There is such thing as an end-of-week record, something you put on to burn off steam and release the frustrations from the previous days. 1349’s “Hellfire” is one of those for me. If you hear that playing in my office late on a Friday afternoon (last week was like this), then you know it’s a frustrating stretch that needs to fuck off.
We’ve long been a fan of Boise, Idaho, crushers Ghorot, but their third and latest record “Obsidian” is something that takes their bruising, electrified doom and stretches it into pure agitation. The band—vocalist/bassist/guitarist Carson Russell, guitarist/vocalist Chad Remains, drummer/vocalist Brandon Walker—sounds channeled and pissed to no end. You can hear it in the guitars that sound like they’re heating the gold to pour over Viserys Targaryen’s head. Everything here chokes and inflames, feeling like they are pouring every ounce of their frustration and fury in these smothering six tracks.
“Void Drinker” rushes in, howls piercing, the playing blistering and melting bone. Sludge collects and chokes, the soloing burning through a doomy fury, wrecking as the drums do further damage. Shrieks rip as the pace swaggers, psyche heat amplifying the damage. “Lascaux” is beastly, growls tearing at muscle, the riffs smoking before unhinged shrieks peel flesh. The pace takes a filthier turn, the intensity sparking as the wrecking machine swings into high gear, the bass flexing as the playing pulls everything into a noise pit. “A Seeping Infinitude” scrapes, mystical sounds enrapturing, harsh calls clouding your brain, a sudden hypnosis going into full effect. Guitars warp as the pace feels tortured, speeding as the energy stirs hard, wild leads circling and leaving ash.
“Beneath the Soil” vibrates, the tempo slowly battering, wails striking as the band chugs hard, chewing cinders. Screams retch as the pace combusts, guitars wrench as the torment gets thicker, a strange fury permeating before a final gust melts and fades into exhaust. “Lafayette” is a quick bruiser, guitars staggering as a mauling power hits low, the leads scorching as the roars punish. Noise spits and torments, humid leads poison the air, the howls strangling what’s left. Closer “Deluge” opens with rain falling, psychedelic fumes entering, hypnosis mixing with gentler strains. The path gets tougher and meaner, emotional leads gushing blood, a thick grime making the footing volatile. Heat builds as screams bubble, and the band lays waste once more before heading into a black hole.
Ghorot manage to ramp up the doom sludge torment even further on “Obsidian,” a record that sounds out of control at times, but always in a way where they know exactly how to direct their fire. This is their most volcanic, agitated record of their three, and this is music that makes you concerned for your own safety if you’re in the same room with these sounds. This will shred you mentally and physically, making it feel like you were in all-out hand-to-hand combat when it finally relents.
For more on the band, go here: https://ghorot.bandcamp.com/
To buy the album, go here: https://laybarerecordings.com/release/obsidian-by-ghorot-lbr071
Or here: https://ghorot.bandcamp.com/album/obsidian
For more on the label, go here: https://laybarerecordings.com/
Meat Mead Metal 