| A bad trip to… (CD) | 2002 | Red sun records |
From the catchy main riff of 'Bad acid' to the long last track 'The holy cure', the band takes you to an insane trip forcing you to undergo the effects of many unhealthy substances. Like a shamanic ritual, 'A bad trip to…' is able to induce a trance-like, ecstatic state in the mind of the listener. The impressively thick wall of sound makes sure that no one who cares enough about heavy and slow music can stay unaffected at the sight of this monstrous auditory attack.
If you can't get enough of the heavy and punishing sound and the irresistible groove of Electric Wizard, this release is essential.
1. Bad acid
2. The last day
3. Cerebral suicide
4. Venus in furs
5. Transvirus
6. Dream machine...evil machine
7. Sangre
8. The holy cure
Approx. 47 minutes
| Inversus (CD Demo) | 2003 | None |
'Sons' opens the record, with dark ambience and silence for a few minutes before the guitars slowly start to buzz into existence supported by drums and bass that trample everything in their path, causing my walls to start vibrating. The guitars have a dirty and hateful tone, but retain elements of that groovy sound usually found in bands like Electric Wizard. A strange combination but it is pulled off really well. The vocals range from whispering, distant field recordings, deep menacing growls and very raspy vocals, which give the disc a black metal twist. And so this album goes, drifting in and out of ambience and devastating, droning doom, wielding the strange but potent combination of funeral and sludge. Because of this, the demo creates a very hypnotic and trance like feel, which really draws you into it. It isn't the type of album you can put on in the background and forget about it; it demands your attention. The droning ambience and sheer weight really carry this record, much in the vein of Burzum and Until Death Overtakes Me do. Another strange association I know, but that's what it reminds me of.
It is very hard for me to recommend this style of music to anyone in particular as it sits between two or three completely different musical styles. But don't let that stop you from hearing this misanthropic mess of droning hatred.
1. Sons
2. Werewolf (Echoes Of The Past)
3. Sharp Contemplation
Approx. 53 minutes
| Church Of The Flaggelation (Split Cassette) | 2004 | Catacomb Music |
Finnish Doom enigma Stabat Mater is relatively stingy with releases, and even more so with information. Not only is their field for band info completely empty, we don't even get a song title this time. What we do get is some trademark extreme Doom, which follows in line of the previous split releases and the promo which circulates on the internet. The band provides us with heavy, dirty riffing, obscure vocals and a chaotic ending to a relatively short song. Although this is again not the most intense or original Doom, Stabat Mater always manage to please me with their material. I'm still waiting for that surprise though...
Bunkur is of a wholly different character. These Dutch mammoths crushed friend and foe with their immensely long and crushing debut, the aptly named 'Bludgeon', and are back with a vengeance. I must admit I wasn't too impressed with the first release, but I think the band succeed a lot better with this new track. Clocking well over 30 minutes, "Devolve" is another one of those giants. The stretching out of song structures and riffs so that the melody is barely perceptive is something that goes against your musical common sense, but Bunkur make it into an art. While still leaning very heavily upon the style developed by Winter, the band is shaping its own niche in today's extreme Doom scene, and will probably keep on growing.
Malasangre is a relatively unknown band from Italy, and they play a style of doom that fits in perfectly with the rest of this release. This is their first release in three years and it's quite a huge track. Expect some very heavy riffs, sick vocals, out-of-tune keyboards and fitting samples in this obscure mix of dirty and Doom. Simply good!
But the highlight of the compilation is "Seas That Swallowed The Night...". The Sad Sun is a collaboration of Stijn van Cauter and E.M. Hearst and that is clearly audible. This project combines elementes from, among others, The Ethereal, Torture Wheel and Until Death Overtakes Me, and the result is over 19 minutes of uncompromising, crushing and bleak Funeral Doom. Distorted screams and leads rend your tinniti, while you are beaten into submission by the underlying mass of pure musical weight. I'm getting metaphorical again, so you know it's gonna be good... I urge S. and E.M. to churn out some more of this horrible, yet appealing bile.
There isn't much to conclude. You get all of this, formatted in a professional MC release, for only 5 euros or $7 including shipping. Don't hesitate and strike while you can. Contact Catacomb Records on this adress: intothecatacomba@lycos.com.
Stabat mater:
1. (untitled)
Bunkur:
2.Devolve
Malasangre:
3. Revelation CCXXXIX
The Sad Sun:
4. Seas That Swallowed The Night...
Approx. 65 minutes