The Obsessed-Sacred

Relapse
2017

Hailing form my home state of Maryland, The Obsessed have existed in different versions for almost forty years, but have just a few releases because their times of existence have been few and far between. The one constant has been front man/guitarist/vocalist Scott "Wino" Weinrich (Saint Vitus, Spirit Caravan and more). The band is back with their first studio release in 23 years. That's enough to be excited about right and then once you get this monster started playing you will really be excited. The first thing that hits me about this album it's a clinic of how to get so much out of every chord, beat or word. Not a skill every band knows that's for sure, but this album has that at it's heart and they just add on the layers as they push along. Need examples? The opener "Sodden Jackal" is a think, lumbering song that pours out thick and pulls you in right away. "It's only money" harkens back to groove laden, head bobbers with a huge dose of the early 70's.  The instrumental "Cold Blood" is a twisting, heavy crusher that has more surprises than I figured it would.  "Be the night" might just be my favorite song with it's punching riffs and swirling beats. I do have items that bothered me about the last few songs. Third from the end "Interlude" is really just a snippet that comes and goes with out doing a whole lot except feeling it doesn't quite fit. The last two tracks go in the order of "On so long" and "Crossroader blues" and both are both exceptional. However I am a big believer in there be certain tracks that should open an album and certain ones that should close it so I keep feeling like those two tracks should have switched  places so that the hazy drifter "Oh so long" could bring a proper end to this album. Minor nitpicking aside this album is a real killer

Free Metal Monday: Hazarder-"Against His-Story, Against Leviathan!"

Active since 2011, Hazarder is a doom/sludge metal trio from Croatia that more than lives up to the implication of it's name. This (HARSH & HARDCORE) 7-track recording from early December of 2013 is Hazarder's only full-length release and it can should be downloaded for free by clicking on this link. With a run-time that is just over the forty minute mark, "Against His-Story, Against Leviathan!" is all kinds of brutal and maybe even a little dangerous with it's no-holds-barred delivery! For that very reason you are going to want to play this one LOUD and PROUD friends!!  

Close The Hatch-Death & Resistance

Red Moth Records
2016

A quick word or two is in order before we jump into this short review. Originally this was to be the last of our three Free Metal Monday offerings of the day for yesterday (April 11th). In typical fashion that did not happen, but instead of waiting around until next Monday I am just going to be dropping this EP off now. And because it is Tuesday and I'm crunched for time thanks to having a sick kid at home I'm just going to lick & stick yesterdays article onto this page as it was originally set to appear. There's no need to thank me...

From yesterday:

I'd like to present a heavy band that hails from my neck of the woods and sure has a heck of a swell release on it's hands with their latest recording here. Of course that would be the ever so gnarly Close The Hatch who come from Dayton of all places and were first assembled (no doubt riff by bloody fucking riff!) back in 2011. If ever there was a group whose harsh and extremely-distorted sound represented how I truly feel about my home state of Ohio then this would be it! On the name-your-price "Death & Resistance" this sludgy (and somewhat experimental) doom metal/post-metal band melts minds and destroys everything that is innocent and holy. Or to put it another way they put the bop in the bop she-bop and it all feels SO GOOD! All of this oozy & boozy fun has been gift-wrapped in the shape of a four-song EP that can be found by clicking on this link.

Hexenjäger-Black Titan

Self-Release/Independent
2016

Previously covered in one of my "French Metal Friday" features, Hexenjäger (which incidentally is German for "witch hunter") is a four-piece doom/stoner rock band that hails from Saint-Nazaire and has been active since 2009. The recently-released "Black Titan", which was recorded, mixed and mastered by Antoine Gonzalez at L'Atelier Studio in Vensac, Gironde in July of 2015, is Hexenjäger's full-length debut album and (frankly speaking ladies and gents!) it's a real banger! It follows the quartet's 2-track demo from late March of last year and finds this top-tier French collective making great strides in regards to improved song writing/song structures and overall (individual) performances. For band-mates Charly (vocals), Charles (guitars), Flo (bass), and Ben (drums) this all-imposing/towering record is as huge as this band's potential! Granted there are only four songs on "Black Titan", but when the title track alone clocks in at over 19 minutes(!) it's all golden! Is "Black Titan" the one event in Hexenjäger's time-line that helps usher in this French band's inevitably rise towards world-wide fortune and glory? Well, it's either that or record label' PR folks might actually snap their puny little necks as they whirl around and go "What's that groovy as fuck noise?"! One or the other is bound to happen so you'd be well-advised to keep an eye out for the further adventures of this doom-laden stoner rock band! 

