Some of this stuff is newer, some of it has been out for a while. You know how it goes with these things. If I had a staff of 30, I’d still always be behind and trying to keep up. It rarely works, but when a given Quarterly Review is done and I’m on the other side of 50, 70, 100 records, whatever it might be, I can fool myself for a few minutes into thinking this site is remotely comprehensive. At least until I next check my email.

Ups and downs to that, I suppose. I wouldn’t swear to it all not being AI, but I wouldn’t swear to reality being ‘real’ by any human definition either, and I’m not sure a machine making you feel something invalidates the artistic statement. Seems to me all the more an achievement. I guess what I’m trying to say in my best Kent Brockman is, “I for one, welcome our new robotic overlords.” I hope the machines take into account that I liked their paintings when they’re crushing skulls like in Terminator 2 or handing out especially cushy seats in the Matrix.

What were we talking about? Oh yeah, albums and such. Back to it:

Quarterly Review #31-40:

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Conan, DIY 10″ Series, Issue 1

In some ways, DIY 10″ Series, Issue 1 is the release Conan have been building toward. A DIY recording for Conan at this point meant recording with bassist Chris Fielding (who’s since left the band as a player but will continue to produce) and releasing through Jon Davis‘ Black Bow Records. That’s a DIY deal a lot of bands would take, and sure enough, the three songs on DIY 10″ Series, Issue 1 — the characteristically crush-galloping “Invinciblade,” “Time Becomes Master” and a cover of “Hate Song” by Fudge Tunnel — don’t sound like some half-assed thing made in the band’s rehearsal space or the living room when everyone else is out. They sound like Conan. So yes, they destroy. “Time Becomes Master” does so more slowly than “Invinciblade” and not before its intro turns feedback into cinematic artistry over the course of its first two-plus minutes, distortion eating the howl twice before Johnny King‘s drums kick in to answer what were those footprints that knocked over all the trees. Vocals don’t even kick in until four of the five minutes are gone; truly mastering time. And that drone is there the whole time. I’ll take more experimental Conan anytime.

Conan on Facebook

Black Bow Records website

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Patriarchs in Black, Visioning

Guitarist Dan Lorenzo (Hades) and drummer Johnny Kelly (Type O Negative) return with 12 new cuts across 43 minutes on Visioning. As with last year’s My Veneration (review here), the album features an assortment of guest singers, from Mark Sunshine (Unida) and Karl Agell (Legions of Doom, Lie Heavy), to Jason McMaster (Dangerous Toys, Watchtower) and Kyle Thomas (Exhorder, Trouble, Alabama Thunderpussy), and more besides. Bassists Dave Neabore (Dog Eat Dog) and Eric Morgan (A Pale Horse Named Death) hold down the low end as Lorenzo demonstrates the principles of applying quality riffing to an assortment of situations. It veers into nü metal more than once, but at least it’s taking a risk, and it’s just as likely to be a classic Sabbathian delve like “Empty Cup,” so you wouldn’t accuse the band of lacking scope, and Sunshine — who’s on the West Coast and plenty busy besides — might be the frontman Patriarchs in Black have been looking for all along.

Patriarchs in Black on Facebook

Metalville Records website

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Lurcher, Breathe

Welsh melody heavy post-rockers Lurcher will have to find a new label home as Trepanation Recordings, which released Breathe, earlier this year and stood behind the band’s 2021 debut EP, Coma (review here), has ceased operations, but it’s hard to imagine Lurcher having much trouble finding a home for a sound as defined as it seems to be on “Breathe Out” and the more driving “Blister” here, which take the lush melodies one might hear from a band like Elephant Tree from an angle rooted more in post-hardcore, and a little more about shove than nod, but still able to get hazy and dreamy on opener “Never Over” or likewise mammoth and poppy on “Blink of an Eye,” though I’ll note that by “poppy” I mean accessible, melodic and professional. It wants neither for bombast nor impact, and the Mellotron before they turn “Blink of an Eye” back to the verse is just one among the many examples of why Lurcher are ready for a full-length. Or why I’m ready for one from them, at the very least.

Lurcher on Instagram

Trepanation Recordings on Bandcamp

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Alreckque, 6PM

A new configuration for some familiar players, as Alreckque‘s debut EP, 6PM, presents an initial four songs from guitarist/vocalist Jim Healey (We’re All Gonna Die, Blood Lightning, Set Fire, etc.), bassist/vocalist Aaron Gray (Hepatagua) and drummer Rob Davol (Cocked ‘n’ Loaded, Set Fire, etc.), each of whom would carry their union card for the Boston heavy underground if the city hadn’t busted the union to build condos. Healey‘s voice will be immediately recognizable to, well, anyone who’s ever heard it — it’s a pretty recognizable voice — and though “Sunsets” touches on some more metallic riffing in the vein of Blood Lightning, Alreckque is distinguished by what Gray brings to it in vocals, not only keeping up with Healey melodically (which is no small feat), but serving as an essential part of some of the EP’s most affecting moments. Yeah, the moniker is kind of a gag, but “Achilles’ Last Taco Stand (End of Man)” sets high stakes and has the reach to hit the mark in its apex. Projects like this come and go as everybody involved is usually doing more than one thing, but Alreckque sounds like the start of something worth pursuing.

Alreckque on Facebook

Alreckque on Bandcamp

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Black Capricorn, Sacrifice Darkness… and Fire

Black Capricorn‘s second LP for Majestic Mountain behind 2022’s Cult of Blood (review here), the nine-song/43-minute Sacrifice Darkness… and Fire lets you know it means business immediately because not one, not two, but three songs have the word “night” in the title. To wit, “The Night They Came to Take You Away,” “Another Night Another Bite” two songs later, and “Electric Night” two songs after that. That doesn’t even count “The Moon Rises as the Immortals Gather” or “A New Day Rising,” both of which would presumably take place at least in part at night. Clearly the Sardinian cult doomers have upped their game. Your move, entire genre of heavy metal! Perhaps the highest compliment I could pay the record would be to say it earns its instances of “night,” which it does, but don’t let that keep you from “Blood of Evil” or the opener “Sacrifice,” which pairs drifting vocal incantations with an earthy groove and lays out the atmosphere for what follows. As expected and as one would hope, they dig into the songs like grainy VHS zombies into foam-rubber skulls.

Black Capricorn on Facebook

Majestic Mountain Records store

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Dios Serpiente, Duelo de Gigantes

The sophomore full-length from Argentina’s Dios Serpiente, founded by bassist, programmer and vocalist Leandro Buceta, brings a collaboration with Sergio Chotsourian (Los Natas, Ararat, Soldati, etc.), who contributes guitar and keyboard, Duelo de Gigantes might be an appropriate title for such a thing, as surely the swell at the finish of “Ruinas Ancestrales” is of duly mammoth proportion, but there’s more happening than largesse as “La Espera” explores textures that feel born of ambient Reznorism en route to the slamming industrial doom of “Dinastia del Morir,” an aggressive centerpiece before “El Oraculo” shows brighter flashes and “El Ultimo Ritual” turns caustic, low sludge into inhuman megaplod before “Monolitos de Lava” drops the drums and thereby transcends that much more completely into atmospheric avant garde-ness. Those used to hearing Chotsourian‘s voice alongside his guitar will be surprised at Buceta‘s growls, but the harsher vocals suit the range of dark and aggressive moods being conveyed in the electronic/organic blend of the arrangements.

Dios Serpiente on Instagram

South American Sludge Records on Bandcamp

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Norna, Norna

If you, like me, remember a time when a band called Swarm of the Lotus stalked the earth with an especially vicious blend of sludge metal, harsh hardcore bite, and doomly proselytizing, Swiss/Swedish trio Norna wield a lurch no less punishing on “Samsara” at the outset of their self-titled sophomore LP. Huge and encompassing, it and “For Fear of Coming,” which follows, feel methodical in the European post-metallic tradition (see Amenra), but Norna are rawer than most and more direct in their assault, so that “Ghost” comes across as punk rooted in its intensity more than metal, which is also what stops “Shine by its Own Light” from being Conan, despite the similar penchant for crush. The effect of the backing atmospherics in “Shadow Works” shouldn’t be understated, even if what tops is so all-out furious, and “The Sleep” slows down a bit for one last tonal offloading, harsh shouts cutting through every punishing stage. Norna don’t mess around. Call it sludge if you want. The truth is it’s more in style and dimension.

Norna on Facebook

Pelagic Records on Bandcamp

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Dead Fellows, Luto Sessions

Having a couple seconds on either side of the start and finish of a song emphasizes the live-in-studio feel of Luto Sessions, but as it’s the first offering from Argentine psychedelic doom rockers Dead Fellows, it’s not like there’s a ton to compare it to. “Pile of Flesh” or its side-B-opening counterpart “Imminent” have some Uncle Acid to their swing, but even in the boogie of “The Ritual” and the last twists of “Hell Awaits,” Dead Fellows are chasing no sonic ideal so much as their own. Echoing vocals top riffs made more sinister by the lyrics applied to them, and as “Pile of Flesh” is both opener and the longest song (immediate points), everything after seems to build momentum despite mostly languid tempos, and the movement keeps hold right through the dark swirl of “Satan is Waiting for Us” and into the finale, which at last highlights the heavy blues that’s been underscoring the material all along. You already knew if you were listening to the basslines. I don’t know if it’s actually their debut album, but it’s engaging and quickly finds its niche.

