This special edition batch of CD reviews compiles some of the latest and recent doom, sludge, & stoner releases on CD. Brought to you by the THC Zine Toking Team, massive volume, and killer buds.
_spore
s/t
Acid Distribution
This power trio sludge/post hardcore assault squad delivers heavy doses of downtuned tuneage with the right amounts of noise, dissonance, and odd-timed-metered madness. When not kicking slabs of heavy granite rhythms off the edge of a multiple story building built from doomed-out Fender VI-led riffs to crush unsuspecting listeners, they sometimes step back and go part post-metal-pensive and moody for a while, only to erupt in more chunky, odd-time punch to the gut destruction.
There’s also the sometimes industrial-sounding and distant, and sometimes in-your-face vocal cuts. It’s a perfect complement to the varying riffs and mood textures all throughout.
These seven tracks boast of a killer production from Barbarian Studios, with the right balance of gritty heaviness and clarity to present the aural landscape. Rumor has it that multi-instrumetalist J.L.O. does the pissed off vocal attacks here, but best seek ’em out in the live setting to get the barrage you need.
https://www.facebook.com/sporesludge
Santisima
2-song promo CD
Independent release
The heavy sativa and indica intertwined heavy metal/hard rock/death metal/doom doob-out tunes of Santisima are from classic local death n’ doom Marikina veterans who know a thing or two about going heavy and playing excellent. Santisima comprises of classic Philippine Oldschool Death Metal members from Iconoclast, Amocrass, Amaranhig, Casket, & Dott Seki and the Seeds of Light. The result is some well-crafted heavy metal doom death n’ roll with killer lead soloing, deathrock vocals, and a killer rhythm section, all tightly rolled into a potent fat joint, with one foot standing on the classic 90s sound and a fresh new take on heavy metal and hard rock infused playing on the other.
Live is where they take it few notches HIGHer and rock out energized crowds into a headbanging, stoned metal frenzy. They are currently working on their album as we speak, but for the meantime, this 2 song killer promo CD will tide over their fans until they kick open hell’s gates for a fuller dose and burn you for eternity.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557461686935
Polymerase
Dreams and Realities
Independent release
The heavy, dense, and super-fuzzed out sounds of Polymerase hearkens back to the good old glory days of 90s STONER rock and desert rock, bringing to mind mid-era Kyuss, Natas, old Monster Magnet, et al, and basically many of the alumni of stonerrock.com. Only that with Polymerase, you get extra doses of their own sound, plus lots of heavy, bluesy/psyche rock lead soloing, double-pedal metal drums, and sometimes heavy and harsh sludge metal vocals alternating with the super stoned out, laid back vocal styles.
These combos sound great altogether, making it an engaging listen. Live, they take you on a heavy and heady mind trip, much like putting massive amounts of red horse into your fully-loaded bongs. The alternate toke and drink of this combination will enhance your listening, but Polymerase already has all of the right elements in this heavy fuzzed out concoction of an album. Also featuring Bobby Legaspi (Basalt Shrine, Surrogate Prey, Malicious Birth, Dott Seki & The Seeds Of Light, solo stuff) on BASS. TOKE IT>>>
https://www.facebook.com/polymerasepilipinas
Malemort
Individualism, Narcissism, Hedonism
La Harelle/Bad Moon Rising
Malemort are here to crush your hopes and dreams and overpower you with devastating blackened DOOM. After originally manifesting on limited edition cassettes, La Harelle and Bad Moon Rising conspired to bring this excellent wreckord of total doom nihilism on digipak CD. These four misanthropic and self-destructive tracks turn the world upside down and attempt to bring apocalyptic hymns of nothingness and brutality to an already dead and decaying wasteland of a world.
Equal parts sorrowful doom and hopeless, crushing blackened drone, Malemort brings elements of their past lives from such doom elites Sordide, Ataraxie, Mhönos, and Monarch. If you’re ever familiar with these previous nihilistic works of doomed art, Malemort distills their elements and produces heavy alchemical bleak nothingness into this earthly plane with an intent to destroy and drown. HIGHly recommended.
https://malemort-doom.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/thetruemalemort
Limbs
Everything Under Heaven
Independent release
While Limbs technically have some sludge and doom elements, it’s never easy to pigeonhole them in one category. There are elements of screamo, hardcore, electronic, industrial, cinematic ambient, and post-metal in different places all through out this disc. It’s this multi-faceted approach that also makes them an engaging listen, with all their experimental fusion of elements working together with well-composed tracks. Their pent-up rage and kamikaze-style endtime assaults work well, even with shifting moods, sometimes in one song.
Live, Limbs sound huge and confrontational for a power trio, and their combination of different sounds soldered together into a united front takes listeners by surprise. They are also active in expressing political dissent and the fight for human rights and many worthy causes, something that adds to and also sets them apart from many local noisy bands. The album features guest spots from Four Limbs Six Hands, Jem Gallardo of Pry, Switchbitch, and Ube (Dog). Dunno where exactly Ube appears but this album is solid.
https://www.facebook.com/limbs1991
Gapang
The Malpractice Observance
Mindplight Recordings
Last but not the least are the almighty Gapang with their brand new album, and the heavy followup to Kontrasismo which THC Zine also previously reviewed here. Gapang returns with added firepower in the form of heavy crushing riffs and more of those slow and mid-tempo heavy grooves accented by otherwordly atmospheric bits and pieces and some pissed off shredding lead solos. There are also psychedelic fusion style interludes here and there to set you up for even more heavy hammering riffs after. They set this up with faster hardcore metal staccato action and stop/start buildups to add to their arsenal of riffs and fist-to-the-face power rhythms.
Lyrically, Gapang continues their train of thought from their previous works, that of social ills, being mindless sheep in the den-of-wolves, mortality, and mental illness. Three of the nine tracks are in tagalog, adding a local perspective to their tunes. Nevertheless, they paint a still bleak image of impending doom and sludge slowcrawl of the hopeless case that is Pilipinas, but manage to keep it heavy and punishing all throughout this killer disc.
https://www.facebook.com/GapangPilipinas
[with contributions from Rx Zenabi, G Vazquez, DRONEBOT, & VVV]
Towards Harmonious Civilization Zine 
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