Smogg – Porblem

Smogg was originally meant to be a Doom metal project, hence the name ‘Smogg’, a suffocating blackened blanket of sulphur and impenetrable smoke to choke and oppress the listener into a submissive beaten heap adopting the foetal position begging for it to stop…… says the start of the bio, and it ain’t wrong.

Thumping straight from the first chord is opener ‘Uncoordinated Lego ‘. A mixture of thrashy speed and lyrical overload that works really well. I’m a big fan of one-man projects. It shows a person’s multi-abilities (if that’s a word). This is the case with Smogg’s Andrew Kirkpatrick, and the one thing that sticks out within this album is his lyrics and lyrical content. Plenty going on and I get the impression Andy has a lot to say.

‘Isolation ‘ boasts a crunching opening riff and is another example of lyrical perfection. Almost Celtic Frost-like, where ‘Backstabbed ‘ points more towards the punk genre. Six minute stomper ‘Quintessential Disorder ‘ opens with devastating effect. Very Metallica in it’s construction and application.

So much imagination for a one piece unit. I’m loving the way ‘Devilry ‘ sneaks it’s intro into your face full force, while ‘Picard ‘ is another track full of merciless speed and thumping drums.

The album changes shift slightly on ‘Brewed In Hell ‘, taking on a more Sex Pistols approach and it works brilliantly, mixing the 70’s / 80’s ignorance of the Pistols with 90’s metal. We finish with ‘Nuclear Fury ‘, a blistering track which reminds me ever so slightly of a band from the late 80’s called Carnage(North Wales). Lovely stuff.

Line-up:

Andrew Kirkpatrick – All instruments & vocals

Track-Listing:

1 – Uncoordinated Lego   2 – Surgical Addiction   3 – Isolation   4 – Backstabbed   5 – Quintessential Disorder

6 – How Dare You   7 – We Are Leviathan   8 – Devilry   9 – Picard   10 – Brewed In Hell   11 – Nuclear Fury

Links:

Bandcamp