Dead Fellows on Instagram

Dead Fellows on Bandcamp

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Rabid Children, Does the Heartbeat

You might call Troy, New York, four-piece experimental for all the noise and keys and drones and weirdo vibes they throw at you on their debut, Does the Heartbeat, but go deeper and it’s even weirder. Because it’s pop. Like 1960s Beatles-type pop. Check out “Real Life.” The organ line of “Does the Heart Beat.” The vocal pattern in “I’ve Been Hypnotized” is more Thin Lizzy, so a couple years later, but a lot of what Rabid Children are playing off of is notions of safe, suburban interpretations of rock, and some of it is about turning that on its head, like the Ramones did, but by putting their own spin on these ideas — and songs that are mostly one to two minutes long suits that frenetic approach — Rabid Children both undercut the notions of pop as something that can’t be ‘deep’ or ‘intelligent’ (that’s called “doing Devo‘s work”) and that “Messin Round” can’t coincide with a sprawler jam like “Other Dreams” or that the over-the-top wistfulness of “Teenage Summertime Dream” and the quirkier “FCOJ” (is that a Trading Places reference?) aren’t working toward similar ends.

Lorchestral Recording Company website

Lorchestral Recording Company on Facebook

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Ord Cannon, Foreshots

Just two songs on this initial offering from German noise-doomers Ord Cannon, but that’s enough for the band — which traces its pedigree back through Bellrope into Black Shape of Nexus, thereby ticking any box you might have for off-kilter heavy-as-hell cred — to leave a crater behind. The Foreshots EP brings “Letting My Insides Out Into the Air” (10:35) and “I Need a Hammer” (9:41), and with them, Ord Cannon mark out what one suspects won’t at all be the limits of their ultimate breadth. A harsh experimentlism seems to put the studio on a similar plane to the instruments, and the mix, whether that’s pushing the vocals further back toward the end of “I Need a Hammer” or making “Letting My Insides Out Into the Air” sound like the end of the world more generally, further bolsters the true-horrors-in-three-dee vibe. I don’t know what the advent of Ord Cannon signals for Bellrope, who put out their debut EP in 2019, but this kind of malevolent worldmaking is welcome in any form.

Ord Cannon on Instagram

Ord Cannon on Bandcamp

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On the cusp of marking their 20th anniversary as a band in 2024, the Belfast-based gravitational force known as Slomatics offer Strontium Fields as their seventh album. Issued as their third LP for Black Bow Records behind 2019’s Canyons (review here) and 2017’s Future Echo Returns (review here), produced as ever by Rocky O’Reilly at Start Together Studio — O’Reilly plays on it as well, I think — and as Strontium Fields boasts mastering by James Plotkin, the returning trio lineup of guitarists David Majury and Chris Couzens and drummer/vocalist/synthesist Marty Harvey (also War Iron), epic gatefold artwork (by Ryan Lesser in this case), and tectonically chugging riffs meeting with grandiose sci-fi keyboard, there’s plenty in the eight-song/36-minute full-length to make familiar listeners feel in-the-know. Opener “Wooden Satellites” sets a course through tumult and tone, the Northern Irish three-piece beginning at a semi-slog through downer-chug riffing laced as it moves into the first verse with theremin-esque sounds, soon enough establishing the chorus that coincides; some mention of a Red Queen along the way adds a sense of story, but I haven’t seen a lyric sheet so can’t necessarily speak to it.

But strontium — chemical symbol Sr, number 38 on the periodic table — is an alkaline earth metal abundant in the planet’s crust, is used to turn fireworks and flares red, sometimes to make stuff glow in the dark, and is radioactive in its man-made isotopes. One imagines a field of it would be a striking and apocalyptic image, which is suitable to Slomatics‘ general aesthetic. They are cybernetic dystopia’s favorite riffers. And as much as Strontium Fields celebrates that, it also finds Slomatics trying new ideas in sound even from what they were doing in 2022 on their split with Sweden’s Domkraft, Ascend/Descend (review here). This is most emphasized across the span in Harvey‘s vocals, which have never engaged in more complex melodicism or soared quite as they do here. There’s some layering, maybe a guest spot, in “Wooden Satellites,” but as Strontium Fields plays through side A in “I, Neanderthal,” “Time Capture” and “Like a Kind of Minotaur” — which, sure enough, is; the band have always had a knack for titling songs seemingly in answer to the riffs on which they’re based — and across side B headed toward the finale in “With Dark Future,” its component tracks also interact in new ways.

To wit, “I, Neanderthal” taps into Metallica‘s “Sad But True” in its intro with more open drums before building into its push-forward verse, more uptempo than the opener but still midtempo by most standards. Harvey, his voice compressed, has a shout like Lee Dorrian on some of the later Cathedral fare, but as the chorus spreads wide to offset some of the tension amassed in the verse and bridge, the belted-out melody returns. At 3:10, the guitars cut out and piano comes in where the riff had been to round out a four minutes that feels much bigger ahead of the synthy start of “Time Capture,” which is at the core of what Slomatics are bringing to Strontium Fields atmospherically. Feeling like a pandemic-era contemplation, it removes the weighted wall of distortion that typifies their approach, and instead puts a keyboard or effects drone at the forefront with Harvey‘s duly mournful vocal overtop, verse harmonies echoing “Wooden Satellites” in a sidestep context like futurist ambient pop. At none of its opportunities to ‘get heavy’ does it do so.

I know that sounds funny, but considering who Slomatics are and who they’ve become over their seven records together, it means something. There is guitar that comes in later (unless it’s more keys), at around 4:30 to add to the last verse, but while Slomatics have had atmospheric breaks, usually contrasted by the arrival of some particularly crushing progression, the focus on melody throughout Strontium Fields and the way they execute “Time Capture” come across as genuinely new, which is something to appreciate for a band approaching 20 years since their start and who are now past a decade in their current configuration. Where otherwise “Time Capture” might explode in a skullcleaver of a riff, Strontium Fields leaves it to “Like a Kind of Minotaur” to fill that role, which it does in immediate crush and a classic Slomatics nod and a general gone-to-ground vibe. It changes at the halfway point and opens a bit with some wah guitar, but that “ough” at 3:03 is fully earned as they ride the chug to the end of side A and, on linear/digital formats, make another smooth turn into the quiet beginning of “Voidians.”

And for at least the better part of its first two minutes, “Voidians” works a bit like “Time Capture” in its quieter, mood-minded reach. But when the opportunity presents itself at 1:55 into the total 6:32 (it’s the longest inclusion but not by a ton over “Time Capture” or “With Dark Futures”), “Voidians” does get heavy, cycling through a louder chorus before dropping out to loop through the verse again. Its second chorus gives over to kick-driven lumber, and Slomatics chug into synth-laced oblivion to end, but the affect of the intro to “Voidians” and the whole of “Time Capture” is resonant throughout, and the wistful balladry and shimmering strum of the 2:37 “Zodiac Arts Lab” go even further, with a vocal/guitar melody that reminds in part of INXS‘ “Never Tear Us Apart” perhaps as delivered by Tau and the Drones of Praise, a second guitar entering with lead lines around the central rhythm. It’s the shortest cut, and the boldest in many ways, including in its lack of drums, which if vinyl symmetry follows means that the subsequent, penultimate “ARCS” is going to destroy.

It does. Slowly. Barely there in its creeper guitar outset, it lurches forth on undulations of doomer distortion as a backdrop for a clear verse almost seeming to continue the style of “Zodiac Arts Lab,” but in a decidedly more tectonic form, and while “Time Capture,” “Voidians,” and “Zodiac Arts Lab” show Slomatics working in new methods, “ARCS” internalizes that, pairs it with their long-established tonal heft and offers something that is emotional and evocative as an end product. And even if these are elements/ideas that Slomatics have presented on record before, they’re doing so here in new ways and as “ARCS” drops out, surges again, peaks heavy and caps with the drums fading as they’re soon to again on “With Dark Futures,” Strontium Fields underscores the multifaceted take Slomatics have developed over the last decade-plus. The closer arrives crashing in big, unfolds itself over its intro. Verses peppered with whispers seem to speak directly to the audience (or the self): “You are awake/You are alive/Breathe/Just breathe,” they advise.

There are twists in the plot of the final chapter here as well, as “With Dark Futures” stops and feedbacks as if to say “here we go around again” before resuming its planetary stomp, incorporating the synth, which only makes it sound huger. Harvey returns for last verses, and they cap with a due crescendo before the aforementioned percussive fadeout, but even in having less outright tension in the early verses, “With Dark Futures” finds Slomatics exploring, details like whispers at the end of some of the verse lines, or the way they carry into the finish assuring the point is conveyed, which it is beyond a doubt. With their modus steady beneath them, Slomatics feel somewhat freer to explore upward, looking at the sky aurally and maybe finding a bit of escapism in that. What Strontium Fields will mean for them as they move forward, I can’t say, but in both its expected and unexpected aspects, it offers a heaping dose of the vitality so much a part of their process and a deeper look at their dynamic than they’ve ever before given. That these songs are very, very heavy shouldn’t be taken for granted, and that they’re more than just that is a thing to be appreciated.

Slomatics, Strontium Fields (2023)

Slomatics on Facebook

Slomatics on Instagram

Slomatics on Bandcamp

Black Bow Records BigCartel store

Black Bow Records on Bandcamp

Black Bow Records on Facebook

I don’t often actually put releases on my calendar, because, well, if I want to look up when something I’ve written about is due, I can just come here and find it in the back end of the site. Slomatics, though, are an exception on multiple fronts. Their new full-length, Strontium Fields, will release on Sept. 8, and that’ll go on the calendar for sure. The Northern Irish trio’s follow-up to their well-received Ascend/Descend (review here) 2022 split with Domkraft (who also have a new album coming) and others with Yanomamo and Ungraven — I’ll spare you the links… for now — comes four years after the last Slomatics LP, Canyons (review here), which like the forthcoming Strontium Fields was offered through Black Bow Records, the label helmed by Jon Davis of pummeling UK riffers Conan.

And not unlike Conan‘s last record, come to think of it, Slomatics branch out a bit on their latest collection. Across eight songs they offer their signature tonal crush with an uptick in reach and atmosphere, as well as some of the most complex melodies they’ve put to tape — they were produced, as always, by Rocky O’Reilly at Start Together in Belfast — and I’m curious to see how it will be received. You get hints of that in the synth and vocals of “I, Neanderthal,” the first single from the album, which you can and should stream at the bottom of this post. In fact, why don’t I just leave you to it?

