White Light Cemetery Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?

Playing shows and promoting the new album. That's pretty much our main focus right now and probably will be for the rest of this year.

2. Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

I think it's a pretty diverse album. There's a little bit of everything in there. A couple mid tempo tunes, a couple heavier ones, some bluesier stuff. I think this album is fairly similar to our last one actually. Maybe just a bit more variety on this one.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?

Some of the lyrics are about typical things that a lot of artists write about, dealing with the opposite sex and such. But a lot of the lyrics on this album were kind of left intentionally vague, not really pointing in one direction or the other. That way the listener can maybe interpret them for themselves in a way that they can really connect with.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'White Light Cemetery'?

It's a lyric from the Machine Head song "Now I Lay Thee Down".

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?

I think our best show definitely was opening for Crowbar at Tipitina's in New Orleans. They hadn't had a hometown show in a while and the place was packed. It was pretty amazing. As far as our stage performance, that's something that we really try hard at doing 110% at all times. We're pretty high energy when we're up there and we try to connect with the audience as best we can. We want them to have as much fun as we're having.

6. Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?

Absolutely. We've got a short tour of the southwest US coming up in March, then a few scattered shows in April and May, and hopefully a more extensive tour over the summer.

7. Can you tell us a little bit more about the art work on the album cover?

It cover art was done by Matt Wilkins. We wanted a retro 70's feel and I think he nailed it. The album cover goes right along with the title of the album. "Careful What You Wish For", a fortune teller, the crystal ball.

8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of metal and hard rock?

So far, so good. Kind of overwhelming actually. I'm really glad that people dig what we do.

9. Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Hopefully the same as we're doing now, only on a bigger scale. Still making music, still playing shows. As far as the music itself is concerned, it's really hard to say. Kind of depends on where we are in life at the time. Regardless of that, it'll always be WLC and it'll always sound like WLC.

10. What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Mostly classic rock. Especially Zeppelin, Sabbath, Deep Purple, Free, Mountain. But also newer stuff too. Crowbar, COC. As far as what I'm listening too, pretty much the same thing. Lately I've been rotating between Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti, ZZ Top - Tres Hombres, Free - Highway, and also I've been digging Ghost's newest album.

11. What are some of your non musical interests?

Hot rods and drag racing. As fast and loud as possible.

12. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

I'd like to say thanks to you for having us and for everyone keep in touch with us on social media and to try and come check out one of our live shows if you have the chance.

Sail Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Hi, we are Sail. We are a four piece progressive sludge metal band from the southwest made up of Charlie Dowzell, Kynan Scott, Tom Coles and Tim Kazer. If you like your guitars heavy and your bridges spacey then there's a good chance you'll enjoy our music.

2.How would you describe your musical sound?
Honestly one of the things we really struggle with is describing our musical sound. I think the term we've settled on is pop-sludge, it's sludgy but we feel that there's some real bangers on the album. Really heavy Thin Lizzy is what I normally go for. It's rich, it's heavy and it's weird and that's the way we like it.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
For a group of fairly cheerful individuals it has to be said that the album contains a lot of topics like loss and sadness and killer whale murders. I guess really we focus on emotions, lyrics for me (Tim) stem from the feel the music gives us or at least that's what it is for me personally, Charlie and Tom may have entirely different ways of going about it.

4.Originally the band was known as 'Husk' what was the decision behind the name change and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Sail'?
I think each of us in our own way had begun to consider the change. Husk evoked a style of music which was no longer us. So we did what any band would do and spent months discussing a new name. Out of the many many names suggested Sail stuck, it felt right for where we are at and where we want to go. That sort of sense of adventure and vastness that the idea of sailing the oceans has - I think it was definitely the right decision.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
One of our definite highlights was probably Kynan's first gig with us. It was in a brewery and we played so loud that the bottles lining the walls were in real peril and I think some were lost. Tom swears to this day we even had a crowd surfer although no one else saw it. Other highlights would have to be playing Frankfest (a festival our friend Frank Dennis puts on in Tiverton) and our music video shoot gig. Our stage performance probably walks that fine line between cool band and a bunch of dorks. And I'm okay with that ;P

6.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
We do! Well we're currently trying to look at putting things in place for something. A bunch of local weekend dates with some good friends like Cybernetic Witchcult, Eleventh Degree and Napier. Then a more country wide tour later on in the year.

7.Currently the band is signed to 'Hibernacula Records', are you happy with the support that they have given you so far?
Incredibly so! Danny and the guys have been invaluable. We wanted to do this professionally and it has been amazing to have that support behind us, Curtis our pr guy has just been the best, getting our music video out there and getting us badass interviews like these. I really can't endorse them enough.

8.On a worldwide level how has to the feedback been to your music by fans of extreme or melodic metal?
Surprisingly well, I think it sometimes can be the case that metal is very sequestered into genres and their fans. However we have had really good feedback from people. We had a lovely review from a Spanish magazine, we are the first to admit our music is weird and not necessarily for everyone but we've all been blown away by the response from people!

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
More weird, more riffs, more synth. I think we've really hit our stride in terms of feel and sound so now it's a case of getting out there, writing more and enjoying the whole experience of it!

