London’s Dead Existence have caused a stir to my ears for the last year or so. This self titled, self-release makes all the months of waiting for something tangible to be released all worthwhile. The basic synopsis is Sludgy as hell low-end audio violence. If you’re a fan of Crowbar, Eyehategod, and Soilent Green, in fact anything from New Orleans it would seem if you ignore a passion for Iron Monkey and Mistress, you will love this. Having gained a strong live following from what seems like playing numerous shows a month, the sonic boom has certainly matured in the studio.
The acoustic sounds to ‘The Unbearable Zero’ are soon battered when the bass and guitars kick into full force. Jake Harding’s vocals are very angry and powerful, a perfect medicine for this style of metal. Fredrik (Nebukadnezza) and Chris’ guitar work is fulfilling even in its torturous execution when it comes to cracking riffs and plenty of ideas flowing around. There are a few too many cymbal crashes in places; it depends on your take on this. The happy changes between slow and the slower sludge is simply perfect. Truly they have had a good upbringing in this style. To think this is a self-release, the sound quality and arrangements are magical for me.
If you like longer tunes, then people we have them a-plenty, take ‘Kill the Preachers’. It’s so sedate when it starts, and over the 10-minute mark, it’s got to be heavier than this? Boom…guttural vocals welcome the detuned sound of systematic madness. Its one of those tunes that simply draws you into it, you can get lost in this. It would most certainly entertain those folks in padded cells around the place! But as most people are of sound mind, enjoy this quality material. ‘Road to Stagnation’ is more of an upbeat tune, if ever there was one, and for me my favourite of the album. It has power, rhythm and headbanging appeal, whilst the COC whale-song sound-a-like guitar bends towards the end of the tune bring you back above water just to be ready to get assaulted again.
A debut release full of epic tunes of low-end sludge at its best. It’s good to hear underground bands not concentrating purely on the thrash, death or black metal genre. Whilst many folks may not appreciate this sludge masterpiece, it’s a depressing but refreshing change and signals a band intent on killing the opposition in one strum of the guitar. As their myspace site states, sludge on or f*ck off!
http://www.myspace.com/deadexistence
