drone

Monarch — Omens

Posted on Thursday, March 22nd, 2012 at 3:12 pm.

Originally written for Exclaim

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Omens is a three-song slab of droning doom metal from French-American soul-crushers Monarch. The band have led a very prolific career since they were founded in 2002, with seven full-length albums, one EP and a split with Elysiüm to date. They recently added Dark Castle drummer Rob Shaffer to their line-up and the partnership looks to be bearing fruit, as the percussion on Omens is dynamic and complex, by turns muscular and full or hollow and eerie. There’s no doubt that this is a haunting album, designed …

Sunn O))) — 00 Void (Re-Issue)

Posted on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012 at 6:53 pm.

Originally written for About Heavy Metal.

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With the re-release of Sunn O)))‘s landmark album 00 Void, Southern Lord is bringing a monumental part of the band’s material back home. Most of their material has been released via Southern Lord, but 00 Void was originally released by Rise Above Records, Hydra Head Records, and Dirtier Productions in 2000. Sunn O)))originated in Seattle, WA and are now based in Los Angeles, CA. The doom metal duo of Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson are characterized by resonant feedback and …

Harpoon — Deception Amoung Birds

Posted on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012 at 12:27 am.

Originally written for Exclaim!

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Chicago, IL-based Harpoon combine the speed of grind with the sonic effects of drone. Deception Among Birds is marked by layered, obscured vocals, big, booming drums and highly distorted guitars. This album is composed entirely of frayed edges – the songs evolve, morphing as they progress. “Trogodyte’s Delight” begins at a sludgy, oozing pace then gradually thins out and speeds up. As the song flows more rapidly, it runs cleaner. At times, like in “the Cut of His Jib,” the cacophony …