holds barred experience into the more extreme side of Doom/Sludge Metal and Mastiff offer no apologies for this record and why should they?

This is is a stunning record with Mastiff reinventing themselves to be one of the heaviest Hardcore/Doom/Sludge Metal bands of recent years. Long may that continue.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Lisa at Hold Tight PR for the promo.

Leave Me The Ashes Of The Earth is available to buy on CD/DD/Cassette/Vinyl now via eOne Music.

Facebook | BandCamp | Mastiff

News: MASTIFF Announce New Album; Release New Track

Like a black mould that just won’t clean away, Kingston Upon Hull’s premier misery spreaders MASTIFF have returned from their darkened sewer, bringing with them a viral monstrosity that threatens to infect and destroy music as we know it. 

Releasing 1st February 2019, Plague is the band’s first full-length album on APF Records, and represents the misanthropic quintet at their most aggressive and unrelenting. Born of their disgust at humanity’s false nature, and the way in which our deceit and lies spread through social media,Plague is the culmination of a lifetime of frustration, hatred and sorrow, filtered through the most brutal and pummelling material MASTIFF have ever concocted.

The band have released their first track 'Hellcircle' from the album, check it out here:

Plague was wrought from misery itself in the blistering summer of 2018 at Studio 94 in Hull and recorded entirely live in one room with no tracking involved, with track ‘Black Death’ done entirely in one take. It was recorded, mixed and mastered by Mikey Scott.

The self-styled “miserable band from a miserable town” play a combination of sludge, grindcore and aggressive hardcore and have forged their reputation in a live setting, playing every dive and sh*thole in the country. New album Plague is their most formidable to date, spewing out berserk levels of unadorned aggression and intensity.  Across eight tracks of mutable anger, raw power and bitter resignation, MASTIFF manage to capture the sound of a country in its death throes with lyrical content dealing with everything from sorrow and pain to human failure and frustration. From the opening blast of ‘Hellcircle’ to the apocalyptic finality of ‘Black Death’, the album is a work of nail-biting extremity, and finds the band veering wildly from Nails-esque grind into the depths of harrowing doom. The end result, a band that sounds like it’s trying to rip itself apart through music.

Plague follows on from the band's 2016 debut release Wrank and 2017’s EP Bork. In addition to their critically acclaimed releases, MASTIFF have become revered for their rabidly heavy live shows, gigging extensively with an array of artists such as Agnostic Front, Crowbar, Iron Monkey, Conan and Biohazard plus appearing at renowned festivals such as Bloodstock, Deserfest London, Riff-Fest, Techfest and Dreadfest.

Plague will be released via APF Records, 1st February 2019. Ltd edition vinyl pre-orders are now available via APF Records here. CD and digital pre-orders will be available soon.

Find out more about the band 

Facebook || Twitter || Bandcamp || Instagram || APF Records

Mastiff - BORK (EP Review)

Release date: August 31st 2017. Label: APF Records. Format: CD/DD

BORK – Tracklisting

1.Agony

2.Nil By Mouth 04:35

3.Everything Equals Death

4.Threats

5.Tumour

6.Eternal Regret

Members

Jim Hodge - growls

Michael Shepherd - drums

Phil Johnson - guitar

James Andrew Lee - guitar

Dan Dolby - bass

Review

You expect something heavy and brutal from a band with a name like Mastiff. As the band merge Doom/Sludge Metal sounds that is built upon a frenzied hardcore and pissed off rage. I missed the band's debut album Wrank which was released in 2016. Their new EP – BORK – and their first for upcoming UK Hard Rock/Metal label – APF Records – is a quite a pummelling experience that showcases the bands angry and ferocious nature to superb effect.

Opening track – Agony – starts with a fast-paced hardcore riff with Mastiff playing quite a complex sound with elements of Sludge/Doom based moments appearing at different parts of the song. The growls from lead vocalist from Jim range from clean based to the more harsher death based growls. I don't have a clue what he's signing about but he's very good at what he does.

Second track – Nil By Mouth – is an even more angrier song with the band moving further into the Sludge Metal world with the drumming adding a confident hardcore sound. The vocals have an even more depressing feel as Mastiff aren't afraid of creating a depressing atmosphere that takes no prisoners. Mastiff do provide moments of sludgy grooves on this track that shows they can slow the mood right down and play a more restrained style of hard rock/metal.

Third track – Everything Equals Death – is perhaps the most scariest, angriest, heaviest and filthiest song on the EP. It's an exercise in pure doom/death/sludge metal destruction. There's nothing complex about this song. This is Mastiff showing the world how rightly pissed off they are. Harsh vocals and down-tempo riffs reign supreme.

The other songs on the EP – Threats, Tumour and Eternal Regret – carry on the torturous and sinister message that Mastiff expertly create. The music does have a stop-start approach on some of the songs but it's the sheer technical ability that Mastiff possess that will impress you the most. 

The production is fragile and very raw but that's the point of BORK. As Mastiff don't want to be that super and over-produced metal band. They want to be a rough and ready sludge metal powerhouse where the music counts for itself. They succeed on that level alone with pure talent and hard-hitting conviction.

Mastiff leave you brutally demoralised and shaking in the corner wondering what the FUCK did you just listen to. BORK is simply an outstanding slice of UK Sludge/Doom Metal brutality.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to APF Records for the promo. BORK will be released on CD/DD via APFRecords from August 31^st 2017.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp