Swallowing The Weak - Devourer Of Souls

Labels: Sliptrick Records

Formats: CD/Digital

Release Date: 06 Nov 2018

Tracklist:

1. Devourer Of Souls

2. Equal In Death

3. Salvation

4. No Gods No Masters

5. Blade Of Hate

Every day there are new solo bands springing up across all sub-genres of extreme metal, but this may be the first time I've come across a solo deathcore band. From Sligo in Ireland, Swallowing The Weak has joined forces with the ever growing Sliptrick Records to release this debut EP "Devourer Of Souls" on both cd and digitally. The self-professed "deathcore one man army" is currently an online/studio project.

Creepy electronic and vocal effects kick off the opening title-track, which is filled with programmed drums and electronic effect as well as deep vocal bellows and occasional shrieks. The guitars sit within the mix, taking away some of the music’s power especially with the vocals taking centre stage. That being said, it’s still engaging and when the guitars do get more space in the mix, they definitely add a lot of atmosphere and (sole-member) Tomek’s playing is very accomplished. This release does highlight the limitations of self-recording/producing on a budget and you get a sense of that during Equal In Death; however, if the volume of the instrumentation was increased it would certainly sit comfortably alongside many modern death metal bands, especially those of the technical variety.

Salvation is an amusing title for a song on “Devourer Of Souls” because you won’t find much of it here. It’s heavy and despite the electronic touches here and there, there’s no real moments for rest. Also, for a project that aligns itself to deathcore, there aren’t many breakdowns present. The bass on No Gods No Masters adds great heft to the music and indeed a more progressive/bluesy edge. It’s a brutal song, but in a restrained way. Swallowing The Weak hits it’s true stride with closing song Blade of Hate. Sure, the volume of the instrumentation could be higher but that’s a minor thing when the music is well-written and performed. Sometimes you have to see past things to appreciate it. Swallowing The Weak has a long way to go to in terms of the projects maturity, but Tomek has laid solid foundations here. Throw him some support and check this out for yourselves. 

You can stream the EP's title-track below via Swallowing The Weak's bandcamp page:-

Swallowing The Weak - https://www.facebook.com/swallowingtheweak/

You can purchase the full EP on cd or digitally from Sliptrick Records below - 

https://deadpulse.com/product/swallowing-the-weak-devourer-of-souls/

Sliptrick Records - https://www.facebook.com/sliptrickrecords/

Siorai Geimhreadh - Sitting Patiently

Labels: Box Emissions/Existentiell Records/SuperFi Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 06 Apr 2018

Tracklist:

1. Sitting Patiently Pt.1

2. Sitting Patiently Pt.2

I've had to go a few days without writing about anything music-related and I've been getting a tad twitchy. It's not out of choice either. Thankfully, this two-track LP from Irish noise-rock trio Siorai Geimhreadh (pronounced "Sheery Geevra" or "Eternal Winter", if you prefer) landed in my inbox a little while ago and I've been a sucker for oddities of late. The band has been playing since 2005 and  have two demos and an EP to their name so far, beginning life as a black metal band. "Sitting Patiently" forms their first new music in about 6 years. 

Both songs on “Sitting Patiently” add up to over thirty-minutes and it’s thirty-minutes of insanity that is almost indescribable as first. Pt 1 instantly rattles you with a mix of what sounds like gargled-bass, improvised drumming and guitars, and vocals that bring to mind the likes of The Body and the most underground DSBM, which all continue throughout the song. I daren’t play this too loud either, as the vocal cries leap out of the recording. Musically, I guess you could call it anti-music to a certain extent as there seems to be no traditional structures present but then it is experimental in the truest sense of the word. 

If you weren’t sure what to expect with Pt.1, then Pt.2 is slightly easier to grasp and it's where Siorai Geimhreadh gets doomy. It’s still noisy, as the bass/guitar feedback buzzes away between riffs. More minimalistic in approach, the vocals this time round definitely represents the black metal of the band’s earlier years, while drone is also an overbearing addition to it all. You may find it a relief after the madness that came before and it’s here that you can really catch a glimpse of their potential to create truly uncomfortable heavy music. 

This is a record of two-sides and I’m not trying to state the obvious there. It’s certainly not for everyone but if you make it past Pt.1 and your still intact both physically and mentally then Pt.2 is worth the wait. Crazy noise-rock and furrow ploughing doom that works incredibly well. 

Stream and download "Sitting Patiently" below:-

Siorai Geimhreadh Metal Archives Page - https://www.metal-archives.com/

Vinyl copies are currently still available from SuperFi Records below:-

http://superfirecords.limitedrun.com/products

SuperFi Records - https://www.facebook.com/superfirecords

Box Emissions - https://www.facebook.com/BoxEmissions/

Existentiell Records - https://existentiell.bandcamp.com