Tag Archives: Sludge

Events, News, Releases, Videos

FACES OF THE BOG: Chicagoland’s psychedelic sludge masters to officially release debut album Ego Death on DHU Records

Initially conceived in a dingy rehearsal space in Humboldt Park during the fall of 2011, Faces of the Bog have fast become one of the underground’s most celebrated secrets following the self-release of their debut album Ego Death late last year.

For the Chicagoland quartet, their own unique interpretation of sludge has never run neatly alongside preconceived notions of how this kind of music should be played. Choosing to ignore convention and instead, power brutal riffs headfirst into psychedelically heightened grooves, relying on atmosphere and mood to create melodic textures they are a band constantly pushing the envelope. “Ego Death is a revelation. I’ve been longing for a band to step up and challenge the existing music scene and the way Faces of the Bog do it is so exciting.” (OUTLAWS OF THE SUN)

Produced and engineered by the band and Sanford Parker (Voivod, Yob, Wreckmeister Harmonies, Bloodiest) at Electrical Audio and Decade Music Studios, Ego Death hit pretty damn hard for an “independently put-out” album. Released digitally and on CD in October 2016, Metal Injection was quick to praise its, “existential ride of psychedelic waves and auras [and] collection of bangin’ sludge jams,” all of which journeyed the same sonic highways shared by the likes of Pink Floyd, Tool and Neurosis. Going one further, they described it as a record packed with, “a fascinating range of psychedelic sludge and hints of doom and acid tones.”

“It’s truly amazing these days when an underground band from a US city like Chicago can release an album completely on their own,” explains guitarist/vocalist Trey Wedgeworth. “We’ve been amazed and humbled by the feedback we’ve received all over the world. Fans from places like Germany, Norway, Portugal, Brazil, Australia, and Russia have all reached out to us to give their kind words to what we’re doing.”

It was while playing a handful of shows last year with pacific north-westerners Mother Crone that the band were introduced (in a roundabout way) to the good work of Nederland-based record label, DHU Records.

“Mother Crone ran into some transportation issues while out on tour and we were fortunate enough to be able to help some good dudes in need,” says Wedgeworth. “They more than repaid the favour by putting us in touch with Robert Black at DHU Records. DHU is a DIY label that releases limited edition vinyl packages for some of the heaviest bands in underground music today, so we quickly forged a great relationship and are completely ecstatic that he’s now rereleasing Ego Death on vinyl.”

Ego Death will get an official vinyl release on 22nd September through DHU Records but can be streamed and purchased digitally through Face of the Bog’s Bandcamp page here.

Watch and share The Making of Ego Death video here and preorder here.

Live:

5th Aug – Cold Shot – Appleton, Wisconsin (w. Atalla and Black Road)
11th Aug – Reggies – Chicago, Illinois (w. Castle)
4th Oct – Liars Club – Chicago, Illinois  (w. Disenchanter and Swamp Ritual)
2nd Sept – Beard Metal Fest – Custer Park, Illinois (w. Pale Horseman, Starless and DeepSpacePilots)

News, Releases

Sweden’s FIREBREATHER to release debut | Share ‘The Ice Lord’ with Decibel

There’s no escaping the fact that Sweden is an incomparable breeding ground for some of the heaviest and most crushing metal bands in the world right now. Amon Amarth, Grand Magus, Candlemass, Vokonis, Monolord… all have crossed the water and duly conquered in recent years. In fact, even those yet to arrive can more often than not be found waiting in the wings, battle horn in hand heralding trepidation, Scandinavian-promise and riffs the size of long ships.

One such band waiting to scorch the earth upon which they land is Gothenburg trio FIREBREATHER who will release their self-titled debut album on Suicide Records this coming October. Relatively new to the fold having formed in the spring of 2016 from the ashes of underground doom heavyweights Galvano, FIREBREATHER is a devastatingly weighty statement of intent. Taking in four tracks that swallow time behind tooth shattering riffs from guitarist/vocalist Mattias Nööjd and crunching rhythms via bassist Kyle Pitcher and Tommy Hanning (newly replaced by drummer Fredrik Käll), FIREBREATHER are a jaw-breaking triptych of sludge and doom rock.

Mastered by Brad Boatright (Sleep, Corrosion of Conformity, Beastmilk, Obituary) at his Audioseige Studio in Portland, OR and featuring artwork by legendary underground artist Adam Burke, FIREBREATHER are out to make 2017 their own. With a European tour announcement on the horizon, in the meantime head on over to Decibel Magazine now for an exclusive look at their brand-new video for ‘The Ice Lord’ – https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2017/08/01/video-premiere-firebreather-ice-lord/

FIREBREATHER is released on 13th October 2017 on Suicide Records.

