ALBUM REVIEW: The Oxford Coma - "Everything Out of Tune"

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 13/10/2017

Label: Independent

 “Everything Out Of Tune” is a breath of fresh air at a time when heavy music is becoming ever more reliant on recreation of past glories. The Oxford Coma delivers a welcome blast of vital strangeness while still riffing harder than most of their peers.

“Everything Out of Tune” DD//LP track listing:

1. Trauma (Maybe I’m Forgetting Something)
2. Inflatable Patriots (Touching People In Their Sleep)
3. Patterns Of Thought
4. Cartoons
5. Junkies & God
6. Everything Is Out Of Tune (My Only Victories Are Others’ Failures)
7. Reciprocal Damage
8. Smack & Temporary Enlightenment
9. Good Job Boys

The Review:

Phoenix quartet The Oxford Coma serve up a feast of unpredictable heavy delights on fourth LP “Everything Out of Tune”. Elements of grunge, stoner rock, psychedelia and even a little noise rock grit make their presence felt during this intoxicating voyage. Although there are familiar influences evident throughout, it is The Oxford Coma’s distinctive execution that makes this record so weird and compelling. 

“Trauma (Maybe I’m Forgetting Something)” rumbles into life like a Josh Homme-fronted Melvins while “Patterns Of Thought” sounds like Alice In Chains getting lost in the desert after a healthy dose of peyote. The title track is a whirlwind riff onslaught that somehow manages to maintain a balance of mathematical complexity and no-nonsense rock action to great effect. It is a perfect distillation of what makes The Oxford Coma great, intricate musicianship combined with skillful songwriting warped through a hazy psychedelic filter.

As the record progresses, The Oxford Coma dial back the heaviness and let their woozy melodic side come to the fore. “Reciprocal Damage” is the closest the band get to a regular song, the calm withdrawn vulnerability of the verses in stark contrast to the roaring release of the choruses. The track is built around a catchy guitar line that burrows deep into your brain and is simultaneously menacing and haunting.  “Smack And Temporary Enlightenment” establishes a suitably narcotic atmosphere via clouds of chiming harmonics punctured by bursts of restrained yet still incisive riffage while “Good Job Boys” brings the record home with a slow-burning epic.

“Everything Out of Tune” is a breath of fresh air at a time when heavy music is becoming ever more reliant on recreation of past glories. The Oxford Coma delivers a welcome blast of vital strangeness while still riffing harder than most of their peers.

“Everything Out of Tune” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

INTERVIEW: "If Carlsberg did dynamic power doom duos, Monte Luna would probably be the best in the world"

By: Aaron Pickford

As I am sure some avid followers of THE SLUDGELORD can attest too, it is our mission to present the very best heavy music the underground scene has to offer and recently I commissioned Andrei Moose from our Russian chapter to painstakingly sift through the very best albums released via bandcamp and compile the best into a chart.   For me and I am sure many of you agree, if you’re not at least attempting to release your music via this musical platform then you’re fucking up and you ain’t in the game.

Now hitting the no 1 spot back in October, were a band previously unknown to me, but holy shit does THE SLUDGELORD most sincerely approve? Hailing from Austin, Texas Monte Luna deliver towering molten riffs, bucketloads of groove and hypnotic vocals, in fact this two piece are so fucking awesome, their self titled debut album  is one of the most captivating and downright fucking monstrous records I have heard this year.  Clocking in a hefty 71 minutes, “Monte Luna” never suffers from lag, never repeats itself and just as Alice peered through the looking glass, you have no idea just what a fantastical journey is ahead of you when you press play.

Now despite releasing the album back in September, “Monte Luna’s” official album release is this Saturday November 18^th, so with the band prepping for this show, I managed to hook with band members James Clarke (Guitar, Bass, Vocal) and Phil Hook (Drums, FX, Synth) to get the low down about the roots of the band, the recording of the new album and amongst other things how they managed to score one Chris Fielding, he of Conan to master their debut record.  So check it out below.  

Guys, welcome to THE SLUDGELORD, the new album rules, but before we get to that. Can you give us an insight into how you started playing music, leading up to the formation of Monte Luna?

