We’ve done a lot of cerebral stuff lately. The music has been. Not my writing necessarily. But things we’ve discussed have been serious, thought-provoking, deep, and challenging, and it’s nice to take all that time to think about things that have oceans of meaning. Who says metal listeners can’t be smart and well-rounded?

But now and again, it’s cool to get back to some pure blood and guts, some disgusting plasma-stained horror that is the foundation of so many forms of metal. It’s not like the people who do that type of stuff aren’t as smart as anyone going, and in fact, you have to be pretty witty to keep that kind of thing interesting for the listeners. But it’s not like when you put on their music you need to have on your smart glasses and prepare for a dissertation. You just want to see the filth.

That’s where Chicago death metal veterans Cardiac Arrest come into play. Their fourth record “Vortex of Violence” is ready for your consumption, and the dish is raw, fleshy, and disgusting. It follows their 2010 effort “Haven for the Insane,” and for those who have been behind these guys for years, there’s no chance you’ll be disappointed. Not much has changed in the last two years, save for them breaking in a new drummer Nick Gallichio, and their instruments of butchery are as sharp and deadly as they’ve ever been since the band formed about 15 years ago.

You’re not in for a technical, polished, pretty death metal album when taking on “Vortex of Violence.” This isn’t that shit they pass off as modern death metal in a Hot Topic or some haven of misery such as that, as this is far too real and ugly to pass that silly test. But that isn’t to suggest these guys don’t have vicious chops, as you’ll learn the band – vocalist/guitarist Adam Scott, guitarist Tom Knizner, bassist Dave Holland, and Gallichio — is more than capable of keeping things both violent and musically stimulating. They don’t fall into the rut so many others do of just drubbing you mercilessly with no color. Their guitar work is interesting, their solos are lightning fast, and their compositions certainly separate themselves from each other.

You’re not exactly eased into “Vortex of Violence,” which I’m assuming you guessed. “Portal of the Damned” rips your face right off from the word go, with brutal, guttural metal, throaty growls, and a thrashing intensity that takes you into “To Their Graves,” that has some excellent dual guitar work; “Relentless Pursuit,” a deadly furious track that eventually melts into doom punishment; “Conjured Being,” a flurried, speedy attack that has Scott howling about such hellish visions as “demons unleashed”; and the groove-infested title track, that could lead to punches landed in chests at their live shows. “Depths of Despair” also bathes in mud pools of doom, though it eventually speeds up and crashes face first into “Ritual Plague,” a song with some astonishingly tight thrashing. “Subject to Torture” has some higher, shriekier vocals added to the deep growls, and as they note, the stench of death is in the air; while closer “The Last Thing That You See” plays on the terror of one’s demise,  played over a chugging, rotting, calculated tempo.

Fans of bands such as Autopsy, Cannibal Corpse, and Cianide surely will enjoy the hell out of this album, as it’s pure, old-school death metal at its finest. These guys are one hell of an entertaining unit, and there’s a ton of crimson-smeared fun to be had on “Vortex of Violence.” Nothing wrong with letting loose and allowing your bloodiest dreams to have a chance to scare you silly. Cardiac Arrest are more than happy to help get you there.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cardiac-Arrest-US/92250701414

To buy “Vortex of Violence,” go here: http://www.officialabyssrecords.com/product_info.php?cPath=21_72&products_id=12244

For more on the label, go here: http://www.ibexmoonrecords.com/

It’s pretty gloomy over where I am today. It’s been raining for days, my basement ceiling is leaking as a result, there are nice pockets of fog everywhere, and things just look soggy and depressing. Therefore, it’s a good day for some pick-me-up doom metal, the one metallic sub-genre that truly embodies how this day looks.

