Dope Skum - Return To The Gutter South: Live At Cherry Street Tavern (Album Review)

Release Date: October 04th 2024. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: Cassette/DD

Return To The Gutter South: Live At Cherry Street Tavern  - Track Listing:

1.Feast Of Snakes (Live)

2.Belly Lint (Live)

3.The Cycle (Live)

4.Waiting Around to Die (Live)

5.Fiending For A Feeling (Live)

6.Anxiety (Live)

7.Folk Magic

Review

Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metallers Dope Skum return with their new Live EP - Return To The Gutter South: Live At Cherry Street Tavern. The EP consists of live recordings of previously released EP’s Tanasi (December 2021) and Gutter South (April 2023), as well as the new track “Fiending for a Feeling”. This is another excellent release from Dope Skum who bring their style of “NO FUCKS GIVEN” based Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal to the live stage with fans of WEEDEATER and BONGZILLA should immediately take refuge with. 

The music is raw, filthy and deeply unapologetic that captures Dope Skum creating a whole load of noise and trouble across seven great tracks. The whole vibe is similar to a PUNK ROCK live album with the lo-fi recording techniques and production values used for the record. You feel every snarling Sludgy movement from all angles that Dope Skum presents themselves in. 

Return To The Gutter South: Live At Cherry Street Tavern is full of twisted and down-tuned energy with distorted guitars and seedy FUZZY REVERB appearing throughout the record with some of my favourite tracks being performed here sounding even better than the original versions especially tracks such as Feast Of Snakes. Belly Lint, Waiting Around To Die and Folk Magic. 

The live versions of these tracks sound more cerebral and have a heavier aggressive energy to them. The performance can be hap-hazard and bombastic in places but Dope Skum sound perfectly committed to the underground cause and the new song of Fiending For A Feeling is one of the best tracks I’ve heard from the band that shows a slightly heavier direction from them. 

Return To The Gutter South: Live At Cherry Street Tavern allows Dope Skum to position themselves once again as one of the best uncompromising Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal bands within the underground scene. They may not be the most original band around but it’s what they do with their music and how they deliver their intense WEEDIAN sound that truly matters.

These guys have a dangerous QUALITY to them and I’m hoping there’s a full length album being planned in the near future.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Dope Skum for the promo.

Return To The Gutter South: Live At Cherry Street Tavern will be available to buy on Cassette/Digital Download from Friday 04th October.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Sun And Sail Club - Shipwrecked (Album Review)

Release Date: October 18th 2024. Record Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Shipwrecked  - Track Listing:

1.Just Friends

2.Halcyon 

3.Torture Garden

4.Tumble

5.Vector

6.Bird Strike

7.The Color Of War

8.Drag The River

9.District 19

10.Tastes Like Blood

11.Days Of Wine And Roses

Members

Scott Reeder (FU MANCHU/SMILE) on Drums

Scott Reeder (KYUSS/THE OBSESSED/FIREBALL MINISTRY) on Bass

Bob Balch (FU MANCHU/SLOWER/BIG SCENIC NOWHERE/YAWNING BALCH) on Guitar

Tony Adolescent (THE ADOLESCENTS) on vocals.

Review

Sun And Sail Club return to the Stoner Rock shores after a nine year absence with their new album Shipwrecked and like its predecessors, the album is a fast-paced, turbo-charged and mightily aggressive affair. The sound veers into different directions with vast amounts of Stoner, Sludge, Fuzz, Punk and Psychedelic sounds with the band even allowing a subtle Jazz Rock attitude appearing on the album.

There’s a Hardcore Punk vibe which isn’t surprising with Punk Rock legend Tony Adolescent of The Adolescents leading the vocal charge. Other members of the band are from the Stoner Rock/Metal fraternity and the music is hap-hazard style of distorted elements of Stoner Metal and Fuzz Rock with a Progressive leaning attitude forming within the sublime tracks of Halcyon, Torture Garden and Tumble.

This is perhaps some of the heaviest sounds that Scott, Scott, Bob and Tony have put down on record of their respective legendary careers. Some folks may not enjoy the fucked off attitude that Sun And Sail Club explore and brilliantly perform throughout the whole record. There are moments on the album where the band play a Progressive Sludge Rock sound that reminds me of Mastodon and Torche in places but with a distorted Punk/Stoner Rock edge.

