ANOINTING THE SICK: November 2019

Thursday, November 28, 2019

DEATHRATTLE PODCAST ~ The Primordial Creation ~

DEATHRATTLE PODCAST ~ The Primordial Creation ~

Deathrattle Podcast plays on the following awesome stations:

Metalzone.gr ~ http://www.metalzone.gr/radio?fbclid=IwAR3VLGG_6v3MM_VawSK7YGCBrObulALW_nrBp0nhqpKwChc75Qt3Hvy9YJQ

Hand Of Doom Radio ~ https://www.handofdoomradio.com/

Downtuned Magazine and Radio ~ http://www.downtunedmag.com/p/downtuned-radio.html

Ripper Radio ~ http://www.ripperradio.com/

DEATHRATTLE PODCAST bringing to the table heavy diversity, riffs that will crush skulls, jams that will melt brains.

This show featured

NOX IRAE

UNCUT

CRUEL FATE

RORCAL

CARDIEL

KING WEIRD

HEXENDRONE

WHELM

JOSEPH OF KIREZI

SPACE SLAVERY

BLACK PLASTIC CASKETS

KHARYBDA ~ Каноны [2019]

KHARYBDA ~ Каноны

Bands tagged with a post-metal/hardcore banner tend to leave me cold, but boy oh boy was I glad to cut through the tags and out of curiosity checked this release out. What makes this record so good is that, yes, it has the aforementioned elements but balanced nicely against the blackish almost psych metal is the use of heavy doom passages. Many of these types of albums lean too much one way or the other, either too harsh sounding with heaviness diluted by pained vocals and rasping guitars or choked in experimental meddling, both of which will appeal to followers of both styles but will put a lot of potential listeners off because,well,its just not heavy enough.

KHARYBDA has avoided this pitfall, balancing the heaving doom sections with their black hardcore twin perfectly. Unusually for an album of this type, each song flows with a majestic, yet menacing series of movements within. There is a dark subtlety rippling throughout the album, it doesn't conform to any particular structure, yes the quiet(er)bits are followed by the doomier parts, but not when you expect it, Каноны'

doesn't stick to any particular formula at all and I think that's what I like about this release the most

For a debut ' Каноны' is a remarkably mature and well thought out album. Its varied, well produced and the individuals in the band know how to play. A full length please!

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

DOOMSDAY DEMENTIA ~ 2018 [2018]

DOOMSDAY DEMENTIA ~ [2018]

DOOMSDAY DEMENTIA belong to the 'slacker' school of sludge, loose, low slung riffs with a fantastic blend of groove and crust, doom and death, literally everything your parents worried about when they found out you'd turned to the metal dark side. A lot of [2018] reminds me of NEGATIVE REACTION without the distinctive vocal style of Ken .E. Bones.

What appeals to me most about this album is that despite the extreme nature of the genres within, it always sounds accessible, that's down to the band embracing the 'Sabbath' sound, each track rattling around at mid to fastish pace. I'd forgotten how enjoyable the whole listening experience is until it materialized on my iTUNES shuffle function.

I checked for up to date information on the band and was surprised at how little there was out there, this great little EP definitely deserves more attention.

STONE PRIEST ~ Pallor Mortis [2019]

STONE PRIEST ~ PALLOR MORTIS

Over the last couple of years there has been a resurgence of progressive elements infiltrating the realms of heavy rock and metal,even reaching out through the toxic atmospheres of doom, black and death metal adding new dimensions to a genre that seemed lost and generally forgotten. STONE PRIEST however has reached back in time and dragged the very best progressive sounds of the late 60's and 70's back into the fore.

'Pallor Mortis' is multi layered with unashamed use of keyboards high in the mix and an analog feel to the recording giving the album an authentic sound, I could imagine the US Marine Corps listening to this, particularly the track 'Ash To Dust, somewhere along the Mekong Delta. I'm not usually a fan of the use of keys in a recording, it's the knuckledragger in me unfortunately, but STONE PRIEST has cleverly given them prominence in several different ways from ivory tinkling to something John Paul Jones or Rick Wakeman would use. The best prog should be jaunty, never standing still or sounding the same and STONE PRIEST has encapsulated this, guitars and keyboards vying for prominence weaving in and out among the vocals.