James: I started playing music when I was around 18. For years up to then I had always enjoyed singing but playing had intimidated me. I tried drums when I was 11 and it was just too loud for my parent’s house so it deterred me. Eventually I started playing guitar because I really liked singing along with my friends who played music. My first band I was in was this terrible band I made with some friends in the Navy. We played a few shows in Virginia Beach and we sucked. After I got out of the Navy I went back up north and started a band called Chronoscope. That is where I really started to make some cool noise. I was much more serious about playing guitar and singing. I did that for about 3 years until I got a job in Buda Texas building Aquaponics systems and green houses. I really wanted to find an area that is accepting and much more into heavier music than the area I was in. Austin drew me in and I never looked back. Ha ha

I actually met Phil via craigslist. I posted an add asking for a drummer who was into Neurosis, the Melvins, Shrinebuilder and the likes and he was the first to respond! Who would have thought!

Phil: I taught myself to play drums in the early 90’s and was in a bunch of different bands in the Indianapolis metal scene.  Around 2009 I moved to Austin, TX and started doing a lot of drummer for hire work, recording and touring for many bands and artists. A couple years ago I was feeling burnt out and stagnant artistically and knew I had to play heavy music again. So I creeped craigslist looking for some people to jam with, typed “Neurosis” on the search and the rest is history. Haha!

For folks unfamiliar with your band, are there any bands on the scene past and present that you would use as a reference point to describe your band, and who or what continues to inspire you and push you to try new things?

James: For me I have always admired the work ethic of the Melvins. I look to them on how a band should perform and run a business. I have also learned a lot of band business knowledge from our friends in Destroyer of light. Both the Melvins and Destroyer of Light put on phenomenal shows, and to me, it is all about keeping your audience engaged and hungry. As far as sound I really don’t have a specific point to reference. I like Matt Pikes tone but I didn’t really mold my tone to anyone. I just tried things until I felt it filled enough room. I’m influenced in general by bands like Eyehategod, Neurosis, The Melvins, The Beatles, Funkadelic, Black Sabbath and Rob Crow.

As far as who inspires us to try new things. I would say most of my peers in Austin and San Antonio. I love the bands we are playing with and coming up with and I could not be more thankful! Cursus for sure! And our friends in Spain, Ground.

Phil: My music influences are all over the place… I pull from Godflesh to Howlin Wolf to Sade. The whole creative process is what pushes me to try new things for sure. When I composed the instrumental segways at the end of “6000 Year March” and “Inverted Mountain”, I sampled multiple records on my turntables, added drones and synths.

What can you tell us about your new record “Monte Luna” and where do you feel it sits within the context of current metal scene?

James: The concept of the album revolves around a story I created based on this crazy universe that is loosely inspired by things such as H.P. Lovecraft, Bloodborne/Dark Souls, Kingdom Death Monster, Berserk, The Thing and Dungeons and Dragons (which I love by the way! I dungeon master! I’m a huge nerd).

 Let me just pull an excerpt from my lore here “Long ago in a distant time, unnatural pestilence consumed a world of peace. Father Arbitor has called upon the forces of the old ones to set this tranquil land a flame. After the burning of Elohim, a once great and powerful city, the people of the Nameless City are called upon as the only warriors brave enough to face Father Arbitor’s hellish army. Through their journey the warriors of the Nameless City will face perils the likes they have never seen. A 6000 year march across arid, decaying, plague lands. Climbing the impossible, the Inverted Mountain, reaching the Nightmare Frontier and facing the end. The orb of power glowing green with madness. What will end the cycle? Is the orb the true evil? Or does evil lie within?”. And yes the “Hound” EP does tie into the full length.

It sets in motion the events as the hooded warriors kill father Arbitors faithful dog, thus starting the war leading up to the burning of Elohim. For those wondering, yes we sampled Bloodborne on 6,000 year march! I love that game!! Where does it sit? To be honest I don’t know, we aren’t really trying to be just one genre. We both love so much music we couldn’t say, but it’s certainly heavy meditative music. We want you to turn it up, smoke it up and feel the sound. Like you would live.

