Wallowing start off with some long, drawn out SunnO))) style powerchords before lurching into Burning Witch style blackened doom. When they play fast, it's a bit chaotic but it still seems more focused than the last time I saw them. One of the vocalists brandishes the smoke machine like a weapon, firing it out into the crowd. It looks cool as fuck. They have a cool aesthetic with their sci fi beekeeper look. There are lots of dystopian sci-fi touches and the overall effect is like Burning Witch being plugged into Skynet. Vocally, the harsh screams put it in Iron Monkey or Hard To Swallow territory. 'Earth Reaper' is quite progressive. In fact, despite the generally slow style, there are a dizzying amount of ideas crammed into their songs. Chaotic but in a good way.
Canada's Dopethrone play monstrously heavy sludge. They are tight and professional, with none of the messiness that often comes with that genre. The guitarist and bassist throw themselves around as if they are in a hardcore or grind band. They possess a suitable amount of Sabbathian grooves whilst the bass tone is often devastating, capable of shifting tectonic plates. Whilst the groove is undeniable, everything sounds nasty and even cool stoner riffs are played with malevolence. The singer Vincent doesn't talk to the audience too much but he has a wild eyed intensity and an array of facial expressions which show his charisma. They pull a guy out of the crowd to sing a crushing 'Scumfuck Blues' and he does a great job. Overall, Dopethrone successfully manage to combine the refined metallic groove of Crowbar with the crusty filth of Eyehategod or Weedeater. Excellent.
Dopethrone ****
Wallowing ****
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