From the PR wire:

SLOMATICS – Strontium Fields

We are excited to announce our new album ‘Strontium Fields’ will be released through @blackbowrecords on September 8th. Pre-orders are live on our bandcamp and Blackbow records Big Cartel right now!

There are three vinyl variants, with the ‘starburst’ vinyl being sold exclusively by us.

The first song from the album ‘I, Neanderthal’ will be streaming on Bandcamp today.

For the bargain lovers out there we are offering two bundle deals, including new shirts.

Thanks to everyone involved in getting this album out there, and thank YOU for your support. We can’t wait for you to hear these songs!

Tracklisting:
1. Wooden Satellites
2. I, Neanderthal
3. Time Capture
4. Like A Kind of Minotaur
5. Voidians
6. Zodiac Arts Lab
7. ARCS
8. With Dark Futures

Slomatics produced by Rocky O’Reilly at Start Together Studio.
Artwork by Ryan Lesser
Mastered by James Plotkin.
Released via Black Bow Records.

Slomatics are:
Marty Harvey – Drums, keys, vocals
Chris Couzens – Guitar
David Majury – Guitar

https://www.instagram.com/slomatics/
http://www.facebook.com/Slomatics/
https://slomatics.bandcamp.com/
https://slomatics.com/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063473861352
https://www.instagram.com/blackbowrecords/
https://blackbowrecords.bandcamp.com/
http://www.blackbowrecords.com/
https://blackbowrecords.bigcartel.com/

Slomatics, Strontium Fields (2023)

The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.

Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.

Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.

The Obelisk Questionnaire: Tom Blyth of Blind Monarch

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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?

I’m a lyricist, a vocalist and general contributor to all things related to Blind Monarch.

I began playing in bands in around 2004, when my brother Adam asked me to front a band he was starting and I told him I’d do it until he found someone more suitable. Early on the focus was on playing fast and technical death metal but at a certain point our attention was drawn to slower sub genres and bands, hearing Asunder for the first time had a particularly strong influence on us. Gradually we began to incorporate slower, grander sections into our songs, although the style of drumming in that band was too relentless to really let any of them breathe or function as they were intended.

When that band ended in the early 2010’s Adam and I were ready to start a new project based heavily on slower, more atmospheric influences while maintaining an abrasive, caustic element and so Blind Monarch was born.

Describe your first musical memory.

I’m not able to pinpoint exactly what my first musical memory is but I can narrow it down to about three possibilities. I’m either in my Dad’s car, a white or red boxy-shaped ’80s BMW 3 series or a black Opel Manta, and he’s playing No Jacket Required by Phil Collins or Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits. Or I’m in a bed with my brother in a caravan near Scarborough, my parents are still up playing scrabble and “Sunny Afternoon” by The Kinks is playing on Yorkshire Coast Radio.

Describe your best musical memory to date.

I’m not really one for favourites or bests, for one thing my memory is unreliable and on top of that I tend not to find it useful to try to rank things I enjoy or find meaningful. That said, I have really fond memories of recording What Is Imposed Must Be Endured, as uncomfortable a process that was at the time. We’ve spoken about it at length elsewhere for anyone who is interested but briefly, the album was recorded in freezing temperatures in a huge derelict building. There was no heating or lighting and we had to run electricity from the church adjacent to us, needless to say much of the record was tracked in the dark and in a state of discomfort but I wouldn’t change anything about the experience.

Off the top of my head, I also have great memories of seeing Bolt Thrower play at Damnation a few years ago, that may even have been their last gig but I’m not sure about that… Seeing Entombed play Left Hand Path live, also at Damnation, is another standout, as is seeing Graves at Sea at the Lughole in Sheffield.

Now I’m thinking about it, getting pinned and unable to even move my head in the front row at Cannibal Corpse in Sheffield in around 2010, a short conversation my brother and I had with David Berman when The Silver Jews played in Leeds and watching my friend Sam manage to throw a joint onstage and directly into Wino’s outstretched hand without him having to so much as reach for it, when Spirit Caravan played at Desertfest all seem worth a mention.

When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?

I think strongly held beliefs and faith are highly overrated, dangerous concepts and as such I try not to become overly attached to ideas. I strive to always be open to new evidence and a change of opinion when the body of evidence begins to point away from what I thought I knew.

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

A sense of fulfilment.

How do you define success?

The ability to build and sustain an ethically sound means of living by ones own terms, based in creativity rather than drudgery. I have a long way to go…

What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?

I saw a woman die on a transatlantic flight once while her husband stalked up and down the isle of the plane praying for her. I was flying home from a long trip on my birthday, where there was a surprise party waiting for me, that was my day. At the same time a woman’s life was ending a few feet away while a helpless man, trapped in a box over an ocean, begged to a higher power while his entire life fell apart in front of hundreds of strangers. While I wouldn’t say I wish I hadn’t seen it, it was a profoundly affecting experience in empathy, I certainly wish that couple had not had to endure that suffering.

Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.

I’ve toyed with the idea to write a screenplay one day, although I don’t know if I ever will. I’m also learning to play guitar so it would be nice to reach a state of proficiency that allowed for a project with that.

What do you believe is the most essential function of art?

To act as a means for living rather than merely existing. It’s a cliché but I can’t think of a better answer.

Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?

Getting older with the people I care about.

https://www.facebook.com/blindmonarchband/
https://www.instagram.com/blind_monarch/
https://blindmonarch.bandcamp.com/
https://www.drycoughrecords.com/
http://facebook.com/DryCoughRecords
http://instagram.com/dry_cough_records
https://blackbowrecords.bandcamp.com/
http://www.blackbowrecords.com/
https://blackbowrecords.bigcartel.com/

Blind Monarch, What is Imposed Must Be Endured (2019)

Eons ago, when the world was bright and new and everything beautiful and nothing hurt except endless war and economic disparity — circa 2011, in other words — Head of Crom Records issued a split between Conan and Slomatics (review here). At the time, Conan‘s founding guitarist/vocalist Jon Davis very much positioned the offering as a showcase of the drive toward sonic largesse his own band adapted in some measure from the Belfast-based Slomatics, and no doubt it was a first encounter for many listeners with the bass-less-but-still-unbelievably-heavy-and-sci-fi-prone Northern Irish trio.

What fascinates about this new split between Slomatics and Ungraven — on Davis‘ own Black Bow Records, with mastering by James Plotkin and cover art by Ryan Lesser — is that it’s Slomatics who are the “bigger” band. The three-piece of  drummer/vocalist/synthesist Marty Harvey and guitarists David Majury and Chris Couzens went on a tear throughout the rest of the 2010s, offering four full-lengths in 2012’s A Hocht (discussed here), 2014’s Estron (review here), 2016’s Future Echo Returns (review here), and 2019’s Canyons (review here), as well as a handful of splits, adding to a foundation of earlier work much of which has seen reissue through Black Bow. Ungraven, meanwhile, began as a solo-project from Davis in 2018 and released its first studio recording in 2019’s Language of Longing, basking in a industrial-informed ’90s noise metal crunch à la Nailbomb, etc. from Earache Records around 1995 and what nobody wants to admit was the peak era of Sepultura.

Following some more demos and a March 2020 live-studio release that features all three of the tracks included here, Ungraven — now Davis alongside bassist Dave Ryley of Fudge Tunnel and Tuskar drummer Tyler Hodges — come to their own split with Slomatics not just as the newer band (because in fact Slomatics weren’t newer when they did the split with Conan), but as the group being presented in a more introductory fashion. As I understand it, this is their first recording as a full trio. So say a friendly hi to Ungraven. They’ve come to pummel your skull. Neat!

And some of the aspects with which they choose to do so will ring familiar. Davis‘ tone and shout are signature and largely inimitable, and with production by his Conan bandmate Chris Fielding at Foel Studio, there’s no doubt a certain level of comfort even as Ungraven embark on clearing their own creative path. Which is precisely what they’re doing in “Defeat the Object,” “Onwards She Rides to Certain Death” and “Blackened Gates of Eternity,” and for all the in-context elements they might share with Conan via Davis‘ basic approach, Ungraven leave behind much of the doomier, slow-lumbering plod that’s such a staple in Conan‘s work. Comparisons between the two may be inevitable, at least at this point, but there’s grounds for contrast as well and it comes from the structure of the riffs, the central charge around them rhythmically, and the fact that “Onwards She Rides to Certain Death” barely tops three minutes and gets its job done.

It’s a question of balance, then, as well of course as the personalities and styles of the other players involved. Ungraven are rawer than Conan at this stage, and the noisy aspect of their sound comes through despite the thickness of the low end through which it cuts, but the work here isn’t so far removed from Conan‘s earlier fare that longtime fans will be totally alienated or anything like that, particularly through “Defeat the Object,” while the run of “Onwards She Rides to Certain Death” and the tense crush of “Blackened Gates of Eternity” — which doesn’t so much release at the end as simply arrive at an even more excruciating place — push further into individualized expression. Perhaps, for all the bombast, leading with “Defeat the Object” is Davis‘ way of easing listeners into the brutal modus of the new band.

Working at Start Together Studio with Rocky O’Reilly, Slomatics‘ three tracks, “Kaan,” “Proto Hag” and “Monitors” each bring something of their own to the proceedings. With “Kaan,” it’s sheer lumber. There’s a volume dip at least on the digital version of the release between Ungraven and Slomatics‘ sides — I can’t speak to the actual vinyl — but if the answer is “turn it up,” that was probably going to be the answer anyway. “Kaan” superplods through the molassesy bulk of its 5:43 run, with atmospheric vocals layered in a kind of line-for-line call and response until, at last, Couzens, Majury and Harvey cap with thudding toms and transitional samples into the shorter and catchier “Proto Hag,” which doubles as a trad-doom-soaring showcase for its vocals even as it remains duly thick in its roll, synth adding melody in its final chorus. Harvey is audibly pushing his voice in the last lines, and it adds to the intensity of that apex.

