The Matador/Descent Into The Maelstrom/2011 EP Review

  The  Matador  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge  and  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2011  ep  "Descent  Into  The  Maelstrom".

  The  ep  starts  out  with  some  clean  playing  and  a  few  seconds  alter  drums  start  to  kick  in  along  with  some  bass  guitars  which  leads  to  the  music  music  going  in  a  heavier  direction  once  guitars  are  added  in  as  well  as  adding  in  post  metal  elements  and  once  the  growls  and  screams  kick  in  the  recording  starts  getting  a  lot  more  darker  and  you  can  hear  melody  making  its  way  into  the  music.

  As  the  recording  progresses  the  band  starts  to  find  their  own  sound  which  mixes  sludge,  progressive  and  post  metal  together  and  the  band  are  able  to  mix  the  3  while  also  remaining  heavy,  dark  and  melodic  all  at  the  same  time  and  they  also  mix  in  a  small  amount  of  melodic  vocals  which  brings  an  esoteric  feeling  to  the  recording  and  you  can  also  hear  a  mixture  of  clean  and  heavy  parts  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  throughout  the  recording.

  On  the  5  songs  that  are  displayed  on  this  ep,  the  band  shows  a  lot  of  talent  and  they  make  each  song  sound  different  while  you  can  still  hear  their  signature  sound  on  each  track  and  this  is  some  of  the  darkest  and  most  progressive  stuff  I  have  heard  from  a  band  in  the  sludge  metal  category.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  dark  and  professional  sound  for  being  a  self  released  recording  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  ep  along  with  a  couple  of  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  The  matador  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  sludge,  progressive  and  post  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  these  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Kingdom  of  Glass"  and  "Eclipse".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

  

Sulaco/Build And Burn/Handshake Inc/2011 Full Length Review

  Sulaco  are  a  band  from  New  York  that  plays  a  mixture  of  death  metal,  grind,  doom,  progressive  and  noise  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2011  album  "Build  And  Burn"  which  was  released  by  Handshake  Inc.

  The  album  starts  out  with  some  fast  death/grind  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  then  the  music  gets  more  progressive  and  technical  along  with  some  screams  and  growls  and  the  music  also  uses  some  blast  beats  and  slower  doom  metal  parts.

  As  the  album  moves  on  a  lot  of  many  different  genres  of  brutal  music  are  added  in  and  the  band  displays  a  lot  of  skill  and  talent  on  these  songs  and  they  also  mix  in  melody  with  the  progressive  and  brutal  parts  which  also  adds  a  great  amount  of  originality  to  the  recording  and  this  would  be  a  perfect  band  to  mosh  to  it  with  all  of  the  energy  they  produce  with  their  talent  and  skill  and  they  execute  some  powerful  songs  and  prove  they  can  play  any  genre  and  music  and  still  make  it  sound  brutal  and  when  the y utilize  guitar  leads  they  bring  a  huge  70's  rock  influence  to  the  album.

  Song  lyrics  cover  everyday  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Sulaco  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  death  metal,  grind,  doom,  progressive  and  noise  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "On  The  Fence"  "Make  A  Move"  and  "It's  over  Johnny".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Witch Ripper Interview

1. Can you give us an introduction to the band for people that will be hearing of you for the first time?
1. Well. We are Witch Ripper proudly from Seattle Washington.

2. In your own words how would you describe your musical sound?
2. I like the term progressive-stoner. We tune down to drop A which gives our sound a real sludginess that I like but we definitely are not afraid of playing outside the pentatonic norm.