Emerald jpeg copy

News, Releases

Australian noise rock/power duo DEAD return with new album

DEAD’s new album is predictably not what everyone expected it to be.

Hailing from the Australian city of Castlemaine the noise rock duo return in 2017 with the third instalment in their five LP series The Trilogy and an album that heads in an entirely different direction to last year’s Untitle.

We Won’t Let You Sleep.

But have DEAD finally made a radio friendly record? It’s as if fans are being rewarded for sticking with the band’s musical detours thus far. Although it’s also become increasingly clear that these detours are an essential part of the DEAD story and what is “normal” is difficult to pinpoint.

The potent energy the band is known for on stage is present here, followers of the band’s live shows will recognise much of the material. Kevin Rutmanis (Cows/Melvins/Hepa.Titus) guests on a third of the record adding slide bass parts delivered in a style that is unmistakably his. The band chose to collaborate with Kevin due mainly to his 100% Aussie first name, making it easy to add him into the mix.

Working for the third time with engineer Toshi Kasai (Melvins, Helmet, Big Business) on the dials, We Won’t Let You Sleep was recorded and produced at Sound of Sirens Studios in LA either side of a recent US tour. Toshi also guested on guitar, keys and vocals across the album – completing most of his parts while yelling at baseball coverage on the telly.

Previously released and sold out as a limited edition cassette toward the end of last year through Brisbane-based Haemorrehage Records, We Won’t Let You Sleep will be available on all remaining formats on 28th April 2017 through the band’s own imprint, We Empty Rooms. The first taste of the album can be sampled via the track ‘Chartreuse Blew’, which is homage to cult Minneapolis band and sometimes-touring buddies Vaz:

News, Releases

Brooklyn-based doom trio Mountain God to release new album

Artificial Head Records is thrilled to announce the signing of Brooklyn-based trio Mountain God and with it the release of their debut album Bread Solstice.

Formed in May 2012 by guitarist/vocalist Ben Ianuzzi and drummer Ian Murray, along with former Alkahest members Nikhil Kamineni and Jon Powell, as one of 2017’s most exciting new prospects Mountain God’s time is almost upon us.

Experimenting with raw concoctions of doom and ’70s psychedelic influences, their commitment to channeling ill feeling, heavy rock, deep meaning and dark subject matter is unwavering. In 2015 Mountain God followed the release of their five-song EP Experimentation On The Unwilling (2013) with the sprawling concept track ‘Forest Of The Lost’; a devastating, doom-infused laudation of distorted sludge, ambient noise and stoner rock. Rolled out to crushing effect, The Obelisk fittingly noted that, “Their particular brand of atmospheric sludge has only become more visceral over the last couple years, and as expansive as their 2015 single-song Forest Of The Lost EP is, its churn still seems to stir the guts.”

Following the departure of Powell and Murray, Thera Roya drummer Ryan Smith was drafted in as the trio set to work recordings that would form the basis of Bread Solstice, their full-length debut and first outing for the Houston-based record label Artificial Head.

“While some of the songs date all the way back to 2013, we didn’t begin rehearsing them regularly until Summer 2015,” explains guitarist Ianuzzi. “We started out demoing, writing, and tearing apart the ideas until we had things we liked. We definitely wanted to push the envelope with more nuanced effects and fewer 4/4 time signatures.”

Around this period the band also became a steady fixture on the NYC metal scene performing shows with the likes of Ufomammut, YOB, Primitive Man, Naam and Kings Destroy. Threatening spaced out and progressive paeans in the mold of Wolves in the Throne Room, Neurosis and Candlemass, as angry and complex a beast as Bread Solstice is it’s also deeply immersive and hypnotic in its atmospheres. Much like their early EPs and recordings, while creeping keyboards swell on tracks like ‘Unknown Ascent’, elsewhere riff-heavy tracks like ‘Nazca Lines’ and ‘Junglenaut’ hammer down hard with an iron fist. As Artificial Head founder Walter Carlos points out:

“I just knew I wanted to work with the band on a release. Their music reminds of the sludge and experimentation of bands such as Skullflower, Splintered, and Ramleh. Big, crushing emptiness with grinding tempos. Their new album, Bread Solstice, continues in that epic darkness.”

Bread Solstice will be released on vinyl/digital on 24th March 2017. Stream and share new song ‘Karmic Truth’ below: