Sludge Metal

SONGS THAT SHOULD BE PLAYED LIVE: CONVERGE- EVE

Back in 2017 when Converge released their album, The Dusk In Us. It’s quite the album for Converge. It’s one of those albums that really spans their catalog and has become a renowned record. Before the record itself was released, the first single “I Can Tell You About Pain” came out with a b-side. That b-side wound up being the very epic and captivating song “Eve.” Why this wasn’t on the album is beyond me. This actually might be my all time favorite Converge song at this point. When you listen to the seven and a half minute opus, it definitely takes you places. The way the guitars shift from doom/sludge into etherial/atmospheric sounds, to the synths creating waves, while the rhythm drives and then pummels into a colossal explosion. While “Eve” has been in the setlist for a short period of time, and performed thrity-three times, it’s one that should be in rotation a lot more. There’s really something powerful about this song in particular that more people need to experience live. I’ve never seen it performed live and it’s “the one” Converge song I’d probably go absolutely apeshit for if I saw it live. So, let’s put it out into the universe to get “Eve” added more often!!!

Converge- Eve:

DEEP CUTS: HIGH ON FIRE- KING FOR DAYS

My friend and podcast co-host Justin, recently went to Sacramento to the Aftershock festival (Check out his recap HERE). While he was there and we were chatting he mentioned he was going to check out High On Fire. Both of us haven’t seen them in a long time and Justin said they were fantastic. So naturally, while chatting about the band, I had a song pop in my head and it’s been playing on repeat and it’s a perfect deep cut! High On Fire if you don’t know are one hell of a band. They are one of the best at Stoner/Sludge Metal while at the same time having elements of Thrash and Doom. The song I’m focusing on comes from their 2012 album De Vermis Mysteriis, and it’s an epic track too, “King For Days.” Clocking in at a little over seven minutes, “King For Days” gives you quite the spectrum of awesomeness. Enjoy this track and check out more of High On Fire.

High On Fire- King For Days:

ALBUM OF THE WEEK: BLOOD VULTURE- DIE CLOSE

I love when I get sent albums to check out. Sometimes I will go in blind without reading anything about the band and who is in it just so I can be surprised by what I’m listening to. Now this doesn’t always work out for the best but, when it does, oh my, it’s quite the experience. Recently I put an album on that really knocked my socks off! The band name peaked my interest as well as the cover art, so I put it on and what I heard was damn good. What I heard sounded like the perfect blend of 90’s grunge, parts of death metal, goth rock, and doom metal. now, with that in mind allow me to introduce you to Blood Vulture and their debut album, Die Close.

Blood Vulture is the brain child of Jordan OIds, who you might know as Gwarsenio Hall from the very hilarious internet show, Two Minutes To Late Night. This very cinematic debut album takes it’s lead from classic and modern vampiric influences like Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Near Dark and Let The Right One In to create a very dark and vivid world that tells a great narrative story while also leading you down a dark musical alley. Throughout the albums 10 songs, you get sucked in more and more (no pun intended- though that worked out perfectly). The epic nature of this album allows you to listen multiple times and get swept away by all that this is. I keep finding more to like with each listen. Another aspect to this album that is quite fun is the guest appearance of A.F.I.’s Jade Puget on the song “Grey Mourning,” which as of this writing, is my favorite song on the album. Shadow’s Fall vocalist Brian Fair guests on the song “Burn For It” and Lingua Ignota’s Kristen Hayter is on the song “Entwined.”

Die Close is not a joke album! This is a really serious album that actually feels deeply personal, as the stories told sift through real life situations but, set in a more “mythical setting” to add a bit more dramatic pause. This is one of the best albums I’ve heard all year. Blood Vulture is definitely in my Top 10 Albums of 2025! The creativity as well as songwriting on Die Close, really shows how talented Jordan is and I look forward to more! This is soooooooo good! You can catch Blood Vulture on tour this fall with GWAR and HELMET!!!!

Overall Rating= A

Blood Vulture- Die Close:

More About Blood Vulture HERE

ALBUM OF THE WEEK: GUILTLESS- TEETH TO SKY

For a while now, I’ve been searching for the a certain type of band to come along and ease my pain of not having Neurosis nor Isis (the band) being active. I know that sounds silly considering there are plenty of bands out there that I’ve heard that could possibly do it but, I’ve been looking for that one band to take that style a bit in a different direction and I found it. Guiltless, a fitting name for a band that definitely has that Neurosis vibe (their album is released through Neurot Recordings and guitarist/vocalist Josh Graham did work with Neurosis creating visual components). Joining forces with Sacha Dunable, Billy Graves and Dan Hawkins, members of Intronaut and Generation Of Vipers, this devastating four piece has taken the good old fashioned doom sound and added some really fun twists, turns and dynamics to push beyond that sound.

The debut album, Teeth To Sky is quite the eruption. Throughout the 8 songs and over 40 minutes of the album, the way it becomes immersive is quite the listening experience. There’s a ton of little nuances found throughout the songs that give Teeth To Sky the charm it has. Mixing doom with post metal, noise rock, ambient undertones and the twist… optimism. The addition of optimism in this style of music is quite interesting and part of the reason why it took me a minute to write this. I’ve been listening to this album for the past few weeks, eating up all the things I was looking for. As I kept listening especially listening with my really awesome headphones on, that’s when I started to figure out this album. There’s a reoccurring theme found on the album of how “one must take advantage of life” and in the times we are in, it’s pretty epic to find that in this style of music.

To describe each song and get into that would take away from the effect you’d have from listening on your own. The bludgeoning aggressiveness that is found throughout propels the album but, Teeth To Sky is more than that. This album is one of those that will grow on you as it did with me. I look forward to hearing more from Guiltless and seeing how they develop and evolve. These songs need to be played live and I would bet that the decibel levels will be astounding. Definitely give Guiltless and this crushing debut album a ton of listens. And if/when they arrive in your town, I’d go see them too!

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

By: Brian Lacy

Guiltless- Teeth To Sky:

Unsung Masterpieces: Will Haven- Carpe Diem
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If there is one thing that has always been mind blowing to me is that the bands that are huge influences on so many “Bigger” bands are often overlooked by the masses. The strange reality of all this justifies my thoughts that those in charge really don’t have a clue what is good and isn’t. There is a band from the Sacramento area that really left a huge mark on the bands like Deftones and Far. That band is Will Haven. In 2001, Will Haven unleashed what I consider to be an unsung masterpiece entitled Carpe Diem. Clocking in at just over 45 minutes, the ten songs on the album are honest, emotional and chaotic with dashes of atmosphere. There are so many things about this album that have rubbed off on other bands from the guitar tones, song structures, vocal delivery and style, and even lyrical content. Songs like “Bats,” “Carpe Diem,” “Dolph Lundgren,” “Dressed In Night Clothes,” “Finest Our,” and “Moving To Montana,” have been my absolute favorites on this album and still hold up over 15 years later.

If you are a fan of heavy music and you’ve never heard this band or album, I urge you to stop what you are doing for the next hour and listen to this. And if it’s been a while since you’ve listened to Carpe Diem, stop what you are doing and take a trip back to 2001 and rediscover a great album.

 

Will Haven- Carpe Diem: