Showing posts with label Split Album Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Split Album Reviews. Show all posts

Wednesday, 24 June 2026

Doomherre, Ordos, Hexjakt & Kaiser - Four Altars of Sin (Album Review)

Release Date: June 26th 2026. Record Label: Majestic Mountain Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Four Altars of Sin - Tracklisting

01 - Doomherre - Blood Relics of Old - 6:51

02 - Ordos - Inferno - 10:50

03 - Hexjakt - Svartkonst - 6:38

04 -  Kaiser - Sonic Satan - 11:14


Review


Majestic Mountain Records are releasing Four Altars Of Sin which is a compilation record featuring four of the most outstanding bands from the Scandinavian Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal underground scene. The four bands Doomherre, Ordos, Hexjakt and Kaiser offer one unreleased track each. All of the bands have featured on the blog multiple times so it’s good to hear them contributing for this superb release.


All of the tracks are what we expect from the bands involved with some subtle stripped back sounds being played to the listening audience. The album runs for thirty six minutes and I offer my thoughts here on each track below.


Doomherre’s track Blood Relics Of Old merges Old School Doom, Proto-Metal and Stoner Metal melodies with an underlying Occult Rock energy merging with an epic modern day psychedelic sound. The vocals tap into the classic heavy metal world with a great perspective that’s grounded at the same time. The music becomes quieter and restrained for the final moments with a classic Grunge element holding back the dark heavy forces of Doom and Stoner Metal with only small amounts appearing allowing Doomherre to close the song superbly well.


Ordos’s track Inferno is the second longest track running over ten minutes which gives the band plenty of time to create an unsettling Post-Doom and Gothic atmosphere. Shades of Type O Negative can be heard within the first few moments as they capture a bombastic and overblown style of Doom Metal which works to the band’s favour. As the music becomes heavier, weirder and moving into deeper progressive waters. Flashes of Seventies Rock is spliced with that modern Post-Doom narrative. 


Ordos do bring their well known HEAVY METAL persona into the mix as the music and vocals becomes a bit frenzied with flashes of sludgy guitars sealing the deal. This is another stunning track from Ordos who are in absolute blistering form with some fantastic instrumental passages being played through the track with all the hallmarks of a great underground band waiting to be discovered for the very first time.


Hexjakt’s track Svartkonst could have easily fitted on their 2025 debut album Blessing Of The Damned with the band exploring a heavier CAVEMAN DOOM sound compared to the other tracks on the album. Things start slowly with Hexjakt laying down the Sludge/Stoner Metal framework to pulverize listeners with. The violent FUZZ METAL riffs once again have a certain High On Fire aspect to them. 


However, Hexjakt once again embraced a heavier Doomed Out and Cosmic attitude into the mix. The song is played at an aggressive slow-to-mid pace where a sullen distorted energy once again is played with an almighty conviction. The song becomes more vibrant when Hexjakt lean heavily into their psychedelic influences which results in some of the best melodies and sludgy movements on the whole album.


Finally, it’s Kaiser’s turn to impress with the longest track on the album with Sonic Satan which continues the sonic journey laid out on their acclaimed 2025 album 2nd Sound. The AMPLIFIED sounds opens the song is reminiscent of the mighty SLEEP with areas of pure distortion that’s set against a dominant religious sermon and speech which hammers the message of this track quite close to the home of the underground. Though, we would just light a BONG and just journey into the next dimensional abyss with Kaiser laying on heavier Space Metal sounds to a highly explosive style of Fuzz, Sludge and Stoner Metal. 


The song just becomes a force of nature as Kaiser opens the door into some of the heaviest sounds we’ve heard from them. The vocals are quite GRUNGE based with a sublime Nineties flow rising upto the surface. With this being the longest track on the album, Kaiser plays around with different levels of Fuzz Rock that’s spliced with that monolithic Sludge Metal energy that becomes quite droned out, disjointed and broken down into brilliant individual soaring SONIC ROCK odysseys that leave you brilliantly refreshed.


