Casting Black Stones...

Altar of Betelgeuze - Among the Ruins (2017)

Altar of Betelgeuze have been picking up plenty of acclaim for this album already, but the constraints of time being what they are, we've not yet had a chance to feature them here on The Burning Beard. That long-running mistake is now corrected, and the seven tracks assembled by the Finnish quartet for Among the Ruins decisively show that all the hype is founded on worthiness. Mixing sludge, doom, heavy rock, death metal, and more, the group goes for a free-rolling trip through heaviness and taut grooves, generally feeling more warm than vicious, but keeping a sharp edge to their instrument tones and performance.

Though over half of the songs break the six-minute mark, the album rarely feels as though it's dragging, thanks to some tight use of melody shifting and clever bridge twisting. There's enough variety to the moodiness that while it initially feels like a summer head-banger, the anger and snarls could work just as well in a depressive winter context, so there's some all-year value for you. And while the descriptions of the musical style mix had me expecting (unfairly, I admit) some Acid Bath-like mania, AoB keep things on a comparatively tight leash, spooling out their transitions in a form that can be followed without too much trouble. The road to the end comes with its fair share of bumps and bruises, throwing itself between wild and measured expressions, but on the whole, it's a trip on which listeners are invited to ride along with the band. Throw it in your deck, play it at high volume, and take it as it comes.

~ Gabriel

For Fans Of; Desert Suns, Lesbian, Norska, Wolf Blood, Wounded Giant

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Altar of Betelgeuze - Sledge of Stones (320 kbps)

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Banging Heads And Pulling Threads...

Escape Is Not Freedom - The Truants EP (2015)

This EP is the first release from this Chicago-based group, and as its five tracks show, they've tapped into something with some strong potential.  Part grunge, part sludge, part heavy rock, the songs power along on grimy bass riffs and rough vocals, drums providing a sharp counterpart to the thick waves pouring from the amps.
Running through four tracks in the 4-to-5-minute range, and then closing things out with the 8-minute monster of "Seed", the band shows a fair number of sides to their style.  Squealing harmonics, memorable riffs, some extra complexity/technicality without drifting into over-indulgence, and some serious rhythm control all come together as a damn fine debut, with plenty of twists filling out its run-time to call listeners back for more.  Picking out a single track to use as the streaming inclusion was a tough call, so I'll just go ahead and say that you really should give the whole EP a listen over on the BandCamp page.  Looking forward to hearing more from this crew and checking out how their sounds develop with subsequent material.
~ Gabriel

For Fans Of;    Behold! The Monolith, Buzzov•en, Funeral Horse, Reptensol, Skullcave

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Escape Is Not Freedom - Cicada Killers (320 kbps)

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Worship the Warbird

Tertorn ~ Warbird (2015)

 After their well received first effort, Teratorn are back this time with a debut full length record called "Warbird". Melding stoner rock grooves with the heaviness and crushing melodies of doom metal, you even have a little of that grittiness that's so loved in sludge  working its way into the gears of the machine at times. The entire album has a gigantic feel to it, like the difference between looking at a mountain range on the horizon, instead of just a mountain. Having heard the band play the album's title track a while back, I had an idea of what to expect going into it. I was thoroughly impressed when I got to hear the entire record though, because as good as it is, the title track is just the tip of the iceberg. Go a few track past "Warbird" and you'll find yourself at the start of a song called "Marauder", it kicks off a slightly southern tinged stoner rock riff. It doesn't take long for the clean, melodic vocals to kick in and take things over, offering up a nice contrast to the rather crunchy guitar tones on this one, even in the spots where there are some guttural backing vocals. "Marauder" has a couple of different sections by the time it winds down, from hammering sections that drive forward, to the more open and lighter ones that are underpinned with some stoner rock vibes. With that kind of variation, fans of just about any heavy music should find something to like when this album is finally released at the end of the month. There are two tracks up for streaming on bandcamp for you to check out right now though.
~Skip

For Fans Of; Baroness, Half Gramme of Soma, Shellfin

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Reciting The Rituals...

