Three years after the release of the LP Dopefiend, Void Tripper presents Sludgehammer, a single featuring two tracks that walks from Sludge to Stoner/Proto Doom. This new phase marks the debut of drummer Kevin Cavalcante, as the band hits the accelerator with political statements and aggressive riffs—an organic evolution from their previous work.
This is an open door for the upcoming album, the band now is focused on recording their second album, and in full works, composing. Sludgehammer is the bridge.
Under the hammer of the Sludge,
Mário, the band's vocalist, gives more details about the production and the powerful meaning behind the first track.
“I think with Sludgehammer, we wanted to clarify a few things. First, we consider Void Tripper to be, in some sense, part of the Extreme Metal scene. Second, we have a political stance, if that wasn’t clear already (we hinted at it with Burning Woods, but it's worth reinforcing). And third, we still have a strong desire to create without sticking to a formula. The other track on this release, Praise the Sacrifice, explores different ideas from Sludgehammer. The four of us have varied tastes, and we like to explore this spectrum of stoner/doom/sludge.
We came up with the name 'Sludgehammer' as a play on the word 'Sledgehammer'. We want listeners to have fun imagining Nazis getting their skulls crushed. There could be more than one meaning here. The hammer is often seen as a symbol of workers' struggle. At the end of the day, we’re workers too, wanting our voices heard and seeking to silence our oppressors.”
This represents a natural evolution. Void Tripper already dipped into sludge with tracks like Hollow and Comatose from their first album, Dopefiend, released on vinyl by Wet Records and on cassette by Evil Noise Recordings. But Sludgehammer also marks growth in terms of production, as the band has faced numerous recording issues since its inception.
“In our previous work, we were always plagued by production problems. Void Tripper was the first band for all of us. We were kids and got into situations that were tough to navigate. Sludgehammer is a turning point because it’s the first time we’ve been able to compose and record on our own terms, and I think the difference is clear. We now have more freedom and maturity to shape our sound the way we want. Gaining experience with the recording process also helped a lot. This release is especially important because it’s Kevin's official debut as our drummer, and he absolutely crushed it. That’s why we wanted to highlight him in the track, opting for a drum solo instead of a guitar solo.”
About the Sludgehammer video, Mário adds:
“Naturally, we’re fans of this kind of video—it makes sense to us within the genre. The video is an extension of the song. The track is brutal and direct, and we wanted the video to reflect that. We believe we shouldn’t be afraid to say certain things, and some people should be afraid to show up in public spouting messages that oppose society and people’s freedom to live and relate as they wish, or any speech that incites hate towards certain groups. Intolerance for the intolerant.
As a whole, Sludgehammer marks the beginning of a new chapter in our story—almost like a fresh start.”
They are finishing up songs for our next album. "We want it to be bigger, heavier, and more impactful than our first full-length, Dopefiend. We hope to have it ready by early 2025 and hit the road again."
Sludgehammer is set to be released digitally on October 13th via the American label Wet Records.
Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/voidtripperband
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/voidtripperdoom/
Bandcamp: https://voidtripperdoom.bandcamp.com
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0u26mTrsDxNiMa2yEiWc4e
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe69fs3XH1_NhoFerpmzB6A
Clipe “Black Roots Rising”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xehJ_0bArE
Clipe “Bastard Smoker”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AeVgk6Vcl8
Clipe “Burning Woods”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbKTvxnKrd0
Wet Records:
https://www.instagram.com/wetrecordsofficial/
https://wetrecords.bandcamp.com/
Thanks to Ygor at Wet Records for all of the details.
