...Death is what you make it: UTAH – ‘Utah’

Sludge imbued psych-rock is the name of the game for Athens, Georgia’s Utah. With a slight lineup change and a shift from the two-piece drum and guitar juggernaut that recorded the ‘Here They Come’ EP to a more traditional four-piece set-up for the release of their self-titled, full-length debut, Utah has surpassed their initial offering with a collection of tunes that are stronger, heavier, and laced with a considerable amount of psychedelia and downtrodden hypnotism. The closest point of reference for Utah’s brand of sludge rock can be traced back to the now defunct, ill-fated noise merchants Karp, though Utah embrace an overall sound more in tune with rock and blues rather than the 90’s noise fueled metal of ‘Mustaches Wild’ or ‘Suplex’.

Two of the defining characteristics to be found among the collection of nine tracks that comprise ‘Utah’ are the variety of tempo changes amongst the songs and the gritty, rough-hewn tone that permeates each and every track of the album. The album opener and a debut EP carryover, “Bisontennial”, and the following track, “Chickamauga”, are both up-tempo rockers with no shortage of twists and turns. “Bisontennial”—at times the most Karp-like track of the album—stands out with its sporadic squeals of feedback and drowsy, stoned lead guitar. Whereas “Bisontennial” hits the pipe and delves straight into stoner-metal territory, “Chickamauga” goes for the blotter and ultimately devolves into a lethargic, effects pedal freak-out. The combination of these two tracks is a great fucking way to open an album.

While Utah has a penchant for crafting catchy, up-tempo slabs of stoner-metal, they certainly aren’t confined to any formula. The third track, “Ambian”, is one of the most interesting tunes of the album mostly due to an extended, drowsily reverbed “Old West” flavored intro that gives way to a shambling, doom metal plod. “Help” finds the band further experimenting with doom and adding their own twisted atmospherics aided in large part by sinister sounding drums. “Kneecaps” marks the midpoint of the album and the tune is carried by the vocal melody of the chorus alone. While “Kneecaps” is far from sounding “soft” or “light”—though it does close out with a lone acoustic guitar—it comes across as one of the more heartfelt tracks of the album.

Utah’s self-titled debut requires repeated listens to fully appreciate the band’s subtle experimentations. The use of synthesizer at the onset of album-opener “Bisontennial” and for the “Who Are You?” flavored intro of album-closer “Black Sandwich” adds depth to an already solid album. Fans of Karp or contemporary stoner-metal acts such as Demonaut or Curse the Son should check this out.

Words: Steve Miller
(Originally published Temple of Perdition)

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...from beyond the mists of Niflheim: THE FLIGHT OF SLEIPNIR – 'Saga'

The psych-metal duo of Clayton Cushman and David Csicsely—better known as The Flight of Sleipnir—are about to unleash their fourth full-length album, ‘Saga’. Over the span of three full-lengths, a collection of rare EPs and a demo, and a three-way split with both Apostle of Solitude and Rituals of the Oak, The Flight of Sleipnir have meticulously crafted and honed a distinct and unique sound that effortlessly combines psychedelia, folk, doom, and traditional metal all of which is heavily influenced by Norse mythology. While the band’s discography is both solid and consistent, they have yet to top their debut, ‘Algiz + Berkanan’. At least, until now. ‘Saga’ is easily the band’s most varied and expansive release to date and makes a tremendous leap in terms of progression and atmosphere.

The appropriately titled “Prologue” kicks off ‘Saga’ with a rising tide of feedback before The Flight of Sleipnir unleash a two-and-a-half minute onslaught of heavy riffs that are centered around Cushman’s distinctive howl. This is The Flight of Sleipnir at their heaviest and catchiest. The song is ultimately balanced with the clean vocals of Csicsely who overall makes a greater vocal contribution than on previous releases and to great effect. The following two tracks, “Reaffirmation” and “Reverence”, perfectly complement each other and continues The Flight of Sleipnir’s trend of incorporating a vaster amount of acoustic instrumentation over the span of their releases. The main difference between the softer, melodic songs of ‘Essence of Nine’ and those found on ‘Saga’ is that the newer tunes are more memorable and they possess an ethereal beauty that surpasses most of the band’s previous material. “Reverence” is easily one of the album’s strongest tracks and is driven by an excellent vocal melody and Csicsely’s drumming before embracing a multi-layered, blissed-out guitar climax.

The majority of ‘Saga’ could not be mistaken for the work of any band other than The Flight of Sleipnir. Their signature sound is all over this release—particularly during the heavier tracks—as evidenced by songs such as “Harrowing Desperation”, “Judgment”, “Demise Carries with it a Song”, and “Hour of Cessation”. The Flight of Sleipnir have clearly carved out their niche on previous releases and now, on ‘Saga’, they are exploring textures and expanding their palette. While each song of the album is intrinsically engaging on its own, it is the slower, acoustic tracks in particular that really carries this album and separates it from its predecessors. “The Mountain”, for example, is perhaps the moodiest track ever composed by the band by relying heavily on a beautifully melancholic acoustic composition and clean vocals provided mainly by Cushman. The absence of drums simply adds to the haunting atmospherics and adds depth to the album. The tenth song of the album, “Remission”, finds the band crafting a concise, yet heartfelt instrumental track that is embellished with an emotive combination of steel and lead guitar. Whereas ‘Saga’ began in thunderous fashion with the “Prologue”, the closing “Epilogue” is primarily a moodier affair, but definitely isn’t lacking in heft, especially during the latter half of the tune as it closes out with a shoegaze inspired wailing wall of sound.

‘Saga’ is by far The Flight of Sleipnir’s longest work to date and it is majestic and epic in scope. Despite its hour run time there is not a wasted minute to be found on the band’s fourth full-length nor is there anything that could be considered a misstep. The duo has meticulously crafted a beautiful album that ups the ante in terms of overall atmosphere and song craft while leaving an indelible impression on the listener. Not to take away from The Flight of Sleipnir’s previous releases, but ‘Saga’ easily transcends the remainder of the band’s discography. This is 10-out-of-10 material and should be available February 15th through Eyes Like Snow.

Words: Steve Miller
(Originally published at Temple of Perdition)

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...There is no tomorrow: DEMONAUT – S/T

Combining the freak-out fuzz of ‘Locust Abortion Technician’ era Butthole Surfers with a hearty dose of mid-to-late period Melvins (minus the self-indulgent experimentation of either band) only begins to describe the sound of Atlanta, Georgia’s Demonaut. Add to this winning combination an additional bass player and an inclination for crafting indelible hooks and the picture, though obscured by a dense fog of dope smoke, becomes a bit clearer. With shared vocal duties amongst the two bass players and lone guitarist, Demonaut’s unique approach allows them to, in their own words “…create a doom sound that is thick and covers a wide frequency range (super lows-mids-high)”. The six songs that comprise Demonaut’s eponymous debut are collectively a leaden slab of nod-inducing, stoner-doom perfection.

Screeching feedback and impenetrable fuzz announce album opener “Woman in White”, a tune that, through its production, indeed covers the super lows-mids-high frequency range that Demonaut strives for. “Falling Into Hell”, a track that is most reminiscent of Big Business era Melvins, mainly due to the vocals, is easily the catchiest jam to be found on the album. “Pretty Little Lamb” amps things up and is one of the more frantic tunes until, apparently, the blotter kicks in. Demonaut, on the drop of a dime, slows things down by beginning their ascent into the stratosphere before ultimately plummeting back to Earth and the quickened pace that started it all. “Fallen/Risen” simply brings the heaviness, doom and stoned-out psychedelia that could also be found on any Slomatics release. The fourth track, “Waterway”, continues the brooding heaviness of “Fallen/Risen” but sporadically interjects a fuzz-driven instrumental hook throughout the tune. “Battle Caravan”, the longest track of the collection begins with brief call-and-response riffing before launching into another upbeat tune akin to “Pretty Little Lamb” before closing out with an extended, slow-paced groove.

While listening to Demonaut’s debut it is impossible not to recall bands such as Big Business, Slomatics, Red Fang or, especially, the Melvins. But within that school of heavy stoner metal Demonaut are unique enough to stand on their own despite drawing comparisons. The production of this debut album is perfect for Demonaut’s brand of thick, trippy metal by accenting the dual low-end attack, but still maintaining the clarity for the drums to pop and the guitar squall to shine. While this debut straddles the EP mark, the six songs collected here contain an amazing depth and variety that is often missing from a debut. Whether or not the band has something in the works for 2013 is unknown, but one thing is certain: Demonaut fucking deliver.