Free Metal Monday: Dogzilla-Demo

Self-Release/Independent
2015

Observant readers will no doubt recall how I previously covered Dogzilla's song "Winnetou" as part of another Free Metal Monday feature. Now this hard & heavy/sludge trio from Tarnów, Poland returns with a full-fledged demo that tacks on "#3" and "Massive Impact of Lethal Force". While the buzz-saw aggression of gritty opening number "Winnetou" is nearly-impossible to top these two additional cuts further showcase Dogzilla's ability to craft fuzzy hard rock with plenty of heavy riff rock appeal. For band-members Karol Wałaszek (guitar, vocals), Jakub Sroka (bass) and Nikodem Zawirski (drums) these three songs are more than enough to get fan's drooling in anticipation of a full-fledged album! I sure as hell count myself in that category!! To my fellow promoters and PR friends I have to say the following. Someone needs to scoop in and sign this trio up while there's still time! These guys are too good to be toiling away at cutting demos no matter how good these particular demos just might be! Speaking of which, this demo is free for the taking and you will want to add it to your collection especially if you are a fan of fuzzed-over, hard & heavy metal that is guitar-driven and drenched in sludge for your listening pleasure!

French Metal Friday: Hexenjäger-Demo

Self-Release/Independent
2015

"We make noise". That's Hexenjäger's self-description. As for their personal interests? Well, they sure do sound similar to mine! We're talking about beer, rock n' roll, and whiskey for this four-piece band from Saint-Nazaire. In my mind all that's missing is women (and I guess we could replace whiskey with vodka!), but either way this French sludge/doom metal act hits you right where you're sitting! Sent our way courtesy of bass player Flo, Hexenjäger's 2-tracks debut demo is a walk on the wild side with the opening title track alone hitting the 20 minute mark! Hexenjäger, which is reportedly German for "witch hunter", lists it's influences as Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus, Pentagram, and Hawkwind, but truthfully not one of those bands is as slow and drawn-out as this French quartet is! As my fellow bandcamp devotee Paul Rote points out the clean voice of Charly sound similar to that of Wino even if Hexenjäger's personal take on doom is distinctly their own. Guitarist Charles and drummer Ben round this four-piece out while the eight minute plus "Murk" rounds out this demo. Of the two songs present here, "Murk" is my personal preference for best of show and that has everything to do with how it favors 1970 something or rather slow jam doom! Not that you'll go wrong with either cut friends! Especially if you live and die by the sword of S-L-O-W doom!!! You can actually download a digital copy of this excellent 2-track demo for free by visiting Hexenjäger's bandcamp page whereas physical copies can be acquired by contacting the group at hexenjager.doom@gmail.com. You can also find the band here.

Free Metal monday: Dogzilla-"Winnetou" Single

Self-Release/Independent
2015   

Dogzilla is new hard & heavy/sludge metal band from Tarnów, Poland. The group is comprised of guitarist/vocalist Karol Wałaszek, bassist Jakub Sroka and drummer Nikodem Zawirski and on their six minute plus (!) single, "Winnetou", you get to experience the sights and sounds of the seventies hard rock scene without leaving the comfort of your own home! Fuzzed over for your listening pleasure, "Winnetou" is a name-your-own-price download, but why not toss man's best friend a bone or two while you're at it just to show just how much you care! As the band's YouTube channel points Dogzilla are anything but a one hit wonder. But whereas that particular demo track is post-Black Sabbath love from and to seventies hard rock lovers, "Winnetou" is nothing short of highly-righteous rough rock with stone cold killer leads! From the look of things Dogzilla certainly has more to offer so why not jump of this trio's bandwagon while there's still plenty of room?
 

