Reviews: Woorms, 0N0, Illimitable Dolor, Snake Tongue (Paul S)

Woorms: Slake (Sludgelord Records)

Woorms are a 3 piece from Baton Rouge, the band formed in 2017 and Slake is their first album. Most of the material on the album would fit in to a sludge/doom/noise template, so lots of slow nastiness. The album gets underway with an intro that starts with Gregorian Chanting before going into some nice reverse guitars and other interesting elements. Next we have the first song with Find A Meal Find A Bed Find A God, which starts with a massive sludge riff, which is heavy and has a great head-banging tempo. Everything calms down for the vocals, far more subtle and brooding than the hugeness that came before. That huge riff comes back to drive the track along to a very satisfying ending, great piece of sludge. Veni Vidi Fucki starts with subtle guitar swells and a spoken word sample (the first of several). Once the massive riffs come back in we are in a very tuneful sludge territory, with some interesting rhythmic devices and very evocative vocals. Stiff Upper Lisp (great Pun), has a slow build up of drums and vocals before another huge riff (this album is dripping with huge riffs!) blasts off for a massive chorus, before it all slows and calms down for another subtle verse. The heavy parts of this song have a relaxed, lazy feel to it, that is slightly stonery in tone. Urine Trouble Now (another great pun, good work lads) has a swaggery, loose doom feel to it, the tempo is perfect for slow head-banging, and must be a cracking live track. 

Mouth Is A Wound has a weighty, simple riff at it’s heart, the track is very rhythmic, lots of lurching stops and starts, the vocals are very aggressive, in some places the vocals are spoken. Next up is the fantastically titled Our Lady Of Perpetually Shitfaced, which starts with feedback over a slowed down, slurred spoken word part, and then descends into fairly extreme feedback. Racist Kevin (not sure who Kevin is but he sounds like a fucking dick), is a short blast of mid tempo, alternative metal. Rise Crispy is a short, heavy mid-paced piece of doom. Great vocals and everything is done in a very interestingly rhythmic way, great track. The album come to a close with Sore Afraid a great flowing piece of doom, there is a bit of a similarity with some of Pentagram’s riffing. The tempo is just right for this sort of huge, lazy doom. Great way to end the album. Slake is a great first album. Interesting, heavy, challenging and enjoyable. This sounds like a band that would be great live. For a debut this is so impressive, I highly recommend you give this a listen. Still think Kevin is a dick, though. 8/10

0N0: Cloaked Climax Concealed (Transcending Obscurity Record)

Slovakian industrial doom/death band 0N0 have been going for 14 years, in that time they have recorded 2 albums and Cloaked Climax Concealed is their 4th EP. So, what have the 3 piece got for us on this release. Well, the EP contains 2 tracks, which come to 12 minutes. First track The Crown Unknown starts with a huge discordant riff, with added electronics. The rhythm lurches and staggers while harsh vocals complete the nastiness. Although there are lots of elements that are designed to be extreme and off-putting, there are also some clean vocals that have a softer, smoother feel; the combination of the 2 feels cathartic. 

The track has lots of layers, with added industrial factors, this gives the song real depth. Hidden In The Trees (Sail This Wrecked Ship), is a softer, less huge track than the one that preceded it. The song feels more expansive, it’s still discordant but is less aggressive. The second half of the track has clean vocals harmonies that feel uplifting and positive. Again, the overall feel is cathartic, despite the huge heaviness, and discordance. Although the EP is fairly short, the material is great, with a lot of depth. Definitely one to check out! 8/10

Illimitable Dolor: Leaden Light (Transcending Obscurity Records)

Leaden Light is Illimitable Dolor’s second album, coming 2 years after their self titled debut. The band (a four piece according to the press release I got with the album, but a five piece according to the bands facebook page, and a 6 piece according to one other research source I looked at) have at least 4 members, and have been going since 2014. The five track album starts with Armed He Brings The Dawn, which sets a template for most of the album, is a fantastic piece of death/doom. Although having said that, the death is in the vocal style and the guitar, bass and drum sound, but in many ways we are in huge doom territory. One rather unique aspect of Illimitable Dolor’s sound are keyboards, which are present throughout the album. On most tracks the keyboards sound like a massive church organ, giving this a unique sound. The guitars are playing fantastic, melancholic harmonies throughout. The combination of these factors gives the song a sense of loss and sadness, that is more in line with doom acts like Warning. 

The band have clearly sacrificed the anger and savagery of death metal for the pensive despondency of doom. Second track Soil She Bears has a softer and slower feeling than the track that came before it. The keyboards, although there is some church organ, mainly sounds like a piano. The track has a more desolate, depressive feel. The melodies are sadder, the pace; dreamlike. The track has a middle section that is just piano and drums, deeply melancholic, forlorn and so beautiful. The guitars return for the final part of the song, and they now fit perfectly with the mood. Horses Pale and Four starts with very slow guitar chords, but as with other parts of this album, the tempo is less about being heavy and pounding the listener, and more about creating an achingly woeful atmosphere. The track is heavy on the church organ, and it is the organ that feels like it is pushing the song on. The organ brings the inertia, the guitars bring the wistful unhappiness. Again there is a middle section in this song that is mainly Church Organ, but backed up with arpeggios played on the guitars. This forms a very beautiful section, before the drive returns for the rest of the track. Leaden Light Her Coils, starts with a gentle piano riff, played very slowly, and dripping with sadness. The guitars are heavy once they come crashing in, but the mood stays the same. 

The track slows for a section that is mainly organ with some dramatic drums and clean guitar riffs, by this point it’s almost too beautiful! The huge guitar harmonies, teamed with the organ are aback for the end of the song. Final track 2.12.14 is the shortest track on the album, and is mainly an outro. The track is keyboard swells, with soft, clean guitars, that bring this album to an end in a satisfyingly melancholic way. Leaden Light is a fantastic piece of work. Huge and beautiful, melancholic and cathartic. The part of me that loves Warning’s masterpiece Watching From A Distance, also loves this album. This album is not about extremity, aggression or nastiness; it’s about emotion. It’s achingly sad, wistful and cathartic. This is definitely going to be an album I’ll listen to when my Clinical Depression is giving me trouble. The only thing I have difficulty with, is believing that this band come from Australia. Bright sunshine, surfing, throwing seafood onto barbecues and drinking Fosters doesn’t fit with this music at all. I suppose it must be a reaction to all of that horrific happiness. 9/10

Snake Tongue: No Escape No Excuse (The Sign Records)