Mortuary Spawn - Spawned From The Mortuary

Labels: Brutal Cave Productions/Chamber Of Emesis/Dry Cough Records/Sewer Rot Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 23 Apr 2021

Tracklist:

1. Crepuscular Imperilment

2. 'Neath The Mounds Of Murids

3. Thorax And Abdomen

4. Odious, The Charnel Miasma

5. Spawned From The Mortuary

Back in 2020, a putrid old-school death metal band called Mortuary Spawn crawled into life; sharing members with Groak, Pest Control, The Afternoon Gentlemen and Belk (amongst many others). Their debut release Spawned From The Mortuary was initially pressed on tape in 2021 via Leeds UK underground label Chamber of Emesis, before Portuguese label Brutal Cave Productions and USA's Sewer Rot Records entered the fray with cd pressings (as well as a US tape pressing from the latter label). Finally, a vinyl pressing came from UK label Dry Cough Records and Sewer Rot in 2022, due to the ongoing pressing plant delays that hit post-Covid. Their first gig was in support of the mighty Demilich according to Metal Archives (can anyone point me in the direction of the flyer, because I'm a sucker for the artwork/layouts).

Mortuary Spawn’s death metal is as impact-laden as the music of the bands it shares members with, as evidenced neatly on EP opener ‘Crepuscular Imperilment’, which is a blasting and growling force to be reckoned with. More low-end is on show here than treble, but that’s to be expected. When the lead guitar does break out into a solo, it’s filled with screeching goodness. ‘’Neath The Mound Of Murids’ is a song title straight out of Yorkshire and the song that bares it’s name doesn’t hang about. Unapologetically straight-to-the-point.

There’s a nod to death metal’s infatuation with the human body on ‘Thorax And Abdomen’, which is a gnarly, fast-paced show of brutality that manages to stay on the right side of the more formulaic slam-death approach (to these ears anyway). Following it are the truly grinding opening bars of ‘Odious, The Charnel Miasma’. The rest of the song is filled with both grooving death metal verses and off-kilter madness, with plenty of unnerving atmosphere thrown in for good measure.

EP closer and title track ‘Spawned From The Mortuary’ keeps momentum high with it’s silly-fast tempo and belligerent heaviness. That pace never really lets up, as the bass provides a bluesy backdrop. Both the percussion and vocals keep up with each other’s fluidity, leaving only the feedback at the end to try and bring down your heart rate.

I’ve always tried my hardest to champion the amazingly broad and friendly underground heavy community that’s made Leeds so great musically. I’m also embarrassed to say that It’s been over half-a-decade since I’ve attended a DIY gig in the city. So many memories for me of gigs that were put on by members of Mortuary Spawn amongst many others. I’ll get back over one day. For now though, let’s hope there’s more to come from this quintet.

All physical copies are sold out at Mortuary Spawn's bandcamp page, but you can stream and purchase the EP digitally there below:-

Mortuary Spawn - https://www.facebook.com/mortuaryspawn

Vinyl copies are still available from the labels below:-

Dry Cough Records - https://www.drycoughrecords.com/product/mortuary-spawn-spawned-from-the-mortuary-12-dc60

Sewer Rot Records - https://mortuaryspawn1.bandcamp.com/album/spawned-from-the-mortuary

Brutal Cave Productions - https://www.facebook.com/brutalcaveproductions

Chamber Of Emesis - https://chamberofemesis.bandcamp.com/

Dry Cough Records - https://www.facebook.com/DryCoughRecords

Sewer Rot Records - https://www.facebook.com/sewerrotrecords

Slimelord - Insurmountable Peril

Labels: Self-Released/Dry Cough Records/Sewer Rot Records

Formats: Digital/Tape/CD

Release Date: 14 Apr 2022

Tracklist:

1. Until We Feed Again

2. Death On The Bayou

In August Leeds death/doom band Slimelord announced that they were deservedly joining the 20 Buck Spin roster, which will be the home of their debut album in 2023. A few months prior to that  announcement, they left us with their most recent two-song EP Insurmountable Peril. It was digitally release by the band, as well as on both tape (via Dry Cough Records) and CD (via Sewer Rot Records). This will probably be my last review until after the Christmas weekend, though I'll hopefully have one/two more before the New Year rolls in.

After hearing Moss Contamination I was a little bit taken aback by the direction in which Slimelord was going, as their doom/death had become more eery and improv-like, and on listening to ‘Until We Feed Again’ I get the same feeling, although this song does sound more like an atmospheric opener with the use of sparse instrumentation and ambience. I guess you should come to expect the unexpected with Slimelord.

‘Death On The Bayou’ is where they hit their stride. The striding death metal that was so inspired on The Delta Death Sirens makes it’s comeback alongside lumbering doom and welcome melodic flourishes. In truth, the two songs that make up Insurmountable Peril fit perfectly alongside each other, as there is very much an avant-garde side to Slimelord that’s not immediately obvious. That thought may conjure up images of Cynic and Atheist, and at times that’s not far off, but the darkness protruding from this release is much more noticeable.

