Band: Mollusk Country: Cincinnati, Ohio
Style: Drone/Sludge Metal
Label: Independent
Let's talk about some interesting sludge metal. I'm all for underground groups trying to do something original, but nowadays, it's getting harder and harder to get sludge metal sounding original. Post-metal is another sort of thing that's growing more and more dull the more I listen to it, I was hopeful that this would do something for me.
This is an odd little release and one that will most likely turn some heads, because it is a bit different than one might expect. Being just under twenty-five minutes total, these nine tracks show a band that's does want to experiment. The album is divided between rather impressive sludge tracks and shorter interludes that have more of a root in drone and ambient music. I have to say that they do pull off both ends rather well, the sludge metal bits are nice and heavy, giving the listener quite chunky riffs to really sink their teeth into, or at least that's how I felt. It isn't original, but it's pulled off well and they express the knowledge of how to construct short and concise songs that are memorable. Personally, I think this release might have been even better if the band had blended styles a bit more, because like I said above, I think they pull off the sludge and drone elements very well, and I think combining them would show a bit more confidence. In terms of songwriting, I think these guys definitely have a good sense of how to write very solid riffs, as Monuments shows will applaud. Despite most of these tracks being under three minutes, they're all very good and there isn't any filler on here, even within the short interlude-esque drone sequences.
It's a very solid debut release that shows a lot of potential for the future. I think the band have a nice grasp of different ideas and I think if they even decide to start blending them a bit more, they could really make a splash. I definitely recommend this to anyone into sludge metal.
Overall Score: 8
Highlights: Tides, Human Artifact, The Apathetic
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