Free Metal Monday: Striga-Pendle (2014 Demo)

Self-Release/Independent
2014

Just released this past March, "Pendle" is four tracks of  "Twin-bass bleak sludge doom" from Somerset, UK-based Striga. This name your price download is perfectly sick, evil sludge that burrows deep into your pores and then lays (God knows what) eggs that, when cracked open wide, infect every part of your essence driving you slowly towards utter madness! Need I say more?

http://striga.bandcamp.com/album/pendle-2014-demo

Season of Arrows-Season of Arrows

The Path Less Traveled Records
2014

Falling somewhere between heavy stoner rock and sludgy (post) heavy metal (with an emphasis in both cases obviously on the heavy part!) we have Nashville-based Season of Arrows and this, their Mikey Allred (Inter Arma, Across Tundras and Yautija) produced debut album. With the smoky voice of lead singer Stormie Wakefield serving as every-bit siren's call, Season of Arrows provides the perfect soundtrack for all your witching hour activities with music that is earthy and decidedly fuzzed-over. Made up of a group of (most-likely given the album's clear approach to song-writing) veteran musicians (some of whom have been in and out of various bands together since 1998!) Season of Arrows has the sound of a much-longer running act then one would normally expect to hear from a debut release. Also featuring the talents of guitarists  Brandon Shepard & David Gates, bass guitarist/backing vocalist  Shawn Van Dusen and drummer Brad Lawson Season of Arrows must be one of Music City's hottest tickets as the band's music is muscular and it pulses with fervent energy! There's not much more that needs to be said about this five-piece band from Tennessee other then to suggest that for those who choose to walk a different path, one under the cover of darkness where the sounds of the night don't so much send chills up your back but invigorate you(!), Season of Arrows would make for a lovely, night-time companion! You can find out more at either of the links below.

Links:
Bandcamp
Facebook  

Conan-Blood Eagle

Napalm Records
2014

Scheduled for release at the tail end of this month "Blood Eagle" is only the second full-length for Liverpool's Conan. Having formed in 2006, before self-releasing the EP "Battle in the Swamps" at the very start of 2007, the band has a back-catalog that includes a lone demo, some splits, another EP (the well-received "Horseback Battle Hammer") and even a live album! And then of course there is the band's debut album from 2012, "Monnos". With "Blood Eagle" it's more of the same, but that's all good when you're talking about Conan and their patented brand of sludge/drone/doom metal. Slow and low, without ever giving the listener any excuse or desire to move on between tracks (as each and every one here brings about feelings of utter bliss-in a doomed and downright damned kind of way!), Conan are the very definition of the word HEAVY. As with any good power trio this lot (guitarist/vocalist Jon Davis, bassist/vocalist Phil Coumbe and drummer Paul O'Neill) makes use of the "less is more" motto while proving that they are worth their weight in gold thanks to epic (length-wise) numbers like "Crown of Talons", "Gravity Chasm" and "Altar of Grief". You can check out the sick track "Foehammer" via it's (cool) official video below and if you call yourself any sort of sludge/doom fanatic then be sure to snag "Blood Eagle" when it drops!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-of5C1OHX_8

Drawers-Drawers

Kaotoxin
2014

Due for release on February 11th, and having been proceeded by a 2012 split with fellow-French noisemakers Hangman's Chair, this eight-track release is apparently a way for Toulouse, Midi-Pyrénées-based Drawers to "reinvent themselves". Having never heard this lot prior to receiving the digital files for this self-titled release I can't vouch for where they've been, but I sure can and do appreciate where it is they find themselves at now and where they plan on heading from here! As this is only the group's second full-length affair since forming in 2006, with the first one being 2011's "All Is One" (along with the group's 2008 debut EP, "This Is Oil" that's all she wrote kids!) one would have to suggest that the future looks bright for these down-tuned rockers! "Officially" this is all sludge/stoner metal with (justifiable) comparisons being made in passing to the likes of Mastodon and Baroness, but (truth be told) that seems to bypass the band's own personality and it simply cannot be used as an exclusive tag given all of this album's quirky traits. In much the same way that a body's scars add character, with each one in turn telling a remarkable tale of survival, it's the various jagged edges of "Drawers" that makes it such a compelling listen. Alongside the towering waves of blackened sludge and (implied) doom, which are most-likely left over from the band's early days, you'll find yourself staring right at knuckle-punch garage metal, mean street rock and roll and, shockingly, groove-happy hard rock that's been rolled-up and lite ablaze via some wicked stoner rock riffs! Said gnarly riffs come courtesy of Alexandre Berenguer and Laurent Bringer while it's the pair of Jérémie Ruiz and Olivier Lolmède (bass and drums respectively) that keeps everything from flying of the page! Even so make no mistake about the intentions of Drawers in regards to this new album and their new direction. This is still the sound of a band at their heaviest when it comes right down to it. Recorded live in the studio, which merely adds more fuel to raw rock vibe of Drawers, this eight track LP is still punk through and through. Skipping with the pleasantries Drawers, without ever loosing focus on the goal at hand (one that I would assume would be to deliver knock-out material for those who believe in the power of really loud real music), plows there way over the listener never once stopping to offer anything in the way of an apology. And I for one couldn't be happier with the results! With Niko Bastide on the mic (as we can't leave out his fine contribution to the metal at hand!) and a backing band dead-set of rolling out honest music (warts and all!) this one only gets better with repeated listens! You're going to want this one folks.

Reka-I

Moment of Collapse Records

2013

As of late, and on my own dime, I've been on a bit of a quest to explore new bands (new to me) and boldly go where no man has gone before ( Sorry, but I've also been watching way too much Star Trek as of late as well!!!!). Therefore, with an iTunes gift card in hand, which was actually discovered while I was cleaning out my work desk over the weekend (When I bought it  and how it ended up stuffed way in the back of my desk remains a mystery?), I decided to check out the new rock and metal releases. Moscow's Reka, which was strangely listed under "rock" first with a "Death Metal/Black Metal" tag following the "rock" label, peaked my interest so I decided to download "I" and see what's what. For the sake of clarity it appears as if this 5-track EP was actually self-released back in April of 2010. I'd only find that out later when I went looking for information to post with this review. But, that's no biggie I figured. The group, which was formed in summer of 2007, is made up of musicians who spent time in the screamo bands Optimus Prime and Forutnae Verbera. Who plays what though on this EP isn't exactly clear. The group's Facebook page does list numerous musicians, but whether that is the line-up here or not is not exactly clear. I've provided a link for the group's Facebook page below though for the curious. If anyone does know the actually line-up here then please drop me a line. Otherwise we'll just say that Reka is made up of screamo musicians. That of course does bring up another important piece of information that should be clarified. Moscow's Reka are not exactly a "Screamo" band nor are they a "Death Metal/Black Metal" band. At first the samples I heard of iTunes made me think that Reka might be a black and roll type band, but they were not exactly that either. When I finally got a chance to listen to the whole EP after it was done downloading I discovered something way more interesting then even black and roll (and I find black and roll really interesting!). The best way to describe this Russian band's sound would be "atmospheric post-metal/post-rock". That said, there are a few flash-back moments when it's clear that the band members of Reka do come from other screamo acts and there are also tiny fragments of dark metal and sludge as well. For the most part though this is easily- accessible post-rock/post-metal with really subtle passages of (cool) rock. The EP swings from peaceful to intense of course, but the way in which the songs are arranged is suggests a band that knows their way around the virtues of traditional rock. If this is at all indicative of the group's other recordings (as other recordings did follow this EP) then I just might have to download more music from this Moscow act!

 https://www.facebook.com/rekaband

http://reka.bandcamp.com/album/i 

When The Deadbolt Breaks-Drifting Towards The Edge Of The Earth

EarOne Productions
2013

What exactly does happen when the deadbolt breaks? If we're talking about this Connecticut-based band, and more specifically their upcoming, forth full-length release, the answer is sludge-filled doom. Lots and lots of sludge-filled doom. Like a out of control and slowly approaching landslide it eventually breaks down the door and wrecks utter and complete havoc. That's about what it's like to listen to this (strangely) appealing band that has been going about such business since 2005. On their aptly titled new album the band seems to pride itself on unloading drips of doom-drenched despair onto everyone and everything in any way that they can get away with. Such an uncaring approach is the stuff of melancholy dreams for the gloomy Sunday crowd no doubt. While the three musicians involved here do seem as if they could easy laugh at the thought of such unflinching and darkly-coated metallic slime rolling over and destroying the unsuspecting  it's not all doom and despair. Or at least not all the time. Ex-Cable guitarist/vocalist Aaron Lewis and company (bassist/vocalist Mike Parkyn and drummer Rich Kalinowski) do inject a bit of "normality" into the mix by way of classic rock riffs and the unexpected melodic moment or two. It chances the dynamics a fair bit, but even so this one is not for the squeamish! When The Deadbolt Breaks are more about encasing the listener in a solid block of mysterious black goop then taking it easy on anyone who purposely or not stumbles upon their existence! Sure, fans of Sleep and the like might find reason to celebrate a band like this, but what will it do for everyone else?  It's sink or swim friends. Sink or swim. If you dare then track it done. But realize this friends-When The Deadbolt Breaks lives by their name. They are formed from nightmares and are likely the very thing your mother also warned you about. If, and only if, you understand that notion would I suggest plugging into this one.