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
The two big ones are Mastodon and Baroness. I think that's plain to see in our music (though I hope not too much), but saying that we have a really wide taste in music. Tom implores people to listen to Björk on a daily basis. Tim has a love for the 1975 that keeps on growing. Kynan has gotten really into synthwave and Charlie is going through a real swamp, Deep South blues phase.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
The obvious one I guess because he's so damn good at it is Charlie's love of lego, seriously you should see the stuff he makes. He's a wizard. Kynan is looking keenly into pedal building and has more dad jokes than I think there are dads. Tom is currently doing a masters and is an incredible writer. Tim's interests are mostly walks and more recently snakes.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Firstly and most importantly, thank you for your time and for giving us this interview. It's rare we get to actually discuss the things which make us excited about being a band and it's really cool when we do. We are so proud of this album and we really hope people enjoy it as much as us. Thanks to anyone who has seen us, watched our video or is planning on listening to us. You're all the best and we love you.

Escape Is Not Freedom Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
Since we finished the record, we've been busy setting up shows for the spring and summer. Starting at the end of March, we'll be hitting the road.

2.You have a new album coming out in February, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
Well, our goal is to be as "heavy" as possible while still maintaining a sense of melody.  We brought in a good friend of ours, Emily Jancetic, to do some vocals on a few of the songs and that emphasized our ideology in that regard.  The contrast of huge amps and her delicate, angelic voice really gives the songs a life of its' own.  Our older stuff was pretty much a collage of atonal angst.  Not that it isn't now, I just think there is a bit more focus now.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
For me, the lyrics touch on addiction, the loss of my best friend a while back (my beagle named Reggie) and a few tumultuous relationships.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Escape Is Not Freedom'?
I think at some point for everyone, escaping a certain circumstance feels good at the moment but we quickly realize that the grass isn't always greener on the other side.  Hence, Escape Is Not Freedom.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
This band is pretty new so we haven't had a bunch of shows under a belt yet, although that will change in the near future.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
Yes, we will playing a bunch around the Midwest this spring/summer.

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
We would love to be on a label and seeing this is our first LP, we haven't had any interest yet.  Hopefully, that will change.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of sludge and noise?
So far so good!

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Our goal is to get better and better with each release, so I think there may be a bit more technicality involved and hopefully we can have Emily on board for a few more songs.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Nirvana, HUM, Rabies Caste and early Soundgarden are the biggest influences on my writing but our influences are all over the place.  Lately, I've been listening to a lot of Bovine and Primitive Man.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Food and getting old.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you so much for taking the time to interview us and check us out on bandcamp where the pre-order for "Goldsmith" is up and on Facebook.  Thanks again!

Battalions Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

    Formed in 2010 in the city of Kingston upon Hull, UK. A bunch of friends wanting to make heavy, riff infused metal. A few lineup changes down the line and Battalions are stronger than ever, currently finishing up writing for our 2nd album due for release with Black Bow Records later in 2017.


2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings?

    Heavy sludge, with a nod towards blues, stoner & classic rock.


3.This is the first release since 2012, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

    Since 2012's 'Warnings Have Being Issued', Battalions went through various lineup changes, finally settling on the solid 5 piece we have now. In this time, we wrote a brand new set and got used to playing and performing together. In 2015, we finally had a set of songs we wanted to take the band forward, and booked in with Skyhammer Studios in Cheshire to record the debut album 'Nothing to Lose'. Since self-releasing this in January 2016, Battalions have worked with renewed vigour to write a new album and are heading to Skyhammer Studios once more, to record the follow up slated for release through Black Bow Records later in 2017.


4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

    Phil's lyrics deal with many different themes, including the state of modern politics, despair at the human condition. Not everything is doom and gloom though, with more than a few songs portraying the tongue in cheek side of the band, showcasing how we still know how to have fun within a heavy band. Notably, songs about Warhammer 40k, drinking and having a good time.


5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Battalions'?

    When we started the band, we wanted something conveying the big, heavy sound we were going for and someone came up with the thought 'what would a battalion of men marching towards you sound like?'. From there, the name stuck and we've used it ever since.


6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

    Over the 7 years of being a band, we have had the honour of playing with some great bands from all over the world. Ones that stand out for us are supporting the likes of The Ocean, Sworn Enemy, Conan, Church of Misery. As well as playing a local festival to us every year since it's inception in Humber Street Sesh, which has consistently been one of the best gigs of the year for us every time we have been lucky enough to be asked back to play. As for stage performance, we just have fun doing what we do, usually big smiles to accompany the big riffs!


7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

    We have just confirmed two tours for the coming months, along with recording the follow up to 'Nothing to Lose', we will be having a very busy year indeed.


8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of sludge metal?

    The feedback we have received has been extremely positive, we've not had a bad review yet! Overall we have made new fans the world over when we first released 'Nothing to Lose' last year, with even Mr Blasko (Cryptic Slaughter, Ozzy Osbourne,Rob Zombie, Zakk Sabbath) finding out about the album and giving us a mention when he featured on Jamie Jasta's (Hatebreed) podcast.


9.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?

    Current other projects we're involved in are:

    Pete - Face Towards Enemy https://facetowardsenemy .bandcamp.com/

    Mark - Mavet https://mavet.bandcamp.com/

    Dennett - Mastiff https://mastiffhchc.ba ndcamp.com/

    Phil - Sex Injuries https://soundcloud.co m/sex-injuries


10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

    Pushing ourselves to create better songs whilst still keeping the ethos of the band in tact. There are more than a few surprises in the songs on the new album, which without giving too much away, show a desire to expand the influence of styles within the band.


11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

    Originally, the big influences were Iron Monkey, St Vitus, Church of Misery, Clutch, Scissorfight, Black Sabbath. Over the years more influences have crept in, with nods to Red Fang, Thin Lizzy, Eyehategod. Outside of this, we all have varied musical tastes, with genres from classic rock, EDM, hip-hop, black metal, thrash metal, punk, hardcore, jazz and blues all in our respective playlists.


12.What are some of your non musical interests?

