SLUDGEPILLED CRUSTMAXXING

Everything I love is falling apart

Umbilical might be one of the most suffocating release I've heard so far, the band exploring darker musical territories without losing that heavy low-end as the riffs build into an impenetrable wall, though there is still a little bit of variation to keep it from being monotonous; vocals shift from high-pitched, shrieking to more brutal, grounded screams that help prevent the whole thing from settling, while the slow-to-mid pacing is carried hard by the songwriting, especially in those breakdown-leaning sections where the guitar and bass blur into a thick, distorted mass that’s weirdly catchy; lyrically it leans bleak and heavy without feeling surface-level, and overall it lands as one of their most miserable records. Just oppressive as hell.

Comparatively, their self-titled may seem like the weakest link of Dystopia’s short lived generational run but it ends up being my second favorite. While Human = Garbage is their best produced and most atmospherically dystopian work (duh), self-titled makes up for it through varying songwriting and in-your-face bangers among their already amazing discography like "Leaning with Intent to Fall", "Illusion of Love" and "My Meds Aren't Working". While The Aftermath is a consistent punch that fractures our sense of reality, it falls short due to how same-y it is whereas self-titled doesn’t have enough run time for us to even notice such a thing.

Written by @Mandarin48 <3 (he's 6'4)

i know its more of a HC-Punk record but its considered sludge for some reason too? I guess Black Flag did invented sludge metal...

When the Kite String Pops is an absolute cornerstone of sludge metal yet it refuses to be confined by such restraining genre standards. Songs like "Jezebel" and "Dr. Seuss Is Dead" feel like they are spiritually pulled from a death metal record but the clean, confident sound overpowers any generic, mushy death metal album you’ve heard from this new age of metal. While the ballads are the weakest aspect, they put the band’s versatility on full display. Taken individually, tracks on the second half of the album are just about as strong as the first. Put together though, it gets tiresome and easily forgettable.

Oh also it is amazing sludge yeah.

Amazing sludge.

Written by @Mandarin48 <3 (he's 6'4)

This is my favorite crust discovery this journey has led me to. While most punk feels like senseless yelling, sloppy playing and carrying about as much memorability for me as the difference between Midwestern states, Rush Hour of the Gods plays out like an incredible album free of the genre's usual pitfalls. While there is enough variety between the tracks, they all blend together to form a true pillar of an album. It easily supports the weight of its own repetition through straight up danceable riffs, interesting songwriting choices and a suffocating tone and atmosphere.

Written by @Mandarin48 <3 (he's 6'4)

While the name might suggest otherwise, the album smells more like weed than sweat from Confederate racists. I was thoroughly surprised by how a 56 minute album managed to stand tall in a genre that inherently has repetitive, slow to mid tempo tendencies. Even though Phil Anselmo is the only common denominator here, it is better than any Pantera album. Even the prolonged interludes here don’t feel like filler because of how perfectly they fit the pacing of the record.

Written by @Mandarin48 <3 (he's 6'4)

The only reason this one is lower than other Dystopia entries is the way the album is compiled. While The Aftermath utilizes tried-and-true Dystopia sounding, already developed splits, this release uses much weaker, early death metal influenced tracks that act as a dead weight even to the beast that is the original Human = Garbage. There isn't much sludge or crust punk going on in those additions but rather an unoriginal, one noted death metal sound which is exactly what Dystopia is not.

Written by @Mandarin48 <3 (he's 6'4)

An old time favorite of mine (@Mandarin48 <3), Tragedy has been my go-to crust punk band ever since I came across them. They feel more like a metal band with harsh vocals and profoundly crafted songwriting, something their genre isn’t exactly known for. Vengeance is undoubtedly their magnum opus, perfectly situated between a more refined later entry and their undercooked yet still incredibly fun self-titled debut. While the tracks do start to blend together at a certain point, half the album is a highlight. The brightest of them all has to be the opening track “Conflicting Ideas” which manages to achieve the best of both worlds with a blistering punk entrance that gives way to a melodic, scarring departure.

Written by @Mandarin48 <3 (he's 6'4)

Truly not the right album to get into Neurosis, but this was the best one available on Spotify. It's certainly not the intense, evil "chugga-chugga" kind of sludge but it's a sometimes overwhelming, sometimes spacey and highly atmospheric listen. It feels much more like a post-metal album but utilizing questionable musical elements unlike the genre, not just for the sake of an original atmosphere but to showcase genuine musicianship which I greatly appreciated from start to finish. Just a great record overall. This isn't really surprising given that Neurosis is considered the pioneer of the post-metal subgenre and the catalyst for all the subsequent "post-metal vs. atmospheric sludge metal" discussions.

Written by @Mandarin48 <3 (he's 6'4)

Everything about this album from its cover and sound to the instrumentation and suffocating songwriting makes it feel like I’m witnessing something straight out of the seventh layer of hell, almost like an advertisement for it. Much like Fishmans’ 98.12.28 男達の別れ live album, none of the genres it has been labeled with truly describe it. Those labels just hint at the core ideas, leaving the actual execution for the listener to undergo as an once in a lifetime experience. Same as it ever was.

Written by @Mandarin48 <3 (he's 6'4)

Don’t you love it when a band’s worst and only bad album is the one where they go full blown sludge metal? That is the tragic case for this band. Their self-titled is a straight up rocker, or should I say... punker? It's less developed but just as enthusiastic as their later work. It is enjoyable throughout, featuring amazing, simple, everyday lyricism parallel to the music itself but it just doesn’t have the X-factor of those next two albums. At least it is not Darker Days Ahead.

Written by @Mandarin48 <3 (he's 6'4)

This album essentially feels like a collection of the B-sides I mentioned earlier for When the Kite String Pops. Sure, it is good sludge as always and they are consistent about it. However, what they are consistently delivering is a stripped down, weaker version of their debut, making it a somewhat unnecessary addition in the grand scheme of things. Still, it remains a rewarding listen for the moderately hardcore fans of the genre. Oh sorry, moderately sludger fans of the genre.

Written by @Mandarin48 <3 (he's 6'4)

Even the best representative of the mathcore-sludge mixture Gaza wasn’t enough to prove that the underlings of this approach could spark my interest. This was about as uninteresting and unmoving as it could possibly get for me. Much like the screamo genre itself, all the right musical ingredients are here for us to enjoy but the final outcome is an unmemorable mess. The overall thin sound and fast-paced songwriting are just not my cup of tea.

Also Fantano gave it a positive score. That was the dealbreaker for me (Mandarin48 but me too I can't lie)

Written by @Mandarin48 <3 (he's 6'4)

Crossover thrash and sludge metal is the most American combination that even the founding fathers probably couldn't think of. If these genres were a thing back then of course. Much like their country's current two-party dictatorship, these two genres complement each other surprisingly well. The punky thrash elements give it an enjoyable edge while the sludge fills in the gaps with its usual suffocating weight. I’m just glad their unorthodox artistic vision led to this album rather than a satanic, pedophile oligarchy playground for all of us to witness live.

Written by @Mandarin48 <3 (he's 6'4)

From my (Mandarin48) old review verbatim:

“Detestation feels like a student revolution, straight out of the Japanese novels of the 60’s. Innocent at heart, ferocious on the surface (just look at those song titles). There’s a certain charm to it, but not much that begs for constant-return-listens”.

Yeah, this is pretty much as inoffensive as a baby with a lollipop in its hands. There isn't really much to complain about or glaze here. If albums were alive, this one would just be busy existing and chilling with some questionable tendencies but not enough courage to act on them.

Written by @Mandarin48 <3 (he's 6'4)

Another one that isn’t inherently sludge but rather one of the least interesting metal subgenres that I absolutely detest and is nothing but a waste of time and sound waves. Did I mention how much I love drone metal?

This is an extremely tedious listen that rewards you with absolutely nothing for sticking around this long. Climaxes that remain as wet dreams, already long prolonged very long prolongedly extended sections that aren’t really interesting and so much more. There are some redeeming moments but they absolutely do not stick. Most of my criticism for this one boils down to the drone aspects but I don’t know how much I can even complain about the underlying sludge sound. Skip this one and listen to Feedbacker or Flood or smth.

Written by @Mandarin48 <3 (he's 6'4)

Developing this sound into the sludge we love today is nothing short of black magic on the New Orleans guys’ part. While it has that certain, early, unintentional charm of any originator record, it lacks the inherent replay or fun value of something like Black Sabbath. For me, it stays strictly as a history class listen rather than something I'd actually return to. Also the outro straight up violates anyone who bothered to stick through an already uninteresting album and is just salt in the wound.

Written by @Mandarin48 <3 (he's 6'4)