These feelings got me jumping back into my recent stash of promos and one that’s really been moving me lately, that being “Blacklands,” the second effort from San Francisco trio Castle. In the past, the band has described its sound as “witch thrash,” a title that made me chuckle at first until I realized just how accurate a distinction it is. While the band isn’t tried-and-true thrash metal per se (there’s an awful lot of doom, psychedelic rock, and power metal to be had), certainly a lot of what they likely absorbed organically from being in the Bay Area influenced what we hear on this great new album. And it’s a really, really good piece of work, a huge step up from their impressive debut, last year’s “Witch Order.”

The band’s songwriting certainly has improved in leaps and bounds, and I love their approach to riffs and guitar lines, because they put their imagination and some dark ingenuity in them. Because of that, you don’t feel like you’re hearing something a million different bands of this ilk have done before, and as their songs progressed, so did my interest. Also, bassist Elizabeth Blackwell’s vocal work is just mesmerizing, and she has a way of painting the whole thing with an evil brush, but dusting over the songs with infectious hooks that make you want to sing along. When guitarist Mat Davis takes over on a couple of occasions (most notably ultra-aggressive “Storm Below the Mountain” and “Curses of the Priest”), the band takes on a more dangerous, threatening vibe.

Castle kind of have a retro vibe to them, but it never feels put on. Instead, it just seems to be what comes out of the band naturally, and forced to come up with a comparison, I’d say the band’s work falls somewhere in between The Devil’s Blood and Christian Mistress. That’s some damn good company, if you ask me, so anyone into those two acts would behoove themselves to get up on “Blacklands.”

There is gallop and thunder early on with opening cut “Ever Hunter,” a straight-forward track that gets the melody and adventure raging straight ahead. From there, it’s on to “Corpse Candles,” a great track that, while a little heavier than what current rock radio formats tend to support, probably could catch on with listeners on the strength of the chorus alone. I keep going back to this one, and I think it’s my favorite track on the album. For now. The title track is the closest rival to “Corpse Candles” as far as infectiousness, and while Blackwell gets a little raspier here with her singing, she never fails to hit her marks and keep you moving through the gloomy darkness. “Venus Pentagram” is shorter and to the point, going back to the more skull-bashing approach that they employ on the Davis-fronted songs, but there’s also a glaze of dreaminess that hangs over everything. “Alcatraz” reminds me a lot of their Bay Area neighbors Hammers of Misfortune, and the first time I heard the cut, I thought it was going to be a sprawling instrumental. But Blackwell cuts through that and delivers a nastier, grittier performance that lets this song rise above the murk. “Dying Breed” ends our journey with, again, another strong skeletal riff, some smoky emissions, and a damn thunderous conclusion that should leave your heart pounding.

Castle’s name deserves to be on the tip of the tongue of every doom metal fan trying to sift through the good stuff and the pretenders. This band is mighty both in sound and mission, and “Blacklands” is one hell of an impressive album from a group that’s still relatively new. I’ve really enjoyed all the time I’ve spent with this album, and chances are excellent that come the end of the year, this is going to be one of the hot contenders for my 2012 top 40 list.

For more on the band, go here: http://heavycastle.com/

To buy “Blacklands,” go here: http://www.van-records.de/products/en/CDs/Castle-Blacklands-digipack-CD.html

For more on the label, go here: http://www.van-records.de/

People who regularly visit our fine site probably realize we do a lot of positive entries. We (or I … it’s one person here) go negative when we have to, but for the most part, Meat Mead Metal is here to celebrate music and metal that makes us want to break down a brick wall with giant robot hands. There’s enough negativity and hostility out there anyway, right?

But I worry sometimes that because I write about things I love, that when something comes along that moves mountains for me, that it may get lost in translation, or at least amid all the other glowing reviews and pieces you’ll find here every week. That’s kind of an issue with doing a site like this. So with that out of the way, let me categorically, undeniably, affirmatively, fully fucking endorse “Empyrean,” the brand new full-length effort from NYC black metal crew Mutilation Rites, my new favorite band. I know they’re not technically new, as they have a few demo recordings and other mini releases on their resume (I also spoke lovingly about their “I Am Legion” 12-inch a few weeks back, and their other 2012 release “Devoid” also is a crusher), but they’re just now finally breaking through the underground smudge and are ready to take shit over. This record is their first for Prosthetic (vinyl will be handled by Gilead Media), a label that’s really beefing up its roster with some impressive singings, and the association should get the band’s music out to way more people.