    We're all very involved in music, so outside of that, it's the usual interests in movies, reading, hitting the gym etc. As a band, our favourite movie is the New Zealand comedy 'What We do in the Shadows', which we watched during the recording of the last album and still quote heavily to each other even now. This, along with quoting 'Carry On' movies is a staple in the Battalions camp!


13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

    Thanks for getting in touch and asking us these questions, many thanks to all our fans and to anyone who has ever said a kind word about Battalions, we love you all!


Thanks
Phil
Battalions

http://www.facebook.com/Battal ionsSludge
http://battalionsdirt.bandcamp .com
http://twitter.com/battalionsd irt
Instagram: battalions

Desert Kingdom Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

Well it all formed out of a shitty previous band , Brett and I had been jamming for a bit with a drummer mate of mine. Rich, he was floating around doing nothing so we grabbed him on board. Him and I had played in a death metal band years ago. Old mate drummer didn't work out, Brett and Paul have known each other for a long time. So we got together, wrote some tracks and got on with it. We all dig a similar style of music and each of us know what we want within the band and it all just falls on the page so to speak.

2.How would you describe your musical sound?
A rude obnoxious loud rocking energy that could cure any hangover.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

There just some fictional fun, with a bit of loosely personal aspects thrown in for good humour and measure. Tracks like Whisky, Abstainer and Doghouse blues are about the rise and fall of alcohol abuse that the four of us in the band and probably a lot of other people can relate too. Not that we condone the irresponsible consumption of alcohol much.


4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Desert Kingdom'?

The name is derived from our big bad home land. Our good old Desert Kingdom.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

The best gigs, they've all been really good thus far and for us personally keep getting better, so can't really narrow it down to a single one. Our stage performance could be described as loud, rude and an insult to professionalism hahaha. But mostly loud and fun.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?

We never really had any "plans" to begin with other than to record what we had, everything else has kind of caught us by surprise, what with people actually digging our shit, it's really fuckn cool. So I guess all we really want to do now is, just play it loud and hard as often as we can.


7.Currently the band is signed to 'Black Bow Records', are you happy with the support that they have given you so far?

Fuck yeah!! Jon has been great and we are stoked to be part of the Black Bow Records family.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of stoner and doom metal?

Surprising!!! Hahahaha. That's the bit that's caught us off guard a bit it's really fuck'n cool that people on the other side of the pond are really starting to dig our music, it's fuck'n great.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Well were just gonna keep rock'n and writing new stuff, tunes that keep us on our toes, if don't excite us it's out the door. Try heaps of different stuff instead of the old run of mill you know.


10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Fucking heaps we've got a diverse range, we get into a lot of stoner like High on Fire , Orange Goblin, the mighty Black Sabbath , a lot of metal too, like Pantera, Entombed , Mastodon but as we said there is usually headphones on trying to find something new and cool.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Well we all have a few things , I beach it snorkelling and stuff in summer , Paul's into Hemi cars , Ritch does rock climbing and Brett well he just drinks VB. But we all love just having a few beers and playing music and few more beers after that too.


12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Yeah I'd just like to say thanks to the people that like our music enough to sign it , buy it , listen to it and just show a general interest in what we are doing it's fucking sweet and ya better get ready cause there's more where that came from !

Vermillion Whiskey Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?

VW is based out of Lafayette, Louisiana and we suffered a ‘100yr’ flood in August of 2016. That really pulled the plug on a lot of stuff. VW is back and gearing up for the SPIRIT OF TRADITION tour in 2017. Aside from that we are demoing a new kickass record and enjoying writing some new tunes.



2.You have a new album coming out in February, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

SPIRIT OF TRADITION’s sound is based on capturing what we do live. SPIRIT OF TRADITION boils down to Tradition=The Riff. VW isn’t reinventing the rock genre. We take pride in writing songs that groove, writing guitar solos, and push ourselves to be the best we can be at songwriting collectively. Overall the sound of the new record is about energy and groove. That is why we enlisted the help of technicians Kent Stump (WoFat) and Tony Reed (MosGenerator) on the production. We are beyond stoked with the music and artwork done by Mike Calhoun of Sketchy Intuitions (DFW TX)



3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?

Vocally we always insert real life experiences and try to tell stories in our lyrics. Our main goal is to get the crowd to feel the tone or mood set in a particular song.



4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Vermillion Whiskey'?

Whiskey is the easy part to describe. We all like to get twisted on some American bourbon and the clubs we play normally sell a lot of whiskey when we play. It is always a party at shows and most of our fan base drinks. Vermilion is a common word in South Louisiana and there is a river ‘bayou’ that runs straight through our home town of Lafayette, LA. The ‘Bayou Vermilion’ is dark and gritty as is most of our music. 



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?

Our stage performance is pretty bare bones when it comes to gimmicks. We put as much energy as we can and have got some great responses from our live shows. We pride ourselves on our collective sound as a band and put a lot of effort into tweaking our amps to get the best live sound we can. We have been lucky enough to play with New Orleans legends Exorder and also opened a show for Kill Devil Hill which was killer to meet Rex Brown (Pantera) and Vinnie Appice (Dio). We live for the stage and is the true reward for the work we put into the band.



6.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

We are booking our calendar up with as many shows as we can. We mainly play the US Gulf Coast with plans to break into a few other markets that have some really good scenes right now. We love meeting people that share the same passion that we have for live music.



7.The new album is coming out on '10 South Productions', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

10 South Productions is our own independent label. We recorded and produced both of our records ourselves. We are interested in finding the right label to pick us up to get our music out there.



8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of hard rock and metal?

Worldwide our music has been received very well. Europe has been very good to us on the first record and can’t wait to release Spirit of Tradition and get some feedback. We have fans all over the world and is always great to get a message from a new fan. That is what is so cool with digital music these days. There aren’t any borders to who can get a taste of Vermilion Whiskey with the internet.



9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Musically we are growing as a band and have a good grasp of what we want to do with the next record. We are pretty deep in writing right now and have a great start for another album. We are pushing ourselves as songwriters and artists on all the new material. At the end of the day all we want is for our music to groove and make you bob your head.



10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

There are so many bands that influence our music. Some stuff that we grew up on, like Sabbath, Metallica, AC/DC, Down, Pantera, etc…Then there is stuff that is influencing us now, some new and some older stuff that we’re just finding. Thin Lizzy, The Sword, Uriah Heep, WoFat, Mos Generator, Mothership, and many more. We are always discovering bands that keep us inspired to write new music.



11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Whiskey, Beer. Food, Fishing, Motorcycles, and kids nowadays. We all have kids so we spend a lot of time with our families when we aren’t playing dad metal. LOL



12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

It is always fun doing interviews. We are super excited to get Spirit of Tradition released and get it out to as many people as we can. We are easy to find online so hit us up and say hello. Long Live the Riff

Carne Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?

Since the recording session in June 2016 with Amaury Sauvé, we worked hard to gather people to work with for the vinyl and cd release. We are finally going to release the vinyl version with Shove Records (IT), Poutrage Records (FR), Vox Project (FR), Dingleberry Records (DE), No Way Asso (FR), Ker Mess Noar (FR) and the CD version with Drown Within Records (IT).
Thibo, the drummer, is in charge of every artwork for the band so we worked together to finalize the design for the album too. We also drank a lot of beer and played music sometimes.

2.You have a new album coming out in February, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
We usually say we play a kind of sludge / noise music.
Our new album is in the continuity of this approach but we feel we get closer to what we want to express with every new record.

3.This is your first album since 2013, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

Even if we are always composing new music, we release only the stuff we really like and deserves to be recorded.
Since 2013, we toured in some european countries and took the time to share what we wanted to share with “Ville Morgue” our previous album.

We also prepared and played some shows as a backing band for Marion Leclercq’s solo project, Mütterlein.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
This new record expresses all our skepticism and unease towards a society where sarcasm and mediocrity became criterias of appreciation if not values to be defended at all cost.

A society that constantly and repeatedly broadcasts its own decay, drowning masses in a sea of ignorance and ready-made reflections.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Carne'?
Carne is a french word, pronounced “karn”, which means bad meat. It can be used to described somebody or a living animal too.
It’s also the name of a short film from Gaspar Noé.

6.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you planning on expanding the line up in the future or do you chose to remain a duo?
Both “Ville Morgue” and “Modern Rituals” feature Marion Leclercq as a third member but Carne is and will remain a duo.

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

Our best show might be the one we’ll play tomorrow because it seems people understand what we want to express a little bit more every time. We recently had very good fun playing for an Halloween party with all the audience dressed up. More generally, the more the audience gets wild, the better we play!

8.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

We actually planned some shows in France and Italy in February and March for the release.
More will come later in the year.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of sludge and noise?

Not sure if all the people who like sludge or noise understand our music because it’s not really based on the standards of the genres. Style labels are just here to help people find new stuff they like according to their tastes but we prefer trying to develop something more personal than celebrating our idols.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We really never planned our music. It’s impossible to say.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Playing for Marion’s solo project, Mütterlein, maybe helped us to consider adding more silence and space in our music with Carne. Otherwise we listen to a lot of different music and we do not share exactly the same tastes which gives different lectures and influences to our music.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

There are many things we like doing, and that makes for a large part of the inspiration we use in Carne. We are also a lot into DIY, not only as a music scene but more generally we like doing things ourselves!

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Thank you, and very glad to read you enjoyed our record!!

Horseneck/Heavy Trip/2017 Full Length Review

 Horseneck  are  a  band  from  California  that  plays  a  mixture  of  post  hardcore  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  self  released  2017  album  "Heavy  Trip"  which  will  be  released  in  February.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  synths  that  give  the  music  more  of  a  60's  and  70's  rock  vibe  and  after  awhile  aggressive  sludge  style  vocals  are  added  onto  the  recording  while  melodic  singing  is  also  used  at  times  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  riffing  also  adds  in  elements  of  stoner  rock  and  post  hardcore  and  samples  are  also  used  at  times  and  you  can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of  melody  in  the  guitar  riffing  and  one  track  also  brings  in  clean  playing  and  slide guitars  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction  and  the  music  also  speeds  up  briefly.

  Hoseneck  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  stoner  rock,  sludge  metal,  and  post  hardcore  and  ixes them  together  to  create  a sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  real life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Horseneck  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture of  post  hardcore  and  sludge  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Michael  Caine"  "Hangman"  "No  Gods"  and  "Plow  The  Roads".  8  out  of  10. 

Mage Interview

Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?

We recorded back in November and December last year, so once we were done and it was sent off for mastering we pretty much took a break apart from one show mid December. Since the new year we've mostly been working on completing the Pledge Music campaign and getting ready for CD production.

You have a new album coming out in March, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

The biggest difference on the new album is the guest vocals from Raging Speedhorn's John Loughlin. We'd thought about it for the last album but there were tracks for this one we knew would definitely benefit from his more aggressive style, so it was great that it worked out this time. Over all there's been growth musically and there's maybe a more serious tone to this album. All of which is perhaps not so surprising and born out of recent events.

What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?