Their debut album is going to be highly anticipated and it remains to be seen if it’ll come in this direction for a review. Either way, Slimelord are flying the flag for UK death/doom and their 20 Buck Spin signing is no surprise. If you’re reading this and you aren’t familiar with the band, you have some time to catch up and three releases to get your lugs round in preparation.

You can buy Insurmountable Peril digitally from Slimelord below:-

Slimelord - https://www.facebook.com/horriblebog

Dry Cough Records has sold of it's run of tapes but you can still both cd and tape copies (1 tape left!) from Sewer Rot Records here - https://sewerrotrecords1.bandcamp.com/.

Dry Cough Records - https://www.facebook.com/DryCoughRecords

Sewer Rot Records - https://www.facebook.com/sewerrotrecords

Slimelord - Moss Contamination

Labels: Dry Cough Records/Seed Of Doom/Sewer Rot Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 03 Sep 2021

Tracklist:

1. Noitanimatnoc Ssom Gnittor

2. Day Of The Triffids

3. Puddle Dweller

4. Epithelial Contaminant (Amphibious Dirge)

5. Loretta's Bane

The death/doom of Slimelord's first release The Delta Death Sirens was pretty captivating. I reviewed the album around the same time that I ordered the LP from Dry Cough Records. As soon as I knew orders were live for the follow-up Moss Contamination, I jumped on it straight away. Knowing that Slimelord were from Leeds, which is still thriving with extreme metal bands, it was a no brainer. Tape and cd copies had already been released by Dry Cough, Seed Of Doom and Sewer Rot Records, but due to pressing plant delays the vinyl didn't see the light of day until earlier this year. It was worth the wait though.

I’ll start by saying that Moss Contamination is a very different beast to that of The Delta Death Sirens. Album opener ‘Noitanimatnoc Ssom Gnittor’, which reads as ‘Rotting Moss Contamination’ is an intro of ghoulish ambience and deep deathly vocals. When I first played this record on my turntable I wasn’t sure if it was even on the right speed. It took a couple of moments for me to realise what was going on and then it all made sense. Slimelord have gone farther down the creeping death metal route on ‘Day Of The Triffids’, which takes their doom-filled death metal in a more obscure direction.

When I’ve thought of death metal bands from Leeds in recent years, I’ve always gravitated towards Cryptic Shift, but I definitely love the more old-school death/doom, dank sound that Slimelord has made their own. ‘Puddle Dweller’ sums up that death/doom sound to perfection, with grippingly slow tempos and soaring leads plunging you in to all kinds of atmosphere. I will say that listening to this record on my turntable at gone-midnight not long after first receiving it was fantastic, but then revisiting it via digital (and physical) means over and over again since has bolstered my appreciation of it much further.

Penultimate song ‘Epithelial Contaminant (Amphibious Dirge)’ is a somewhat gentle yet haunting instrumental piece, which leads you into ‘Loretta’s Bane’. It’s a song that thrashes harder, albeit without losing any of Slimelord’s murkiness. The Americans may think they have the monopoly on old-school death metal worship at the moment, but the UK’s own history and indeed it’s present is exhibited in this creation. Slimelord are hopefully here to stay for a while and the thought of that is very pleasing. 

For Fans Of: Solothus, Mortiferum, Mortuous and Incantation (IMO)

Stream and purchase Moss Contamination digitally from Slimelord below:-

You can buy physical copies from them too here - https://horriblebog.bigcartel.com

Slimelord - https://www.facebook.com/horriblebog

Physical copies are also still available from the labels below:-

Dry Cough Records - https://www.drycoughrecords.com/products

Seed Of Doom - https://seedofdoom.storenvy.com

Sewer Rot Records - https://sewerrotrecords1.bandcamp.com/merch

Dry Cough Records - https://www.facebook.com/DryCoughRecords

Seed Of Doom - https://www.facebook.com/SeedOfDoom

Sewer Rot Records - https://www.facebook.com/sewerrotrecords

Sewer Fiend - Echoes From The Cistern

Labels: Black Legion Records/Dry Cough Records/Sewer Rot Records/Obliteration Records

Formats: Tape/Digital/CD

Release Date: 30 Jun 2021

Tracklist:

1. Writhing In Stagnant Water

2. Pulsating Mass Of Worms

3. Echoes From The Cistern

I'm getting back round to reviewing another tape I've had for a while. Echoes From The Cistern, the debut EP from Manchester, UK death/doom band Sewer Fiend, was released in mid-2021. It saw the light day via UK label Dry Cough Records and US label Sewer Rot Records, who both released their own tape versions. It proved very popular and was given the repress treatment after the original run sold out, before later being picked up for a run of tapes in South America via Peruvian label Black Legion Records. The band features members from Cryptic Shift, Slimelord and previously of UK thrash band Exiled, to name a few.

The duo of John Riley (bass) and Sam Robinson (vocals and guitar) make up Sewer Fiend and they’re joined on Echoes From The Cistern by drummer David Lanas. What they deliver as a unit is murky death/doom with thrash and melody thrown in too. EP opener ‘Writhing In Stagnant Water’ shows off the bizarre and original sound of Sewer Fiend in a way that I wan’t expecting. The vocals are made up of typically gnarly old-school growls and the low-end/percussion both read from the doom/death blueprint, but it’s the melodic guitar work that sets a different tone. More akin to Voivod (maybe) and more experimental/cosmic death metal bands like Skelethal or Blood Incantation.

Though I’ve tried with the above comparisons, they don’t do Sewer Fiend justice. ‘Pulsating Mass Of Worms’ is more urgent in tempo yet is equally as progressive too, but not in a noodling way. I guess using the term avant-garde would be a bit too much. Either way, it’s not the gutter-crawling death metal that you might have expected, if you were completely new to the band.

It’s left to the sprawling title-track ‘Echoes From The Cistern’ to provide a suffocating end to the EP. Suffocation was probably a slightly misleading term to use though, as Sewer Fiend’s groove is put to full effect on a song that at times is the slowest of the three here. The vocals are used more sparingly, with the instrumentation taking the reins for the majority, making it a much more mesmeric listen.

It’s amazing to see and hear the amount of variation that currently exists within the death metal genre at the moment. Each country seems to have it’s own take on the sound and the UK is starting to truly excite those who enjoy the murmurings coming from the underground. Sewer Fiend are only just beginning, but what a Start!

You can stream and purchase Echoes From The Cistern via bandcamp below:-

Sewer Fiend - https://www.instagram.com/sewer_fiend_dm/

Tape copies have long since sold out from both Dry Cough Records and Sewer Rot Records, but you can still buy copies from Black Legion Records via the link below:-

https://blacklegionrecs.bandcamp.com/album/echoes-from-the-cistern

There will also be a CD release coming in late-March 2022 via Japanese label Obliteration Records.

Black Legion Records - https://www.facebook.com/blacklegionrecs

Dry Cough Records - https://www.facebook.com/DryCoughRecords

Sewer Rot Records - https://www.facebook.com/sewerrotrecords

Obliteration Records - https://www.facebook.com/obliterationrecords

Slimelord - The Delta Death Sirens

Labels: Self-Released/Seed Of Doom/Sewer Rot/Dry Cough Records

Formats: CDrTape/Digital/Vinyl

Release Date: 13 Sep 2019

Tracklist:

1. Insectoid - The Summoning

2. Demon's Blood/Horrible Bog

3. Amphibia

4. The Delta Death Sirens

I've seriously gotta get my groove back! It didn't help that my laptop decided to take a dump yesterday evening when I was originally trying to write this up. Anyway, I've only recently learned about Leeds, UK death/doom band Slimelord (having pre-ordered this through Dry Cough Records, who're releasing it on vinyl for the first time very soon). It was originally self-released on cdr by the band in mid-September 2019 before being put onto tape by Dutch label Seed Of Doom a month later and then by US label Sewer Rot Records a year later (Caveat: the above release information was taken from Discogs, so may not be fully accurate). From somebody who normally waits for pre-orders to arrive before listening to the contents, I'm hoping this will re-energise me.

The Delta Death Sirens contains four tracks, with opener ‘Insectoid - The Summoning’  being a very ethereal intro filled with strange melody and vibrant keys/guitar that creates a cosmic atmosphere. When you think of cosmic death metal you might think of US stalwarts Blood Incantation or Slimelord’s local neighbours Cryptic Shift, but when ‘Demon’s Blood/Horrible Bog’ begins, neither of those aforementioned bands could be used as direct comparisons. Slimelord’s death/doom is more like Meth Drinker crossed with Incantation. When they’re slow, they’re really slow and when they turn the wick up, there’s ample room for head-banging. So disgustingly good!

Slimelord have such an incredible knack for getting the right melodic tones to suit their music. This is only their debut release but it already sounds really assured. ‘Amphibia’ is a mix of sewer-drenched rasping vocals and instrumentation that’s equally as nightmarish, while being immersive in all manner of ways. It’s left to closing title track ‘The Delta Death Sirens’ to inject a final blast of feedback-laden death/doom into your ears and it does that perfectly. Heck, you can even hear the majesty of the bass that underpins the album in full flow alongside the furious percussion, cleverly placed guitar harmonies and subtle growls. 

This is a release that will definitely demand repeat listens and a yearning for more music from Slimelord. I’m pretty much sold on anything that Dry Cough puts out, so can’t wait to have this blasting out of my hi-fi. It’s also another reason to keep you eyes and ears fixed on the fertile extreme music community that exists in Leeds.

You can stream the full record below:-

Slimelord - https://www.facebook.com/horriblebog

Tape copies are sold out via Seed Of Doom and Sewer Rot but you can still pre-order the vinyl record from Dry Cough Records here - https://www.drycoughrecords.com/products.

Seed Of Doom - https://www.facebook.com/SeedOfDoom

Sewer Rot Records - https://www.facebook.com/sewerrotrecords

Dry Cough Records - https://www.facebook.com/DryCoughRecords