Warcrab Premiere “Unfurling Wings of Damnation” from Debut LP Damned in Endless Night

Posted in audiObelisk on August 1st, 2019 by JJ Koczan

warcrab

Hail death! Hail Warcrab. Yes, it’s a silly name, but even a cursory investigation on who they are will turn up the fact that the brutalist sludge six-pack come from the UK, where we all know that a silly name is by no means a barrier against awesomeness. Transcending Obscurity Records will issue the Plymouth-based troupe’s debut album, Damned in Endless Night, on Aug. 30, and thereby unfurl 10 tracks and 52 minutes of deathly churn and morose atmosphere, the guitars of Geoff HolmesPaul “Budgie” Garbett and Leigh Jones (not the same Leigh Jones who was in Groan; different guy) leading the way through the Heartwork-esque “Halo of Flies” and “In the Arms of Armageddon” after the intro “Perpetua” as an initial salvo that rounds out with “Blood for the Blood God,” a slower round of punishment that speaks to some of the record’s more doomed aspects but remains dynamic and malleable in its tempo, finishing with energetic chug. Vocalist Martyn Grant has an enviable rasp that is utterly vicious, and with bassist Dave “Guppy” Simmonds and drummer Rich Parker setting the rhythms he follows, Warcrab sound all the more lethal in their execution across the album’s universally nasty span. They’re not the first band in the world to blend death metal and sludge, but their take on the style feels particularly dug in and righteously heinous.

That’s perhaps most true of all on Damned in Endless Night‘s longer songs, the eight-minute “Abyssal Mausoleum” and the 7:34 “Unfurling Wings of Damnation.” Both make their way from grueling riffs to more straight-up death metal fare, but the path they take to do so emphasizes the harsh vision driving their work in the first place, “Abyssal Mausoleum” seeming to pull itself apart before the kick drum signals the shift that will define the song’s second half. The two pieces are divided by the rampaging “Magnetic Fields of Collapse” and the surprisingly swinging “Kraken Arise,” which are the two shortest inclusions on the record — intro “Perpetua” and outro “Damnati” notwithstanding — and are all the more immersive for that ahead of the chanting “Swords,” which rounds out ahead of that finishing solo that is “Damnati.” The underlying impression there is that Warcrab have arranged Damned in Endless Night as a two-sided LP with side A providing the initial burst and side B expanding the context from there — though one could easily argue that begins on side A as well if “Abyssal Mausoleum” closes that out, which I suspect it does.”

Either way, the prevailing sentiment is slow-motion ferocity and while Warcrab aren’t nearly so violent-feeling as some in the sludgy vein, their songs carry a melancholic feel emphasized by Holmes‘ lead guitar that speaks to the UK’s long legacy of emotive doom-making. That too only enriches the overall listening experience, and though Damned in Endless Night makes for a long LP with its 52-minute run, the slog is part of the aesthetic and feels entirely purposeful in that. One might say it’s not for the faint of heart just for its basic foundation in the extreme end of metal and sludge, but the truth is no matter how pummel-prone they might be, Warcrab never lose their expressive sensibility, and the atmosphere of Damned in Endless Night becomes consuming and nightmarish in kind. “Kraken Arise,” indeed.

Below, you can stream the premiere of “Unfurling Wings of Damnation” from Damned in Endless Night. Once again, the album is out Aug. 30. PR wire info follows.

Enjoy:

Monolithic UK death/sludge metal band WARCRAB return with a brand new release of unbelievable heaviness and groove. Carrying on where they last left with their unique blend of down-tuned sludge and ponderous death metal, ‘Damned in Endless Night’ is where they flesh it out and leave no room for doubt on the efficacy of this powerful and cohesive fusion of underground styles. Equipped with three guitarists emphasizing on mostly heaviness, the music is not only soul-crushing but also brilliantly composed and memorable. Each song adds its own value to the album and is irreplaceable and multiple listens, however devastating, will only attest to that fact. This long-awaited full length from the band is arguably the band’s best release to date. The juggernaut is in motion and unstoppable.

Releases August 30, 2019.

Line up –
Martyn Grant – Vocals
Rich Parker – Drums
Paul “Budgie” Garbett – Guitar
Leigh Jones – Guitar
Geoff Holmes – Lead Guitar
Dave “Guppy” Simmonds – Bass

Warcrab on Thee Facebooks

Warcrab on Bandcamp

Transcending Obscurity Records on Thee Facebooks

Transcending Obscurity website

Transcending Obscurity Records on Bandcamp

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End of the World Festival 2019: Dead Witches, Elephant Tree, Tuskar, Oak & More to Play

Posted in Whathaveyou on May 6th, 2019 by JJ Koczan

end of the world festival logo

At very least, it’ll be the end of your liver. Nestled into the southwest of England in the port town of Plymouth, the third End of the World Festival 2019 is set to feature the formidable likes of Dead Witches, Elephant Tree, Gandalf the Green, Cybernetic Witch Cult, Lacertilia, Oak and a likewise formidable slew of others for a one-dayer that looks like a marathon and will likely feel like one for anyone in attendance over the age of 30. As a one-and-done-type event, it’s a celebration of the UK’s native scene, which is indeed worthy of celebrating, and its lineup showcases not only regional heavy, but a bit of the various forms in which that heavy plays out — some sludge, some rock, some doom, some this, some that. There’s a lot to dig here, so needless to say I’ll be sailing in for it.

Nah, not really, but that would be awesome. Book project! I set sail from Massachusetts’ Plymouth to the real Plymouth for a fest, caught in a storm, stranded on an island, etc. The whole bit.

Ah screw it. Here’s the lineup:

end of the world festival

End Of The World festival in Plymouth is in their third year, showcasing some of the best stoner, psych, doom and sludge metal bands in the UK. This year they’ve expanded to include Dead Witches, featuring the legendary Mark Greening (ex-Electric Wizard). These are exclusive South-West shows for many of these acts; the event typically showcases the South-West scene but has expanded to include Manchester’s Ritual King, Welsh alt-stoner act Heavy on the Ride and London-based blues-doom outfit Oak. In their third outing, they’re stronger than ever and hoping for their best turnout yet.

The event takes place between The Underground and The Junction in Plymouth on 06.07.19.

The bands playing are:

Mother Vulture
Oak
Heavy on the Ride
Victus
Gandalf the Green
Greenhorn
Ritual King
Beggar
Lacertilia
Tuskar
Cybernetic Witch Cult
Elephant Tree
Mother Vulture

Tickets are £15 in advance or £17 OTD

Ticket link: https://cyberneticwitchcult.bigcartel.com/product/end-of-the-world-festival-2019-ticket

https://www.facebook.com/events/2306912209531667/
https://www.facebook.com/endoftheworldfestivalUK

Elephant Tree, “Dawn” live at HRH Doom vs. Stoner 2018

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Grifter Announce Breakup via Monty Python Reference

Posted in Whathaveyou on May 16th, 2018 by JJ Koczan

Not too long ago I was thinking UK heavy rockers Grifter were about due for a new album. So much for that. Instead, the three-piece have decided to call it a day after a run that began in 2003. Their last release was 2016’s Gorilla vs. Grifter split (review here) via HeviSike Records, and their two prior full-lengths, 2014’s The Return of the Bearded Brethren (review here) and their 2011 self-titled debut (review here), were both issued through Ripple. I felt fortunate to see them at Desertfest London in 2012 and always found their songs had charm, whatever pop culture reference they happened to be making at the time.

As such, it’s only fitting they go out with Monty Python’s parrot sketch. They had a good run, left some songs in the can that, hey, maybe someone will press up at some point, and don’t seem to have any great amount of animosity toward each other, at least going by the below. They were kind enough to basically do their own exit interview. Here it is as they posted on the social medias:

grifter

Time Gentlemen please!

Without so much as a bang as a whimper we have to announce that Grifter is done. Like the proverbial Norwegian Blue it is no more, it has run up the curtain to join the choir invisible, it is an ex band.

The not at all F.A.Qs

What happened?

Nothing…literally! We played a couple of gigs in October with a view to jamming again…etc then…nothing, we literally stopped playing. You can cite a loss of interest, changing musical interests, other time/family commitments, running its course…but it just stopped happening. 14 years is plenty!

Will there be a farewell show?

Nope. We tried to break up 2 years ago and in rehearsing for a final show got sucked into carrying on. Once bitten twice shy as they say.

Will there be a final release?

There are songs recorded last year but the reality is probably no-one can be arsed to put them out so it’s highly unlikely.

Will there ever be a reunion?

Never say never but we’ve only just disbanded and we didn’t do that with a plan to get back together…and really, would anyone actually be interested anyway?

Can I still buy merch?

Yeah the store is still open for now as we have some vinyl and CDs still up for grabs.

Will there be any new music from any of the brethren?

It is already happening.

Who and what?

You will be told at the appropriate time…soon.

Will it sound like Grifter?

No. If the plan was to sound like Grifter, we wouldn’t have split up Grifter!

When will we hear the new band and when will they play ****** (insert town here)?

When the time is right

Grifter was:
Ollie – Vocals/Guitar
Phil – Bass
Foz – Drums

https://www.facebook.com/GRIFTERROCK/
https://grifterrock.bandcamp.com/
http://grifter.bigcartel.com/
http://www.grifterrock.co.uk/

Grifter, Gorilla vs. Grifter (2016)

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