The music isn't really written with themes in mind so pretty much all of those come from Tom's lyrics. Most theme's in the past have been fairly whimsical. Exploring fantasy and sci fi narratives as well as just good old stoner lyrics. There are a couple of more personal tracks on this album though. Like Heroic Elegy, dedicated and inspired by all the friends and heroes we've lost in the last couple of years and Vultures Mass which is personal perspective on depression.

What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

Good shows for us are when people turn up and enjoy the music, so we've had lots of highlights of the last seven years. Some that stand out particularly for us though are playing Hammerfest and Bloodstock last year. We'd like to play more festivals this year. Our stage show is pretty laid back. Most of our energy goes into playing the music the best we can, without too much theatrics. We do like to see our crowd enjoying themselves though, so it pays to let them see that energy.

Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

We have a launch show on March 18th at Firebug in our home city, Leicester. After that we have some good gigs booked most months for the rest of the year. Maybe we will get to do some kind of tour this year. It would be our first. Being self funded and we all have other commitments like families and work, it's not something we've managed to do yet. We are getting to some new towns and cities this year though. We'd like to keep that up.

Currently the band is signed to 'Witch Hunter Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

We're actually independent, not signed to a label. Witch Hunter Records was a distributor for unsigned bands but unfortunately isn't going any more. All our previous releases have been self funded and the new album 'Green' was funded through a Pledge Music Campaign.

On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of stoner, sludge, and doom metal?

We're always very grateful to anyone who supports us, wherever they're from but it's always that extra bit more gratifying to get a new fan overseas or post an album or some merch internationally. We do have fans all over the world now, which is something we never expected and definitely gives us motivation.

Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

We don't tend to plan things out too much really. Apart from gigging. Writing music is a natural process. We just write when we want to or when someone comes up with a riff. It's a very simple process in the beginning. Either we like a riff and keep it going, play with it, add to it and evolve it or we move on to the next one.

What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

We've adopted the tag Stoner Metal when we have to because although our roots are definitely well planted in stoner and doom, our individual tastes and influence are so varied they inevitably find their way into Mage somewhere. Everything from thrash and death metal to prog and classic rock.

Wolf Counsel/Ironclad/Czar Of Bullets/2016 CD Review

  Wolf  Counsel  are  a  band  from Switzerland  that  plays  doom  metal  with  elements  of  stoner  and  sludge  and  this  is  a  review  of  their 2016  album  "Ironclad"  which  was  released  by  Czar  Of  Bullets.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  yet  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  while  the  vocals  are  done  in  a  clean  singing  fashion  and  the  power  chords bring  in  more  of  a  doom  metal  style  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  incorporating  elements  of  sludge  and  stoner  metal  into  a  more  traditional  style  of  doom  metal  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  a  very  slow  musical  direction  and  the  album  also  remains  very  heavy  from  beginning to  ending  of  the  recording.

  Wolf  Counsel  plays  a  style  of  doom  metal  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  the  traditional  side  of t he  genre  while  also  adding  some  of  the  stoner  and  sludge  style  heaviness  to  give  the  music  a  more  modern  feeling,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  spirituality,  mysticism  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Wolf  Counsel  are  a  very  great  sounding  doom  metal  band  with  touches  of  stoner  and  sludge  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Pure  As  The  Driven  Snow"  "The  Everlasting  Ride"  and  "Wolf  Mountain".  8  out  of 10.   

Faces Of The Bog/Ego Death/2016 CD Review

  Faces  Of  The  Bog  are  a  band  from  Chicago,  Illinois  that  plays  a  progressive  and  psychedelic  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  album  "Ego  Death".

  Psychedelic  sounds  start  off  the  album  and  a  few  seconds  later  clean  playing  is  added  onto  the  recording  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  going  into  more  of  a  progressive  direction while  also  adding  in  more  heavy  riffing  and  the  solos  and  leads  bring  in  a  very  dark,  melodic  and  70's  influenced  style.

  A lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  brings  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  angry  screams  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  on  some  of  the  tracks  the  vocals  bring  in  clean  singing  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced musical  direction.

 Faces  Of  The  Bog  plays  a  musical  style  that  is mostly  rooted  in  sludge  and  doom  metal  while  also  mixing  in  progressive  and  psychedelic  elements  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Faces  Of  The  Bog  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  and  psychedelic  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Drifter  In  The Abyss"  "Ego  Death"  and  "Blue  Lotus".  8  out  of  10.

Haan/Sing Praises/Kaos Kontrol/2016 EP Review

  Haan  are  a  band  from  New  York  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge  metal,  punk,  hardcore  and  noise  rock and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  ep  "Sing  Praises"  which  was  released  by  Kaos  Kontrol.

  A  very  heavy  hardcore  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  noise  rock  and  after  awhile  melodic  yet  aggressive  vocals  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  the  music  is  mostly  rooted  in  the  east  coast  style  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.

  When  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  distorted  yet  melodic  fashion  and  the  songs  also  mix  in  a  great  amount  of  reverb  and  you  can  also h ear  a  decent  amount  of  melody  in the  guitar  riffing  and  while  the  music  is  rooted  in  the  90's  it  still  sounds  very  modern  at  the  same  time  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  clean  singing  and  the  songs  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  and  the  last  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Haan  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  hardcore  punk  and  noise  rock  and  mixes  it  in  with  the  heaviness  of  sludge  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  angry  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Haan  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  sludge,  hardcore  punk  and  noise  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The Cutting"  and  "War Dance".  8  out  of  10.

Chronic Hangover/Nero Inferno Italio/Minotauro Records/2016 CD Review

  Chronic  Hangover  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of  70's rock,  stoner,  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album "Nero  Inferno  Italio"  which  was  released  by  Minotauro  Records.