Four Altars Of Sin is a surprisingly bleak and brilliantly heavy release featuring the very best music the Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal scene has to offer. Though, it also shows the amazing work that Majestic Mountain Records brings to the underground scene to this day and by releasing this great album everyone should be applauded for joining forces for such an outstanding compilation record that may rank as one of the very best ones that will be released this year.


Words by Steve Howe


Thanks to Viral Propaganda PR for the promo.


Four Altars Of Sin is available to buy now on DD/Vinyl via Majestic Mountain Records.


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Thursday, 20 March 2025

L'IRA DEL BACCANO / YAMA - Tempus Deorum (Split Album Review)

Release Date: March 28th 2025. Record Label: Subsound Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Tempus Deorum - Tracklisting


L’Ira Del Baccano -. Tempus 25 (Sempiternal Rapture)

Yama - Wish to go under

Yama - The Absolute

Yama - Naraka


L’Ira Del Baccano Members


Alessandro Santori: guitars, loops, synths.

Roberto Maldera: guitars, FX, Slide Guitar, Synths.

Gabriele Montemara: Bass.

Gianluca Giannasso: Drums.


Yama Members


Alex Schenkels: vocals, bluesharp.

Sjoerd Albers: guitar.

Peter Taverne: bass.

Joep Schmitz: drums.


Review


Tempus Deorum is a new split album featuring the talents of Italian Spaced Out Doom Riff Wizards L’IRA DEL BACCANO and Netherlands Doom/Stoner Rockers YAMA. This is YAMA’s first batch of new material in eleven years since the band reformed in 2024. Both bands operate on different ends of the Doom Metal spectrum but are united within their core belief of creating HEAVY GROOVES that have a subtle Space Rock energy to them. Both bands get the perfect opportunity to showcase their musical talents on this epic split release.


Up first is L’IRA DEL BACCANO with their classic track Tempus 25 (Sempiternal Rapture) which is a slightly modified version of the original track Tempus Inane Flago, Requiem Spatiumque Furori which appeared on their classic 2007 Live Album Si Non Sedes Is - Live MMVII which was actually one of the first albums I ever reviewed when I created The Sludgelord blog back in March 2011. So, this track feels like reconnecting with an old friend that you haven’t seen for a very long time. 


The song still feels vital and has a modern day sound compared to the original. This is perhaps L’IRA DEL BACCANO’s most famous track with the band playing a spellbinding mix of Psych Rock, Doom Metal, Space Rock and Stoner Metal that’s held together by a cinematic Progressive Rock energy. This version is more stripped back and feels like it’s been built from the ground up with a haunting DRONE aspect which wasn’t heard within the original. The song starts off quietly but slowly transforms into different and heavier DOOMEDELIC passages within its epic nineteen minutes runtime. The instrumental grooves are played to perfection with L’IRA DEL BACCANO once again proving why they’re one of the most essential bands to come out from the Italian Doom/Stoner Metal scene.


Yama are up next with their side of the split record where they offer three new tracks that have a heavier riffier approach compared to L’IRA DEL BACCANO. With flashes of a riff-centric based sound that dives head into a Prog Rock direction compared to their 2014 debut album Ananta. The opening track Wish To Go Under sees Yama have a heavier Progressive Sludge sound with moments of Thrash based energy being played at a thrilling fast pace. The song is quite vivid with flashes of Psychedelic Grooves coming from all corners and angles with Alex Schenkels vocals perfectly leading the HEAVY METAL charge throughout. 


The second track from Yama, The Absolute is one built on distorted rhythms and fractured melodies which have a harsh Drone sound slowly emitting from the speakers with the band wisely taking their time in bringing a heavier DOOM/SLUDGE atmosphere which is way heavier than you initially expect. The song can be quite THEATRICAL with Yama using the many ploys of HEAVY METAL dynamics to create the standout track of their batch of songs. The final stages of The Absolute allows Yama to demonstrate a new found style of Progressive Heaviness which results in some splendid instrumental grooves to lose yourself in.


