Witchpit - The Weight Of Death (Heavy Psych Sounds) [Rich P]
Sludgy stoner hardcore? Hardcore stoner sludge? Whatever you call it, the debut full length offering from South Carolina’s Witchpit brings you some great heaviness with vocals that sound right out of your favorite early 90s hardcore scene but who would really piss of the straight edge vegans in the audience. They bring a unique combination of heavy sounds to provide an exciting listening experience to the listener while blowing their heads off at the same time.
The opener OTTR has a killer stoner rock groove with that hardcore style bark which is more of a gruff shout then a death metal growl. Midway through the track we get a Sabbath style riff breakdown which displays their obvious classic/heavy rock influences to go along with their sludge heaviness. The next track The Blackened Fee reminds me of a groovier High On Fire and continues with the killer riffage. The production of this album is something to behold. It sounds like it could have been recorded in a haze of smoke in 1974 (the highest of complements).
The title track is a ripper that could have been the opener to a Sick Of It All or Snapcase record. I am not sure if Witchpit like hardcore, but I hear that influence throughout The Weight Of Death. Riffs are still being provided generously with Autonomous Deprivation which brings more of that High On Fire comparison and a nice doomy breakdown halfway through. Fire and Ice is a ripper that may be my favorite track on the record and again has that fast slow fast that is so effective throughout the six songs on The Weight Of Death.
Mr. Miserum is a slow burn closer that wraps up this album nicely with a sludgy doom feel. This album brings the heavy for sure. Killer riffs, excellent doomy breakdowns, and some stoner grooves makes this a super fun listening experience. What will turn some people off are the vocals. I personally dig it, but some will find the harsh barky hardcore style a bit off putting if that is not your thing. Overall, I highly recommend checking out this very strong debut. 8/10
Pist.On – Cold World EP (Self Released) [Zak Skane]
Following from their extended break, the New York sludge metal four piece are back with their three track E.P Cold World. The band originally formed in the 90’s, with three releases under their name Number One (1996), $ell Out (1999) and Saves EP (2001). They’ve also had great opportunities supporting bands like Marilyn Manson, Korn and Type O Negative before they announced their hiatus in 2018. Fast forward to four years and the band are back and sludgier than ever.
With the three track opening up with Cold World we get these classic doom metal sludgy riffs accompanied with some classic groovy drum beats from Jeff Mcmanus that take me back to classic 90’s goth with bands like Type O Negative and Paradise Lost springing to mind. Henry Front’s vocals have the same swagger and attitude of Axl Rose did in his prime. With the classic melancholic descending melodies featured in the choruses this band have began to a promising start. Ruin Your Day leads us down the rock and roll path, beginning with the palm muted riffs and a softly sung chorus that leads to sleazy grooves in the verses.
The lyrics pack classic tongue and cheek pessimism that could easily come from the Peter Steel handbook, at this point I’m starting to understand why these guys toured with Type O back in the day. Their wintery closer Icicles opens back up with the wall of sludgy riffs accompanied by classic sounding guitar melodies that take Slash would be proud of. With Henry snarling over the doomy brew of the pounding drum beats and chonky guitars that bands like Crowbar and Paradise Lose are famous for with the mix of rock swagger of Guns N Roses this band have really done a good jobs putting Goth and rock together.
Overall this is a great comeback for the band, with the drums sounding boomy and punchy whilst cutting through the stoner tinged guitars giving Henry snarls somewhere to sit comfortably on top. Dave Otero has a great job blending this together. Personally out of the three tracks their opener Cold World represents the band to its fullest with the gothic overtone from the descending lead parts in the choruses to the Peter Steele/Axel Rose infused vocals. The only advice I would say is that, this album is more of a continuation of their sound that they forged in the 90’s, so don’t expect any metal modernisms. 8/10
Troll Teeth - Hanged, Drawn, And Quartered (Electric Talon Records) [David Karpel]
Some people wear their politics on their sleeve. New Jersey’s Troll Teeth, meanwhile, wear their politics on their bludgeoning riffs. The songs on Hanged, Drawn, And Quartered rumble and roll with sludge soaked psych-doom tempos and a blues-tinged poli-sci temperament. Lyrically inspired by the postcolonial works of Cameroonian political philosopher Achille Mbeme, Moe (bass/vocals), Pretty Boy (bass), and Thuds (drums), prove that their latest line-up, consistent for the last two of their three albums, has allowed them to solidify their modus operandi.
Vocals ride the shallows, clear and yearning, then soar over curling riffs. Clean solos give an electrified dimension to the hammering doom, and the bottom booms – all secured in groove with the plodding beats provided by the often subtle power of thunds. Opening track Hand Me Down, at 8 minutes, is a solid introduction to all that follows. Lyrics depict purposeful class divisions and the powerful “covering their tracks of supremacy.” A repetitive Sabbathian riff cuts a slow, crunchy shuffle and lays a foundation for Moe to sing a lament for the “entrenched mindsets” of society’s ills. Elephant In The Room, founded on a bass line that gives the song a doomy Pearl Jam feel, allows Moe’s vocals to continue to mourn, stretching melodies over that slinky bass, thick riffs, and that bottom heavy bass. At 9 minutes, it’s a long jam and I get the feeling after these first two songs that these guys live for the slow and smoked jam sessions.
Picking up the pace, the surprising Gallows On The Playground shows what Troll Teeth can do in half the time of the previous song. The bass playing here–and throughout–really shines, and Moe’s vocals, slow as molasses over a steadily rushing river of riffs, are ever more spooky in the juxtaposition. The urgency of the song is only enhanced by the direct message therein, as Moe sings, “It's just a little game they like to play/ Giving you rights just to strip them away/ Sure they got rid of slavery/ Gave you a cage so fine you'll never be free.” Expect Nothing, Receive Nothing sees the band return to the long form and emphasizes the jam-band qualities that develop in the longer tunes on the album. Although the instrumental sections on Expect Nothing… contain some of the best musicianship on the record–it sounds like a live, spontaneous jam session that builds riff upon riff that climb a steep, muscle wrenching incline–at the same time, I wonder if the song as a whole could have been a bit shorter without losing a thing, which says something.
The shortest song on the album at a bit over 3 minutes, Move is a sing-along acoustic guitar ballad about the cruelty and injustice of extreme economic inequality and poverty. Out Of The World may be the strongest song on the album with its tight playing, catchy grooves, and the most realized lyrics and vocals that by the end become uplifting in a climactic conclusion. Notes From The Post Colonial and Your Hands Are Red both continue the strong playing evident in Out Of The World, with time changes, driving chords and beats, and, again, guitar lead jams that lift off and aim for the outer limits. Because Gallows On the Playground shows how good Troll Teeth can be with some constraint, a few of the longer tracks, although mostly enjoyable, feel somewhat self-indulgent. Still, this is Troll Teeth’s best effort yet and it seems they’re determined to carve out a neat niche for themselves with their punk politics and crunchy sludge riffs. 7/10