Does anything spring to mind when you think about the completion of your new record and how is the mood in the camp at present?

James: I think I’m just glad to be done with it and I am ready to move forward as a band. The concept of the album was a long and difficult process. We tried to capture as much live magic as possible on the recording because we feel that to experience us fully is to see us live. For the mood band wise I know I’m loving it. We just played some awesome shows in Indianapolis and I got to meet some of the guys in Coffinworm and Gates of Slumber so that was an awesome fan boy moment!!

We have received a lot of positive feedback for our album and we beyond humbled at the reception. I think that Austin has a phenomenal group of musicians that I am proud to call my brothers and sisters. We are all doing so much right now and trying to grow this into something for all of us. It just takes time, but it is a wonderful time to be playing heavy music in ATX and the surrounding area. The Lost Well is our home away from home and we are thankful for it.

Phil: We’ve always respected what each of us brings to the table as artists and humans and I don’t see that changing anytime soon….no matter what life shit happens.

What stands out as your overarching memory from the recording sessions?

James: I think what stands out most for me was how amazing the environment was. We recorded at Tommy Munter’s studio in San Antonio (Matador studios). He is a good friend of Phils and an excellent musician. We did 3 days in the studio and crushed it. I think the moment I knew we were doing something right was that within the first day, at like 6 p.m. the cops came and told us we had to turn down. I almost lost my shit! I couldn’t believe it was really happening, and it just happened to be the night of a crazy storm. My mind was racing and I was thinking well that’s that, were screwed. But the next day we woke up early, moved the bass cab into the bathroom and ripped that puppy a new one.

We recorded all the instrumentation in about a day and a half. Also, what really stood out was how receptive Chris Fielding was to mastering the album! And for him to say he loves the vocals made me swoon! Haha! I run a Matamp GT2 into a Worshiper 4x12 and ABY it with a GK 1001 RB into a Worshiper 2x15. I was happy to lay that down as we would live. Phil and I were able to be in the same room while recording so it allowed us to capture the energy we have. We did very little overdubbing.

Phil: The album opener, “Burning of Elohim” had a pretty cool moment in the studio. James and I tracked the album in the room together as we would for our live show and I have a pretty big drum configuration…Ludwig maples, 26 inch kick, 14, 16, 18 toms and a 14x8 steel snare. On the opening tom pattern I’m just beating the living shit out of my floor toms and the air pushing off the drums carried into James guitar pick-ups and created this cool guitar part. We didn’t even realize what happened until playback and James was like, “what the hell guitar part is that”? Of course we kept that magic on the album!

With you new record in the bag, how is your schedule shaping up over the next 12 months?

James: We are planning a 2 week, potentially 3 week tour in April/may (East Coast) and a smaller run with some friends overseas (They want to come here though, we will be in EU asap!) We are going to book a week for the studio this time and that should be right after we come off our 2 week tour. We want the album to really crush, keep some elements of what makes us Monte Luna but always evolve the sound forward and have fun with it! If we aren’t having fun we aren’t a band. We played a great show with Omotai and it felt great to be back home! We hadn’t played TX since June. Our album release shows are coming up on Saturday and we are doing a few dates in December with our friends in Forming the Void!

This year is going to wrap up nicely into a hectic but fun new year. Lets get to Europe sooner rather than later shall we?

Finally, do you have any last words?

James: I’d just like to say that we aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel here. More so, trying to invent an interdimensional space ship.

Phil: I’m going to borrow a quote from my friend Karl Simon (Wretch, Gates of Slumber)…the music’s not too slow, you’re listening too fast. 

