ORYX - Born into Madness EP review

ORYX - Born into Madness EP

Sludgelord Records




There's nothing like coming home from work early in the morning (I'm talking between 2:30 and 3 AM), sitting down with a beer and then checking out something new from Sludgelord Records to review. Of course a few seconds after I push play the fuckin windows start rattling from the sound being too high. Yes this happens on a regular basis with their releases which is actually a good thing. Thankfully I have a house with neighbors not so close as to disturb them. Not like the old days when I use to get complaints from neighbors as well as roommates. 


Which brings up a true story, sorry but I have to. I had this female roommate years ago and her boyfriend would come over to fuck her. So I'd be in the other room and playing black metal really loud in order to not hear them. She was a loud one but anyways she told me once that my music was hindering him. In other words me blasting black metal meant he couldn't get it up. Whatafuck? I'm sorry but I had to share that one. 


So how can I segue that last paragraph to this release? Well ORYX is a Denver two piece sludge metal act with a guy on guitar and screaming plus a woman on drums. They've recently added a guy on bass and we don't need to mention names. But here we have a two song EP of basically Sludge-core. Now I'm sure your typical "I'm Metal & No It All" person will say; Mr. Wolf, there's no need to create new sub-genre metal terms. That's what hipsters do."


My answer to that is simple. Back in the late 90s during the second wave of Stoner Rock / Sludge Metal (there's another debate but anyways) you had a few acts out there who were totally into EYEHATEGOD but had screamers from hardcore acts as vocalists. For the most part on this two song extravaganza of sludge hate the vocals are harsh, caustic hardcore screaming. I say for the most part because there's some death growls thrown in for effect.


Still it's only two cuts and this band, who have been around since 2012 and have three previous full length releases out, are showing on here a magnificent approach of sludge chaos yet refined with albeit loud atmosphere laden passages which reach out to the cosmos. You listen to this release five or six times in a row and you'll be in outer space reaching for something. I'm dying to hear what they do next.



https://thesludgelord.bandcamp.com/album/born-into-madness

https://www.facebook.com/theeoryx