KEVERRA - Keverra
​​(Seeing Red Records)

Aggressive and sludge-ridden doom is the name of the game for these South Californian purveyors of sonic filth. That said, this self-titled debut notably doesn't seek to crush the listener into obliteration. There's a delicious post-metal subtle at play here--a balance between monolithic heft and gentle dynamism. Take, as a prime example, lead single "Bathsheba," which weaves winding introspective  passages in the midst of sasquatchian riffage. I'm getting a vague Fugazi-meets-Lord Mantis vibe from this album--which, frankly, isn't something I ever knew I needed. But here we are, Keverra offered to the masses in white-knuckled grasp. Needless to say, Keverra have crafted a real winner--highly recommended for any fan of sludgy and emotive music. Another feather in Seeing Red Records' increasingly voluptuous cap.

​Find 'em on bandcamp here!

Yarrow - We Made What God Could Not
(Self-Released)

What is it, exactly, that can God not make? Riffs of this sheer magnitude, evidently. Yarrow
plays a funereal brand of deathy doom--low, slow, and mind-numbingly heavy. It's like if Spectral Voice lost all hope for living and trip a premature trip down to Hell. Music of aggressive ilk is all-too-oft labeled as "soundtracks to a nightmare," but We Made What God Could Not genuinely feels like just that--the ponderous and plodding playlist constructed specifically for one's voyage down the Styx. It's depressive, angry, and carries itself with an indomitable weight. That's not to say it's all dirge, however. Take the back end of intro track "活け造り" and the subsequent lead-in on "Old Sha​dows," which indicate a more frenetic tone. A churning and cauldron-bubbling quality. All told, I'm quite impressed. Check this one out!

​Find 'em on bandcamp here!