3.Can you tell us a little bit about about the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
3. The lyric topics vary from song to song but the over-arching feel is one of loss and anger at how to shit our world/society/environment has gotten. I'm a huge sci-fi and fantasy guy so I'll always try and incorporate that into the lyrics without getting to nerdy. ha. Lyrics are usually the last thing I write so I try and let the music inspire the subject matter. A good example of that is the song "Ice Wizard". There's a section of the song where we're just playing single note doomy stuff and the producer Adam was like "This sounds like an angry wizard coming out of his mountain." and thats how that song lyrically came to be.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Witch Reaper'?
4. Its sounded cool and "Electric Wizard" was taken.....ha. Naming your band without feeling like a schmuck is always a pain in the ass but this one just fell into place.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance and have you had any oppurtunities to do any live shows outside of your home state?
5. We've gotten to play some great shows and are starting to break into that "opening for bigger bands" slot that we want. As far as our stage show. I'm pretty big into the idea of making a show feel like a show. We always have lights and fog going which helps us get the atmosphere that we want and I think can make it more fun for the average concert goer to see and be a part of. As far as playing outside the state. That is absolutely the plan for 2014!

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for 2014?
6. As far a Seattle shows go we usually do one a month sometimes two. Touring is always an important part of being a band and touring intelligently can make or break a lot of bands. Our plan is to start heading down the coast from Seattle and build a fan base in that local for a while. A HUGE goal of mine is to get this band overseas to Europe.

7.Currently you are unsigned, have you received any label interest and also are you looking for or do you have any interest in working for a record label?
7. We've had a lot of interest from smaller labels which is always an honor but in the age of DIY bands a lot of the things that a garage label can do we are able to do ourselves. We just got some physical copies of our ep pressed so my plan from here is to start making and mailing out press kits to some of the more well known labels to see what happens. If Relapse or Nuculear Blast needs new bands.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of sludge, stoner and doom metal?
8. We've had a lot of great feed back from all over. A lot in Europe and even places like Korea and the Philippines!

9.What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
9. Obviously I'm proud of our "sound" from the ep. The goal for the next album is to take that sound and really own it as a band. As I've been writing our next album I want to expand on ideas from the ep. I want the faster to be faster and the slow be even slower.

10.What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
10. Bands that really influence me: Nuerosis, Pink Floyd, Mastodon ect. I love Gojira a lot. "From Mars to Sirius" is one of my favorite metal albums and it always inspires me to pick up a guitar. As far as new music I just got the new Kvelertak album and its killer. Also the new Alice in Chains surprised me because I haven't been a fan of everything that band has done (or the bands they inspire) but that album is great. It's not a new album but Ancestors "Neptune with Fire" has been on my ipod a lot lately.

11.How would you describe your views on Satanism?
11. Satanism is funny to me and I feel like as a whole it's pretty misrepresented. Honestly I don't know if I could call myself a satanist because I'm not as knowledgeable about it as I would like. I wasn't raised in religion so I've largely ignored it. What ever makes you happy without hurting others is cool with me.

12.Outside of music what are some of your interests?
12. Nerd shit. I love comic books, mainly X men and I know waaaay to much useless information about the marvel universe. I started reading comics when I was around 10 and I still haven't put them down.

13.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

13. Thanks for the interest! Its people like you guys who are into Metal, want to write and talk about it that keep this genre alive.

-Curt

Biipiigwan/Nibaak/2012 EP Review

  This  is  another  review  of  a  recording  from  Biipiigwan  which  continues  their  sludge  metal  sound  with  the  ep  being  self  released  in  2012  and  called  "Nibaak".

  The  ep  starts  off with  some  sound  effects  before  adding  in  dark  and  melodic  sounding  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  then  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  some  growls  and  screams  as well  as  bringing  in  a  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  As  the  ep  progresses  the  music  starts  getting  a  lot  more  heavier  and  darker  sounding  and  while  there  is  a  progression  from  the  previous  demo  you  can  tell  that  the  band  has  remained  true  to  their  sound  and  has  only  added  a  bit  more  talent  into  what  they  are  doing  and  on  the  last  song  the  bass  guitars  start  utilizing  a  lot  more  power.

  Song  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  French  and  English  and  cover  dark  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Biipiipgwan  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  sludge  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Nibaak".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.    

Biipiigwan/God's Hooks/2010 EP Review

  Biipiigwan  are  a  band  from  Ontario,  Canada  that  plays  a  very  heavy  form  of  sludge/doom  metal  with  a  touch  of  grind  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2010  demo  "God's  Hooks".