Words: Steve Miller
(Originally published at Temple of Perdition)

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...Open your eyes: PROJECT ARMAGEDDON – 'Tides of Doom'

The sluggish, melancholic plod of traditional doom coupled with a trace of NWOBHM virtuosity—both vocally and instrumentally—is the type of metal that Project Armageddon peddles to the masses. With ‘Tides of Doom’, the Houston, Texas three-piece deftly navigates their way through waters both stagnant and rapid resulting in an album that blends the best of lumbering doom riffs with a variety of tempo changes that are delivered with the precision of a tight-knit, hard-rock trio. Beyond the excellent musicianship of the individual players, the vocals of “Doomstress” Alexis are particularly noteworthy and often come across as an odd, yet compelling blend between Bobby Liebling and Geddy Lee. The end result is an album that is completely engaging from start to finish.

A thick, groovy bass line initiates album opener “Into the Sun” before Alexis’s delay-laden bellow kicks the song into overdrive. “Into the Sun” is an upbeat rocker that burns from hot to hotter courtesy of the stellar drumming of Raymond Matthews whose timing propels the song forward through its myriad twists and turns. This first track includes some thrashier moments before a single gong crash slows things down. “Call to Piety’, the first of three instrumentals, is a hypnotic, Mediterranean-flavored dirge that could be the soundtrack for an arduous pilgrimage before it segues into the appropriately titled “Sanctimonious”. This third track lays the doom and gloom on thick as “Doomstress” Alexis lambastes the hypocrisy that has existed among religious zealots through the ages. Despite beginning at a snail’s pace, the song eventually takes off and again features some great drum playing and a blistering solo from guitarist Brandon Johnson before reverting back to a crawl. The first half of the album closes out with another instrumental, “Conflict”. This instrumental is a driving, straight-forward militant stomp that is unrelenting.

The second half of the album opens with the standout title-track “Tides of Doom”. Winding, serpentine lead guitar, gong crashes, and a thundering bass line open the track before Project Armageddon slithers into a classic sounding Sabbathian groove. “Tides of Doom” really highlights the musicianship of all three players and Alexis’s bass playing is particularly mesmerizing in the latter half of the song. “Upon Solace’s Shores”, the third and final instrumental, is really centered on the band’s rhythm section and is similar, in a way, to the previous instrumentals in that it conveys an atmosphere of exoticism. “Fallow Fields”, the longest track with a runtime near ten minutes, opens with a rising, steady squall of feedback and a bouncing bass line before settling into a mid paced groove. While “Fallow Fields” isn’t as initially captivating as the other vocally driven tracks on the album it does pick up by launching into a galloping rhythm that is accented by some fantastic lead guitar playing. Whereas “Tides of Doom” had Project Armageddon proudly wearing their Black Sabbath influences on their sleeves, “Fallow Fields” ends up with subtle Pentagram flavored moments. An ominous organ intro adds variety and depth to ‘Tides of Doom” as it announces the final track, “Paths of Darkness”. “Paths of Darkness” is easily the moodiest track of the album and also injects a fair share of stoner psychedelia into the mix, particularly during the serene, gentler instrumental moments of the song.

With their sophomore release, ‘Tides of Doom”, Project Armageddon has stepped up their songwriting and surpassed the achievement that was their debut album, ‘Departure’. As a whole, ‘Tides of Doom’ is a huge step up from ‘Departure’, but the band will be hard pressed to record a stand-out track as engrossing or indelible as “Psyko-Sonic”. Traditional doom fans with a penchant for Black Sabbath, Pentagram, or even Cirith Ungol who have a taste for expansive songwriting will find many redeeming qualities in Project Armageddon—a great band that deserves more exposure.