The final track from Yama, Naraka is a stunning Psych/Doom/Stoner Metal based track with the band creating sounds that could have easily fitted on their excellent debut album but this has a more modern sound. As Yama merges Post-Stoner / Post-Doom surroundings with that cinematic sound being applied to a heavier Progressive attitude which ends the song on a triumphant note. I’m hoping that Yama will have more new material to be released in the future, as on this evidence alone, they have sorely been missed.


Tempus Deorum is a must have split-record featuring two great bands that allows them the perfect opportunity to gain a considerable following within their respective genres. 


Words by Steve Howe


Thanks to Shake Promotion for the promo.


You can pre-order ‘Tempus Deorum’ split album from Subsound Records where it's due to be release on March 28th 2025.

L’Ira Del Baccano Links


YAMA Links


Monday, 3 March 2025

TEMPLE OF THE FUZZ WITCH / SEUM - Conjuring (Split Album Review)

Release Date: February 21st 2025. Record Label: Black Throne Productions. Formats: DD/Vinyl

CONJURING - SIDE A: TEMPLE OF THE FUZZ WITCH


1- EFFIGY 

2- ETERNAL LAMENTATION - 

3- FOUL OF SHADES


CONJURING - SIDE B: SEUM


4 - DEAD EAR

5 - PROBLEMS

6 - EFRIT


Temple Of The Fuzz Witch Members


Noah Bruner - Vocals/Guitar

Joe Peet - Bass

Taylor Christian - Drums


SEUM Members


Fred - Drums

Gaspard - Vocals

Piotr - Bass


Review


US Blackened Doom Metallers Temple Of The Fuzz Witch team up with Canadian Sludge/Stoner Metallers SEUM for this bleak addictive split album release CONJURING which allows both bands to stamp their own musical authority. The record is powerfully addictive with Temple Of The Fuzz Witch appearing first offering three tracks that expands their Blackened Doom/Sludge Mentality into a heavy area of depressing FUZZ and all of the debauchery that goes with playing that epic style of music. 


Temple Of The Fuzz Witch are more riff-orientated on this split record with an ELECTRIC WIZARD and EYEHATEGOD appetite appearing within the vocals and lyrics on each of the individual tracks with some surprising melodic Blackened Sludge Metal movement appearing on EFFIGY and FOUL OF SHADES. The final track of FOUL OF SHADES is where the magic happens creatively speaking for Temple Of The Witch being some of the best material they’ve written to date.


SUEM offer their usual blend of Sludge/Stoner Metal with small amounts of gloomy effects appearing which allows their “BASS” only sound decimate the FUCKING landscape with low and slow pounding grooves before a layer of distorted sounds destroys your hearing throughout. The opening track DEAD EAR by Seum is quite chaotic and has an hallucinogenic quality with despairing HARSH vocals creating a desolate landscape of punishing and experimental sounds that fits superbly well into the heavier sounds that Temple Of The Fuzz Witch are known for.


The other two tracks of PROBLEMS and EFRIT continues the DESTRUCTIVE and SONIC bombardment of downtuned filthy grooves with Piotr’s epic bass guitar punching holes into the musical atmosphere that could rival DOPETHRONE at times. The sound is completely dense and unforgiving with Fred’s drums and Gaspard’s vocals keeping the mood downright mean and nasty.


Conjuring is a damn fine split from TEMPLE OF THE WITCH and SEUM that should endear them to the wider hordes and legions of underground Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal fans.


Excellent and Highly Recommended.


Words by Steve Howe


Conjuring is available to buy on DD/Vinyl via Black Throne Productions now.

SEUM Links


Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube


Temple Of The Fuzz Witch Links


Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram