Palehorse/Palerider/Burial Songs/Graven Earth Records/2017 Cassette Review

  Palehorse/Palerider  are  a  band  from  Denver,  Colorado  that  plays  a  musical  style  they  describe  as  being  doomgaze  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Burial  Songs"  which  will  be  released  on  April  28th  by  Graven  Earth  Records.

  Atmospheric  drones  and  drum  beats  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  powerful  sounding  bass  guitar  leads  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  traditional  guitar  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  shoegaze  fashion  and  after  awhile  the  riffs  start  mixing  in  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal  along  with  all  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Vocals  are  mostly  done  in  a  clean  singing  style  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  clean  guitars  and  synths  and  at  times  the  music  also  adds  in  elements  of  psychedelic  and  90's  alternative  rock  while  also  sounding  very  modern  at  the  same  time  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  slow  musical  style.

  Palehorse/Palerider  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  an  atmospheric  form  of  doom  metal  and  mixes  it  with  shoegaze  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Palehorse/Palerider  are  a  very  great  sounding  doomgaze  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  cassette.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sundowning"  and  "Nero".  8  out  of  10. 
 

 

Pyreship/The Liars Bend Low/Black Bow Records/2017 Full Length Review

  Pyreship  are  a  band  from  Houston,  Texas  that  plays  a  mixture  of  post,  doom  metal,  slowcore  and  noise  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "The  Liars  Bend  Low"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Black  Bow  Records.

  Post  rock  style  riffing  and  melodic  guitar  leads  start  off  the  album  and  clean  guitars  are  also  utilized  at  times  and  after  awhile  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  some  alternative  rock  style  vocals  along  with  some  aggressive  noise  rock  screams  while  the  songs  still  mix  in  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal.

  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  spoken  word  samples  are  also  used  briefly  while  a  lot  of  riffs  are  also  very  heavily  influenced  by  slowcore  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  slow  direction  while  also  adding  in  heavy  sludge  style  riffing.

  Pyreship  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  sludge,  post  and  doom  metal  and  mixes  it  with  slowcore  and  noise  rock  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  philosophical  and political  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Pyreship  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  post,  sludge,  doom  metal,  slowcore  and  noise  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Machine  Man"  and  "Die-Sect".  8  out  of  10. 

 

The Ditch And The Delta/Hives In Decline/Battleground Records/2017 CD Rview

  The  Ditch  And  The  Delta  are  a  band  from  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge  metal,  math  and  noise  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Hives  In  Decline"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Battleground  Records.

  Atmospheric  drones  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  amp  sounds  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  up  to  a  more  heavy  and  melodic  musical  direction  which  also  introduces  drums  onto  the  recording  and  after  awhile  sludge  style  screams  start  making  their  presence  known  along  with  touches  of  noise  rock.

 Math  rock  style  structures  are  used  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  progressive  style  and  at  times  the  bass  guitars  also  add  in  leads  of  their  own  along  with  clean  playing  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording,

  Some  tracks  also  add  in  elements  of  post  rock  while  one  track  adds  in  touches  of  blues  rock  along  with  a  small  amount  of  slide  guitars  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  direction  and  on  the  closing  track  a  decent  amount  of  melodic  vocals  are  added  into  the  music.

  The  Dutch  And  The  Delta  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  a  progressive  form  of  sludge  metal  and  mixes  it  with  math,  noise  and  post  rock  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  angry  themes.

  In  my  opinion  The  Dutch  And  The  Delta  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  sludge  metal,  math  and  noise  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fuck  On  Asphalt"  and  "Dread  Spectacle".  8  out  of  10.

 

 

Obelyskkh/The Providence/Exile On Mainstream/2017 CD Review

  Obelyskkh  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  psychedelic  mixture  of  stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "The  Providence"  which  was  released  by  Exile  On  Mainstream.

  Distorted  amp  sounds  along  with  some  drum  beats  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavy  sludge  and  doom  metal  riffing  a  few  seconds  later  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  clean  singing  stoner  vocals  are  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  along  with  most  of  the  tracks  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Aggressive  sludge  style  screams  are  added  into  some  parts  of  the  songs  while  the  riffs  also  use  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  after  awhile  psychedelic  elements  also  start making  their  presence  known  and  when  guitar  leads a re  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  can  be  heard  along  with  one  track  being  instrumental  and  when  the  music  speeds  up a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  adds  in a   touch  of  black  metal. 