Words: Steve Miller
(Originally published at Temple of Perdition)

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...The horn of Heimdallr calls: THE FLIGHT OF SLEIPNIR – ‘Ascension’

Colorado’s folk-influenced, psychedelic metal conjuring duo of Clayton Cushman and David Csicsely—collectivelly known as The Flight of Sleipnir—have, courtesy of Eyes Like Snow Records, reissued their extremely rare, self-released ‘Wisdom Calls for Sacrifice’ demo, the just as scarce ‘Winter Solstice II’ EP, along with the additions of a cover version of Pentagram’s “Be Forewarned” and a live rendition of their epic tune “Algiz” under the banner ‘Ascension’. For the uninitiated, The Flight of Sleipnir plays a unique blend of doomy psychedelia that is heavily accented with ethereal passages of progressive, folk-influenced instrumentation. Vocally, the band utilizes both clean and harsh vocals to superb effect and finds much of their lyrical inspiration from the sagas and eddas of Norse mythology. Despite their influences, it would be lazy to categorize The Flight of Sleipnir as mere “Viking metal” as the band remains unparalleled in their approach and execution.

The first three tracks of ‘Ascension’ are culled from the ‘Wisdom Calls for Sacrifice’ demo with the notable exclusion of a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Echoes”. “The Deceiver, the Blind, and the Beloved”, “At the Roots of the Ash Tree”, and “Thyrm’s Bane” offer a glimpse into the early machinations of the duo. Sound-wise these tracks are above and beyond typical demo quality, though the production is a bit more harsh and “crunchy” compared to what will follow on subsequent releases. Despite what can only be deemed as a more primitive or primordial sound, the signature elements of what makes The Flight of Sleipnir so great are deeply ingrained in these tracks from the use of harsh and clean singing to sweeping steel guitar embellishments and ghostly, forlorn backing vocals.

The seven tracks that make up the ‘Wisdom Calls for Sacrifice’ demo and the ‘Winter Solstice II’ EP are cleft in twain by the official release of the band’s rendition of Pentagram’s classic tune “Be Forewarned”. Of all of the songs in Pentagram’s vast catalogue, “Be Forewarned” is probably the best suited for The Flight of Sleipnir’s modus operandi. The end result is a faithful adaptation of the ‘First Daze Here’ version of the song both musically and vocally. While it would have been interesting to see the band take a more eclectic approach to covering the tune by adding more of their signature elements, the band cannot be faulted for faithfully paying homage to a great band and song.

“Winding Path”, “Among the Slain We are Chosen”, “Within the Fires of Muspell”, and “Let Us Drink Till We Die”, originally collected as the ‘Winter Solstice II’ EP, begin to round out the latter half of ‘Ascension’. Here, the band is beginning to find and ultimately refine their sound. The production is more akin to the releases that will eventually follow, but the band is arguably heavier than anything to be found amongst the tracks of both ‘Lore’ and the ‘Essence of Nine’, save perhaps the initial, traditional sounding composition of “Let Us Drink Till We Die”. The most significant leap the band makes is in regards to their vocals, particularly the harsher vocal delivery of Clayton Cushman and this really comes across on the hypnotic sixth track, “Among the Slain We are Chosen”. While the three tracks of ‘Wisdom Calls for Sacrifice’ are undoubtedly and unmistakably the products of The Flight of Sleipnir, it is the four tracks of the ‘Winter Solstice II’ Ep that truly mark the band’s arrival.

‘Ascension’ closes out with a live arrangement of the band’s epic, “Algiz”. The quality of the track is stellar and the end result is a moving, gloriously executed slab of crushing, yet trippy metal. The inclusion of a live version of “Algiz” is a fine representation of how the band sounds in a live setting where they sacrifice some of the folk-influenced, softer moments in favor of metallic heft.

With each release The Flight of Sleipnir continues to solidify and refine their sound into a wholly unique vision. Due to the band’s influences and their consequent arrangements The Flight of Sleipnir are essentially in a league of their own. They are able to craft tunes that are heavy, psychedelic, haunting, and at times beautiful. ‘Ascension’ is an interesting trip that will satisfy fans who are eagerly awaiting the release of the band’s fourth full-length, ‘Saga’, or those who simply like music that is both unique and engaging. ‘Ascension’ is not merely an artifact that exists to illustrate how a band has developed over time from its humble beginnings, but instead is a solid collection of tunes from start to finish. ‘Saga” is slated for release in time for purification on February 15th.

Words: Steve Miller
(Originally published at Temple of Perdition)

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