UR – Grey Wanderer

Author: Meredith Schmiedeskamp

Band: UR
Album: Grey Wanderer
Genre: Sludge / Doom Metal
Label: Droneburg Records
Release Date: November 1, 2017
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Bandcamp, Spotify, iTunes
Social: Facebook
Website: –

The Grey Wanderer’s journey leads through barren deserts, rifts and mountains. From time to time he can rest and meditate amidst the landscape’s panorama, but traveling across the wilderness always means to overcome obstacles. The music of UR is deep, mainly slow and vibrating. Like walking through wasteland and climbing on rocks, it won’t work without patience and the will to inner contemplation. Cloaked in Sludge/Doom Metal, this guys from Leipzig are drawing their own vision of an atmosphere mentioned above. The postish-clean guitars and rare, but haunting growls complete a sonic experience, that really engrosses.

March 4, 2018 Add Comment

Iron & Stone – Petrichor

Author: Tamino Freitag

Band: Iron & Stone
Album: Petrichor
Genre: Doom Metal/Stoner Rock/Psychedelic Rock
Label: Backbite Records
Release Date: November 3, 2017
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp
Social: Facebook, Instagram
Live: –
Website: –

“No gimmicks, no fancy bullshit, just some heavy f*ckin’ music”: This German five-piece’s description of their own sound fits pretty well. A mixture of finest Doom and Stoner Rock with a pinch of Sludge Metal makes for a fine album that alternates between heavy melancholy and dusty, rocking groove. The, albeit raw-sounding, well-produced material manages to include sweet riffs, melodies and is full of little details that make you come back for a second spin. And a third. And a fourth…

February 15, 2018 Add Comment

Bell Witch – Mirror Reaper

Author: Andy Miller

Band: Bell Witch
Album: Mirror Reaper
Genre: Funeral Doom Metal
Label: Profound Lore Records
Release Date: October 20, 2017
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp
Social: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
Live: ADTicket
Website: –

“Mirror Reaper” by Bell Witch is a fantastic, progressive, melancholic piece of art. A cohesive 83 minute masterpiece, as moving as the album art itself. Full of atmosphere, and cold, suicidal anguish. Crushing lyrics and so heavy, it’s also beautiful. Seperated on two discs, titled “As Above”, and “So Below”, it is a labour to listen to the first time around. But it sucks you in. The chant like harmonies and the atmospheres are powerful and mind blowing. “Mirror Reaper” is to Funeral Doom Metal what „Dopesmoker” by Sleep is to Stoner Metal. An anthem, an epic. Perfection.

February 15, 2018 Add Comment

Iron Walrus – A Beast Within

Author: Tamino Freitag

Band: Iron Walrus
Album: A Beast Within
Genre: Sludge
Label: Redfield Records
Release Date: September 22, 2017
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Spotify, iTunes
Social: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube
Website: iron-walrus.de

This band from Northern Germany has been around for only five years, yet „A Beast Within“ is already their third album, following huge tours and festival appearances. Deep sludgy riffs meet infectious grooves and a real bull of a vocalist – combined, this is a record you really want to have in your collection. If Iron Walrus continue on this path, they could count themselves as some of the bigger players in business, soon – not because they would be mass-compatible, but because they are brillant at what they do! Great band, great album! Also, don’t look up the term “Iron Walrus” on Urban Dictionary.

February 15, 2018 Add Comment

Hooded Priest – The Hour Be None

Author: Tamino Freitag

Band: Hooded Priest
Album: The Hour Be None
Genre: Classic Doom Metal
Label: I Hate Records
Release Date: December 12, 2017
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp
Social: Facebook
Website: hoodedpriest.org

Understatement isn’t really this band’s cup of tea, seeing as they describe themselves as a „seminal part of the European Doom Metal scene“ – and by all means, Hooded Priest are not a bad band! Their second album „The Hour Be None“ is not a record any real doomhead would dislike; it’s just probably not one that will see the inside of my CD player very often, with all those great albums by other bands around. Luther is a great vocalist, and the production is crisp and natural, yet the songs themselves do not really get to the point – they go on and on without a real satisfying climax. Nobody will be disappointed, but nobody will be blown away by this, either.