Despite “Empyrean” being a little different sonically from their earlier work, I instantly loved it. I have listened to this record just about every day since I got it a few weeks back, and that momentum hasn’t dissipated at all. It’s massive, hulking, and unquestionably impressive. They’re one of the finest black metal bands this country has produced lately, and they’re right up there with FALSE as the groups that I feel will be the flag bearers for years to come. What’s also cool about them, like FALSE, is that they have dashes of other stuff in their music that keeps them fresh. Like, you can’t deny there’s a vintage thrash and punk influence to what you hear on “Empyrean,” and Mutilation Rites’ ability to have a core sound that expertly reaches out to other areas proves just how diverse and dexterous they are as players.

Mutilation Rites — guitarist/vocalist George Paul, guitarist Michael Dimmitt, bassist Ryan Jones, and drummer Justin Ennis — might take some heat from people who only like their raw early days. People are like that. The band definitely stepped up their sound, have a richer production, and show serious artistic ambition. Anyone who pulls the elitist card and claims the band isn’t doing the thing as nasty as they did last year means they’re dismissing one of the most impressive recordings of the year. It’s only May, but “Empyrean” seems like a sure shot as an album of the year candidate. It’s that good, and it’s absolutely essential listening.

The record opens on a bristling note with “A Season of Grey Rain,” a song that I cannot stop revisiting. The vocals are harsh, there’s a true sense of mangling thrash, and the guitar lines weaved throughout the song are infectious, playing over and over again in my head. It also doesn’t help to get comfortable with any section of the song, because they constantly rip you out of your comfort zone and push you into a speeding wagon to the next violent section. “Realms of Dementia” settles into a bit of a groove riff that really makes the stand song out above the rest. Eventually the dudes settle into a slow burn, but they destroy that with lightning speed riffing that sets you up for what follows, namely “Ancient Bloodbath.” This is the other song on “Empyrean” that I play most often, and it has a lot going on within itself as well, from some mathy wizardry to imaginative guitar work to hellfire vocals work, and they even pull out a new trick by drowning the whole ending in doom suffocation.

“Fogwarning” breaks out of “Bloodbath” and stands as the most mangling, unforgiving track on the disc, with fast but melodic guitar work, furious blast beats and a segue back into thrash, which sets the table nicely for “Dead Years.” The opening of the cut reminds me a lot of “Rust in Peace” era Megadeth, only faster and filthier, and when the song is reaching its conclusion, there’s an atmospheric, gazey pocket of guitar that sits behind the song and adds a whole new array of colors. “Broken Axis” makes sure to end the record on a volcanic note, with fast-charging melodies, maniacal vocals, and a rush of noise that’s awfully dangerous.

“Empyrean” is one of the year’s best albums, and you’re going to hear a lot more about this thing come winter when scribes gush on and on again about this thing. I know I will be. This is an incredible record, an amazing first full-length from a band that’s only gotten better over time. Mutilation Rites are the black metal warriors of tomorrow, and you’d be wise to join their cause now to avoid feeling like the millionth asshole on a crowded bandwagon once more people catch onto their greatness.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.facebook.com/mutilationritesnyc

To buy “Empyrean,” go here: http://store.prostheticrecords.com/index.php/sales-preorders/mutilation-rites-empyrean-digi-pak.html

For more on the label, go here: http://prostheticrecords.com/

To grab “Empyrean” on vinyl (should be available late June/early July) or “I Am Legion,” go here: http://www.gileadmedia.net/store/

To grab “Devoid,” go here: http://www.forcefieldrecords.org/store/product_info.php?products_id=636&osCsid=75c2304531edae44f2d9d1d9d2defdc1

As noted, Nick Southall of sickmouthy.com is doing this neat Internet experiment where he’s asking people to keep an online diary of everything they listen to from May 7-13, and document it somewhere online. Here’s today’s.