The music is always catchy and brilliantly melodic despite the weird delivery and timeframes the music goes through. Shipwrecked is quite a short record running around twenty three minutes in length but it’s never boring and everything is thrown at you even if it’s from over a hundred different directions. The Punk Rock vibe becomes more stronger as the record reaches its natural conclusion but with an aggressive burst of Stoner Metal energy. 

The lyrics are always a genuine highlight and keeps up with that rebellious attitude that dominated their previous albums. Other great tracks to check out are. The Color Of War, Drag The River, District 19 and Tastes Like Blood which has a RED FANG-esque delivery but with more added bite especially when the music becomes heavier, seedier and even thrash based along the way.

Shipwrecked may have been nine years in the making but it’s been well worth the wait with Sun And Sail Club delivering their most deliciously entertaining and brilliantly outlandish record to date.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

Shipwrecked will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds from Friday 18th October 2024.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Blue Heron - Everything Fades (Album Review)

Release Date: September 27th 2024. Record Label: Blues Funeral Recordings. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Everything Fades  - Track Listing:

1. Null Geodesic

2.Everything Fades 

3.Swansong

4.We Breathe Darkness 

5.Dinosaur 

6.Trepidation

7.Clearmountain

8.Bellwether

9.Flight of the Heron

Members

Steve Schmidlapp - Bass

Ricardo Sanchez - Drums

Mike Chavez - Guitars

Jadd Shickler - Vocals

Review

Everything Fades is the new album from Psych/Fuzz/Stoner Metallers Blue Heron who blew my mind with their 2022 debut album Ephemeral which was down to their blend of trippy and fuzzed up Stoner Metal passages that even showed a murkier side to the Doom/Stoner Metal sound. The new album follows a similar path but is more compact compared to their debut release. As Blue Heron gets straight down to business of playing sonic inducing Psychedelic Fuzz with small amounts of Space Rock within the opening track Null Geodesic.

The music is more aggressive, abrasive and with Blue Heron exploring the sludgiest outlines of Cosmic Doom and Stoner Metal in general. The album still has echoes of classic sounding Desert Rock and Fuzz Rock which is told through epic sounding instrumental jams and sludgy progressive rhythms that the band deliver in style within the albums early tracks of Null Geodesic, Everything Fades and Swansong. 

With inspiration from bands such as KYUSS, FU MANCHU, Monster Magnet and Clutch being used once again but with Blue Heron adding a hazier and seedier style of modern day Stoner Rock/Metal which is perhaps due to their hometown surroundings of Albuquerque, New Mexico being a main factor for some of the heaviest and atmospheric sounds throughout the whole album.

Jadd Shickler’s undeniable vocals have quite the soulful presence with a grittier determination compared to Ephemeral. With intense musical delivery from Mike Chavez, Ricardo Sanchez and Steve Schmidlapp once again though channelling a definitive “LESS IS MORE” delivery within their musical passages which gives Blue Heron a different atmospheric style that I didn’t originally anticipate especially on the heaviest tracks such as: Swan Song, We Breath Darkness, Clearmountain and Bellwether. 

Everything Fades can be quite topical in places and remarkably earnest within the Post-Stoner surroundings of the record where Blue Heron showcase a simpler storytelling side to their music which allows them to become better songwriters as a result. With the album becoming quite obsessive with the DOOM & GLOOM aspect on the later stages of the record. 

This allows Blue Heron to easily avoid the dreaded SOPHOMORE SLUMP with an emotionally charged and a truly breathtaking style of down-tuned WEEDIAN magic that allows Everything Fades to be considered another unmissable and EPIC sounding release from this great band. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR and Blues Funeral Recordings for the promo.