When I took the left hand path in the early 70's listening to Black Sabbath, bands like Uriah Heep, Yes and their ilk were abandoned for the heavier, doomy riff, but with 'Pallor Mortis' STONE PRIEST has kept true to the old traditions but shaken them up with a modern heavy rock guitar sound and I'm sure that back in the day, if this album was available then, I would have been a lot less narrow minded!

The album is available digitally, but will be available in good old heavy vinyl on 30th November 2019 here https://helmetladyrecords.bigcartel.com/

Sunday, November 24, 2019

DEATHRATTLE PODCAST ~ Chants From The Void ~

A nasty little episode that should be staked through the heart and buried in unconsecrated ground.

This show features

BLACK THYRIA

BRUME

TARABAN

DEPRESSED

DIABOLOGY

BLACKQUEEN

LORD MANTIS

CARNIFLIATE

DEN

YEAR OF THE COBRA

KOSMOKRATOR

PARIAHLORD

VAALTOVASHE

GREYBRAIN

GRAVEDIRT

GODBUD

RUFO TATUM ~ 2 Track split [2019]

Part of a split with Porfirio. Two songs with the driving fuzz of TRUCKFIGHTERS and FU MANCHU. Really looking forward to hearing some more.

Friday, November 22, 2019

VAALTOVASHE ~ Time Foul Constellation [2019]

VAALTOVASHE ~ Time Foul Constellation

Ever found yourself at the top of the cellar steps, door swung shut behind you plunging you into total obliterating darkness?You fumble for the light switch only to discover that light hasn't entered this particular space for a very long time. Your heart rate multiplies rapidly and the inescapable feeling of oppression and dread looms over your shoulder breathing its frightful breath on your neck?

No?

Give 'Time Foul Constellation' a listen make the small hairs on your arms and neck stand straight to attention. The four tracks that make up this excellent album are 'The Thing' waiting for you at the foot of those cellar steps. Ugly, blackened death/doom besmirched with evil occult spells and chants. The thing that makes this album rise above the crowd is the bands successful attempts to make each track like a mini, warped witches opera, similar in concept to something that may have been released by CULTES DES GHOULES. Howling vocals are swept along by a twisted and tormented rhythm section and in what is a credit to the band and Roland Rolas of Cavern of Echoes who mixed this ( In a cauldron)? although there are various parts to each song, nowhere do any of them lose focus. Heaviness remains, the death metal parts are scorched, charred and brutal, the doomier sections burrow into places that only the likes of EVOKEN dwell.

Time Foul Constellation, a tarot of arcane poems and dark astrology.

GREY BRAIN ~ Red Eyes [2019]

GREY BRAIN ~ Red Eyes

Look, we all know that sludge is pretty global, but the UK seems to have developed a particularly virulent strain over the years which has mutated over time, its DNA developing a pathogen of punk infused doom that brought plagues upon the world such as IRON MONKEY and RAGING SPEEDHORN. Well let me warn you, a new epidemic has been unearthed, point zero being South London and its called GREY BRAIN.

This particularly nasty infestation attacks the middle ear first creating a feeling of nausea,dizziness and extreme tinnitus type ringing. You then notice a sense of stupefaction as the brain is attacked, pain coming from within in waves before the projectile vomiting begins as the Cerebral Edema takes hold.

Four tracks of mammoth sludge and relentless heaviness. It won't get played on national radio, but those in the know are going to love this with a passion. It's underground music of course, but what I particularly love about this album is its simplicity. GREY BRAIN don't experiment with sound, they just want to play as heavy as possible. Don't get me wrong though, 'Red Eyes' is not monotonous, I've listened to it twice so far and was surprised by how quickly time went. Aural torture was never this much fun!!!

So we have the debut album from GREY BRAIN and it should carry a Government Health Warning on the cover. This sludge is terminal.

Words by Steve Woodier