EARTH OF DISTRUST ~ Victimology (2013)

 

Bandcamp reveals yet another gem from its bosom, this time its Earth Of Distrust from Greece. The overriding influence on Victimology  is the rich vein of thick globs of humid, sludgy doom which allows all the other gnarly elements of crust, hardcore and punk to orbit the planet sized riffs without the album disintergrating into unruly chaos.

TRANSCENDENT BARRIER ~ Divided (2022)

Thoroughly miserable sludge doom that crackles with dissonant funereal pain. No songs slither above snails pace and all leave trails of tortured, mucous riffs bereft of light. When you think the band can't get any heavier, a key is turned, the bottom drops from the floor and you're sucked into an emotionless vacuum of bereavement. 

BLOODSOAKED MACHETE ~ Blood Soaked Machete (2022)

Carniverous death/thrash with Slayeresque solos shrieking in agony. The songs are mainly mid paced but accelerate with maniacal ferocity before frequently impaling the listener on colossal groove barbed hooks.

MORBID STENCH ~ The Rotting Ways Of Doom (2022)

 

Six glutinous tracks of leprous doom death, congealed into a carciogenic mass of  zombiefied riffage. The monstrously viscous production gives the feeling of (very) slowly sinking into a deep pit of steaming offal. The Rotting Ways Of Doom is gloriously loathsome from start to finish, shambling from track to repugnant track, heavily laden with corpulent doom and virulent death.

Music from the Charnel Pit

SEA OF SNAKES ~ The Serpent & The Lamb (2022)

The Serpent & The Lamb the new album from Sea Of Snakes is one of the snappiest albums I've heard so far this year. The album is lathered in groovy, fuzzy stoner riffs, lubed with AiC like sleaze and swollen with Sabbath influenced doom often blemished with a darker, funerealistic taint.

BRETHREN HOGG ~ Relative Swine (2022)

There's nothing soft and mushy about Brethren Hoggs's brand of stoner. Fuzz has been stripped away leaving rusty bare metal that rocks hard. Each face Brethren Hogg shows us is uncompromising, stoner riffs have a grungy groove, forays into doom are lean and heavy with slow paced thrash like riffs laced with a faint whiff of Mastodonish prog.

LORD OF CONFUSION ~ Evil Mystery (2022)

Haunting doom alchemy from Portugal. I reviewed Lord Of Confusion's 2019 EP Burnin' Valley earlier this year and their new album, Evil Mystery isn't too dissimilar, however there are some stellar improvements. On Burnin' Valley the keyboards of  Carlota Sousa who also provides vocals, dominated the ep but on Evil Mystery guitar and keyboards stalk each other in perfectly layered harmony alongside the chants from the coven of Carlota to chilling effect. This album is like the sudden tap on the shoulder in an empty room, or a nightime walk in a fogbound cemetery, crawling with dark places and creaking, rusty iron gates.Be sure to bear an Apotropaic mark to ward off unwelcome spirits when you listen to this excellent album. 

The greatest compliment I can give to Lord Of Confusion is that, although the band is Portugese, Evil  Mystery has earned a place among the standard bearers of classic Italian style doom.