Review: Trudger’s Dormiveglia

It’s been 2 years since Trudger’s debut 3-track EP Motionless in Dirt and those 2 years have been put to good use. The Barnsley sludge metallers have gone from down-tuned, relentless doom to a more atmospheric and blackened sound that still draws on elements from sludge and doom metal but these are now just smaller parts in a much more accomplished sound.

Trudger have returned with a 45 minute debut album called Dormiveglia (which is the state of being half-sleep, half-awake for those interested) and it’s an extremely dense and challenging listen that’s incredibly rewarding once you scratch the surface.

The band’s move away from slower, sludgier grooves has resulted in tracks like opener Into the Abysmal Future which is over 7 minutes but cracks along at a decent pace considering the running time. The track also relies heavier on melody than past Trudger material and it’s drenched in a thick, foreboding atmosphere that leaves an uneasy feeling in your stomach.

This tactic is employed for all of the albums 6 main songs. Despite the vocal delivery still drawing from sludge and death metal with Chris Parkinson favouring a lower-pitched grunt, Trudger have found a new comfort zone in making their music a far more textured affair. The progressive nature of the band’s music suits it incredibly well and riffs are rarely revisited. This means a frequently changing track like Become Joyless can contain around 10 great riffs.

Trudger also employ a couple of short instrumental interludes which are helpful little breaks from the band’s musical onslaught. What they really excel at is the way they manage to keep the music on Dormiveglia flowing, almost to the point where the album ends up sounding like one cohesive piece of music with many movements. I wouldn’t be surprised if Trudger originally wrote the record with this intention. It’s this structure that makes repeated listens of the album so rewarding as you uncover more melodies and riffs that stick with you long after the album has finished.

Special mention has to be given to guitarists Richard Matheson and Jack Kavanagh who carry all of the band’s melody and are extremely creative guitarists in their own right. The sheer number of riffs and leads these two men create is a staggering achievement but the fact they’re so expressive and memorable is a true testament to their skill. We’ve also got to mention the amazing guitar solo in Thickening Fog which adds another layer of complexity and intrigue to the band’s music and wonderfully compliments the crescendo the song builds to.

Trudger’s Dormiveglia is a thick, multi-layered experience that gets better every time you listen to it. The band has grown tremendously since their debut EP and the song writing on Dormiveglia is absolutely top tier. This might be a challenging listen for heavy music fans and the band’s raucous fusion of sludge, doom, death and black metal might make for a bleak experience, but it’s one of the best bleak experiences you’re going to have for a while. Buy this record, light some candles and get moody.

8/10

Trudger’s Dormiveglia is out now on 12″ blue vinyl through Church of Fuck.

Touring: Oblivionized and Old Skin UK Weekender

Here at UK Scumscene we have made no qualms about our love for both Oblivionized and Old Skin and now the 2 bands are heading out on a short tour that sees the band hit London, Brighton and Bristol for an intimate weekender that is bound to be one of the most crushing tours of the summer. Check out the dates below:

6/6 – London – Power Lunches
7/6 – Brighton – The Lectern
8/6 – Bristol – The Red Lion

You can grab a free track from both bands from the recently released Church of Fuck compilation False Metal Eternal. Get that via the widget below:

News: Church of Fuck Release Free 30 Track Compilation

The heaviest label in Manchester returns for a savage collection of music!

Church of Fuck have just released False Metal Eternal, a 30 track compilation featuring the COF roster as well as an additional 16 bonus tracks from various friends of the label. You can download the entire thing from the widget below. Even though this has been billed as a free compilation, the option to pay whatever you want for it is available so be a cool guy/gal and support one of the best labels in the UK.

The full track list for False Metal Eternal (including bonus tracks) can be viewed below:

