Death Crawl - Accelerated Rate of Decay(2012)

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Every ounce of available energy is utilized in DEATHCRAWL with all members handling more than one duty. All three members add vocals to the table, then the drummer and bassist triple their duty by manning synthesizers in places.

This album starts off sounding very akin blackened sludge, especially on Kill or be Killed where I am hearing parts that resemble a hot-rodded, overbuilt Darkthrone that weaves in and out of hot-rodded, overbuilt Burzum sounding parts.

The beginning of Dead is Dead is a bit on the more traditional sludge vein, after just these 3 tracks, it is clearly apparent that DeathCrawl can add their own blackened droning touches to just about anything and they will come out with quite an impressive result.

Dead is Dead to Blight is a wonderful transition which is one of a multitude of reasons that I would really enjoy watching these guys live one day.

When the synths come in around the 4 mark on Blight is about the point that all inhibitions melt away and I have fully submitted myself to the geniuses that DeathCrawl are...very Ufommamut. The guitar and bass part masking the synths continue to slow down further and further revealing ever more the character of the synth lurking behind them.

Another perfect transition between songs and I have landed on Disturbing the Earth. On this song the guys show us their interpretation of clean vocals, which albeit shortlived, are utilized to very poignant, composition serving effect. Thus far, this is my favorite track on the album. If you couldn't tell by now...I REALLY LOVE Thou...I also really like Jesu...and the main theme in this song makes me envision the two collaborating...and even then im not sure it would be much better than how DeathCrawl projects this experience. These guys are the real fucking deal...right after channeling similarities from two bands I absolutely love, the song shifts tone and resembles two more bands that I love...Yob and Dark Castle. Even as I am able to draw these comparisons there is much ingenuity and originality in the overall delivery.

With yet another transition glueing together two songs seemlessly, I am starting to wonder...did I dream this band into existence? If not...how the fuck did they manage to incorporate all my favorite aspects of heavy music into a single coherent flow of songs without pause? I mean usually this is pulled off pretty easy for the more atmospheric leaning bands, but these guys are killing every transition no matter which direction they decide to take it next. If someone needed a good introduction into the heavier side of the underground, I would definitely show them this exact album while daring them to listen to the whole thing and not find one part that opens their eyes.

Maginot, starts off very Noisy, with some FM synth grain filling the gaps behind a deep, massive bass groove until you get a slide in the style of Crowbar into giant Windsteiny riffdom.

The guys utilize many different, very fitting vocal tones throughout this album...all choices of tonality perfectly serving their parts. The whole album the back of my mind was itching as to what the main vocal tone is so reminiscient of, by Despite our Best Efforts, it finally hits: Matt Pike on Whippets.

DeathCrawl is an extremely versatile band that knows exactly what the fuck they are doing and are going to do it whether you like it or not, and by the dark lord himself, they are going to do it DAMN WELL.

Download Accelerated Rate of Decay for $10 at their bandcamp, or buy the physical for the same cost over at their bigcartel where they also have a couple other albums and some shirts for sale.

Toneparisons: Crowbar, Pelican, Yob, Thou, Jesu, Rwake, Ufommamut

-Stonerhound

Dead Southern Bishop - Hymns of Malice and Discontent(2012)

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Dead Southern Bishop look a lot like they sound, like they could think of a million fucks to give but don't even bother, because who gives a fuck?

Mammoth sounding grit kicks off Last Rites that already has me excited to listen to this thing front to back

The tone sounds like a darker Eyehategod, Incorporating Phil Anselmo esque spoken word which is interrupted by the dominant Mike IX style screams.

They absolutely nail the wooly, woody sound on Bitter. This song greets you with a hellscream that is quite disconcerting, the vocals that follow on this one are reminding me a lot of Rwake.

Bound & Tied contains a very cool vocal cadence matching the tail end of the main riff. Present again are the deep gutteral, matter of fact spoken words ala Anselmo.

Malice sounds like the guys got really chiefed one night while watching Up in Smoke, and during the music sequence at the end someone decided to start blasting Slayer, the four(or perhaps it was at a time when they had 3...) must have looked at each other like Shaggy and Scooby had just learned the location of some scooby snacks and ran straight for the band room.

DSB does a perfect job of creating a huge Dirt wall, especially on Bound & Tied and White Trash Queen. If you really listen closely, you can hear different variances in grit coming from the Left, Right and Center...then when you blur your focus, they are cemented back together into one huge wall of wooly perfection.

White Trash Queen locks into a huge sludge groove at half time as a verse, then at standard time as a kind of chorus which ends up being a really awesome effect. I have heard many bands utilize the age old trick of Chorus being a backward Verse...but this trick works wonders for a listener like myself. Ending in a very sludgy breakdown that makes me imagine Thou adding about 30 bpm to their standard pace, this album has left me in very good taste.

The guys are endorsed by a kickass string company called Knucklehead that makes strings in WTF DOOM sizes for a very low price. I for one will definitely be giving these strings a shot, before switching to huge strings I always loved the sound and feel of the hexcore strings by DR, a luxury that this small company also utilizes within their humble means.

Dead Southern Bishop are one of the purest forms of Sludge I have heard in a long while, commanding a sound all their own while still paying homage to those before that built the sound into what it is today.

These guys have a good groove going in more ways than one, I believe they totally belong on House Core records. This is one of those bands where I don't care how often they release or the quality of the release, I will be watching, waiting, listening and sharing.

Hymns Of Malice And Discontent is available as a free download on their bandcamp.

Toneparisons: Eyehategod, Rwake, Phil Anselmo, Thou

-Stonerhound

Dankhdjinn(Shreveport, LA) Live Video Review

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Greetings! Welcome to the first posting of The Doom Review!

With the apt and admirable ethos of "Tune low, play slow" DANKHDJINN are a 4-piece Stoner Doom band from the true home of swamp music, Louisiana. This band is the side-project for 3 bands I hadn't a clue about, WORMRIDER, COSMIC NAUGHT and MASSIVUS, but will most definitely be looking into now (. When the heaviness first hits, I am immediately reminded of Thou...which is perfect because Dankhdjinn are instrumental and it's nice being able to focus straight in on how the amps are reacting and creating your own emotional backdrop for the feel of the compositions.

This is the kind of music that wraps you in a shroud of depressive warmth, telling you I know that this world sucketh...let's make it not sucketh for at least the next half hour. This escape is still bittersweet for prevalent behind the thin veil of hope homage is still paid to the gears of chaos looming beneath.

If I were old Joe headin' to town to shoot my old lady down, I would be lucky to pass by a bar where Dankhdjinn was pummeling the stage to a pulp at which point i'd just forget the ordeal altogether and start a doom band.

While having only been a band for 2 years, they seem to have found a perfect balance between tone and song structure for the experience they are looking for. Huge, grainy tube guitar distortion underlined by crushing SVTesque bass Overdrive with drums punching through with just enough velocity and attack to clear the foggy haze of the droning bass and guitars if only for a moment.

This video more than proves them in a live setting for me, while no official recordings as of yet I look forward to them and hopefully catching this badassery live.


-Stonerhound