* Rainbow — Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow

* Mutilation Rites — Empyrean

* Sleep — Dopesmoker

* True Widow  — As High as the Highest Heavens …

* Mantas — Death By Metal

Getting a new album from a band I really like is pretty great. But getting a new record from TWO bands I really like is even better. No shit, right? Who wouldn’t like that? OK, obvious intro, but that’s true when it comes to what I write about today.

Last year, two bands that really got me excited were Alaric and Atriarch, groups that walk the edges around heavy metal but come more from the deathrock and doom persuasion. Alaric’s debut album came out on 20 Buck Spin and was something that ignited my love for really early albums by The Cure, Swans, and Amebix, while Atriarch delivered their astonishing first record “Forever the End” on Seventh Rule and came from a burlier, blacker area but also had some gothic and New Wave dashes. In fact, the band has a new full-length due later this year on Profound Lore, and I’m pretty excited to hear what they unearth.

But in between both of those bands’ initial offerings and their sophomore platters comes a new split record featuring each getting one side to do their thing and whet our appetites. Alaric kick off the album with three really strong, darkly melodic tracks, while Atriarch lays down two hammers, including one of the angriest songs I’ve heard this still-young year. It’s an appetizer (or dessert, I guess, since both bands’ debuts remain pretty fresh), but it’s a damn tasty one that is worth repeated indulgences.

Alaric

Alaric, who hail from Oakland, Calif., are made up of dudes who have been in other notable bands such as Noothgrush, Enemies, Dead & Gone, and Cross-Stitched Eyes , and their new band sounds like one that could have been a pioneer for the 1980s alternative rock movement had their music been born in that era. At the same time, had they been sandwiched between Celtic Frost and Type O Negative videos on the old Headbangers Ball, and they really would not have seemed in foreign territory. In case you missed it, here’s what we thought of their first record: https://meatmeadmetal.wordpress.com/2011/10/11/alaric-and-alarum-their-names-sound-confusingly-alike-but-their-music-doesnt/

On this split, they open up with “Memory Assault,” a dreary, depressing dirge that’s full-blown watery deathrock, raw vocals from frontman Shane Baker (he’s both maniacal and totally easy to understand when he emotes his misery), and unmistakable anger. “So Far Down” is equally drab and gloomy on the surface, but there’s an undeniable catchiness to it as well, and once you get used to the song, you might find yourself singing along to it. This track is the best example of the band’s pop sensibility – not in the popcorn mainstream sense, clearly – and provides a glimpse into why Alaric are so, well, alluring. Their final track “Weep” is aptly named. It’s sad, depressing, anguished, somber, but also defiant, especially when Baker notes, “Something’s been stolen away.” You get the sense they’ve understood and addressed the darkness, but they’re not giving into the temptation to give up. It’s a really effective ending to Alaric’s portion of the split.

Atriarch

Atriarch’s selections are my favorite on here, and that’s no slight at all to Alaric. Their frontman Lenny Smith (also of criminally under-appreciated doom metal band Trees) is a true maniacal presence, but even when he’s foaming at the mouth and prepared to strike, he’s always in control and knows his game plan. He’s never rattling off diatribes just to do so, and every line he delivers has a purpose and a meaning. The rest of the band provides the proper deathrock-fueled, doom-addled charge, as they can be both brutally aggressive and atmospherically thoughtful in their compositions. Atriarch definitely make the most of their two songs on here, and they have me heavily anticipating their next full-length. Here’s what we thought of their debut: https://meatmeadmetal.wordpress.com/2011/08/23/atriarchs-doom-demands-societal-scrutiny/