  An avant  garde  sound  starts  off the  album  along  with  some  demonic  voices  before  going  into  a  more  hard  and  heavy  direction  where  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  along  with  some  traditional  hard  rock/metal  style  vocals  while t he  music  has  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal.

  A  great  amount  of  70's  hard  rock  and  heavy  metal  influences  can  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  remaining  true  to  the  old  school  tradition  and  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  bring  in  the  energy  of  punk  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  The  stoner  elements  gives  the  songs  a  more  modern  feeling  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  while  a  later  track  adds  in  a  touch  of  psychedelia  and  spoken  word  samples  and  the  song also  introduces  synths  onto  the  recording while  a couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Chronic  Hangover  plays  a  musical style  that  takes  the  traditional,  doom, and  stoner  styles  of  metal  and  mixes  it  with  70's  classic  rock  and  a  touch  of  punk  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  science  fiction,  occult  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Chronic  Hangover  are  a  very  great  sounding mixture  of  70's rock,  stoner,  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Vituperio"  "Regretudo"  "Alamut  2112"  and  "Lucifer  In  The  Sky  With  Diamonds".  8  out  of  10. 

Ufosonic Generator/The Evil Smoke Possession/Minotauro Records/2016 CD Review

  Ufosonic  Generator  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of  occult  rock,  stoner  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "The  Evil  Smoke  Possession"  which  was  released  by  Minotauro  Records.

  A  very  hard,  heavy  yet  melodic  stoner  rock  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  proto  metal  style  vocals  a  few  seconds  later  and  you  can  also h ear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  the  solos  and  leads  bring  in  more  of  a  retro  70's  rock  style  and  the riffs  bring  in  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal.

  While  the  music  is  mostly  rooted  in  the  70's  the  heaviness  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  modern  feeling  and  they  also  add  in  elements  of  occult  rock  at  times  and  some  tracks  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  and  the  music  speeds  up  at  times  and  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  proto  punk  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Ufosonic  Generator  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  70's  occult  rock  and  mixes  it  with  stoner  and  doom  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occult  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ufosonic  Generator  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  occult  rock,  stoner,  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Sinful  Portrait" "At  Witches  Bell"  and  "The  Evil  Smoke  Possession".  8  out  of  10. 

 

Heavy Baby Sea Slugs/Teenage Graveyard Party/Heavy Baby Records/2017 EP Review

  Heavy  Baby  Sea  Slugs  are  a  band  from  Texas  that  has  been  featured  before  in this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge  metal,  noise  rock,  and  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  ep  "Teenage  Graveyard  Party"  which  was  released  by  Heavy  Baby  Records.

  Avant  garde  sounds  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavy  sound  that  mixes  punk  and  noise  rock  together  along  with  some  aggressive  shouting  vocals  and  when t he  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  slower  sections  are  heavily  influenced  by  sludge  and  doom  metal.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  crust  and  d  beat and  you  can  also h ear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  bring  in  a  very  distorted  yet  melodic  style  and  the  music  also  remains  heavy  from  beginning  to  ending  of t he  recording and  the  last  track  is long  and  epic  in  length.

  Heavy  Baby  Sea  Slugs  creates  a  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  sludge  metal  and  noise  rock  mixture  of  their  previous  release  while  also  adding  in  more  punk  rock  influences  this  time  around,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Heavy  baby  Sea  Slugs  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  sludge,  punk,  and  noise  rock,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Teenage  Graveyard  Party"  and  "Zero-One".  8  out  of  10.

Shadow Giant/Honkytonk On The Moon/Graven Earth Records/2017 Cassette Review

  Shadow  Giant  are  a  band  from  Louisiana  that  plays  a  mixture  of  southern  rock,  sludge,  stoner,  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of their  2017  album  "Honkytonk  On  The  Moon"  which  will  be  released  by  Graven  Earth  Records.

  Distorted  noises  start  off  the album  along  with  engine  sounds  before  going  into  more  of  a  70's  influenced  southern  rock  direction  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  add  in  a  very  retro  style  while  the  vocals  add  in  a  touch  of  stoner  rock and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.

  A  decent  amount  of  proto  metal  influences  can  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style and  after  awhile  the  riffing  starts  bringing  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  one  track  also  brings  in  acoustic  guitar  playing  along  with  some  psychedelic  elements  while  a couple  of  the  songs  are  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  album  also  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction.

  Shadow  Giant  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  southern  rock  and  mixes  it  with  sludge,  doom  and  stoner  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  yet  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  drinking,  political,  darkness  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Shadow  Giant  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  southern  rock,  sludge,  doom,  and  stoner  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Monty  Ran  For  Beer"  and  "Suckass  Paycheck".  8  out  of  10.

Carne/Modern Rituals/Vox Project/2017 CD Review

  Carne  are  a  duo  from  France  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge,  noise  and  post  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017 album  "Modern  Rituals"  which  will  be  released  in  February  by  Vox  Project.

  A  very  powerful  bass  guitar  sound  along  with  drums  start  off  the  album  which  also  leads  up  to  some  heavier  sludge  metal  riffing  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  vocals  have  more  of  an  angry  shouting  approach  to  them  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  noise  rock  elements  which  also  gives  the  songs  a  90's  feeling.

  While  the  music  has  a  lot  of  old  school  influences  it  still  sounds  very  modern  at  the  same  time  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  after  awhile  elements  of  post  hardcore  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  one  of  the  tracks  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of clean  singing  as  the  album  progresses  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction.