  Obelyskkh  creates  another  recording t hat  remains  true  to  the  psychedelic  mixture  of  stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Greek  Mythology,  Drugs,  Revelations,  and  Jesco  White  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Obelyskkh  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  psychedelic,  stoner,  sludge,  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Raving   Ones"  and  "Marzanna''.  8  out  of  10.

Superjoint/Caught Up In The Gears Of Application/Housecore Records/2016 CD Review

  Superjoint  are  a  band  from  Louisiana  that  was  previously  known  as  Superjoint  Ritual  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Caught  Up  In  The  Gears  Of  Application"  which  was  released  by  Housecore  Records. 

  Distorted  amp  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  aggressive  vocals  a  few  seconds  later  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  which  also  leads  up  to  a  heavier  musical  direction  that  also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  sludge  metal  elements  along  with  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  At  times  the  music  brings  in  the  energy  of  punk  rock  while  the  vocals  almost  have  a  death  metal  touch  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  along  with  some  aggressive  screams  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  give  the  songs  more  of  a  melodic  metal  and  punk edge  and  the  music  also  always  remains  very  heavy.

  Superjoint  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  sludge  metal  and  crossover  mixture  of  previous  releases  while  also  adding  in  a  touch  of  crust,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Marijuana,  Alcohol,  Violence  and  Personal  Struggles  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Superjoint  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  sludge  metal  and  crossover  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Today  And  Tomorrow"  "Caught  Up  In  The  Gears  Of  Application"  "Asshole"  and  "Rigging  The  Fight".  8  out  of  10. 

Gurt/Skullossus/When Planets Collide/2017 CD Review

  Gurt  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Skullossus"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  When  Planets  Collide.

  Atmospheric  soundscapes  and  spoken  word  parts  start  off  the  album  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  some  aggressive  sludge  style  screams  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  the  more  heavy  side  of  doom  metal  along  with  one  track  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  At  times  the  music  adds  in  a  stoner  touch  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  fashion  and  a  brief  use  of  clean  singing  can  also  be  heard  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  some  songs  also  mix  in  the  energy  of  punk  rock  and  on  some  tracks  the  vocals  also  add  in  a  touch  of  groove  metal  and  one  track  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  saxophones  and  pianos  are  added  onto  the  closing  track.

  Gurt  plays  a  style  of  sludge  metal  that  is  very  aggressive  and  heavy  while  also  adding  in  touches  of  punk  and  groove  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the lyrics  cover  angry  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Gurt  are  a  very  great  sounding  sludge  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Give  Me  The  Night,  Any  Day"  "Existence  Is  Pain"  and  "Meowing  At  The  Fridge".  8  out  of  10.   

Kollapse Interview

Interview w. Thomas (singer/bass player) + Troels (singer/guitar player) in kollapse, 11.04.2017

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
Thomas: We are currently going to play a line of shows around Europe. We have predominantly been occupied in our rehearsal space as well as playing a few select shows in Denmark. We've been in contact with various people regarding creative stuff like the VOID video (Dukkefar) and more trivial stuff like booking shows and so on.

2.You have a new album coming out in May, 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?
Thomas: ANGST is definitely different from what we did 5 years ago. When we started out, we didn't have a clear vision of how we wanted kollapse to sound and feel. When you put three guys in a room, with various musical pasts and strong convictions, you have to do a little bit of leg work, before something congruent pans out. We basically started out by recording a demo, that we released on vinyl. Very DIY and very "punk rock". To say we have a difference of opinion about those recordings would be an understatement.
We started to find our feet around the time of the recording of the FATHER track we did as a split with NO FEALTY out of Copenhagen. They are good people and their music is awesome as fuck. At that point we had abandoned all notions about sounding like anyone else or writing genre specific music. I tend to get bored by music that falls neatly into categories pretty fast, I have no ambitions towards playing d beat, crust, black metal or whatever. I like some of that stuff, but I tend to gravitate towards music that doesn't wrap up to nicely. I like some records that nail a certain classical feel, but as far as my own musical endeavours are concerned, it doesn't really interest me. I haven't got the musical nor emotional chops for stuff like that anyway.
As for how the sound is presented on the album, I couldn't be happier about it. Every instrument sounds strong, the guitars have a nice blend of different, interesting sounds that I like, the drums are massive but still fit Peters very meticulous style and for once the bass is actually audible. Many recordings today are all guitars and in-the-red mastering: everything is as loud as it can possibly get - we didn't want that for ANGST.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
Thomas: The lyrical approach of kollapse is probably the only thing that has been fairly constant. We write about things that matter to us in our personal lives. We steer clear of politics and religion because it's shit. I have written a good deal of the lyrics on the album and my lyrics are rooted in emotional turmoil basically. My vocals come from the pit of my stomach and I would feel silly "singing" about satan, demons or whatever. Also I have a strong atheist outlook and I keep the lyrics within the confines of this outlook, so I focus on humanist and existential issues. I prefer psychology and being grounded to spiritual or faith based lyrics.
I tend to get inspired by somewhat depressing stuff like Thomas Ligotti, Francis Bacon and Northern European art like Edward Munch.
Life is messy and unstable. We feel a need to be honest about that.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Kollapse'?
Thomas: We really like the Swedish band Breach and we felt it tied in well with what we were trying to do lyrically - both in terms of the lyrics themselves but also the spelling of "kollaps(e)" with the added "e" in the end (we write lyrics in more than one language).

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Thomas: We are all from the Northern part of Denmark and we tend to adopt the very self critical attitude that is prevalent here. We don't really "perform" as such. We do whatever feels natural. I tend to focus on the delivery whereas Troels and Frederik tend to move around more. I enjoy bands who are able to project something honest, even if this means coming of as insecure or not "professional" or whatever. Be yourself.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
Thomas: We will play Manchester and Hamburg this month, hopefully we will get to play Norway and Sweden this year as well. I am half Norweigan, so Norway is a special place for me.
Troels: Besides that we are also playing Germany and most parts of Denmark, that are worth playing at for a band like us. Going on tour is always extremely rewarding as we get the meet likeminded people and have an outlet for our minds and music.

7.You have also been a part of a couple of splits, can you tell us a little bit more about the bands you have shared these recordings with?
Troels: We did the No Fealty split and a compilation of local bands with the song FATHER . It was a compilation I did as a homage to an old local compilation, that documented a time and space at our local scene. I felt like there needed a new one, because there were so many great punk and hardcore bands at the time. I think the record turned out well and people were stoked about it. It is sold out now, but every now and then new punks approach me and ask me if I’m able to get them a copy. I hope one day they make another compilation as a homage to the old ones. DIY!

8.Can you tell us a little bit more about '5 Feet Under Records'?
Troels: 5FeetUnder is a label I run with five of my friends. We have this policy at our record label that we all have to agree that it is awesome, and if one of us does not think that, then we will not release it. There are no boundaries and we try not to limit ourselves. If music is good then it does not matter what type of music it is. All our releases are heavy music, though. We have released almost 80 records and we are really proud of our work and the records we have put out.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of sludge, crust, and hardcore?
Thomas: Reviews are coming in as we speak, but generally people seem interested.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Thomas: This is a tricky one, I see kollapse evolving. All four members are past thirty, so we will do whatever feels natural and exciting to do given the circumstances. As long as we are honest about what we do, feel exited about the music and we are able to get time off from parenting and work, kollapse will reflect who we are as people.

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?
Thomas: We are all big music fans, so influences for kollapse are pretty varied, Frederik is really into black metal, crust and minimal techno. Peter goes for experimental heavy stuff. Troels is really into modern hardcore.
As far as my own listening habits go, there are hundreds of bands haha.
Lately I have been buying and listening to Danish stuff like Recitation, Slægt, Orm and Nyt Liv (and a slew of danish free jazz reissues), but I have my "go-to's" like Breach, Swans, Neurosis, Weakling, Coil, Joy Division and so on.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Thomas: I really enjoy painting, skateboarding and hanging out with my son and my girlfriend. Pretty standard stuff. Lately I have been buying/reading books on art - people like Hermann Nitsch, Raymond Pettibon and Billy Childish.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thomas: Thanks for the interview.