“Oblivion” is the band’s first cut on here, and is it ever angry and pointed. It’s one of the most furious assaults on the effects and destructive tendencies of organized religion, and Smith’s delivery (that reminds me of a super pissed-off Chuck Mosely) just hammers this thing home. He speak-sings over the verses, noting how “we are controlled by our fears” and that we’re “still living in slavery,” but his best line comes later in the song when he notes, “If you believe that your instincts are sins, the lie tells itself again and again.” That lyric should be plastered on billboards across the state of North Carolina this week. The chorus is a rush of fury when Smith howls, “The soul inside of you dies and falls to oblivion.” It’s almost like a companion cut to Alaric’s “Your God” from their debut, and it cuts to the bone. “Offerings” is a longer, more contemplative cut both musically and philosophically, but just because there’s more air let into the room doesn’t mean their anger has subsides, especially when Smith accuses, “We are rejected with open arms.” Not exactly the feel-good anthems of the summer.

If you’re not familiar with either band yet, this split is a great introduction piece to let you know what they offer. If you, like me, already are a fan of these groups, it’s a killer stop gap before they strike again with new long players. Either way, prepare for a dark journey that will challenge your spirit, break your soul, and reduce you to a pile of flesh and rubble. Think I’m being over the top? Try it on and see.

For more on Alaric, go here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alaric/201671150715

For more on Atriarch, go here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/ATRIARCH/241062512127

To buy the album, go here: http://www.20buckspin.com/site/releases/spin046-alaric-atriarch-split-lp/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.20buckspin.com/site/

As noted, Nick Southall of sickmouthy.com is doing this neat Internet experiment where he’s asking people to keep an online diary of everything they listen to from May 7-13, and document it somewhere online. Here’s today’s.

* Mares of Thrace — The Pilgrimage

* Mutilation Rites — I Am Legion

* Mutilation Rites — Empyrean

* Beach House — Bloom

* Scorpions — In Trance

So, there’s this misnomer that stoners are lazy and don’t tend to get a whole lot done besides smoking up. They lie around all day and contribute nothing to society and eat snacks and waste space. We’ve all heard those ones before, right?

Oddly, the people I know who partake in such mind-altering activities all have good jobs, work ridiculous hours, make really decent money, and are creative contributors to society, their workplaces, and the economy. So that “stoners are lazy” thing? Maybe some people are just inherently lazy and still would be if they smoked weed or they didn’t. And who doesn’t eat snacks? What are we, Amish? I don’t know what that means.

Another example of folks who certainly are influenced by weed but who happen to find their creative path quite flooded with projects are the dudes who make up English stoner doom rock band Bong. Check their discography. The group officially formed in 2005, and here we are, seven years later, and they have countless recordings to their credit, from split releases to live documents to EPs to box sets to full-length efforts. Sound like the track record of a bunch of lazy people with no drive? Not exactly. So let’s perhaps do away with such a silly stereotype that obviously only applies to people with no ambition.

At hand is the fourth long-player from Bong called “Mana-Yood-Sushai,” in stores next week courtesy of English label Ritual Productions, who also put out their 2011 album “Beyond Ancient Space.” If you guessed that this two-track, 46-minute offering would perfectly soundtrack an evening spent in a smoke cloud, you’d be right on the money. But this isn’t just noodling and playing in circles to keep you in a trance. It’s a well-crafted, mystical opus that’s expertly played and sets the proper mood for whatever you plan to do while listening. I actually got a ton of projects done — with a clear head, might I add — at work this week by spending time with this album because it opens my mind and lets me concentrate. I can’t do that with just any piece of music because I’m easily distracted, but I was able to work alongside Bong’s music … even if that wasn’t the intention of their work.

This is the first record Bong — Dave Terry (bass, vocals), Mike Smith (drums), Mike Vest (guitar, effects), Ben Freeth (sitar, shahi baaja) — recorded in a proper studio with an engineer (Greg Chandler of the mighty Esoteric), and they pumped this thing out in two days this past December. Certainly sounds like the guys were driven by determination and inspiration, and you certainly can hear that in this album, which is bound to turn more heads and open more ears. It also has an Eastern spirituality to the music, as if the guys are trying to transcend to the next level. It’s enlightening in that sense, almost in the same way as Sleep’s “Dopesmoker,” discussed yesterday, as it often feels like the soul is on some sort of pilgrimage, if the listen allows himself/herself to take that trip.