  Carne  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  sludge  metal,  noise  rock  and  post  hardcore  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  angry  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Carne  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  sludge,  noise  and  post  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Inked  Mask"  "Cloak"  and  "Lord  Less".  8  out  of  10.

Escape Is Not Freedom/Goldsmith/2017 Full Length Review

  Escape  Is  Not  Freedom  are  a  band  from  Chicago,  Illinois  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge  metal,  grunge  and  noise  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  album  "Goldsmith"  which  will  be  released  in  February.

  A  very  hard,  heavy  yet  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  and  the  music  brings  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  metal  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  after  awhile  angry  sounding  noise  rock  style  vocals  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  blast  beats  are  also  utilized  at  times.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  bring  in  a  very  raw  yet  melodic  style  and  you  can  also  hear  elements  of  80's  era  Sub  Pop  grunge  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  while  the  music  has  a  lot  of  roots  in t he  80's  and  90's  it  still  sound s  very  modern  at  the  same  time  and  the  album  remains  very  heavy  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.

  Escape  Is  Not  Freedom  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  grunge  and  noise  rock  and  mixes  it  in  with  the  heaviness  of  sludge  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Escape  Is  Not  Freedom  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  noise  rock,  grunge,  and  sludge  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Coriander"  "Morphine"  "Locust"  and  "Migraine".  8  out  of  10.  

Sail/Slumbersong/Hibernacula/2017 CD Review

  Sail  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  an  atmospheric  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  with  elements  of  prog  and  post  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Slumbersong"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Hibernacula  Records.

  Melodic  guitar  leads  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  riffs  that  are  very  he while  also  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  the  vocals  are  one  in  a  clean  singing  fashion  and  the  riffing  also  brings  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  clean  guitars  when t hey  are  utilized  gives  the  songs  a  more  progressive  feeling.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  songs  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  and  as  the  album  progresses  elements  of  post  rock  can  be  heard  and  some  of  the  melodies  also  would  fit  on  a  mainstream  radio  rock  station  and  there  is  also  a  brief  instrumental  before  returning  back  to  vocal  tracks  and  a  couple  of  the  songs  are  long  and  epic  in  length  and  there is  also  a  brief  use  of  more  aggressive  vocals  and  they  close  the  album  with  an  acoustic  ballad. 

  Sail  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  the  more  melodic  styles  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  while  the  prog  and  post  rock  elements  gives  the  songs  more  originality,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark themes.

  In  my  opinion  Sail  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  progressive  mixture  of  sludge,  doom,  and  post  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Praise  And  Hatred"  "Ghosts"  "Old  Tom"  and  "Slumbersong".  8  out  of  10. 

Drude/Self Titled/2017 Full Length Review

  Drude  are  a  band  from  Indiana  that  plays  a  progressive  form  of  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  and  self  titled  2017  album  which  will  be  released  in  February.

  Clean  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  and  they  also  give  the  songs  more  of  a  progressive  feeling  and  after  awhile  the  music  gets  a  lot  more  of  heavier  and  introduces  sludge  style  screams  onto  the  recording  while  the  riffs  bring  in  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal  and  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  amount  of  melody  in  the  guitar  riffing.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  melodic  vocals  are  also  used  at  times  while  the  solos  and  leads  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  one  song  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  samples  and  a  touch  of  black  metal  can  be  heard  in  the  last  song.

  Drude  plays  a  style  of  sludge  metal  that  is  very  heavy  while  also  adding  in  elements  of  prog  and  hesh  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Drude  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  sludge  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Barbelo"  and  "Eidolon".  8  out  of  10. 

Twingiant/Into The Storm/Tridroid Records/2017 Split Cassette Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  cassette  between  Arizona's  Twingiant  and  Washington's  Into  The  Storm  which  was  released  by  Tridroid  Records  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Twingiant  a  band  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  stoner  form  of  sludge  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with a  distorted  amp  sound  which  leads  up  to  a  heavier  direction  where  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on t heir  side  of t he  recording  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  while  also  giving  the  songs  more  of  a  retro  stoner  rock  feeling  and  the  vocals  are  deep  sludge  style  screams  and  a  decent  amount  of  doom  metal  influences  can  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  and  both  of  the  tracks  stick  to  a  slow  musical  direction,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Twingiant  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  stoner  or  sludge  metal,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Poison  Control  Party  Line".

  Next  up  is  Into  The  Storm  another  band  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  progressive  mixture  of  sludge  metal  and  noise  rock.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  hard  and  heavy  sound  that  also  brings  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  while  the  vocals  are  very  aggressive  while  also  having  a  melodic  tone  to  them  and  the  guitar  leads  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  spoken  word  samples  are  added  onto  the  second  track  briefly  while  both  of  their  songs  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  and  the  clean  guitars  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  progressive  edge,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Into  the  Storm  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  progressive  sludge  metal  and  noise  rock,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Ghostmaker".

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  sludge  metal.  8  out  of  10. 

   

Vermillion Whiskey/Spirit Of Tradition/10 South Productions/2017 CD Review

  Vermillion  Whiskey  are  a  band  from  Louisiana  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge,  southern  and  stoner  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Spirit  Of  Tradition"  which  will  be  released  in  February  by  10  South  Productions.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  musical  sound  starts  off  the  album  and  adds  in  a  classic  rock  feeling  along  with  some  southern  rock  style  vocals  a  few  seconds  later  and  you  can  hear  the  heaviness  of  metal  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  more  of  a  stoner  rock  style  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.

  Elements  of  proto  metal  can  be  heard  while  the  music  adds  in  a  more  modern  touch  that  also  mixes  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  one  track  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  guitars  and   all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction.

  Vermillion  Whiskey  plays  a  musical  style  that  could  be  considered  a  modern  day  form  of  southern  rock   with  the  sludge,  stoner,  and  doom  metal  influences  giving  the  songs  a  heavier  edge,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Vermillion  Whiskey  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of   sludge,  southern  and  stoner  metal   and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Past  Is  Dead"  and  "One  Night".  8  out  of  10.  

 

Hollow Leg/Murder/Argonauta Records/2017 EP Review

  Hollow  Leg  are  a  band  from  Florida  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  psych, stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  ep  "Murder"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Argonauta  Records.

  Drum  beats  and  amp  reverb  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  very  hard  yet  melodic  musical  direction  which  also  leads  up  to  a  heavier  style  along  with  some  sludge  style  screams  that  also  add  in  a  touch  of  groove  metal  and  you  can  hear  doom  metal  influences  in  the  guitar  riffing  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful.

  Influences  of  stoner  and  traditional  metal  can  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  psychedelic  elements  and  the  last  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  both  of the  tracks  sticking  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction.

  Hollow  Leg  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  psych,  stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal  mixture  of  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover dark  and  violent  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Hollow  Leg  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  psych,  stoner,  sludge  and  doom metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Murder".  8  out  of  10.



   

Mage/Green/Witch Hunter Records/2017 Full Length Review

  Mage  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Green"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Witch  Hunter  Records.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  stoner/doom  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  bring  in  a  70's  retro  rock  feeling  and  the  vocals  are  done  in  more  of  a  clean  singing  fashion  bringing  in  a  more  classic  rock/metal  vibe.

  While  the  music  has  a  lot  of  roots  in  the  past  it  still  sounds  very  modern  at  the  same  time  and  after  awhile  high  pitched  sludge  screams  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  either  to  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  and  clean  guitars  are  added  on  the  last  track  which  is  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Mage  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  sludge,  stoner  and  doom  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Mage  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  sludge,  stoner,  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Nowhere  To  Nothing"  "Green"  and  "Vultures  Mass".  8  out  of  10.    

White Light Cemetery/Be Careful What You Wish For/Ripple Music/2017 CD Review

  White  Light  Cemetery  are  a  band  from  Lafayette,  Louisiana  that  plays  a mixture  of  blues,  southern  rock,  sludge  and  stoner  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album "Be  Careful  What  You  Wish  For"  which  was  released  by  Ripple  Music.

  Powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  playing  which  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  blues  and  after  awhile  the  music  goes  into  more  of  a  heavier  direction  along  with  some  melodic  vocals  that  add  in  a  southern  rock  feeling  while  the  riffs  have  more  of  a  sludge  and  stoner  metal  heaviness.

  When  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  remain  true  to  a  southern  metal  style  while  also  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  while  the  influences  are  mostly  from  the  70's,  80's  and  90's  the  music  still  sounds  very  modern  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  songs  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction.

  White  Light  Cemetery  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  southern  and  blues  rock  and  mixes  it  with  sludge  and  stoner  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  White  Light  Cemetery  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  blues,  southern  rock,  sludge  and  stoner  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Misery  Loves  Company" "On  A  Dime"  and  "Bullet  To  Erase".  8  out  of  10.   

Battalions/Nothing To Lose/Black Bow Records/2017CD Review

  Battalions  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  stoner  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017 album  "Nothing  To  Lose"  which  will  be  released  in  February  by  Black  Bow  Records.

A  very  hard,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  high  pitched  sludge  screams  a  few  seconds  later  and  you  can  also  hear  the  influence  of  stoner  metal  and  doom  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  guitar  leads are  done  in  a  melodic  fashion.

  While  the  music  has  a  retro  vibe  the  heaviness  and  high  pitched  screams  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  modern  feeling  along  with  a  touch  of  groove  and  the  tracks  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow  and  mid  paced  parts  and  only  speeding  up  briefly  and  the  album  also  remains  heavy  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording  and  spoken  word  parts  are  used  briefly  on  the  last  track.

  Battalions  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  stoner  and  sludge  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  real  life  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  Battalions  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  stoner  and  sludge  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Cowards'  Manifesto"  "Whiskey  And  Wine"  and  "Shitstorm  Troopers".  8  out  of  10.

Bill & Phil/Songs Of Darkness And Despair/Housecore Records/2017 EP Review

  Horror  movie  icon  Bill  Mosely  and  metal  legend  Phil  Anselmo  team  up  together  to  create  a  recording  that  mixes  southern  rock  and  sludge  metal  together  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  ep  "Songs  Of  Darkness  And  Despair"  which  was  released  by  Housecore  Records.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  southern  rock  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  also  mixing  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  metal  while  the  solos  and  leads a re  done  in  a  70's  tradition  and  the  clean  singing  vocals  are  also  done  in  a  classic  rock  tradition  and  spoken  word  parts  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  While  the  music  is  mostly  retro  the  heaviness  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  modern  day  feeling  and  the  vocals  also  have  a  touch  of  classic  doom  metal  at  times  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  along  with  one  track  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  clean  guitars  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  there  is  also  an  acoustic  ballad    while  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction.

  Bill  &  Phil  creates  a  recording  that  has  some  of  the  occult  and  southern  rock  influences  of  the  60's  and  70's  which  they  also  mix  in  with  classic  metal  and  the  heaviness  of  sludge  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  occult,  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Bill  &  Phil  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  southern  rock  and  sludge  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Corpus  Christy"  and  "Tonight's  The  Night  We  Die".  8  out  of  10.