February 15, 2018 Add Comment

Borracho – Riffography

Author: Andy Miller

Band: Borracho
Album: Riffography
Genre: Stoner Rock
Label: Ripple Music
Release Date: December 8, 2017
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp
Social: Facebook, YouTube, Twitter
Live: –
Website: borrachomusic.com

–

Washington DC’s Stoner Rock juggernauts Borracho are back with “Riffography”, a collection of rarity tracks from the last ten years. Released on the back of Atacama, it’s a great collection with a Scorpions cover and it really highlights what the band is about. Loud, fuzzy, groove-filled riffs with powerful vocals. This trio of hard rocking dudes had a busy twelve months. The band is a powerhouse, weaving grooves everywhere they can. Plenty of cowbell, and big thick chunky riffs to keep your head spinning for days.

February 10, 2018 Add Comment

Krane – Pleonexia

Author: Meredith Schmiedeskamp

Band: Krane
Album: Pleonexia
Genre: Post-Rock/-Metal
Label: Czar Of Crickets Productions
Release Date: October 27, 2017
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp
Social: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube
Live: ADTicket
Website: kraneband.ch

With “Pleonexia” Krane from Switzerland have created an instrumental concept-work about conflicts, which are always proceeding on our planet. Although there are no lyrics, the most tracks contain social criticism in form of concise quotes from speakers like Louis Farrakhan, Robert Oppenheimer and Serdar Somuncu. Musically, Krane are playing their Post-Rock in an atmospheric, but heavy way. The guitars are shimmering as they should do in this genre, but the way of drumming is worthy of discussion. Either the drums keep quiet, or toms and snare are overused and stressful intonated. Less could be more in this case.

January 11, 2018 Add Comment

Boneflower – Empty Rooms, Full Bodies

Author: Felix Hølter

Band: Boneflower
Album: Empty Rooms, Full Bodies
Genre: Screamo
Label: Lifeisafunnything (Germany), Unlock yourself (Russia), Saltamarges (Spain) and more
Release Date: November 11, 2017
Listen & Buy: Amazon, Spotify, Bandcamp
Social: Facebook, Instagram
Live: –
Website: boneflower.tictail.com

This years’ Screamo releases were definitely rad. You cannot simply ignore this genre, even if you’re a true Sludge Worm. Next to I Hate Sex and Heaven In Her Arms, Boneflower from Spain put out one last masterpiece for 2017. “Empty Rooms, Full Bodies” is their second album and it floats between spoken word-like vocals and epic guitar peaks with sharp screaming. The whole thing is configured to induce goose bumps from the first listen. Boneflower accomplish to create an amalgam of Screamo and some kind of Post-Metal, which is both, expressive and emotional, music.

January 8, 2018 Add Comment

Magma Rise – At The Edge Of The Days

Author: Tamino Freitag

Band: Magma Rise
Album: At The Edge Of The Days (10″)
Genre: Doom Metal
Label: Daredevil Records
Release Date: November 3, 2017
Listen & Buy: Spotify, iTunes
Social: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter
Live: –
Website: magmarise.net

Around since 2009 and arisen from the ashes of the Hungarian band Mood, Magma Rise have released two albums and a few splits and EPs in eight years. The small, but great addition to the discography comes in form of a new 10“ called „At The Edge Of The Days“, including the song by the same name and a cover of Black Sabbath’s „A National Acrobat“, featuring Karl Agell. The original song takes over with beautiful, heartwrenching melodies in a classic Doom Metal context, while the cover is good, but not mind-blowing. Seeing how brilliant the title track is, one would wish for more original material from this great band.

January 3, 2018 Add Comment

Switchblade Jesus & Fuzz Evil – Second Coming Of Heavy: Chapter 7

Author: Sammy Fröbel

Band: Switchblade Jesus & Fuzz Evil
Album: Second Coming Of Heavy: Chapter 7
Genre: Stoner Rock
Label: Ripple Music
Release Date: December 8, 2017
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Spotify
Social: Facebook (Switchblade Jesus), Facebook (Fuzz Evil)
Live: –

The bandname Fuzz Evil is a warning. Fuzzy riffs and groovy drums are coming for you on “The Second Coming For Heavy: Chapter 7”. Together with Switchblade Jesus, Fuzz Evil released one of the most interesting records in 2017’s Stoner Rock. The trio offers a lot of catchy riffing and the deep growling of singer Eric Calvert. The must-listen song on this split release from the two befriended American bands is “Wet Lungs” by Switchblade Jesus, opening with a sound collage into a Country track which transforms into a spacy Psychedelic groove later. Influences are: Black Mountain, Clutch & Melvins. This split is a perfect mix from two bands’ strongest musical components in seven songs.

January 3, 2018 Add Comment