THVS - Everyday Hexes EP (2015)

Hailing from Northern Ireland, THVS' arrival with this debut EP comes in a storm-cloud of aggressive heavy rock, lashing out with gruff vocals, thumping drums, and a guitar/bass combo that tears away at the strings.  The violent tendencies give things a sludgy sheen, but the bedrock riffs of the songs and the taste for dirty grooves keep the trio with their feet planted in rocky earthiness as they unload their heavy rumble.  Effective spikes hidden between the steadier riffs provides a punkish energy (turned highest on the closer "Herman") without losing the low-end focus, and when they do pare things down to give all the attention to a given bridge or refrain, it's to show off something which earns that spot-lighting.  The EP's biggest track, "Hudson", is probably the best for showing the various song twists the band can capably link together, but the concentrated crunch of the shorter stuff feels truer to the band's projected attitude.  A more than decent start for the band, with the roughness laid down confidently and the heaviness landing solid.
~ Gabriel

For Fans Of;    Crowskin, Dopethrone, modern EyeHateGod, Funeral Horse, Wolf Blood

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THVS - Dyin' on the Line (320 kbps)

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Heavy Like Stars...

The Munsens - Weight of Night EP (2014)

Having put in some serious work since their two-track 2013 release Lead to the Grave, the Colorado trio of The Munsens (transplanted from New Jersey) are back with a new EP, heavy with bass, fuzz, and what sounds like horror movie samples.  That's a winning combination in my book, and what makes it even better is the group's way with their riffs, loaded with slow-growling doom while keeping the beat rolling along, savoring the sludgy slabs, and cranking up the assault when the time is right.
Things start off with the dark occultation of the title track, throwing in some quick guitar flourishes over the massive main riffs while calling out inescapable destruction via the lyrics, and slipping into a subdued touch of piano for the outro.  The music rolls from there into "Slave", employing a swifter, more rock-leaning blast of attitude before sliding back into the sludgier stuff.  Lastly, "The Hunt" weighs in at 11 minutes of full-on gritty doom metal fused with more deep-bass rock-speed head-banging, demanding high volume from your speakers to do justice to the band's power and intensity.
Available for download or as part of a limited cassette run, the EP crunches and crushes with style, setting The Munsens as a strong contender from the ranks of fresh faces in the stoner doom arena these days.  Get yourself hot with what they've already put out, and start counting the days until the world is lucky enough to see a full album from these doom-bringers.
~ Gabriel

For Fans Of;    Wolf Blood, Ladybird, Count Absurdo, Hypnochron, Windhand

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The Munsens - Slave (320 kbps)

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Rusty And Crusty...

Veuve - Veuve EP (2015)

Veuve are a new band from Italy, here with their debut EP, and on it, the trio pour out a few barrels of sludge mixed with the more laid-back attitude of stoner rock.  Starting off with the lengthy "Private Drowning", Veuve grind out bass riffs and slow drum propulsion, bringing in a truly dirty-sounding guitar for extra effect once the basics are set, and keeping up a good stomping pace for most of the song.  The style set by the first track remains the standard for the rest of the EP, with leisurely pacing and some tasty guitar embellishments riding over regular bass hum.  There's not much in the way of earworms, but the material is played with enthusiasm and a promising dedication to keeping things going once they get the ball rolling.
As a first step for the band, it's decent, but my main complaint is that they don't get wild enough with it.  It feels like the band is having a difficult time balancing their influences, as the guitar solos rarely make the leap into imaginative finger-shredding or sweet tonality that you might hope for from the stoner rock elements (although the short 'n' sweet jamminess of "Dov'eri Tu Vent'anni Fa?" shows that they've got that potential, when they don't overthink or over-extend the songs), and they don't really do enough wallowing in filth or feedback to hold on to the sludge fans.  Veuve might be best served by dropping the more repetitive, drudgy sludge side of things and fully embracing the warmer grooves they have lurking under the muck, as it's the moments where they seem like they're having fun (instead of putting on a dour front) where their music seems to really come alive.  All in all, despite the rough edges, it's not a bad start, and the band shows enough sides to their musical personality to suggest that it would be worth the time to keep an eye and ear out for further developments.
~ Gabriel

For Fans Of;    Crypt Trip, Moon Curse, Brimstone Coven, Testosteroll, Sonora Ritual

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Veuve - Dov'eri Tu Vent'anni Fa? (320 kbps)

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Tell it on the Mountain

Teratorn ~ Teratorn EP (2014)

While the fellas in North Carolina's Teratorn clearly have their musical roots firmly planted in the soil of sludge metal, over the course of three tracks they offer you a bit of everything sludge, stoner, and just good old heavy fuckin' metal. It's only a shame I didn't come across these guys earlier, their self titled EP would of surely snagged a spot on my top 20 list last year. With only three tracks that clock in around eleven minutes, you're going to hit repeat again and again. But it'll be just as good, if not better with each play through. The songs strike with growling guitar riffs that make you head bang. A powerful vocal delivery that can go from brutal to down right bluesy and will have you singing along the entire time. The drums and bass come together in creating a crushing groove that may change from track to track, but never loses its heavy edge. I was particularly drawn to the EP's closer "Origins: Wings of the Inferno", probably because it had a bit more of an overall stoner rock vibe than the other two. Whatever the reasons behind my favoritism, it sounds like a lost classic from the late 90's/early 00's. With a distorted guitar opening, it doesn't take long at all for the groove to kick in and open the song up. The vocals drop in with a huge, blues driven delivery that melds with the song perfectly. With the song being about three and a half minutes long, they waste no time getting into it and use every second to their advantage in creating one hell of a rock song to close out their debut effort. And at only three bucks on their bandcamp page, these are three tracks that are well worth that.
~Skip

For Fans Of; Down, Grüzer, Half Gramme of Soma

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Fight Like A Man

Die Like Gentlemen - Five Easy Lies (2015)

Die Like Gentlemen's signature sound, is that you can't easily describe their signature sound, just put it somewhere in the neighborhood of "Brutal Progressive Sludge Rock" for argument's sake. You're left slightly scratching your head after the first listen, not entirely sure what you just listened to, but damn sure that it was heavy, and that you have to push play again so you can figure it out. While I suppose experiences may vary, but anytime you're immediately compelled to press play again after listening for the first time, that's a good one in my book. Their second and latest release "Five Easy Lies" came out earlier this month, and it's excellent follow up to 2013's "Romantic Delusions of Hell", no sophomore slump for these guys. Forever treading the line between rock and metal in their music, you have gruff, sometimes guttural vocal performances on top of roaring guitar riffs that all of the stock footage of nuclear mushroom clouds on YouTube wouldn't do justice. The rhythm section of the group is tight, and loud, with lots of low end bass guitar rumble, and machine gun snare drum bursts. The whole drumming performance really stands out on this record, always seeming to push the urgency of the track in question. The top song from "Five Easy Lies" for me was probably "Animals of Romance". Really showing off their Progressive chops on this one, it opens with a Stoner-esque riff, but it soon delves into the depths of darkness, becoming gnarled and deadly. The vocals take a bold and dynamic turn on this one, saving some of the raw, guttural stuff in exchange for even larger, dynamic, Doom Metal styled singing that boarders on Grunge sometimes, as does the whole track at points over the almost eight and a half minute duration. Running the slalom of Sludge, Doom and Grunge all the way down the track, with lots of time and room to explore. Towards the end of the song, the band moves back toward that devastating Sludge Metal sound, but the vocals never make that move and stay the course, really making the instruments behind it stand out as a result. But of course, it couldn't just be over, that wouldn't do for an ending to a song this epic in proportions. One last transition to a slower, more mellow section rounds everything out nicely for the last minute or so. For the best way to experience Die Like Gentlemen though, go to their bandcamp and give it a listen. It'll be some of the most creative Sludge Metal you'll hear all year.

~Skip

For Fans Of; Kyuss, Black Sabbath, Kylesa, Torche, Crowbar

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