Everything Fades will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Blues Funeral Recordings from Friday 27th September 2024.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Waingro - SPORTS (EP Review)

Release Date: September 27th 2024. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD/Vinyl

SPORTS  - Track Listing:

1. Fuel For Vomit (2:30)

2. Sports (2:27)

3. Brougham (3:34)

4. Masonic Falls (1:07)

5. Pray For Blackout (1:43)

Members

Benjie Nesdoly - Drums

Brian Sepanzyk - Guitar/Vocals

Nate Pennell - Bass

Review

Sludge/Stoner Metal bruisers WAINGRO celebrate their tenth anniversary by releasing their superb new EP SPORTS which sees the band playing a primal style of Hardcore Punk compared to their previous albums. The EP lasts under twelve minutes with the band feeling inspired by fellow Canadian Punk bands such as The Bronx and Fucked Up though with WAINGRO’s trademark Sludge/Stoner Metal sounds that’s lasted them well. The music is catchy, aggressive and wonderfully fast-paced that sees WAINGRO harking back to the sounds of their celebrated debut album. With only five songs to play with on SPORTS, all the tracks follow a similar creative path and sound to each other but when the the music is pissed off SLUDGE METAL FURY then business is good especially on the outstanding tracks of Fuel For Vomit, Sports and Brougham. Taking a High On Fire and Motorhead thrash based attitude within their music, everything does become quite distorted and metallic before the time is up. Check out the wicked EP cover for SPORTS and you’ll see a ton of classic 1980’s and 1990's action, horror and science fiction movies within the photos which only adds to the rebellious attitude of the whole VIBE that WAINGRO expertly dominates throughout the whole EP. This is the first piece of new music from WAINGRO in five years and I’m hoping there will be more planned as eleven minutes is never enough time with this great band. Though, I shouldn’t complain too much as SPORTS is direct and very straight to the point with WAINGRO getting SHIT done within the EP’s short run time. Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Good Boy PR for the promo.

SPORTS will be available to buy on DD/Vinyl from Friday 27th September 2024.

Links

Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify | YouTube

Exclusive Album Premiere For Doom/Sludge Metallers EPIC DOWN New Album DAYS OF OBLIVION

After releasing the Equinox EP's and signing to Argonauta Records we decided to produce an album with almost new material and starting it from scratch. Since we already messed around with some new songs and didn't want to only re-release, there was only one way to go. It took a few months to get everything together and after a long summer in the studio the concept of the record started to emerge. With the release of "Days Of Oblivion“ we now ring the bells of doom again and celebrate the dance on the volcano.

You can listen to the bone crunching new album DAYS OF OBLIVION below thanks to the great folks over at Grand Sounds Promotion and Argonauta Records.

About Epic Down: (a short bio)

Epic Down is a duo from Leipzig, Germany dedicated to the sluggish grooves and lumbering riffs of sludge & doom. Founded in the pandemic turmoil of the year 2021, by Mitzschi (guitar(s)/bass) and Fabian (drums/vocals) to musically express the deeply felt horror about the excesses of the established abysses of a consumerist civilization with pronounced destructive traits and a reality marked by war, disease and destruction, and to preserve it as a defining sound of this so-called turn of the times.

Influenced by primal doom, drone and stoner legends like Sleep, Earth, Melvins and Spirit Caravan, the sound of Epic Down is mainly characterized by solid downtempo grooves and rolling walls of guitars, complemented by slightly melancholic vocals.

With the release of their first EP "Equinox Pt 1" and it’s sequel "Equinox Pt 2" in 2023, which were only available in digital way, the band stepped into the light of publicity.

You can buy Days Of Oblivion via Argonauta Records from Friday 27th September 2024.

Links

Linktree | BandCamp

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for all of the details.

Gnome - Vestiges of Verumex Visidrome (Album Review)

Release Date: September 13th 2024. Record Label: PolderRecords. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Vestiges of Verumex Visidrome  - Track Listing:

1.Old Soul 04:30

2.The Ogre 08:14

3.The Gods Are Evil 05:08

4.Duke of Disgrace 03:47

5.Old Soul Reprise 00:19

6.Golden Fool 05:39

7.Rotten Tongue 04:59

8.Back to the Mud 03:54

9.John Frum 05:35

Review

Vestiges of Verumex Visidrome is the new album from Progressive Stoner Rockers Gnome and it’s a record that has an outrageous sense of humour running through it’s creative soul. With a bold step at adding moments of Experimental Rock and even elements of Jazz making an appearance along the way. Gnome are really starting to add a certain MELVINS or PRIMUS mentality into their music.

The record never takes the easy way out of delivering straightforward music as Gnome thrive on creating freaky sounds with classic sounding Stoner Metal grooves which comes into play on the stunningly weird opening track of Old Soul. The music when it’s full on RAWK attitude is full of intense classic STONER melodies with a twisted Fuzz Rock adding real weight to the album. The outlandish vocals moves into different areas of delivery such as PRIMUS style vocals and harsher cookie cutter vocals you wouldn’t expect.

