Written by: The Administrator
It's been a while since we hosted a good ol' track premiere 'round these parts. Why not, then, throw hazard to the wind and mark our re-entry into the premiere arena with something profoundly squeamish? This is one for the misanthropes. Let's get into it. in this house of mourning--masterminded by one B.I. formerly of Mountain God--will be self-releasing Enlèvement on August 8. "Altar," the bleak, despondent, and otherwise unsettling single appearing here today, is a lengthy account of a bad person doing bad things involving the titular altar. Genre-wise, in this house of mourning exists in a nebulous sonic place that I can best describe as "the edges of extremity." This track and the album writ large often work at the plodding pace of funeral doom, yet incorporates cacophonous shrieks, death-doom roars, noisy atmosphere, and tinges of blackened miasma. The whole package is wrapped in grimy horror aesthetics. This is some pretty lo-fi stuff, with deliberate care taken to construct an environment that is far from polished or modern. It's malevolent, and seething, and grim, and more than a little uncomfortable. More blathering below, but this is a long track so I recommend firing it up earlier rather than later. Give Altar a listen via the conveniently located embed. As always, we'll meet you on the other side.
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Written by: Brooklyn Artemis
British summertime is the perfect time for sludge metal. The air is breezeless and humid, pressing downwards, cooking us in our homes and office cubicles. Flying ants mass at our windows, horde-like, a many-legged Great Heathen Army swarming over dying grass and melting bitumen. Government officials at every level are acting like proper bastards, though this is a less seasonal thing than one would hope for. It is in these oppressive climes that I revisited a growing back catalogue of modern UK sludge. The likes of Mastiff (a contributor to the Cyberpunk OST) and Swamp Coffin, both with excellent full length releases last year, have been fixtures of my listening recently. But another band I saw live a few years ago above a record shop in Sheffield also caught my attention during my heat-addled odyssey--Stockport’s Under. Appropriately for a band whose own Instagram describes them as a ‘tentacle K-hole nightmare’, there’s some interesting stuff going on in Under’s discography. The trio, formed in 2015, have released a series of EPs, splits, and full lengths that have honed a unique brand of progressive and at times psychedelic sludge. Musically, Under often swing between extremes, switching from slower and heavier riffs to quicker sections that display sludge’s hardcore influence, while incorporating a mix of almost soft cleans, high screams, and shouted vocals. Training Resource #5 (the band’s fifth release) was released in November 2020, just before the beginning of the second COVID lockdown in the UK, and I can remember that you could almost taste the resignation to what was to come on the air. The art of the EP, which is up there with the most unique metal album covers around, actually reminds me of that time, of that bizarre online academic and corporate culture that emerged during the pandemic, and never really went away. 
Written by: Jacob
Horns. Dissonance. A chant. This is the greeting from Tooth and Nail, the latest outing from Dormant Ordeal. It can feel almost insignificant in the moment, as so many throwaway "intro" tracks in metal albums can. But as soon as things roll into "Halo of Bones", intentionality appears. This is not an album where moments are thrown out lightly, even 46 second intro tracks. From the first proper track, "Halo of Bones," you'll be getting, well, the "bones" of the entire album. Atmosphere. Intense groove. A touch of black metal. Blasting death metal. These are the foundation upon which Dormant Ordeal builds their masterwork. All present, all introduced at exactly the right time, and none overstaying their welcome. The seamless weaving of all these elements immediately give Tooth and Nail a sense of magnitude and heft. It becomes evident over time, though, that these tools were used to create something lasting and emotionally charged. Anger, pain, panic, defeat, and resurgence are all felt not just in individual tracks, but in their placement and flow.  Written by: The Administrator It's a holiday (probably on account of Dope Skum dropping a new single) and I'm up bright and early, getting a little writing done before the day gets too busy. The excellent "Hollow Point" has been running on repeat in the ol' headphones, sinking deeper and deeper into the grooves of my still-foggy brain with every rotation. Great way to spend the morning. 5 stars. Highly recommend. For those unfamiliar with Dope Skum: they are a skuzzy, fuzzy, and otherwise grungy heavy/stoner rock/metal band out of Chattanooga with a notable folky gruffness and a punky DIY flair. I've been a fan since their debut EP Tanasi, and was impressed with the followup Gutter South, with the hefty and swampy single "Folk Magic" getting it's own review here. In short, Dope Skum are pretty damn cool, and over the years they have been refining their craft and aesthetic while simultaneously exploring various sounds and styles. Which brings us to "Hollow Point," the lead single and harbinger of their forthcoming third EP Hollerwood, which drops September 5th. This is a very strong track, and manages to roll Dope Skum's many demonstrated strengths into a single package. After a plucky intro that adds just enough Americana context to establish a sense of place, the grit and fuzz rolls in. This track does embrace a little more urgency, comparatively speaking--it finds a more overtly rockin' pace, and doesn't lose energy until the outro, which mirrors the aforementioned intro nicely. The vocals also feel more comfortable, somewhat shedding the punkier edge for a more relaxed vibe. While operating in the influence of genres that trend towards repetition, Dope Skum are very efficient and keep things from stagnating--indeed, "Hollow Point" ends far more quickly than I want it to. Always a good sign in my book. In sum? The hook is set, and I'm excited to hear more of this ilk. Great stuff! Dope Skum - "Hollow Point" was released July 4th, 2025 |
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