CATTLE HAMMER – Dark Thoughts With Lights Out EP review

 

CATTLE HAMMER – Dark Thoughts With Lights Out EP

Road To Masochist

Who was the motherfucker that came up with the phrase "The more things change. The more they stay the same"? I wanna know because that is my opinion of Extreme Metal over the past decade. I need to do an Op/Ed on that. But with that said here we have another cool sounding band that falls into that trap known as "For Fans Of" which they don't deserve but will be pigeon-holed into by others anyway. 

CATTLE HAMMER, ah yeah that's a cool band name and I do know what it means. This English Sludge/Drone band started out in 2023. Their mainman is guitarist / vocalist Duncan Wilkins who's mostly known by me as being in the Blackened Grindcore band FUKPIG. Since starting out a few years back they've put out a few short form releases. A two song full length titled Cattle Hammer's Methlehem came out early last year. They also put out a compilation of the 2023 demos last year.

So now we have their four song EP. It should also be noted that along with Duncan Wilkins on guitar and vocals there's second guitarist Wyles, J (?) along with the rhythm section of bassist Darren Donovan and drummer Issac Cartwright. This four piece is involved in creating some cool sounding, albeit familiar, sludgey drone. I mean sure listening to this is reminiscent of sounds I heard in the past. I'm talking about slightly blackened snail paced sludgy drone doom which was great for a late night blasting party of drinking and debauchery. It's not that boring crap that slips into the genre by hiptards.

In the end, and after a bunch of plays, I like this short form release a lot.CATTLE HAMMER are the epitome of great sounding Sludgy Drone in 2026. This is a cool late night volume up blast. You know who this is really "for fans of"? Extreme Metal fans who go about their day. Blasting something like this either before or after they go to work, or party, or whatever.  

https://roadtomasochist.co.uk/

LISTEN HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVRItOA_K_o

UNEARTHLY TRANCE - Stalking The Ghost review

UNEARTHLY TRANCE - Stalking The Ghost

Relapse Records



Ya know I have a lot to say about this one but first I want to get some things out of the way. First off to anyone out there in the music media who wants to use words like "here's the long awaited album / it's been seven years since their last release / do they still have the fire in them?" Look here people, in that time span these guys gave us fans the likes of SERPENTINE PATH which was basically UNEARTHLY TRANCE with Tim Bagshaw. You also had THE HOWLING WIND and a fuckin THRALLDOM reunion EP last year. It's not like these guys dropped out of music and became hermits. Yeah I know you got into UNEARTHLY TRANCE through their V album. But then they broke up to play with other people, oh the heartache you must've felt. LOL! You heartbroken little hipster douche, fuck you.

Now with that out of the way I will say that I am a fan of UNEARTHLY TRANCE but (and here it comes) a side from their Season of Seance / Science of Silence (opening cut "Raised by the Wolves" hell yeah how could I not be bias) I've become more of a fan of their short form releases (EPs and splits) than their long players. My favorite UNEARTHLY TRANCE's album is a playlist on my computer containing all of their short form releases. Seriously that's their best stuff, even the covers. When that Ouroboros 2xCD came out I was like why bother. I think my playlist is better because I include all the other bands they play with on the splits. But getting to the niche point here, UNEARTHLY TRANCE are a great fuckin band but in small doses. 

So I come to this new one jaded to a point. I mean is this one gonna be a continuation of V which I thought was a weak album. Don't give me that "critically acclaimed" bullshit. As long as Relapse is keeping your magazine or website afloat with advertising revenue none of their releases will ever be underrated by review scribes. Relapse could release an album with sixty minutes of Jarboe farting and it would get an above average review from music media scribes as long as the label was ponying up the dollars. But I digress, I also read that this new one might be a return of their old days. Fat fuckin chance at that. Nope actually it's just a decent album by a band you're familiar with. 

I mean fuck the hyperbole people here's what you get. Typical heavy opener with " Into the Spiral", upbeat sludge rocker that branches off midway to let in some breathing room. It ends nicely, bang your head because it's the shortest cut on here. Next couple of songs are typical bombastic sludge which Ryan Lipynsky and co. are known to do so well and easy. "Lion Strength" stands out best. "Invisible Butchery" is a step back to a death doom past with lumbering bass and cavernous vocal growls. Probably my favorite track on here. "The Great Cauldron" sounds like a bunch of ideas crammed into one nine minute track. Kinda like listening to one of their EPs minus the breaks. The final track is like a throwaway drone bore. Oh well four great cuts out of eight and that's about it but then that's all I expected and predicted. 

Rating: 4/5 

http://store.relapse.com/

https://www.facebook.com/UnearthlyTrance?ref=ts

https://unearthlytrance.bandcamp.com/