The End

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

REVIEW: Maximum Mad - "Dear Enemy" [EP]

By: Charlie Butler


Album Type: EP

Date Released: 16/09/2017

Label: Good to Die Records

Maximum Mad’s relentless riff generation makes for an exhilarating ride reminiscent of mighty Florida Helmet enthusiasts Wrong, they take the blueprint for dirty, riff-heavy racket from the 90s and 00s and wrench it breathlessly into the present on debut EP “Dear Enemy

“Dear Enemy” CS//DD track listing:

1. Affluenza
2. Lucky Coward
3. Active Aggressive
4. Unmanned
5. Weird Hand
6. Obscene Gestures

The Review:

Portland / Vancouver (DC) quartet Maximum Mad are the latest band to take the blueprint for dirty, riff-heavy racket from the 90s and 00s and wrench it breathlessly into the present on debut EP “Dear Enemy”. Like many of the current glut of noise rock acts making their presence felt in the underground, their lack of originality is rendered completely irrelevant by the sheer quality of their sonic assault.

Maximum Mad’s relentless riff generation makes for an exhilarating ride reminiscent of mighty Florida Helmet enthusiasts Wrong. This is particularly evident on “Unmanned” where they also channel some of Torche’s thunderous pop majesty for good measure.

Elsewhere, the band deliver concise hits of churning Melvins-style grunge fury to great effect. “Affluenza” is the best example of this, bolstered by a brief section of warped, reverb-heavy melody towards its climax that brings to mind the much-missed These Arms Are Snakes. The sleazy groove of “Active Aggressive” shows Maximum Mad are equally as effective at delivering lumbering menace as they are operating at full throttle

Closer “Obscene Gestures” throws in a dose of thrash into the mix which spices things up nicely. I like to think this is a little nod to their highly entertaining fake Facebook bio where they describe themselves as one of the most distinctive, influential and extreme thrash metal bands of the 1980s.

“Dear Enemy” is a solid start for Maximum Mad. Hopefully it won’t be long before they show the world what they are capable of across a full LP.

“Dear Enemy” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Grizzlor - "Destructoid"

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 15/08/2017

Label: Hex Records

“Destructoid” is a record that fully lives up to its title. Grizzlor have served up a sumptuous platter of riffs that effortlessly lays waste to the opposition.

“Destructoid” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Fruitloopville

2). House in the Woods

3). Tooth Pain

4). Miserable Jerk

5). Stupid Shit

6). Too Many People

7). Fighting Aliens With No Gravity

8). Wade’s Notes

9). Feeling Like Shit

10). Simulation

11). Quit And Die

The Review:

New Haven’s Grizzlor continue to carve out their own bizarre niche in the world of noise rock with debut LP “Destructoid”. The band achieve a perfect balance of lurid absurdity and nasty heaviness like opening up a kids comic book to discover it has been used to harbour dark top-shelf material.

The album lurches into life with the gargantuan “Fruitloopville”. Imagine a 50 foot Clutch after having their drink spiked by the Melvins and you have an idea of the monstrous, city-levelling riff Grizzlor unleash here. This sets the scene for the next thirty minutes of mayhem. While on previous releases the band have ripped through seven songs in ten minutes, here they have managed to lengthen their attention span in order to wring maximum impact from their bottomless arsenal of weapons-grade riffs. “Tooth Pain” and “Simulation” prove they can rock hardcore punk tempos without losing their edge but it is the relentless attack of closer “Quit Ad Die” that captures the band at their peak.

The fact that Grizzlor can achieve this and maintain their unhinged acid-fried intensity is no mean feat. Key to this are the vocals and lyrics of guitarist Victor. His barked maniacal delivery is the perfect vehicle for his darkly comic rants on tooth pain, crippling paranoia and feeling like shit. The air of weirdness is enhanced by outbursts reverb-drenched lead guitar that lend the likes of “Feeling Like Shit” a warped surf edge.

“Destructoid” is a record that fully lives up to its title. Grizzlor have served up a sumptuous platter of riffs that effortlessly lays waste to the opposition.

“Destructoid” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Low Flying Hawks - "Genkaku"

By: Ernesto Aguilar

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 25/08/2017

Label: Magnetic Eye Records

Low Flying Hawks come at you with a chugging, thick mélange of sound you will not soon forget, there's an aesthetic through this release that makes their  second foray sound quite breathtaking.

