Here's a massive review done by Den.
Hailing from
Blackburn, Lancashire, Bastard of the Skies
have embarked in a mission to annihilate our eardrums with the filthy and
devastating sludge attack since
its formation back in 2006. Having released 2 albums, an EP and Split LP, the
band has concocted an unique sound, which although clings to the well-recognized
clichés but at the same time has the touch of its own. Wielding monstrous,
gargantuan riffs and occasionally turning to melodic respites, the first
band's self-titled opus gathered a devoted fan base throughout UK and on the other side of
Atlantic and received good critical acclaim
over the web. But it was not
until 2010 when the band was bent to unleash its next filthy beast, and another
piece of unrelenting down-tuned goodness bearing the moniker "Ichor
Ichor" saw the "light". The album was a huge piece of brutal and
uncompromising heaviness delivering 9 tracks of straight-to-your face filthy
and groovy sludge. Now the time has come for the next generation in the breed
of ear-splitting monsters to emerge out of the bottomless ocean, and that's
where the 3-rd full-length of British sludge monsters arrives.
Tarnation, that's how the band called its
upcoming opus, is exactly what the name implies. The artwork is what
immediately bursts into eye. Made by the infamous Sean Schock, known for its
collaboration with Yob, Buzzoven, Sourvein, Coffins and many others, the artwork immediately sets the mood
of impending doom, portraying the spiky scales of the sea serpent protruding from the filthy boiling waters long devoid of
equilibrium. The beast is faceless and unknown to the unsuspecting masses, as
if it is the embodiment of shadowy forces which are spinning the wheels of this
decaying world. Only spikes are visible, while the other parts of its monstrous
body are hidden beneath the dark surface of the sea.
From the opening note the
doubts are immediately put aside, as the opener "Drug Monarch" kicks in with crawling wall of down-tuned
grooves. Tumbling bass and pounding drums, coupled with desperate roaring of
Matt Richardson set the tone of the song punishing listener with the 5-minutes
of tight & sick grooves. The riff gets almost repetitive form time to time,
but the unrelenting heaviness compensates any drawbacks making the listener
fully submerge into the vortex of infectious riffs.
The next track, "A punch into your fucking
lungs", quite lives up to its name. Starting with High-on-Fire styled
grooves, the song oscillates between heavy parts and melodic respites, whose
purpose is nothing but pave the way to even more devastating and monstrous
riffs.
The next one, "(Roasted in the Depth of) Sloar” is a slight retreat from the
previous monsters, however it is not less heavy. The song is slow and epic
piece of sickening downtempo sludge,
with some parts bearing resemblance
to those of the last opus of Australian sludgers Clagg, while the rest
of the song picks the pace closer to the end delivering a set of dark and
foreboding tunes, as if the sea beast is about to unleash it's fourth tentacle.
The next opus, "Bastard Sabbath" adheres to
the tradition of the previous song, with the tentacle of the beast slowly
wiping out all the resistance it faces on its way. The track is heavy and
straightforward, with the riffs getting so infectious that the first spin left
me craving for more.
The title track “Tarnation” is an amalgamation of down
tuned and apparently feed backed noises which get accompanied by occasional
drumbeats closer to the end. The track
sometimes enters the drone territory, however, it still manages to evoke dark
and apocalyptic atmosphere, which gets even more intensifying closer to the
end. What comes to mind here is that the
beast is halfway to its destination, and no force can prevent in from consuming
our fragile world.
But there is still much left for the beast to face on its
dark path, as next nail in the coffin is hammered with the “Repugnance”, which is probably the most infectious and grooviest
track on the entire album. The track paves its way with the endless barrage of pounding riffs leaving me in the
state of complete head-banging for a number of repetitive spins.
The next tracks “Locklear” and “Snapmare” utilize the same formula, but what really distinguishes
from the mood of the entire album is the closer “What Are You Looking At Dicknose”?
The track starts with the noisy intro with occasional Lovecraftian
whispers protruding from the roaring
background, but quickly evolves into an epic riff-worshipping pilgrimage
boosted by additional feedback, double vocals and noise. It will apparently be
chosen as a closer for the upcoming live sets, at it perfectly summarizes all
what these filthy British sludgers have been trying to convey to the listeners.
The beast has completed the prophesy, the world left in smoldering ruins, and
the set stage for the next era to emerge…. to wait for another beast to
incarnate the TARNATION of the
generations to come. For fans of High-on-Fire, Clagg, and all worshippers
of heavy sludge goodness. 9/10.
Album is out 1st October on Future Noise Recordings (FUN012)
buy CD here :
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