Tides Of Sulfur - Extinction Curse (Album Review)

Release date: July 16^th 2016. Label: Black Bow Records. Format: CD/DD

Extinction Curse – Tracklisting

1. Eternal Bleeding

2. Of Suffering and Grief

3. Woe To You O Destroyer

4. Maltheist

5. Extinction Curse

6. Iron Fists Shall Rust

7. Year of Pigs

Band Members:

Anthony 'Snake' O'Shea-Shredding/Apparitions

Chris Bull-Throat/Low-End Assault/Noise

Tom Lee-Battery

Review:

You magnificent Welsh bastards.....

You've only gone and released one of the most exciting debut records I've heard since Bast put out Spectres (both bands signed to Black Bow Records by way of a coincidence?)

Not unlike Bast in as much as they have become firmly entrenched in the thriving doom/sludge movement sweeping the land at present, but to simply leave it there would do them a disservice. A point proved by some of the bands they have played with that wouldn't be considered doom. (Google it)

There are elements of Black Metal, thrash, blast-beats all married together with the low and slow stuff. Clean sections, heavy sections and Tides make use of the fact that all three of them can sing to great effect. Layer upon layer of diversity is what's on offer here. Like a wedding cake. Made of riffs.

Recorded at Skyhammer by Chris Fielding and mastered by Steve Austin (because Stone Cold says so....) you know that this record sounds magnificent.

Now make no mistake about it, I'm a big fan of this band. The band and the lads themselves. Our bands had the pleasure of touring together earlier this year (alongside the glorious Victorian Whore Dogs) and it was a pleasure to get to watch them night after night deliver the goods. But even that didn't prepare me for the barrage of riffs that came tumbling out of my speakers when I hit play on this record.

From opening track "Eternal Bleeding" through to the final moments of album closer "Year Of Pigs" Tides don't put a foot out of place, and there isn't a needless moment on this record.

Standout track for me probably being "Maltheist" with its haunting and jarring guitar melody delivered over some of the heaviest riffs I've heard in ages, all backed up by some truly powerful drumming and vocals that are lower than the value of the pound after a referendum.

To sum it up Tides Of Sulfur have added themselves to the list of albums coming out this year, that will challenge and reward lovers of heavy music. You thought you'd heard heavy music before? Guess again....

You can catch the Tides Of Sulfur live experience at Red Sun Festival in Cardiff over the last weekend of July to keep you going until the album is released.

Words by Simon Ross Williams

Thanks to Curtis at Dewar PR for the promo. Extinction Curse will be available to buy via Black Bow Records on CD from July 16th 2016.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp

The Last Words Of A Dying Planet by Tides of Sulfur / The Air Turned To Acid (Split EP Review)

Release date: July 03rd 2015. Label: F H E D/HIbernacula Records. Formats: CD/DD/Cassette Tape

The last words of a dying planet: Tracklisting

1.Tides of Sulfur - Lord of flies 02:55

2.Tides of Sulfur - Crawling through a pit of ash and bone 07:20

3.The Air turned to Acid - Sisyphus 03:40

4.The Air turned to Acid - Glandroid 06:32

Tides Of Sulfur - Band Members:

Anthony 'Snake' O'Shea-Shredding/Apparitions

Chris Bull-Throat/Low-End Assault/Noise

Tom Lee-Battery

The Air Turned To Acid – Band Members

Leonid: Guitars

William: Guitars:

Andrew: Bass Guitars

Trevor: Percussion

Richard: Vocals

Review:

Tides Of Sulfur and the brilliantly named The Air Turned To Acid are easily two of my favourite bands in action at the moment so the news that after their first billing together at last years Doomfest event in the doom capital of England (You guessed it, High Wycombe) pleased me greatly.

With two tracks from each band and one collaboration, you certainly get your money's worth from this brilliantly brutal split.

Tides Of Sulfur kick things off with "Lord Of The Flies" which tears out of the speakers and forces itself violently into your face and doesn't let up until the minute the track slams on the brakes to a sudden stop.

Track two "Crawling Through A Pit Of Ash And Bone" is an altogether different beast. The title of the track should give away to you that this song is just a touch slower.

Riffs as thick as tar bury the listener beneath their weight as the vocals alternate between the harsh higher pitched screams and lower deathly growls with ease, while the ever present drum Apocalypse controls the track until around the five minute mark when the tempo picks up literally for a minute before dropping back into a perfectly judged riff, which fades in and out as it concludes.

Disinherited is the collaboration (credited as Sulfur Gimp and Acid Gimp) and works well to split the ep nicely between the two bands alternating styles. It's a kind of weird instrumental, industrial sound effect with spoken word over the top that frankly makes me feel a little bit unsettled when I listen to it. But I think that was the point.......

Over to TATTA to see what they can deliver. They deliver filth. By the bucket.

First (or fourth however you want to look at it) track Sisyphus doesn't waste any time in continuing the demolition job that TOS started. Angular, heavy discordant riffs crashing about while vocalist Richard Repper basically loses his shit over the top. You can practically hear the disgust in his voice as he spits the vocals at you.

Final track "Glandroid" delivers much more of the same but for longer. Just in case you hadn't got the fucking message yet. I'm a big fan of the vocals in this track and the way they are layered together, which when added to the huge wall of sound the rest of TATTA provides just leaves you feeling ruined by the end of it.

A great addition to the scene and anyone who caught them at this years Red Sun Festival in Cardiff will testify to why there is a fair bit of buzz about both these bands right now. A vicious split ep that captures two very different bands in fine form.

Pick up a copy of the ep on CD from HIbernacula Records or a very limited cassette from FHED while you still can. You won't regret it.

Words by Simon Ross Williams

Tides Of Sulfur Links:

Facebook | BandCamp

The Air Turns To Acid Links:

Facebook | BandCamp