1. TRUDGER – State Of Constant Slumber (EXCLUSIVE NEW TRACK from upcoming LP ‘Dormiveglia’)
2. CAÏNA – We Sleep
3. ITHACA – Ashes
4. ICED OUT – Death Riders (ft. MR of Old Skin)
5. ESOTERIC YOUTH – Förlåt
6. PSYWARFARE – Arrival
7. LET IT DIE – Boredom/Inertia
8. CARA NEIR – The Last Siren
9. OLD SKIN – Moral//Panic
10. HEKSED – Love You To Death (Type O Negative cover)
11. RAZOREATER – Hashishins
12. DEATHSEEKERS – Carnage
13. CHOLERA – Puppet
14. MAGIC MOMENTS – Strangelove (Depeche Mode cover)
15. KASHYYYK – SSRI (Exclusive track recorded for FALSE METAL ETERNAL) (BONUS)
16. COLD FELL – Onward To Helvellyn (BONUS)
17. VOE – Rust (BONUS)
18. F. EMASCULATA – X-Files (BONUS)
19. RESET TO ZERO – Lamb And Goat Full Moon Embrace (BONUS)
20. VOID FORGER – Relief (BONUS)
21. GATECREEPER – Overdose (BONUS)
22. GLARUS – Fire (BONUS)
23. OBLIVIONIZED – Hope Is The First Sign Of Defeat (BONUS)
24. GRIMMNESS – Parasite (BONUS)
25. SEVENTH CIRCLE – Blind Slaves (BONUS)
26. TEEF – Anxiety (BONUS)
27. BAST – Denizens (BONUS)
28. KATO – Dust Of Earth (BONUS)
29. MASS – Numbing (BONUS)
30. STEPHEN TREPAK – No Sympathy For The Wretched (BONUS)

Review: Iced Out’s Jukai

Durham noise-mongers Iced Out return for another round of sludgy hardcore and their first new material since last March’s split with Razoreater. This is their new 7” EP ‘Jukai’, released through Church of Fuck and Moshtache Records and it marks a noticeable shift in the band’s sound.

The key elements of Iced Out’s special blend of crusty hardcore are still here but what you’ll notice from the very beginning of ‘Life Through a Mask’ is that Iced Out have significantly slowed down the pace of their music which brings to mind Cancer Bats’ ‘Dead Set on Living’. The buzzsaw, HM-2 guitar tone is still there and vocalist Chippy is still belching his way over the band’s music, but the slower pace brings an almost sludge metal vibe to the band’s sound which is akin to bands like Gurt and label mates Trudger.

‘Jukai’ sticks with its focus on slower tempos through each of the EP’s four songs and it makes it more apparent as to what is so brilliant about the band’s music. You can’t help but focus in on guitarist Adam Kennedy’s simple yet bruising riffs. It was apparent Kennedy was a talented guitarist on the band’s previous releases, but when the music is laid out so bare you can really appreciate just how monolithic the guitarist can sound. Backed with the thunderous bass work of Matthew Marko and the calculated yet punishing drumming of Andrew Hartley, Iced Out have never sounded so big.

An EP highlight comes in the form of closer ‘Some Kind of Plague’ which trudges along with a huge, doom-like stomp. Just as you feel like the song is winding down, Kennedy’s abrasive guitar work explodes back into action with a riff that will likely snap your neck if given enough time. It’s wonderful to hear how something as simple as changing the tempo can create such devastating moments like these.

Special mention also has to given to the consistent production work of Joe No Studio who is becoming a Church of Fuck mainstay. The man channels GodCity Studio and Kurt Ballou’s production style which gives the raucous noise enough room to breathe. The mix allows you focus in on every layer of the song’s structure but manages to keep the rawness of the band’s Entombed-like atmosphere intact. Put simply, Iced Out have never sounded this good.

Once again Iced Out manage to bottle pure fury and put it on record. The shift in atmosphere that is brought about by the slower-paced songs suits the oppressive nature of the band’s music perfectly and creates some absolutely crushing anthems of despair. Iced Out have proven that there’s more to this band than straight-forward hardcore and ‘Jukai’ marks a huge evolution for them. If you get a chance to see the band perform this material in a live environment then make sure to wear a neck brace because with riffs this big you might do yourself some serious damage.

8/10

Iced Out’s ‘Jukai’ will be out mid-April through Church of Fuck and Moshtache Records.

Review: Cholera’s Plagiarised Hope

Cholera have come a long way since their début. Formed under the name Hades, the band were Church of Fuck’s first signing back in 2012. After some line-up changes the band reformed under the name Cholera and released their ‘Egotism’ EP later in the year. Now after a year of further fine-tuning and another member change the band return with their most powerful and focussed record yet. This is ‘Plagiarised Hope’ and it’s an absolute beast of a hardcore EP.

This new 7” EP is all over in under 11 minutes and it packs as much ferocity and anguish you possibly could into those 11 minutes. The band clearly draw influence from bands like Full of Hell, Trap Them and even Church of Fuck alumni like Esoteric Youth and Iced Out. This is a huge melting pot of hardcore, black metal and power violence that quite simply assaults the senses from the get-go.

One of the highlights comes in the form of ‘Anonymous’ which manages to cram all these ideas into a single song with a horrible, noise-ridden outro to round everything off nicely (or horribly depending on how you look at it).

