This was by far the best year for sludge music I've seen in awhile. Never heard so many solid releases in the genre from so many different places!!! I think sludge might be developing into something with a worldwide scene of its own, rather than merely being considered a "subset" of doom metal, with a strong presence in NOLA and a handful of bands in other places. Even my home state of Ohio (and the city of Cincinnati, where I live) has exploded with good sludge bands in recent years. In Cincinnati, for a long time, we used to only have BENEATH OBLIVION. But GAPING MAW and FLESH MOTHER emerged a few years ago and both have grown in their sound considerably...
(this is the default image for a video of part of their set at Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn, NY in 2017 - it was shot by Max Volume Silence)
FLESH MOTHER released an incredible two-song EP two years ago and last year, put out an impressive full-length that was mastered by Brad Boatright. They also did A LOT of touring and plan to continue that. Also, they've gotten nothing but favorable reviews in Maximum Rock'n Roll, had a very well-attended residency at a local bar, and gained a strong local following. That this has all happened in spite of lineup shifts (new drummer, new bass player, former bass player moving over to lead guitar...) is pretty remarkable.
(from https://gapingmaw.net/photos )
After a few demos (one of which was under a previous name), GAPING MAW finally put out their first full-length on Halloween. It showed them really coming into their own and growing beyond their influences (EYEHATEGOD and BRAINBOMBS). I saw them at a homeless benefit last year and they just absolutely killed it - even people who weren't really into heavy music told me that they were impressed by and enjoyed their set. If you get the chance to see them sometime, I'd strongly suggest taking it up.
(from an interview with Cincinnati Citybeat - photo by Rob Wolpert)
In case you've been living under a rock, you should know that Cincinnati sludgefathers BENEATH OBLIVION finally released their long-awaited second album, The Wayward and the Lost, in 2018 on Japan's Weird Truth Productions. They recorded with Billy Anderson up in Portland and it's just... oppressively depressing. As I mentioned in a review elsewhere earlier this year, it's so negative that I couldn't handle it on the first two listens. Now I'm able to, but I have to wonder what that says about my mental state and how my life's been going lately... hah!! Anyhow, it's only available on CD and digital download, so you vinyl-only fetishists are just going to have to get over that.
(from https://floodwalker.bandcamp.com )
Going north from Cincy, up to Dayton, Ohio, are FLOODWALKER, who put out what I think is their first vinyl release, a 10" split (also available digitally) with SENIOR FELLOWS of Tulsa. FLOODWALKER's sound has changed a little, but I'm still into it. That release is on SENIOR FELLOWS' bandcamp, so here's FLOODWALKER's bandcamp.
(taken by myself for my webzine Destroy Ohio's instagram)
Going South to Nashville, Tennessee, we have one of my favorite bands (not favorite sludge bands, favorite bands, PERIOD), BLACK TAR PROPHET. Drum-and-bass duo with a thick sound. As I mentioned in a previous post, they released THREE EP's in 2018 (and one coming this year, which will be their final output). One is a split with NOTHING POSITIVE ONLY NEGATIVE from Denver. That's one of the most fitting names for a sludge band that I've ever heard and I'm guessing it may have come from the FACEDOWNINSHIT album of the same name.
(from https://www.facebook.com/ChainedtotheBottomoftheOcean)
Going back up north, we have a sludge band named in part after a song title of another sludge band (THOU) - CHAINED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN of Massachusetts. Very late last year, they put out a 12" EP that I highly recommend. Their full-length, which came out prior to this one was good, but sounded kind of derivative to me. However, on this EP they developed their own sound and the songwriting shows a lot of growth. They've really won me over with it and made a big fan out of me. If you know them, can you please put a bug in their ear about playing Cincinnati?
FLESH MOTHER released an incredible two-song EP two years ago and last year, put out an impressive full-length that was mastered by Brad Boatright. They also did A LOT of touring and plan to continue that. Also, they've gotten nothing but favorable reviews in Maximum Rock'n Roll, had a very well-attended residency at a local bar, and gained a strong local following. That this has all happened in spite of lineup shifts (new drummer, new bass player, former bass player moving over to lead guitar...) is pretty remarkable.
After a few demos (one of which was under a previous name), GAPING MAW finally put out their first full-length on Halloween. It showed them really coming into their own and growing beyond their influences (EYEHATEGOD and BRAINBOMBS). I saw them at a homeless benefit last year and they just absolutely killed it - even people who weren't really into heavy music told me that they were impressed by and enjoyed their set. If you get the chance to see them sometime, I'd strongly suggest taking it up.
In case you've been living under a rock, you should know that Cincinnati sludgefathers BENEATH OBLIVION finally released their long-awaited second album, The Wayward and the Lost, in 2018 on Japan's Weird Truth Productions. They recorded with Billy Anderson up in Portland and it's just... oppressively depressing. As I mentioned in a review elsewhere earlier this year, it's so negative that I couldn't handle it on the first two listens. Now I'm able to, but I have to wonder what that says about my mental state and how my life's been going lately... hah!! Anyhow, it's only available on CD and digital download, so you vinyl-only fetishists are just going to have to get over that.
Going north from Cincy, up to Dayton, Ohio, are FLOODWALKER, who put out what I think is their first vinyl release, a 10" split (also available digitally) with SENIOR FELLOWS of Tulsa. FLOODWALKER's sound has changed a little, but I'm still into it. That release is on SENIOR FELLOWS' bandcamp, so here's FLOODWALKER's bandcamp.
Going South to Nashville, Tennessee, we have one of my favorite bands (not favorite sludge bands, favorite bands, PERIOD), BLACK TAR PROPHET. Drum-and-bass duo with a thick sound. As I mentioned in a previous post, they released THREE EP's in 2018 (and one coming this year, which will be their final output). One is a split with NOTHING POSITIVE ONLY NEGATIVE from Denver. That's one of the most fitting names for a sludge band that I've ever heard and I'm guessing it may have come from the FACEDOWNINSHIT album of the same name.
Going back up north, we have a sludge band named in part after a song title of another sludge band (THOU) - CHAINED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN of Massachusetts. Very late last year, they put out a 12" EP that I highly recommend. Their full-length, which came out prior to this one was good, but sounded kind of derivative to me. However, on this EP they developed their own sound and the songwriting shows a lot of growth. They've really won me over with it and made a big fan out of me. If you know them, can you please put a bug in their ear about playing Cincinnati?
Check out some or even all of these albums - I think many of you will enjoy them!!!
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