Modest Machine

Formed in early 2007, Moorpark, California's Black Sheep Wall play an aggressively heavy blend of down-tempo, sludge, and doom metal. Characterized by the monumental amount of anger, disgust, and desperation in their music, Black Sheep Wall have earned themselves a cult following since the release of their debut, I Am God Songs, in 2008. The album, which features artwork by Admiral Angry mastermind Daniel Kraus, is an exhausting collage of down tuned guitars, dissonant vocals, and pounding drum beats. Although not overly technical or entirely perfect, I Am God Songs is a fantastic record that leaves the listener in awe of its punishing sounds and raw emotions.

Download: Black Sheep Wall - I Am God Songs (2008)

Fog Cutter

Recently signed to Phil Anselmo's Housecore Records, New Orleans, Louisiana sludge/doom outfit haarp are set to release their debut full-length, The Filth, in November 2010. In the meantime, here are the band's demo EP's from 2007 and 2009, along with their 2009 split with fellow Louisiana band, Thou.

Download: haarp - Demo I (2007)

Download: haarp - Demo II (2009)

Download: haarp/Thou - Reincarnation Prayer Split (2009)

Circling The Drain

Formed in 2004, Los Angeles, California's Admiral Angry play an aggressively bottom heavy blend of sludge and doom metal. While their name may evoke visions of a cartoon villain in a pirate costume chasing around Scooby Doo and the Gang, Admiral Angry's sound is far more violent and disturbing than their name lets on. One listen to their debut full - length, Buster, and you realize that this band is more like the sonic equivalent of a rabid beast that would abduct the aforementioned cartoon heroes, force them to live in a well in his basement, and piss on them until they drown. A majority of the band's work was orchestrated by lead guitarist Daniel Kraus (aka THE Admiral), who passed away tragically in February of 2009 after a lifelong bout with Cystic Fibrosis. After his passing, the remaining members of the band decided to return to the studio to finish recording the EP that they had been working on with Kraus before he died. The result of these sessions is A Fire To Burn Down The World, a one track, 23 minute long assault on the listener's aural sensibilities. Although the band claim to have enough material written to complete at least one more album, it remains unclear whether or not they will continue to record under the Admiral Angry moniker, or if they will go their separate ways and move on to new projects.

Download: Admiral Angry - Buster (2008)

Download: Admiral Angry - A Fire To Burn Down The World (2010)

*** If you enjoy what you hear, please make an effort to buy a copy, as the band have decided to donate all proceeds from the sale of their music to Cystic Fibrosis research ***

Idol Of Perversity

Formed in late 2006/early 2007, London, England's Pombagira play a particularly epic brand of doom metal that leaves the listener in awe of what they've just experienced. Originally formed as a three piece, Pombagira now operates as a two man doom metal machine, opting to use six amps instead of four. Their debut album, The Crooked Path, is a five track, two disc behemoth that clocks in at just over an hour and twenty minutes. With an arsenal of songs that consistently run longer than ten minutes at a time, Pombagira are not a band for everyone. The average listener will not be able to devote the attention required to digest the band's trance inducing swan songs. But if you consider yourself an avid fan of anything doom related, and you have a few hours to kill, I would highly suggest that you give Pombagira's discography a listen.

Download: Pombagira - The Crooked Path Disc 1 (2008)

Download: Pombagira - The Crooked Path Disc 2 (2008)

Download: Pombagira - Black Axis Abraxas (2009)

Download: Pombagira - Baron Citadel (2010)

Polite Society Blacklist

Formed in 2006, New Orleans supergroup Arson Anthem have been assaulting listeners with their music since the release of their self-titled EP in 2008. Comprised of vocalist Mike Williams (EyeHateGod, Outlaw Order), guitarist Phil Anselmo (Pantera, Down, Superjoint Ritual), bassist Colin Yeo (Ponykiller), and drummer Hank Williams III (Superjoint Ritual, Assjack), Arson Anthem play straightforward, crusty, pissed off, grind punk with elements of sludge and classic hardcore thrown in for good measure. After losing his home and most of his belongings to Hurricane Katrina, Mike Williams moved into an apartment owned by Anselmo. The two began spending their spare time listening to Anselmo's record collection, and remembering a time when bands like Discharge, Sheer Terror, and Negative Approach ruled the world. Forming more out of a necessity to vent frustration than a desire to make new music, Arson Anthem began to take shape. After recruiting Hank to play drums and Colin to play bass, the band spent three days in Anselmo's Lousiana studio, Nodferatu's Lair, in February of 2006 recording their debut EP. Released on Anslemo's Housecore Records label in 2008, the EP is an eleven minute long masterpiece of unforgiving, blisteringly fast hardcore that starts off strong and never lets up until the last seconds of the final track have ticked away. Slated for an October 2010 release, the band's debut full-length, Insecurity Notoriety, finds Arson Anthem delivering more of the same. The production is low-fi and raw, the vocals are gruff and caustic, and the guitars scream at levels that are near painful. The packaging is low-budget and unpolished, and the attitude is intense and nostalgic, which is exactly what the band was aiming for. In a world where everything in the DIY metal underground has become watered down and exploited to the point of nausea, Arson Anthem provide a refreshing shot of adrenaline to a musical landscape in desperate need of resuscitation.

Download: Arson Anthem - Arson Anthem EP (2008)

Download: Arson Anthem - Insecurity Notoriety (2010)

Tarpit Carnivore

Formed in 2004 by ex-Floor frontman Steve Brooks, Miami, Florida's Torche play a unique blend of poppy metal and sludgy stoner rock. Rounded out by bassist Jonathan Nunez, touring guitarist Howard Johnston, and drummer Rick Smith (ex- Shitstorm), Torche have taken the metal underground by storm since their inception. Although, according to Brooks, they don't consider themselves a metal band, Torche have toured with many bands whose names are instantly recognizable to fans in the metal underground, such as Isis, Baroness, Black Cobra, Harvey Milk, and Boris. The band's second full-length, Meanderthal, was released in April of 2008 and was met with critical acclaim, ranked by Decibel Magazine as #1 on their list of the Top 40 Extreme Albums Of 2008. The band's latest effort, an 8 song EP titled Songs For Singles, was released on September 21, 2010. Although not as heavy or as memorable as Meanderthal, Songs For Singles is still miles ahead of the garbage that many consider to be good music these days. I doubt this EP will earn any Record Of The Year nods, but it should certainly be considered for your Top Ten.

Download: Torche - Demo (2005)

Download: Torche - S/T (2005)

Download: Torche - In Return (2007)

Download: Torche - Meanderthal (2008)

Download: Torche - Healer/Across The Shields EP (2009)

Download: Torche/Boris - Chapter Ahead Being Fake (2009)

Download: Torche - Songs For Singles EP (2010)

Forsaken

     Whoa... It's been a while since I updated this thing. I went from posting at least once a day to not posting anything at all. I guess I've just been busy with school, work, birthdays, anniversaries, football season, etc. It's hard to keep a blog fresh by yourself when you have a life, I suppose. Anyway, to make a long story short (too late!), I'm back now. Did you miss me? Don't lie to me, fuckers, I know you did. Now that we've gotten the pleasantries out of the way, let's get back to business...

     Scion and Adult Swim recently partnered (along with various other record labels) to put together "Metal Swim", a compilation of rare and unreleased tracks by some of the best and brightest bands in the metal underground. Featuring appearances by bands such as Zoroaster, Kylesa, Jesu, Black Tusk, and Torche, "Metal Swim" showcases everything from stoner rock and sludge to headbanging thrash.  In an effort to help these bands gain exposure, Adult Swim and Scion have posted the compilation online for free, and since free music is what we do around here, I figured I would post the link here. Enjoy!

Download: Adult Swim Presents - Metal Swim (2010)