“Mana-Yood-Sushai,” a title taken from the fictional god-like figure in the literary work of Lord Dunsany (Edward Plunkett, a major influence on writers such as Tolkien and Lovecraft), opens with “Dreams of Mana-Yood-Sushai,” the beginning of what the band describes as “a lucid transcendental journey.” The music opens with jangly allure and blends into a psychedelic, mystical bend that keeps you super chilled out. The drone comes into the picture, guitars ring out onto cosmic paths, and everything sails right into the second cut “Trees, Grass, and Stones.” Here, the doom clouds get thicker, the penetrating sitar work sets up shop, and Terry’s Jim Morrison-esque call outs begin. His words resemble something of an incantation, and while he helps you soak up the mood with his words, the rest of the band sets into a mesmerizing loop of repetition — by design — that should relax your mind and body and allow you, too, to float into other universes. It’s great meditation music, so as noted, you don’t necessarily have to roll a joint to get there.

Bong sit closer to the outer edges of metal, but certainly fans of bands such as Sunn 0))), Earth, Across Tundras, Sleep, Om, Horseback, and older Asva could get on board with what the guys accomplish on “Mana-Yood-Sushai.” Plus, it helps to get away from all the decibels and horrors that we metal fans jam in our ears each day. It’s cleansing for the soul to escape and take a trip somewhere non-violent and otherworldly, and Bong do a magnificent job taking you by the hand and letting your eyes see things they perhaps never considered before.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/BONG-DOOM/173658429382728

To buy the album, go here: http://www.ritualproductions.net/rite016/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.ritualproductions.net/

Nick Southall of sickmouthy.com is doing this neat Internet experiment where he’s asking people to keep an online diary of everything they listen to from May 7-13, and document it somewhere online. I started mine on Monday and will continue through the week.

* Thou — Tyrant

* Steely Dan — Pretzel Logic

* Alaric/Atriarch — split

* Aldebaran — Embracing the Lightless Depths

* Agalloch — Marrow of the Spirit

* Rush — Caress of Steel

What am I really supposed to say about a classic? A timeless gem that’s only grown brighter through the years? A genre-shaping piece of work that’s only grown more cosmic through time?

I’m just some guy in Pittsburgh, and here in front of me is “Dopesmoker,” the legendary ode to weed created by Sleep, a band that etched its name in history and broke off into several other titans of metal such as High on Fire, Om, and Shrinebuilder. How do I do this thing homage? Who needs a review of such an untouchable piece of work, such an influential recording that’s gone on to shape people’s lives, tastes, and musical careers? What can I really add to that conversation? No matter, I’ll give it a shot, and it would be silly of me not to acknowledge the reissue of this document, in stores today thanks to Southern Lord.

No matter how much bassist/vocalist Al Cisneros, guitarist Matt Pike, and drummer Chris Hakius (he was replaced in 2010 by Jason Roeder) accomplished in their bands since Sleep temporarily closed its eyes as a unit in 1999, everything went back to their stoner doom roots in the 1990s. Yeah, this band appealed to those who liked to go up in smoke and let their minds and spirits wander along with Sleep’s music. I never was in that camp. Unlike the name of this great effort, I never was a dope smoker, still am not one, and yet I still could get what these guys were reaching acting as a spectator. At least I think I can. I do indulge in strong beers and spirits, and I’ve found taking on this record, this 63-minute-long song works pretty damn well under those circumstances as well. Maybe it’s not what the guys intended, but it’s about the best I can do.