The concluding “Monitors” might be the highlight of the entire release, with a melancholy tempo and open feeling strum in the guitars that serves as bed for likewise downtrodden verse lines. It begins and ends with drones, and departs in its midsection for some atmospherics as well, but the effectiveness of the track overall comes from how draws together and exemplifies Slomatics‘ take on the whole. The two bands inarguably have some factors in common, but they’re telling different stories here, and while impulse with splits is always to compare one to the other — fair enough — the manner in which Ungraven and Slomatics arrive in succession is more complementary than contrasted.

An intervening decade and Ungraven and Conan being different bands precludes this split from being a direct sequel to the 2011 Black Bow offering, but there are spiritual elements shared between that release and this one, the stated friendship between Davis and Slomatics, the latter band’s continued output through the label, and so on. Sonically, there was little danger the pairing wasn’t going to make sense, and it does make sense, showing Slomatics in a place of refining their central methodology even as Ungraven seek out to claim theirs, both of which just happen to be heavy as all hell. It’s kind of a no-brainer.

Ungraven, Split with Slomatics (2021)

Slomatics, Split with Ungraven (2021)

Ungraven on Facebook

Ungraven on Instagram

Ungraven BigCartel store

Ungraven on Bandcamp

Slomatics on Facebook

Slomatics on Bandcamp

Slomatics website

Black Bow Records BigCartel store

Black Bow Records on Bandcamp

Black Bow Records on Facebook

Anyone remember that time Conan and Slomatics put out a split? Hell’s bells, I do. Nearly 10 years later, preorders are up for what one might think of as a kind of semi-sequel — at least an extension of the franchise — which brings together the aforementioned Slomatics with Conan vocalist/guitarist Jon Davis‘ second band, Ungraven. Three songs from each unit are featured, and the release will be in March through Davis’ label, Black Bow Records, just like last time out.

And hey, I know it was 10 years ago, so if you didn’t hear it, don’t feel like you’re lagging behind. I’m not trying to be Johnny Groundfloor with either of these bands, because I ain’t, but two points: first, you should still be looking forward to the new split, and second, it’s not at all too late to stream the other.

I’ve included offerings from Ungraven and Slomatics here if you want to use that as your gateway. However you go there’s no wrong answer.

Have at it:

UNGRAVEN / SLOMATICS SPLIT

Preorder: https://blackbowrecords.bigcartel.com/product/ungraven-slomatics-split

Split release between Ungraven and Slomatics. Ungraven arrive on vinyl for the first time following their early ‘drum machine’ demos and now the lineup includes David Ryley of FUDGE TUNNEL on bass and Tyler Hodges of TUSKAR on drums. Jon Davis (CONAN) fronts the band and is the founding member. SLOMATICS are of course well known to all fans of heavy music, stunning shows at Roadburn, Psycho Las Vegas and many other festivals, combined with SOLID releases across all platforms have cemented the Belfast 3 piece in heavy music lore, a crown they have worn since 2004.

Available in two colours ‘starburst’ and ‘green/black’ – on a single sleeve pressing, 300 copies of each colour printed.

Track List

Side A
UNGRAVEN
Defeat The Object 05:20
Onwards She Rides To A Certain Death 03:06
Blackened Gates of Eternity 04:56

Side B
SLOMATICS
Kaän 05:43
Proto Hag 04:30
Monitors 07:16

Distributed from our base in Netherlands.
STOCK EXPECTED MID / LATE FEB. RELEASE DATE 5th MARCH 2021.

NB….. Tracked shipping provided with all orders.

Art by Ryan Lesser
Ungraven produced by Chris Fielding at Foel Studio.
Slomatics produced at Start Together Studio.

https://www.facebook.com/ungraven/
https://www.instagram.com/thisisungraven/
https://ungraven.bigcartel.com/
https://ungraven.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Slomatics-196382747053529/
https://slomatics.bandcamp.com/
http://slomatics.com/

https://blackbowrecords.bigcartel.com/
https://blackbowrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Black-Bow-Records-565275456841866/

Ungraven, Language of Longing (2019)

Slomatics, Canyons (2019)

The statistics of COVID-19 change with every news cycle, and with growing numbers, stay-at-home isolation and a near-universal disruption to society on a global scale, it is ever more important to consider the human aspect of this coronavirus. Amid the sad surrealism of living through social distancing, quarantines and bans on gatherings of groups of any size, creative professionals — artists, musicians, promoters, club owners, techs, producers, and more — are seeing an effect like nothing witnessed in the last century, and as humanity as a whole deals with this calamity, some perspective on who, what, where, when and how we’re all getting through is a needed reminder of why we’re doing so in the first place.

Thus, Days of Rona, in some attempt to help document the state of things as they are now, both so help can be asked for and given where needed, and so that when this is over it can be remembered.