"Genkaku" CD//DD//LP track listing:

1.) Smile

2.) Uncool

3.) Virgin Witch

4.) Space Wizard

5.) Hallucination

6.) Twilight

7.) Sinister Waves

The Review:

Sporting a bond to sludge metal icons the Melvins is never a bad thing. And such a relationship is all the more noteworthy when your bag is self described as ambient metal, known otherwise depending on who you ask as drone metal. In the case of Low Flying Hawks, they're even closer to the Washington State legends than throwaway words in a press kit. As Low Flying Hawks features Crover's peerless stylings as well as Melvins' producer Toshi Kasai and guest vocals from King Buzzo himself.

Do not come to the recording expecting the Melvins' crunch, though. On its successor to the 2016 debut “Kōfuku”, Low Flying Hawks instead come at you with a chugging, thick mélange of sound you will not soon forget.

"Genkaku" (Japanese for “hallucination” or illusion”) is a mind-bending journey. The swirling guitars and indecipherable words in "Uncool" are indicative of that trip – dreamlike, or nightmarish, paths lain bare with Crover's pensive drum duties. A song such as "Hallucination" has almost a shoegaze feel to it, even though it is most decidedly doom in nature. The discerning listener will find a bit of a psychedelic rock influence in several tracks. Although you may hear such especially in our sludge metal friends, prototypical notions of 'Melvins side project' this is not. Rather, there's an aesthetic through this release that makes Low Flying Hawks' second foray sound quite breathtaking.

At the same time, the release is punishing when it needs to be. As in “Kōfuku”, the sophomore recording takes plenty of toilsome turns. The big sound is present and accounted for, complete with multilayered instrumentation and riffs that build to impressive arcs throughout. You have to appreciate the King Buzzo-fronted track "Space Wizard" for its pacing in this regard, as well as that of "Virgin Witch," which is one of the most Melvins sounding songs, in all of the best ways, on this recording. All in all, Low Flying Hawks exceeds the anticipation one might have about its members' histories. The band also gets you thinking about how they can expand past that.

"Genkaku" is available to preorder/buy here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

TRACK PREMIERE: New Haven noise trio Grizzlor raise the finger to mediocrity with “Fruitloopville”

 

Spewed forth into existence in the year 2013, GRIZZLOR hit the Earth with a misanthropic thud. Hailing from the toxic depths of New Haven, CT, these are three dudes power slopping their way through the daily drudgery, weighed heavy with fuzz, sludge and an itching disdain for the mundane. Their anthems are sonically beefy for the sardonically bored. 

Coming 3 years after the release of their 7” “When You Die”, GRIZZLOR will finally release their first full-length album, "Destructoid", on September 8th via Hex Records  and their unique brand of lurid, sludgy weirdness is perhaps more potent than ever.  Coming across like the Melvins providing a twisted soundtrack to Saturday morning kid’s cartoons, "Destructoid" is a barrage of sharp angular riffs, aggressively pummeled rhythms and vocals spat through a wall of misanthropic fuzz and today we are excited to deliver a  brand new exclusive track, for your listening pleasure.

To quote Fight Club “This is your life and it’s ending one minute at a time”, so why not enrich it by playing a cool fucking tune by kick ass band. Check out the magnificent “Fruitloopville” below, preorders for “Destructoid” are available here.

 

Band info: facebook || official || twitter || instagram || youtube

EXCLUSIVE ALBUM STREAM & REVIEW: Weed Demon - "Astrological Passages"

By: Ernesto Aguilar

Album Type: Full-length

Date Released: 18/08/2017

Label: Dissonant Society

Weed Demon is quite willing to show they can do a diverse attack that goes beyond a Melvins-ish crunch. It can definitely throttle you with heavy, sludged out guitars and drums. Yet, as you find on "Primordial Genocide" and elsewhere, Weed Demon can go from blasting to burrowing with its arrangements, zipping from fast to slow, metal to a variation on math rock, smoothly.