For those who don’t know about the band or this album, or for those who have, you know, forgotten … for some reason … here’s a little history. After Earache put out the band’s killer 1993 opus “Sleep’s Holy Mountain,” Sleep’s profile started to rise. That album, by the way, was intended as a demo recording, but Earache thought so much of it, the label released it as is. Can’t say I blame them, as it, too, is a classic. From there, London Records signed the band but were not ready for what was delivered to them: a 63-minute epic that served as an ode to weed. They didn’t know how to handle such a bulky package and didn’t know how to present it to a public that was used to smaller, more radio-friendly chunks. Therefore, the band edited down their masterpiece into a 52-minute song, and it still got the thumbs down. Not long afterward, the band dissolved.

The album, renamed “Jerusalem” and broken into six identically named tracks, eventually was released in a few different forms, none of which were authorized by the band. In 2003, Tee Pee finally put out the entire 63-minute piece called “Dopesmoker,” its proper title and finally with the band’s approval. But that wasn’t the end of the story. In 2011, Cisneros contacted Southern Lord about doing a deluxe version of the album with an enhanced production (remastered by Brad Boatright) and new artwork by Arik Roper, and quite obviously the label was thrilled. Now we have in our hands “Dopesmoker,” a pristine new version authorized by the band that both gives longtime fans an excellent copy of their finest work and also introduces new fans to this adventure in a proper, fitting manner.

As mentioned, it’s tough for me to summarize or do justice to “Dopesmoker.” On the simplest level for those perhaps new to doom and drone, this is an essential recording. It’s the be-all, end-all of the genres. From the suffocating drone that opens the record, reminiscent of Sunn 0)))’s mighty drapery, to the astonishing bluesy licks and psychedelic soloing conjured by Pike, to Cisneros’ calculating chanting and growling, — his recitation of, “Proceeds the weedian, Nazareth,” is one of the most memorable passages of this pilgrimage –everything works like magic. The story and the craft work created by the trio sound and feel spiritual, and it’s easy, even with a clear head, to understand their devotion and adoration for what’s guiding their vessel. It goes without saying that it isn’t a record you can listen to in pieces in order to comprehend and digest. You need to set aside some time, and sure, if you want to enhance your mood to do so, you might get even more out of “Dopesmoker.” As noted, I’ve gotten on with it while drunk, and that helps me transcend as well. But do spend time with it and let the record spread its message. You owe it to yourself as a metal fan.

Oh, a special goodie tacked onto the album is a 1994 live version of “Holy Mountain,” recorded in San Francisco. It’s super raw (at one point you can hear one of the guys ask for more guitar in the monitors), but it also envelops you like you’re standing on the floor in front of them, experiencing them in person. It’s a really cool treat.

Maybe I didn’t add anything terribly substantial to the “Dopesmoker” conversation, but I look at this as more of a tribute to one of the great doom/drone albums of all time. I’ve enjoyed it and immersed myself in it from the time it was called “Jerusalem” all the way up to this stunning new version. It’s a must-have, must-know record, and no one is saying you have to dirty your piss in order to realize its magnificence.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.weedian.com/index.html

To buy “Dopesmoker,” go here: http://www.southernlord.com/sleep.php

For more on the label, go here: http://www.southernlord.com/

NOTE: If you DO enjoy Sleep’s music while your mind’s altered, make sure you stop back tomorrow. We’ve got something else that’ll get you there too from a band you might not know too well yet.

So Nick Southall of sickmouthy.com is doing this neat Internet experiment where he’s asking people to keep an online diary of everything they listen to from May 7-13, and document it somewhere online. I did so yesterday on my Facebook page, but I figured a mini entry here each day would suffice, too. I’ll link up Nick’s site below. He asks that if you participate, to paste your link into the comments section of his entry.

Make sure you come back at 1 p.m. EST for today’s normal discussion. Don’t sleep on it. Horrible hint, right?

Here’s what I listened to May 7, 2012.

* Sleep — Dopesmoker (twice)

* Aldebaran — Buried Beneath Aeons

* Aldebaran — Embracing the Lightless Depths

* Bong — Mana Yood Sushai

* Struck By Lightning — True Predatio

I’ll post today’s stuff tonight. If you want to check out Nick’s site, go here: http://sickmouthy.com/music-diary-2012/