  The  ep  begins  with  some  deep  death  metal  growls  and  heavy  sludge  metal  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  then  the  music  starts  adding  in  melodies  as  well  as  some  powerful  soundign  bass  guitars  and  then  the  music  starts  bringing  in  fast  punk  elements  and  mixing  them  with  some  really  slow  and  dark  sounding  doom  metal.

  As  the  demo  progresses  dark  sounding  guitar  leads  are  mixed  in  with  the  darkness  and  heaviness  this  music  produces  as  well  as  mixing  in  sludge  screams  with  deep  growls  and  when  the  band  goes  into  fast  modes  blast  beats  are  added  into  the  music  as  well  as  the  bass  guitars  dominating  throughout  the  recording.


  While  this  band  is  not  the  most  original  sounding  they  make  up  with  it  with  their  ability  to  put  together  songs  that  are  very  heavy  and  dark  sounding  and  mixing  both  the  old  school  and  modern  sludge  together  to  create  a  truly  dark  and  heavy  sounding  demo.

  Song  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  war  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  dark  sound  for  being  a  self  released  recording  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  demo.

  In  my  opinion  Biipiigwan  are  a  very  great  sounding  sludge  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  demo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Beaches"  "God's  Hooks"  and  "Rhett".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.    

Witch Ripper/_/2012 EP Review

  Witch  Reaper  are  a  band  from  Seattle,  Washington  that  plays  a  mixture  of  stoner  rock  and  doom  metal  along  with  a  touch  of  death  metal  influences  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2012  ep  "_".

  The  ep  starts  out  with  some  soft  acoustic  guitar  playing  and  background  synths  which  also  leads  to  some  drums  and  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  which  also  utilize  a  good  amount  of  melody  and  after  awhile  high  pitched  screams  and  melodic  vocals  are  thrown  into  the  music  which  also  lead  up  to  stoner  rock  style  guitar  leads.

  When  we  get  further  into  the  ep  the  music  starts  going  into  a  more  dark  and  heavy  direction  while  also  utilizing  some  70's  rock  style  melodies  and  mixing  them  with  some  dark  and  heavy  guitar  riffing  and the  ep  also  starts  mixing  in  psychedelic  elements  to  create  a  sound  only  they  can  call  their  own.

  Song  lyrics  cover  fantasy  and  stoner  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  dark,  heavy  and  powerful  sound  for  being  a  self  released  recording  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  ep  as  well  as  the  last  song  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Witch  Reaper  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  stoner  rock  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Space  Debris"  and  "Queen  Of  the  Green".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

Buzzherd/On Sinking Ships...Rats Down/Dullest Records/2013 CD Review

 

  Buzzherd  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "On  Sinking  Ships...Rats  Down" which  was  released  by  Dullest  Records.

  The  albums tarts  out  with  dark  and  heavy  sounding  guitar  riffs  and  drums  as  well  as  bringing  in  aggressive  sounding  sludge  style  screams  and  the  music  also  brings  in  elements  of  doom  metal  as  well  as  bringing  in  some  distorted  guitar  leads  and  thrash  influences  before  adding  in  psychedelic  elements  and  powerful  sounding  bass  guitars.

  As  the  album  moves  on  70's  influences  get  more  dominant  and  mix  in  with  the  more  modern  and  heavy  aspects  of  the  record  and  the vocals  start  adding  in  death  metal  elements  and  it  also  starts  speeding  up  during  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  album  also  starts  bringing  in  some  of  the  more  extreme  and  underground  parts  of  80's  metal  and  mixes  it  in  with  90's  style  sludge  and  doom  metal  to  create  their  own  sound  as  well  as  having  stoner  and  psychedelic  rock  tinges  underneath  all  of  the  heaviness  and  towards  the  end  hardcore  and  punk  influences  are  added  into  the  music.

  Song  lyrics  cover  paranoia  and  dysentery  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  dark,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  as  well  as  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Buzzherd  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  sludge,  doom  metal  and  thrash  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Abuse  of  Despair"  "Stakes  And  Snares"  and  "Six  Pack"  which  is  a  Black  Flag  cover.  RECOMMENDED  BUY.