"Astrological Passages “CS//CD//DD "track listing

1. Astrological Passages

2. Primordial Genocide

3. Sigil of The Black Moon

4. Dominion of Oblivion

5. Jettisoned

The Review:

A band who call themselves Weed Demon and does five songs that clock out at 50 minutes pretty much says all you need to know about it being a stoner metal clique, doesn't it? Not completely. The Columbus, Ohio troupe has, in truth, a lot more in store for you.

Stoner metal has and has previously had many great acts as part of its history. Though the mainstream probably could not tell the difference between stoner and several other variations of doom, discriminating listeners know it when they hear it. Weed Demon flies the flag in its name and other venues. It certainly has other influences at its base.

On their debut full-length, a follow up to their 2015 EP, Weed Demon is quite willing to show they can do a diverse attack that goes beyond a Melvins-ish crunch. It can definitely throttle you with heavy, sludged out guitars and drums. Yet, as you find on "Primordial Genocide" and elsewhere, Weed Demon can go from blasting to burrowing with its arrangements, zipping from fast to slow, metal to a variation on math rock, smoothly. "Sigil of the Black Moon" kicks off as if it is your standard issue doom cut, but evolves into capacious blues rock, then plunges you into deep sludge. Where their first recording felt straightforward and perhaps not as adventurous, Weed Demon seems more confident in their own skin, with members gutsy in their willingness to take songs out to the farther reaches of your expectations.

The vocal style is just as varied, wherein a song like "Dominion of Oblivion" conveys almost a kind of funeral doom in its chanting verbalization. Rarely do you find stoner and funeral cross paths, so this bridge of the song is fresh. The music grows more insistent as it goes on, as does the vocal. That song is followed by "Jettisoned," a sprawling 12-minute-plus track to wrap up the recording. With its harmonica accents, rockabilly sort of segueway and long instrumental stretches, the cut seems aimed at, as the group says, to smoke and just jam. However, the overall effort here is far superior to background music. And Weed Demon, regardless of its name, is hardly your average stoner metal group.

"Astrological Passages" is available to preorder/buy on CS here and CD//digital here.  The album is official out on the 18/8/2017, but you can stream it exclusively in full below.

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Geezer - “Psychoriffadelia”

By: Ernesto Aguilar

Album Type: Full Length

Date released: May 19, 2017

Label: Kozmik Artifactz |

STB Records

Guttural guitars and raunchy drums at the ready. Geezer delivers the intensity of the Melvins, one of the group's inspirations, while giving its own unique spin to stoner rock. While many others try, this is one band that is confident enough to step out and truly make this sound their own.

“Psychoriffadelia” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Hair Of The Dog

2. Stressknots

3. Psychoriffadelia

4. Red Hook

5. Dirty Penny

The Review:

If you're honest about it, you must admit it is hard to get excited about a band whose first cut on its album is a cover of Nazareth's "Hair of the Dog." It is a fantastic song, of course, but just about every bar band in America and beyond has beaten the joy out of it long ago. If we're being mercenary about such an issue, who isn't sick of it? Don't lie. We've all made those judgments before.

It is a great then that Kingston, New York trio Geezer are so tight elsewhere, because you'll quickly forgive them and enjoy the heavy bluesy jams of their latest five-song release.

Geezer has been prolific, dropping six releases thus far and touring as well as doing regional live shows quite heavily. Such experience makes the band incredibly competent at sustaining the energy on songs like "Dirty Penny" – guttural guitars and raunchy drums at the ready. Geezer delivers the intensity of the Melvins, one of the group's inspirations, while giving its own unique spin to stoner rock. While many others try, this is one band that is confident enough to step out and truly make this sound their own.

Geezer is at its best at points like the title track, where members Richie, Turco and Pat feed off of one another and simply let the chemistry take over. It is remarkable how well they blend even on songs like "Red Hook," without a doubt the most unusual song on the release. It contains a slightly country blues and heavy rock vibe that may not grab Geezer's traditional audience, but the musicianship is so effective here you will not notice the difference much. In fact, you will quite likely be nodding along.

By the time "Psychoriffadelia" wraps, that potentially rough start will be but a distant memory. Instead you will remember one of the more entertaining bands around.

"Psychoriffadelia" is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook