Ghostsmoker-Inertia Cult album review By Mark Jenkins. Unbelievable, deep-rooted blackened doom classic-Intense as hell.
Ghostsmoker-Inertia Cult album review By Mark Jenkins. Unbelievable, deep-rooted blackened doom classic-Intense as hell.
Get all the wild superlatives ready, because aside from Conan(who this band played with on Wednesday night) who drop a newbie in April; this looks like a shoe-in for Doom/Sludge album of the year.
This is a seismic band that has grown with confidence with each release and their live dominance. I reviewed and fucking adored their 2022 release Grief, and I was blown away by the step-up and psychotic progression this powerful band has achieved on their debut, Inertia Cult. ( By the way, sick album name and how brilliant is the cover art, impressive as hell; but not as much as the intense as hell music).
Elogium was a pre-release track that is the album's opener and gives a peak into the unhinged madness apparent across the six tracks. It has that raw and devilish journey that the band excel in. Most of the drums, bass and certainly vocals are all about sheer overwhelm; just like noise artists it's often about producing that unsettling feeling that arouses and erodes your mental stability.Ben's guitar magic is very clear in it's intent, pure corrosive and dank riffs of the darkest and punishing kind. Opening tracks need to set the standard high and lay claim to the battle flag they have just planted in the warzone.
I'll jump to Incarnate, as being a lazy fuck I reviewed these pre-release tracks before I got my hands on the hottest album of the year. A moment ago I was hailing the claims of Ben's fetid riffwork and how putrid it sounds...this is a positive, trust me. It sounds so rank, dirty,and decaying which works it's wonders for this impressive track. Tempo is slowed down, but no dilution of the heavy stuff, I mean, Nathan's psych ward vocals combined with the pulverizing from Brayden and Rhys' unharmonious rhythmic section is as weighty as audio can go. Splendidly punishing and what all doom metal should be.
The title track doesn't disappoint, having that creepy buildup that doesn't disappear immediately, but very soon, the stern fuzzfest kicks in to 11. And this is combined with a factor that separated them from the pack-that black metal influence that gives the ghoulish vibe that is both forbidding and macabre as fuck. They signed to Art as Catharsis recently and they are a perfect fit, as they are so far away from being a generic Doom/post-metal band. This track has deep layers, despite being as tangential as hell. The creativity just oozes out of this album. The end pace floored me, so, so relentless and grievous.
The two closing tracks are a resolute statement to illustrate how much Ghostsmoker play as a well-synchronised unit. The flow and obdurate drive is laser accurate and so violently punchy all layered with Nathan's persuasively maniacal vocals. Haven is a massive performance from the vocalist as it crosses many styles and sends the track into wild raptures; also the apocalyptic guitar wizardry, it must be said is immense.
Closing out the album is one of the heaviest tracks I have heard in some time, the world-destroying mass of heavy, The Death of Solitude. This gargantuan opus and tribute to all the great pieces of the Doom-Sludge-Blackened Extreme Metal puzzle is insane in its almost 8-minute war of attrition against dullness. We know from the early forms of this style that there was a commitment to blowing out your eardrums, but this is so savage and menacing. The feedback and static/noise/droney start really is clever as it builds the tension like an industrial or noise artist would.
Combine this with apeman like drums and the track just heats up to a brooding explosive level. I adore the nervousness and apprehension that unravels, it was wild as fuck. And this is a song that develops more and more times you hear it. Ghostsmoker's work has gradually grown more nuanced and this track is completely a soundtrack to the world's end. By that I mean, hardly any bands can achieve a track like this classic so competently. It's a masterpiece of a song and an album.
This is a band that will continue to dominate the genre, in particular the extreme end of doom/sludge, this ain't no tedious stoner garbage.
Out March 21st thru Art as Catharsis:
There are some wicked colour variations of the vinyl drop, and these cats always put out insanely vivid merch each time.
Here are the Melbourne launch details:
ALL LIVE PHOTOS FROM THE SUPER TALENTED AND AWESOME KING OF BRUTAL PHOTOGRAPHY DAN MCKAY FROM THIS WED'S GIG WITH MAMMON'S THRONE, CONAN AND PALLBEARER.
SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC, VENUES AND ARTISTS!!!
Comments
Post a Comment