Let All The Blood Soak Your Flesh...

Dopethrone - "Host" / Fister - "The Failure" (2016)

Horror movies, fittingly, drench the cover art for the new split between Dopethrone and Fister. This stellar cover was designed by Alexandre Goulet and promises to be "the last thing you ever hear" as the clenched knife comes out of a speaker for Dopethrone and an execution by a guitar driven through the mouth and neck of a man for Fister. We're in for a Hell of a ride. 

Dopethrone took on a huge responsibility by naming themselves off what many to be the quintessential doom metal album by Electric Wizard. They've always knocked it out of the damn park. Their track "Host" begins with a field recording layered deep within vicious guitars and black metal vocals by Vincent as they flow recklessly with the bass of Vyk. The only thing holding everything together is the powerful and precise drumming of Carl. The grooves are a rowdy fuzz filled carousal that only become less tangible with each listen. I swear there are ghosts in this track.  

Fister delivers their signature take on black metal on "The Failure" with upped aggression the likes of which their home state of Missouri has never seen before. Marcus Newstand is a powerhouse vocalist, and guitarist, who carries his shrieked vocals and layers them so much it's dizzying. Marcus draws out each word so much I have to imagine he's just hoarse almost to the point of coughing up blood at the end of each session. Nearing the middle of the track the bass of Kenny Snarzyk, who normally splits vocal duties with Marcus, and the drumming of Kirk Gatterer slow dramatically into an almost funeral doom paced clashing with pure sludge that marches along until the song slowly dissipates into nothing.  

A vinyl release is slated for later this year by Riff Dealer Records.
~Richard

For Fans Of: Behexen, Mayhem, Electric Wizard, Leviathon, Xasthur

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Spent Bottles and Brass

Dopethrone ~ Hochelaga (2015)

The gargantuan stoner doom riffs that Canda's Dopethrone are known for are back with this, their third full length album, "Hochelaga". Just released yesterday, it's their first full length since 2012. "Hochelaga" is classic Dopethrone, and they're just as good as ever at what they do. And if you've never heard these guys, this is as good a place to start as any, just be prepared for the uncontrollable urge to generally cause hell after listening. Full of smothering riffs, and littered with audio samples like so many dirty syringes on a dope house floor, the album launches with the aptly titled "Sludgekicker". I say aptly titled because it's one hell of a gnarly track, opening up with one of those audio samples I just mentioned followed by a guitar intro, with the bass and drums falling in shortly after, successfully turning your bones to dust when listening at high enough volume. When all three of these come together, you end up with a roaring monster locked in your sub-woofer, a snarling speaker that's all but oozing guitar riffs, and a wild-man growling over it all about drugs, booze, and death. Although this beautifully disgusting piece of sludge metal only lasts about four minutes, it's just the first of seven crushing tracks that make up the album. While all the vinyl was already sold out by the time I wrote this, there are still CDs for sale from Totem Cat Records, or grab a digital copy off of Dopethrone's bandcamp for the low, low price of $6.66US.

~Skip

For Fans Of; Electric Wizard, Bongzilla, Weedeater

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