Anacondas-Sub Contra Blues

Prosthetic Records
2013

As the artwork for Anacondas' first full-length album brings about feelings of sorrow and loss in me it's only fitting that the music found within  "Sub Contra Blues" is dark and cold. "Progressive post-metal grunge sludge" is one way to look at it, but considering the wide range of influences present here (everything from the likes of Cave-In and Meshuggah to Seattle bands like Green River, Soundgarden and Alice In Chains) even that tag might not be enough to cover everything for this young, Brighton-based band and their slowly creeping album of doom, darkness, despair and dread. Still, it's a close enough description as to what awaits the listener come October 10th when this album is set to be released. But, while the band itself  might be new to the scene, having only formed back in 2010, the musicians involved here are most certainly not. It would be the demise of  the English band Johnny Truant that would lead to the fittingly-named Anacondas (as their music feels at times as if it is slowly wrapping itself around you with the intent to kill and then devour you) and the birth of "Sub Contra Blues". Both Stuart Hunter (guitars) and his brother James Hunter (bass) played in Johnny Truant, but while Johnny Truant was all about metalcore, and decent-enough metalcore at that, the brother's new act is more about slowly crushing the listener with doom-covered post-metal then killing them quickly with the fury of metallic hardcore. Joining the brothers in Anacondas is their friend Tim Newman who, in addition to playing drums, shares vocal duties with the Hunter boys. This three-pronged vocal attack really adds to the album's delightfully dizzying delivery (try to say that a couple of times fast!). And while the album does approach things in down-turned/down-tuned fashion there are still times on this release where you pick up on the groove that these three try to hide away. So yes, this power-trio might be filled with more then their fair-share of angst and yes, this album might be about as cheerful as a rain-soaked funeral, but it still knows how to spring to life when the source material calls for it. Or at least they "spring to life" sort of like the dead in any of Romero's zombie flicks! Oh, lest I forget, it's worth mentioning that the material on hand here likely came from self-recordings, as that's definitely the picture that this album's promo material paints, but that in no way seems to effect the overall feel of  "Sub Contra Blues". Part of that has to do with the fact that the band was able to get famed British producer Russ Russell (Napalm Death) to come in and master the sessions. His hands helped shape the sound of Anacondas and with this being only album number one for this power trio it's a damn fine start to what will hopefully be (if there's any justice to be found in the the heavy metal universe) a long career for this bunch.

Blind To Faith-Under The Heptagram 12" EP

A389 Recordings
2013

"Lawless", "violent" and "pure". Those are the three distinct words that this Belgium-based band uses to describe themselves and/or their "art". Formed in 2008, and featuring members of Rise And Fall, Reproach and (reported) Dutch "cult legends" Insult (I say reported as I have no idea whether Dutch band Insult is actually a "cult legend" or not), it would be the 2009 full-length "The Seven Fat Years Are Over" that would serve as a sort-of  "How ya doing folks?" moment while it simultaneously raped and pillaged it's way into the hearts of metal maniacs and punks alike. That slab of vile "unadulterated metal punk" (their words not mine) would be followed in 2010 by a split with San Diego's Gehenna and, having slashed, bashed and thrashed many more heads along the way,  all of that brings us back to this three-song, 12" EP. Now, as the band's influences come across as quite deadly themselves (Discharge, Repulsion, Celtic Frost, Eyehategod, Gehenna, Darkthrone, Entombed, Today Is The Day, etc), this short little offering from Blind To Faith comes with a warning. Or at least it should. And no, I'm not talking about some stupid, utterly P.C. shit of a warning label from the ghostly leftovers of the P.M.R.C. Screw that. What I'm talking about is this folks-any band that name checks both Celtic Frost and GG Allin in their promo material is already WAY FAR LEFT of heavy metal's center! And that's just weird on paper right? Now imagine a band that embraces the challenge of combining the elements of punk hardcore, sludge, thrash, street metal and death metal into something new. A new drug for the damned perhaps? Or is it just more music that sets out with the goal to paint the town red by using the blood of the innocents? It's probably all of the above as well as a carefully-crafted play list all about the band's anticipation of the inevitable apocalypse. If you're not prepared ahead of time for the band's "art" then when you get to the title cut, which sort of sounds like Motörhead and Eyehategod getting into a knife fight with Discharge and The Exploited, it's quite likely that your head could explode like a gigantic pimple! Well, either that or you might be left saying "What happened?" after their brand of hellfire, punk-n'drunk, heavy metal kidnaps you and then dumps your bloody and naked body in some back alley.  All signs point towards one or the other happening. So be fair warned brothers and sisters. I close with that warning and a further observation. Blind To Faith embraces the roles they've been offered, which include being doomsday rockers and engineers of metal madness (as an art form no-less!), as is all too evident by the "Under The Heptagram" 12" EP. If you choose to ride along then by all means buckle up!

