Broken Lung II

Is there really anything more to say other than this band is without a doubt the second incarnation of Abominable Iron Sloth? While there are some subtle differences (mainly in the vocals), I can't help but be reminded of "I Am Your Carcass" while listening to this excellent slab of sludgecore. Pounding, sluggish downtuned metal to destroy. There are some slight stoner/Southern sludge-esque influences, especially in "There Was A Bloodbath" and "Take Back The Hive" to keep it interesting but make no mistake, this is textbook chugging riffage here. For those who care, the band is busy putting finishing touches on their second album (preview track here) and I posted a couple demo tracks from this LP a few years ago. Enjoy.

A Grudge In The Key Of Sludge

I Destroy

An uneven sophomore release from West Coast sludgelords Abominable Iron Sloth hampered in part by recording delays, financial issues, stolen gear and typical band member flakiness. Initially recorded as a 4-song ep titled Americana, founding member/guitarist/vocalist Justin Godfrey felt the release would be stronger as a full length and quickly began penning songs with new drummer Andre Sanabria (Blownupnihilist). After loads of delays (including a Myspace petition for donations) The Id Will Overcome was released in spring 2010. The verdict? Well, album starts off amazing. "I Destroy," "A Nation Of Ignorants," "Slugs In A Salt Circle" and "Two Black Helicopter" comprised the original ep and are absolutely killer. A perfect sequel to their eponymous 2006 album, the recording is raw and gritty; Sanabria's drums sound like atom bombs and Godfrey's vocals are totally fucking psychotic. Yet from that point on the album falls a bit flat. There's nothing particularly bad about it, the songs simply lack the discordant 'Sloth style that makes their other stuff so great. The recording is a bit too clean, no real time-signature changes to keep it fresh, the tunes sort of just plod along and come off reeking like filler (especially the dirge "Heterodox Nonconformists" - c'mon guys). Even a Charles Manson cover (lifted from the LIE album) is a bit disappointing. Regardless the openers are the real diamonds on Id and are definitely worth a listen - especially "I Destroy" - probably the greatest heavy song ever written.

Parasite Hilton

Life, Liberty, And The Pursuit Of Heaviness

One of my favorite albums over the last decade was Abominable Iron Sloth's self-titled masterpiece. 21 minutes of complex time signatures, screaming vocals and comic-book geek goodness. I saw Justin and Andre play as the 'Sloth last year at a tiny sushi bar in Richmond, VA. Even as a two-piece playing for twenty minutes they destroyed more than most bands can in an hour. The fans have been waiting for Abominable Iron Sloth II for almost 5 years and on 4/20/10 it will finally be a reality. Can't wait. But in the meantime, there was a point in 2007 where band member issues had poor Justin change the name (back?) to Indomitable Iron Sloth. I guess those troubles have dissipated since the band is back to its other name but during that time they previewed a demo version of "A Nation Of Ignorants" on their myspace page for the upcoming album (then-titled Americana). Even recorded through a cassette deck it sounds huge.... enjoy.

Indomitable No More