Illegal Foreign Object

Last week, I wrote about falling back in love with the “dig” and how it led me back to heavy music. The following releases punched me in the face. I loved every last haymaker.

Part doom metal stomp, part pagan gathering, Green Lung succeeds with me where so many other nature-worshipping, leaf-saluting bands failed — by mixing just enough Sabbath (the vocals on “The Ancient Ways” are positively Ozzyesque), groove (“This Forest Church” and “Mountain Throne” cook), and horn-raisin’ (the solo on “Oceans Of Time” is a thing of anthemic beauty) in with the folkloric plinky plinky to keep it all from descending into a lute fest.

Required listening: “The Forest Church”, “Mountain Throne”, “One For Sorrow”, “The Ancient Ways”

Much of Stone leaves me to ponder what a Genesis record played by the Allman Brothers Band might have sounded like. “Last Word” and “Magnolia” are standouts for me, both impressive showings for guitarist Gina Gleason.

Required listening: “Last Word”, “Magnolia”, “Under The Wheel”

Glacial Domination is a bludgeoning from beginning to end. Vocally, I barely understand a fucking word of it, and this used to bug me, but keeping an open mind means accepting new for what it is, not for what you think you want it to be. After a few listens, I came around on the vocals — they remind me a lot of a more extreme pre-Chaos A.D. Sepultura.

Required listening: “Arsenal Of War”, “Morbid Effigy”, “Glacial Domination”

A lot of pressure comes with having the greatest name in rock ‘n’ roll history, but Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs are up to the task. On Land Of Sleeper, the doom metal pirates take a deep huff from Geezer Butler’s spray paint bag and get groovy.

Required listening: “Big Rig”, “Ultimate Hammer”

At 5 songs and just over 10 minutes, Scowl’s hardcore meets Hole Psychic Dance Routine wastes no time kicking you in your mouth. Vocalist Kat Moss sings, howls, and primal screams with the best of ’em, setting the world ablaze within the first 7 seconds of track 1, then rolling in the flames.

Required listening: “Shot Down”, “Opening Night”, “Psychic Dance Routine”

Noise rock gods Oxbow’s Love’s Holiday is a feather floating across a breezy hellscape. It is a fearless record, which isn’t a surprise considering the members of Oxbow are revered for their disinterest in releasing anything other than exactly what they want.

Required listening: “Lovely Murk”, Icy White & Crystalline”, “1000 Hours”

Mudhoney’s importance to my musical journey cannot be understated. Mark Arm and Co. are foundational — without their presence and contribution to the whole “Seattle Scene”, who knows what my life might be like now. Mudhoney was that instrumental to my teen years. With that said, Plastic Eternity is anything but a nostalgia piece. “Souvenir Of My Trip” is a groovy, psychedelic romp, while songs “Flush The Fascists”, “Human Stock Capital”, and “Cry Me An Atmospheric River” address very current day issues.

Required listening: “Souvenir Of My Trip”, “Flush The Fascists”

Chock full of bluesy, break-neck riffs that, at times, remind me of Danzig’s former guitarist John Christ, Mutants is a fun, classic metal romp.

Required listening: “Siren Song”, “Call Of The Void”, “Broken Glass Ceiling”

Desolation’s Flower is a haunting trip into a sludgy abyss — a cathartic shriek into the void. Strap on a good pair of headphones and be overwhelmed by the aural assault of what the duo describes as “queer, anti-fascist, sentimental destruction doom”.

Required listening: “Desolation’s Flower”, “Ruins”, “DTA”, “Pain”

To the uninitiated, it is probably surprising to read that tiny Costa Rica has a pretty killer metal community. Age Of The Wolf is one of my favorite bands on the scene today, and Pilgrimage To Nowhere is a batch of extreme (not the band), fuzzy doom metal. Fans of New Orleans legends Crowbar need to add this band to your collection.

Required listening: “Nexus Exitium (Pyrophylaciorum)”, “The Phantom Electric”

A mere five months ago, I all but guaranteed that music like Tomb Mold would “never be my thing”, but what a difference a few months can make. I am now currently eating those words between two pieces of BBQ sauce-slathered toast. The Enduring Spirit is a beautiful bludgeoning of death metal, prog-rock, and jazz fusion.

Required listening: “The Perfect Memory (Phantasm Of Aura)”, “Will Of Whispers”,

War Remains is a short album at just under 34 minutes, but it’s long on thrash metal deliciousness. I mean, five seconds into “Aggressive Menace”, the Slayerriffic divebombing commences (and never lets up). Songs like “Hanged By My Hand” and “Mercy Killing Fields” are quintessential thrash metal

Required listening: “Aggressive Menace”, “Hanged By My Hand”, “Ultra-Violence”

That’s it for today, headbangers! Stop in tomorrow for a list of cinematic wonderlands and open-road cruisers.