Hebosagil-Lähtö

Ektro Records
2013

 
Something compelled me to check out "Lähtö" and boy am I ever glad that I did! The latest "full-length" from Finland's Hebosagil is 8-tracks long, but with a mere run-time of 26 minutes it's the old "in and out" these young "rockers". Sung entirely in Finnish, which does not prove to be a problem at all, this is the sound of anger as only a band with both Slayer and The Melvins (and not to mention Unsane) in their promo material can attest to. Even so this bunch isn't just part Slayer, part Melvins and part Unsane as this material is presented in the form of hardcore heavy metal sludge...or something like that. Picture not only the three acts above going at it in a bloody fistfight, but then Eyehategod stops by to deliver a few kicks to the crouch. By the time it's all wrapped up and ready to go it's like you've just seen & heard an interpretative punk rock/crust number performed by the reincarnated members of Superjoint Ritual and The Butthole Surfers.  This is one act I need to work my way back on as this new release hints at a more then promising back catalog!

Primitive Man-Scorn

Relapse
2013

Who knew that Denver, Colorado was home to one the reported gateways to hell? Otherwise how am I to explain the unholy & ungodly nature of a group like Primitive Man? Formed in 2012, with "Scorn" originating as a self-release, the group features in their ranks vocalist/guitarist Ethan Lee McCarthy (Clinging To The Trees of A Forest Fire, Death of Self, Withered and Keep), bassist Jonathan Campos and drummer Isidro "Spy" Soto (Kitezh). With "Scorn" serving as their introduction to the world (and what an introduction!)the 3-piece collective known as Primitive Man combine doom, sludge and flat-out noise to deliver a release that is distorted, loud, volatile and above all heavy! One could easily imagine that "Scorn" would serve perfectly as the soundtrack to our eventually destruction as a planet, whether by the hands of some worldwide plague or by the devastating effects of a nuclear holocaust, or even as the background noise to some sick snuff film! Unleashing "music" such as "Scorn" on an unsuspecting public would no doubt bring a wicked smile to the faces of this 3-piece band which I wholeheartedly endorse! Be sure to catch hold of this re-release from Relapse when it oozes itself along towards you.

Romero-Take The Potion

Grindcore Karaoke
2013

You had me at the name guys. Whether it's a nod to the "Godfather of Zombies", or inspired by the1989 film of the same name (which is about the assassination of Salvadoran Archbishop Óscar Romero), the name Romero just strikes the right chord with me. I'd like to believe it's the former as this northern, Wisconsin 3-piece, who were formed in late 2009, blissfully bridges the gap between the old (Black Sabbath) and the new (Queens Of The Stone Age) in much the same way as George's "Night of the Living Dead" and "Survival of the Dead". The band has recently played with the bands like The Sword, Jucifer, Weedeater, Clutch, Dead Meadow and Black Label Society, but these guys have been tearing up the stage from the word go. The band's driving force is Jeffrey Mundt who, at one point in his career. spent time as the drummer for fellow Wisconsin act (and all around cool punk band) Naked Aggression. That was before fortune and glory called out to him one day. In addition to being a talented drummer he was also a long-time guitar player & songwriter, as evident by his skills here, so before long he was laying the foundation for what would become Romero. Here Jeffery Mundt handles lead vocals, percussion and guitars and he's in this unholy 3-piece by drummer & vocalist Ben Brooks and, since 2012, bass player Steve Stanczyk. The band's first release, the 7 inch "Solitaire", was released on Triceratrax Records in 2010 and, from all accounts, continues to be a hot download. So, what is it about "Take The Potion" that should make sludge & stoner fans drool? With Romero the influences (Black Sabbath, Torche, Sleep, The Sword, Queens of the Stone Age, etc.) are shuffled up before Jeffrey Mundt and company deal out a royal flush. Mighty riff after mighty riff is unleashed upon the unsuspecting listener and before long you find yourself buried by a mountain of fuzzy sludge/stoner rock. Aided by a spot-on production (everything perfectly falls into place here), that's both modern and retro, these seven songs roll out smoothly. By smoothly I mean that you don't seem to notice that while Romero is busy perfectly blending everything from classic rock to doom metal the bodies just keep piling up all around you! Romero's crushing approach is testimony that it's not only the likes of The Sword and Queens Of The Stone Age that has helped shape this band, but that somewhere in the deep, dark crevices of their minds they've witnessed the raw power of  a band like The Melvins. These seven songs range in length from just under 4 minutes to just over seven minutes so there's no "3 minute pop songs" here. Instead the riffs are monstrous and, like their bio says, "Romero spreads like weeds" choking the life out of everything else around them. Or, if you like, Romero is like a virus which has found a way into your body and is eating you up from the inside out! When this album get's going it fills up every square inch of your speakers and makes you remember why you love loud rock so much to begin with. There's nothing systematic or predictable about this 3-piece band. Inside these seven songs you'll find a band that has taken their time to hone their craft into the best that it can be while at the same time allowing their creative juices to run wild. "Take The Potion" doesn't follow any set rules other then maybe one of my favorite "rules": The LOUDER the BETTER! Romero, despite only forming in 2009, sounds like a veteran act already and this album, which is a free digital download, is bound to make quite the impression in the sludge/stoner scene. If things were to go right for this band, and this album could fall into the right hands, Romero could find themselves headed for even bigger and better things. I could easily see Romero ending up being the current rage. You can hear this wicked release for yourself at the link below and it's worth noting that "Take The Potion" will be out on CD and vinyl as well!

http://grindcorekaraoke.com/album/take-the-potion

Beissert-Darkness: Devil: Death

Agonia Records
2013

There's a real primeval vibe you get when listening to Germany's Beissert. By that I mean both the band and the man for which it is named. Formed in 2005, and fronted by Beissert (ie Richard Beissert ex-Gorilla Monsoon,  ex-Trojan), the band has released three albums so far in their young career. "Darkness: Devil: Death" might sound like some sort of sinister black metal album, but this band is more groovy them grisly.  At times they reminded me of a dirtier Valiant Thorr while other times it's the sound of long-lost garage grunge I hear. Making raw, punk/metal sludge sound groovy isn't as easy as it sounds so I do give these guys credit for that. It's not all happy-go-lucky though as a track like "My Path Shall Be Your Wrath" sounds like a head-on car crash between S.O.D. and High On Fire. If you can get past the "Man, I know I heard that melody before" or "Where have I heard singing like that?" moments then Beissert might be the right kind of head trip you need. If there's one flaw to be found (other then knowing that I heard a song like "Perm Trias" before (or at least the style of singing throughout it) and just can't pin-point it!) it's the fact that the album is a tad generic. That might sounds strange when you consider the fact that these guys toss anything/everything into the fire (thrash, doom, metalcore, nu metal, etc.), but the album tends to blur together after repeating listens. So, yeah it is cool garage/punk/thrash/doom/groove/sludge, but it misses the mark when it comes to long-lasting impression.

Free Metal Monday: Aleph Null-Belladonna

Self-Released/Independent
2013

This is the second EP by Germany's Aleph Null since they were formed in 2012. The last one, "Dale", was released in 2012. It was well-received and, judging by those reviews, the style here is more of the same: Psychedelically inclined doom/sludge/stoner rock. It's some fine stuff. And it's free! Click below!

http://alephnull.bandcamp.com/