The night began with local heroes and solid groove meisters Morass of Molasses (7). Regrettably, there weren’t many in attendance at the time, but that didn’t show on the faces of the seasoned musicians on stage. A tad sloppy at times and playing songs that are more or less well …

Exo opens with the fourteen minute epic Uncharted. It’s a bold move by Monomyth, but one that defiantly pays off. It’s a sprawling, unfolding drama of music that adds layers upon layers of texture, to create a world of its own possibilities. The track builds until around the ten-and-a-half-minute mark, …

With the sludge scene becoming more and more recognised over time, lots of bands are carving out their own niches, while giving nods to older bands in the genre. False Gods are one such band. Wasteland opens with the almost primal drumbeats of Despot, which sound a little reminiscent of Walk With Knowledge Wisely by Crowbar. A heavy …

With underground sludge/stoner metal becoming more in focus over the past few years, two bands that have stood out amongst the wealth of talent are Gurt and Trippy Wicked, so a collaboration seems only natural, right? Guppy begins with the crushingly heavy Owlmegeddon by Gurt. Groove and balls is what this track boasts and it …

Hailing from Manchester, The Hyena Kill are a sometimes stoner, sometimes experimental two-piece outfit from Manchester. Having made a mark on the underground scene, Atomised could very well put them on the map and establish them throughout the rest of the UK. Atomised begins with the blues swagger and instant …

Aluk Todolo are peddlers of occult rock, if you are not familiar with the term occult rock, just imagine a Hammer House of Horror movie with a heavy metal soundtrack and that’s pretty much the jist. I have to admit I wasn’t familiar with the term, but the first track …

With the release of this their first full length album, Italy’s Deadsmoke are looking to make a huge noise in the doom/sludge world. But with any first release there are bound to be some pitfalls.  Deadsmoke opens with the slow power house monster of Branches of Evil. A song that …

Epic doom aplenty! Hailing Farnborough, Pensevor really pack a punch and are wanting to prove it with their debut album Klothod. Klothod opens with the truly monolithic slab of doom “Totem”. A song that does exactly as it says on the tin, this is a track that will surely have …

With two previous EPs to their name, Victorian Whore Dogs are becoming a well-known and well respected name in the UK underground metal scene. Afternoonified is their first full length and showcases songs both old and new. Opening with the power house of monolithic sludge “Mutton Shunter,” Victorian Whore Dogs …

With four previous full-length releases under their belt, Italy’s Black Rainbows are becoming a contender on the psych/stoner/blues rock scene, and for good reason. Stellar Prophecy sees them reaching for new heights. Stellar Prophecy, unfortunately, opens with what are (in my opinion) the two weakest tracks; “Electrify” and “Woman.” They …

Hailing from Warsaw, Poland, Sunnata have been carving a niche for themselves in the noise/post metal scene since 2008. Blending several different textural ideas, they most certainly bring something new to the table, but does it all work? Sunnata begin Zorya with the multi-layered post metal dirge of “Beasts of …

Slabdragger return with a truly monolithic new release in the form of Rise of the Dawncrusher. With songs upwards of fifteen minutes, this release takes you through a journey of not just the concept, but heavy music itself. Strap yourselves in and hold on tight, this is a long album. First up is …

Boss Keloid are fast becoming a strong contender in the sludge/stoner/doom community throughout the UK. Having shared stages with the likes of Gurt, Slabdragger and Raging Speedhorn, they are on their way to changing the shape of the sludge sound with intelligent writing and impressive vocals. Boss Keloid begin with a huge slab of sludge in …

Morass Of Molasses have just returned from an intense weekender with Ohhms and Slabdragger. Which saw them visit Edinburgh, Liverpool and Coventry in order to spread their unique brand of Sludgy Swamp Blues. In the process they garnered still more critical acclaim and fans alike.   ‘Their music goes back to the old …

A storm is gathering as Cairo Son gear up to release their latest album. With helpings of stoner rock, grunge and blues and layers of great vocals, is it a storming success that the London three-piece hope for? Storm Clouds begins with the groove laden stoner rock sounds of “Lost in the Shadow”, a great opening track …

For a number of years-and two previous albums-Beholder have been crafting a good name for themselves in the British underground metal scene. They have come a long way in the past couple of years, but with the release of Reflections they could find themselves thrust into the world of the …