Thanks to all who participate. To read all the Days of Rona coverage, click here. — JJ Koczan

Days of Rona: Jon Davis of Conan, Ungraven, Black Bow Records & Blackskull Services (Merseyside, UK)

—

How are you dealing with this crisis as a band? Have you had to rework plans at all? How is everyone’s health so far?

Conan and Ungraven cannot rehearse currently, but we communicate often. Approximately two weeks before all this hit, we signed up to a lease on a 24/7 rehearsal room, which was the worst timing EVER. It’s almost like divine intervention, but in a bad way. Our health is good, I don’t believe any of us has or has had this virus, so I guess we’re good. I’m just excited to tour again, I miss it.

What are the quarantine/isolation rules where you are?

I’m in the UK so we have a stay at home request on us, and often there is a line to get into the supermarket. I’m allowed to walk the dog obviously, and I’m really lucky because I am 100 yards from the waterfront and have a lot of open space to enjoy. I work from home, so I’m not inconvenienced really. I can’t go see my folks for a few weeks because my Mum is in one of those people classed as ‘vulnerable’ because she has some minor health problems. The worst thing is that my wife is waiting for her UK entry visa (she is from New Zealand) so we have a nervy wait to see if there are any flights available when she is ready to come here.

How have you seen the virus affecting the community around you and in music?

The community here seems okay. I’ve been here almost a year, so have yet to really get to know a lot of people. The local pub, which I just started to frequent, is now closed because of the government lockdown, and that is a big loss. In terms of music, of course there have been a lot of shows cancelled and that has hurt a lot of promoters and bands. Most of my contact with those guys is online and most of us are doing okay, if maybe a little stressed.

What is the one thing you want people to know about your situation, either as a band, or personally, or anything?

I personally am more creative when faced with a challenge or when I am dealing with some sort of life event. Conan was born from such circumstances and I’ve been writing some cool stuff as well as hatching some interesting ideas while we’re all under these restrictions. It’s not fun, but it affects us all so I’d rather keep myself busy than allow frustration to set in.

http://www.hailconan.com/
https://www.facebook.com/hailconan/
https://www.instagram.com/hailconan/
https://conan-conan.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ungraven/
https://www.instagram.com/thisisungraven/
https://ungraven.bigcartel.com/
https://ungraven.bandcamp.com/
https://blackbowrecords.bigcartel.com/
https://blackbowrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Black-Bow-Records-565275456841866/
https://www.weareblackskull.com/

It’ll be just about a year since it was first released that Witchfinder‘s Hazy Rites (review here) sees vinyl issue. The CD and I guess digital version was handled through Black Bow Records. That, of course, is the label headed by Jon Davis from Conan. Mrs Red Sound (and I checked, there’s no ‘a’ in “Mrs”) is the label putting out the LP, and as the name might tell you, that’s the imprint run by the crew of French heavy psych progressives Mars Red Sky. Either way you go, these are not minor endorsements to get. Witchfinder would seem to be racking them up.

Hazy Rites is the second full-length from Witchfinder and they’re currently booking a European tour to support it. They would seem to have a few dates open, and the full thing has not yet been announced, so hit up their socials for updates or if you can provide a show. Because it’s the right thing to do.

I don’t know if the inking with Mrs Red Sound is on an ongoing basis, as in, for their third record too, but either way, good for them getting the LP out.

From the PR wire:

WITCHFINDER sign to Mrs Red Sound

Mrs Red Sound is stoked to welcome french doom trio Witchfinder: new LP “Hazy Rites” due out March 27th.

We are thrilled to announce the release of WITCHFINDER’s sophomore LP “Hazy Rites” on vinyl this March 27th. Preorders coming soon!

With “Hazy Rites” WITCHFINDER is throwing in plenty of hardcore and sludge influences to their already massive and doom-laden sound. A definitive must-ear!! This sophomore album was recorded, mixed, and masterized into the Polish Monochrom Studio by Satanic Audio in October 2018.

WITCHFINDER “Hazy Rites” – Out March 27th on Mrs Red Sound

French doom sludge destroyers WITCHFINDER took the metal scene by storm, spreading out their heavier-than-heavy mucky riffs with a highly psychedelic potential. Gloomy and haunted voices in the vein of Monolord or Windhand are mixed with saturated Bongzilla or Weedeater vocals like, and fat riffages. Since their formation in 2016, and off of the back of their debut eponymous full length, the Clermont-Ferrand-based doom occult trio quickly garnered a sizable following, with many prolific support slots opening for stoner and doom behemoths such as Red Fang, Corrosion Of Conformity, Dopethrone, Ufomammut, Conan, Monolord, Kadavar, The Flying Eyes, Hangman’s Chair, The Necromancers.

Witchfinder are:
Tom – Batterie
Clement – Basse / chant
Stan – Guitare

https://www.facebook.com/witchfinderdoom
https://www.instagram.com/witchfinderdoom/
https://witchfinder.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/mrsredsound33/
https://www.instagram.com/mrsredsound/
https://marsredsky.bigcartel.com/category/mrs-red-sound

Witchfinder, Hazy Rites (2019/2020)