Though, Gnome expertly deliver different slices of Rock/Metal throughout the album with a Classic Hard Rock and Alt Rock sound appearing within the standout second track The Ogre. The music is quite FUNK based with echoes of Punk Rock before Gnome starts throwing down a Prog Sludge Rock vibe to the mix which has a slight MASTODON delivery. You can’t take nothing for granted with Vestiges of Verumex Visidrome, as Gnome are always thinking outside of the box and are perhaps at their best when playing a more riff-centric style of music compared to their highly experimental style which is still an impressive and huge part of the album. Though, I’m perhaps in the small minority of folks with that opinion.

I absolutely adore this album and it’s brilliantly heavy and uniquely different from the Doom/Stoner Metal scene which Gnome continues to fully explore on other sublime tracks such as: The Gods Are Evil, Golden Fool, Back To The Mud and John Frum. These are the tracks that impressed me the most and the ones that I received the most enjoyment from. Vestiges of Verumex Visidrome is a technically impressive album on every level with Gnome showcasing a wide array of different musical styles that moves between the finer points of Experimental Rock/Metal whilst applying a Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal sound into the complete mix.

Gnome have released their most brilliantly entertaining record with Vestiges of Verumex Visidrome and I can see why it’s causing quite a stir within the underground scene. There’s nothing quite like this album that you can compare this to currently within the Doom/Stoner scene. And this also allows Gnome to be considered a highly original and perhaps groundbreaking band within their own right.

If you want a completely crazy and surreal audio experience then Vestiges of Verumex Visidrome has all bases covered. 

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to PolderRecords for the promo.

Vestiges of Verumex Visidrome is available to buy now on DD/Vinyl via PolderRecords.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Bile Caster - Writhing Between Birth And Death (EP Review)

Release Date: October 04th 2024. Record Label: Various. Formats: CD/DD/Cassette/Vinyl

Writhing Between Birth And Death - Track Listing:

1.ABSCESS 

2.TRAPPED

3.HARROWING

Members

Joe Lander - Guitar/Vocals

Adam Starkey - Drums

Nick Eagle- Evans - Bass

Review

Writhing Between Birth And Death is the debut EP from Doom/Sludge Metallers Bile Caster who play a depressive and filth ridden style of music that has a slight Death Metal mentality in places especially with the harsh growls that surrounds the whole EP. The sound takes influence from bands such as THOU, EYEHATEGOD, CONAN and PRIMITIVE MAN with that bone-crunching style of Sludge Metal that can only be described as begrudgingly EVIL that gives Bile Caster an air of Extreme Metal dominance within their music.

The music is quite progressive in places with the individual tracks running for around nine minutes in length. Bile Caster operate with mostly a LOW & SLOW attitude that feels like it was forged in the PITS OF HELL with elements of Black Metal, Death Metal and Crust appearing at different parts of the EP. 

I was quite surprised by the amount of FEEDBACK and REVERB that appears on the record with that part of the EP allowing Bile Caster becoming quite adept at providing subtle levels of AMPLIFIER DISTORTION that makes you feel you’re returning from a very bad hallucinogenic trip especially with the lyrics provided on the excellent opening track of ABSCESS. That track shows you that Bile Caster is all about the DARKNESS and the record keeps with that destructive tone and vision with some epic LOW & SLOW instrumental passages that last an age especially within the standout second track of TRAPPED.

The final track HARROWING is quite the experience with Bile Caster delivering the heaviest and nastiest sounds on the whole EP. The song can be quite tortuous to hear but what else would you expect for a record that sounds as bleak as this. The members of Bile Caster are superbly talented individuals who prove this time and time again on the EP but HARROWING is where they show why, especially how the music changes direction in the most unexpected ways imaginable. 

Writhing Between Birth And Death is an outstanding debut release for a band who should have a bright future ahead of them within the UK Doom/Sludge Metal scene. This is simply unmissable. No question.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Cursed Monk Records for the promo.

Writhing Between Birth And Death will be available to buy from the links below on Friday October 04th 2024.

CD and Digital by Cursed Monk Records

Vinyl by Road To Masochist Records

Cassette by Eggy Tapes.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram