Breaking The Burden...

Yanomamo - Neither Man Nor Beast (2017)

It's been a while since we last heard from the Australian crew of Yanomamo, but with their first full album (scheduled for release on CD and vinyl on October 20^th), they've returned in fine form, bringing a bevy of heavy riffs to bear in a set of eight sludge-soaked songs. A choice sample from Caligula kicks off the festivities in “Blood Red, Black God”, from which the band unrolls a slow-beating assault with a sly streak of humor. They work the bass low and dirty, the drums hit hard, and the vocals are suitably grimy, with little flab or redundancy to the songs. I did find myself wanting some more feedback nastiness, but I always want more of that in my sludge consumption.

Yanomamo strike a good balance between that mean leanness and thick, tarry grooves, bringing the album in at a respectable (and vinyl-friendly) forty-five minutes or so. There's a clear stylistic continuity between the songs, but there's also a fair amount of experimenting within that stretch, with the use of flanging strings adding some of the most distinctive tones to the proceedings. Hit this up if you've been seeking some gnarly sludge with strong grooves, and rock well once you've got it.

~ Gabriel

For Fans Of; Attalla, Grey Widow, Meth Drinker, O.D.R.A., Open Tomb

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Yanomamo - 10,000 Hooves (320 kbps)

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A Dangerous Prescription...

Yanomamo - Ativan And Whiskey (2014)

With their slogan of "SLUDGE RIDDEN DOOM", it's not too difficult to guess the musical inclinations of Australian outfit Yanomamo.  With their latest single, following up on two releases from earlier this year, the group continues to make a name for itself in the dirty field of sludgy doom.  Good guitar tonality, goosebumps-inducing drum-work, and some mean bass come together in a crunchy collision of crustiness, while the vocalist's growl-howl provides a grim gilding.  Bolstered by a well-chosen audio sample, the song moves into more aggressive grooves in its latter half, picking up the energy and letting the group show off another side of their talents, finishing with a decisive bang.  It's a decent bit of chew for your ears, so tune into Yanomamo's output if you've been hungering for some sludge with real bite to it.
~ Gabriel

For Fans Of;    Meth Drinker, early EyeHateGod, Moloch, Serial Hawk, Naga

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Yanomamo - Ativan And Whiskey (320 kbps)

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Endangered Doom...

Yanomamo - Maggot (2012)

On their debut EP, Australia's Yanomamo wastes little time getting to the brutal rhythms that define their gritty, lo-fi doom. Originally a cassette-only, limited-to-100 release, Maggot sounds dirtier and more raw than most first releases, but, perhaps, that is what makes the album so unique. Layering the album with a mix of drop-tune chords and southern-rock-esque riffs, Yanomamo sludge through each track, none of which sound necessarily like homemade recordings, but also don't possess so much studio mixing that the effort sounds like a too clean demo that screams eagerness for recognition.

Channeling inspiration from the occult, the band channels an equally chilling sound that sees vocalist Anthony Von Grimm's piercing shrieks ripping through an ensemble of heavy drum and bass work with fast, spastic, unrelenting guitar riffs. What makes Maggot's sound even creepier is brief samplings of tribal chants and primal drum beats, a short relief between tracks before the band suddenly jumps into the next song with ferocity.

While the album times in at just under 30 minutes across four tracks, Yanomamo have put together an impressive, focused EP that speaks to the darker, less structured side of doom. With plans to re-enter the studio later this year and continue their global domination on stages across the world, Yanomamo have nowhere to go but deeper into the black, cold realms of doom that will no doubt help create one of the year's most crushing releases. Be on the lookout for that later this year over at Von Grimm Records, which also features a lot of other great metal vinyl. Check it out! Now!

~Joe

For Fans Of; Cough, Bongripper, Eyehategod, Belezebong, Rwake

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Maggot (231 kbps)

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