Cholera clearly appreciate the need for a solid riff to bolster their absolutely frantic playing style and songs like ‘Raped’ succeed in offering a real neck-bothering riff that punches you in the gut Entombed-style.

Other great inclusions come with the wonderfully blackened tremolo-picking in ‘Swelling’ and ‘Eyeless’ which definitely showcase the Esoteric Youth influences on the band’s sound. Hardcore fans will have a lot to like on this record and Cholera sound tighter and more accomplished than ever.

If anything the only real negative we can throw at the record is that the UK is home to a considerably large number of these so called ‘Entombed-core’ bands and despite Cholera’s obvious proficiency for writing brilliant hardcore songs they aren’t really offering anything new and it would be easy to confuse them with bands like Razoreater or End Reign.

So Cholera aren’t particularly original but so what? ‘Plagiarised Hope’ is an absolutely stunning 7” that takes all the best parts of modern hardcore and delivers an immensely satisfying slab of chaos. If you have any interest in the genre then Cholera make an excellent starting point and ‘Plagiarised Hope’ showcases a hugely accomplished sound that highlights the best parts of the scene. Cholera have never sounded so strong.

8/10

Cholera’s ‘Plagiarised Hope’ is out this month on Church of Fuck and Holy Ground Records.

Touring: Caïna Announce Full Band London Show

Normally a one-man black metal behemoth, Caïna will play a full band show at the Camden Black Heart in honour of his 10th anniversary under the Caïna name.

Caïna take to the stage at the Camden Black Heart on July 5th with support from fellow Church of Fuck luminaries Esoteric Youth and Old Skin. Tickets can be bought for £6 in advance from Bleak Metal or you’ll have to pay £8 on the door.

Caïna is also taking set-list requests so if you want to hear the band play a specific song from their back catalogue you can head over to Caïna’s Facebook page and request up to 3 songs. In addition to all this the show will also be filmed for a future Caïna release.

We recently reviewed the latest Caïna material which forms a part of the Esoteric Youth / Caïna split that is due out on Church of Fuck soon. Read our review here and pre-order the limited edition cassette here.

Review: Esoteric Youth/Caïna Split

Another Church of Fuck split release and another double-dose of raw, unfiltered aggression. Esoteric Youth and Caïna have teamed up for a supremely blackened affair that fans of the heavier end of the metal spectrum will be immensely satisfied with.

ESOTERIC YOUTH

Those horrible Mancunian bastards return with more fire in their belly than ever before. Esoteric Youth continue their trend of sounding ever more horrendous and foreboding with their blackest material to date.

The band’s sound is still rooted in hardcore and that of the Entombed variety, but the tremolo picking that was scattered throughout their ‘The Burden of Living’ EP is used liberally on Kvarblivelse and definitely highlights a more concerted effort to meld their existing sound with black metal.

Förlåt backs off the tremolo picking for a slower-paced arrangement that makes use of the other key element of Esoteric Youth’s sound. The stark, reverb-heavy guitar leads return and add to the already dense and bleak atmosphere that the band have created. Esoteric Youth have definitely found their comfort zone and have created a sound that is so them that you’d accuse any other band employing similar tactics as rip-off merchants.

These two tracks are also given an extra boost by the wonderful production work. Recording and mixing was tackled by Joe No Studio (AKA the house of hardcore) and mastering was handled by Brad Boatright who’s worked with the mighty Nails. This is probably the brightest Esoteric Youth have sounded to date but there’s just the right amount of filth in that guitar tone to make the mix polished but disgusting at the same time.

This is an incredibly dark and intense offering from Esoteric Youth that just goes to show that these boys haven’t even begun to hit their stride yet.

9/10

CAÏNA

One-man black metal machine Caïna returns with more new material following his Church of Fuck comeback ‘Earth Inferno’. Caïna’s black metal leanings are relentless yet atmospheric examples of the genre and opener We Sleep progresses from unbridled wrath to a much more delicate and textured composition.

Apocrypha takes the ferocity of We Sleep’s opening and sticks with it for a full 2 and a half minutes. This song also features guest vocals from Esoteric Youth’s Dom Moss as well as Church of Fuck head honcho and Cold Fell vocalist Laurence Taylor. While it’s fun to hear Caïna tackle something that’s just plain heavy, it lacks the impact of the wonderfully atmospheric opener. Caïna is definitely at his best when he takes his songs to interesting places that are built from varying soundscapes.

What really hurts Caïna’s side of the release is the man’s insistence of doing everything himself. Caïna is clearly a talented guitarist and songwriter but the programmed drums*, weak production and dodgy vocal mix aren’t doing him any favours. The vocals in particular have a habit of spiking which makes for an unpleasant listening experience with headphones on.

Caïna’s side of this split showcases an extremely talented musician making thoughtful, progressive black metal that is extremely well structured. It’s just a bit of a shame that the dirty, slap-dash nature of the production cheapens the experience to a degree.

6/10

Esoteric Youth and Caïna’s split EP releases this month on Church of Fuck and Swarm of Nails. Keep on eye on those webstores for pre-order links.

*Caïna has since clarified that these recordings do not actually contain programmed drums.

Touring: Iced Out and Old Skin

The metallic hardcore tour of the year has already arrived in the form of Iced Out and Old Skin who are heading out for a jaunt around the UK this month. Check below for the full list of confirmed dates:

19/2 – Black Bull, Gateshead
20/2 – The Alex, Southampton
22/2 – The Red Lion, Bristol
23/2 – Cowley Club, Brighton
24/2 – Power Lunches, London
25/2 – Fine City Audio, Norwich

If you need a reason as to why you should go to a show then look no further:

Review: Old Skin’s MÆRE

Old Skin are a mysterious metallic hardcore quartet from Manchester. The band have taken a careful approach to conceal their identities in favour of presenting high quality music without the stigma of who is responsible for making it. The group present their first EP ‘MÆRE’ which is a record that is equally beautiful and unmercifully crushing.

The EP begins with a sorrowful croon that can only be described as Thom Yorke doing his ‘Lotus Flower’ thing but also managing to sound like Karl Middleton from earthtone9 during the opening of ‘Tat Twam Asi’. The sombre tones of opener ‘Sleep//Sores’ create a haunting atmosphere that is absolutely demolished after its opening 2 minutes. It is at this point that Old Skin’s vocalist gets his grunty belch on and this opens up an ungodly hell of brutality.

The meat of ‘MÆRE’ is made up of the 3 tracks ‘Hag//Ridden’, ‘Foolish//Fires’ and ‘Moral//Panic’. Each song is a speaker-blowing burst of hardcore. What Old Skin are stunningly good at is finding a brilliant balance that makes their songs heavy yet memorable. The songs don’t feature anything that could be described as a chorus so the band use their guitar work to bolster the songs. The riffs on ‘MÆRE’ are nothing short of staggering with each song providing a showcase of technical skill as well as some seriously meaty hooks.

The performances on ‘MÆRE’ are just fantastic. The drums pack a serious punch, the bass guitar is thunderous yet never managing to encroach on the masterful guitar work and the vocals are just… perfect. I don’t know how else I can describe them. They switch between forlorn beauty and disgusting roar with unsettling ease and make ‘MÆRE’ one of the most engaging heavy releases I’ve ever experienced. Old Skin’s vocalist is a joy to listen to regardless of the fact he is essentially ruining my eardrums.

The whole package is also presented through the beautiful production of Joe Clayton from No Studio who is fast becoming the go-to-guy for heavy music in Machester. It’s clear why the man is involved; ‘MÆRE’ is filtered through a wonderful mix that makes sure every piece of the puzzle is clear as day but retaining all of the dirt that makes a great hardcore release so satisfying to listen to.

Old Skin might be a fresh face but ‘MÆRE’ showcases a level of talent and song-writing that is heads and shoulders above their peers. This EP is a master-class in how to create a haunting atmosphere without losing any of the impact that heavy music delivers. Old Skin have delivered a thought-provoking first release that has to be one of the best débuts of any band.

9/10

Old SKin’s ‘MÆRE’ is released on the 31st of October through Church of Fuck, Dry Cough Records and Skin & Bones Records.

News: Church of Fuck Flash Sale Now Live Until 9pm

Those loveable scamps at Church of Fuck are running a flash sale that is only active tonight until 9pm BST. Every order placed from now until 9pm with a “mystery free gift”. Knowing the quality of Church of Fuck releases thus far, you may want to get on board and see what turns up in your mailbox.

Click here to be taken to Church of Fuck’s webstore and pick up some heavy music on a variety of formats. You might want to grab a copy of the following releases that we’ve reviewed as well:

Esoteric Youth – The Burden of Living
Monolithian – One/Zero
Swinelord – Life is Empty/I Feel Fucked
Razoreater/Iced Out Split 7″