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STOMACH, the formidable sludge/doom band formed by vocalist/drummer John Hoffman and guitarist Adam Tomlinson, who both played in the very first lineup of power-violence heroes WEEKEND NACHOS, a band that Hoffman still plays with and have between them served time in everyone from LEDGE and HARMS WAY to SICK/TIRED and SEA OF SHIT, have retuned with their second album Low Demon.
The albums is the follow up to their debut album Parasite, and this is an album that triumphantly demonstrates the nihilistic power of the music of STOMACH in an even more emphatic way than that first record, as the band amp everything up from the intense and foreboding atmosphere that prevails throughout to the sickeningly heavy riffs and grooves that send the album to oblivion.
The intense and feedback laden (something that adds to the power of the music of STOMACH) introductory piece Dredged kicks things off in typically intimidating fashion and is necessary in keeping the listener on edge, peeking out from their hiding place as the evil lurks, not quite knowing when that evil will arrive but you will definitely know it when it does.
This atmospheric opening salvo is soon replaced by the formidable and titanium heavy, sludge grooves of the magnificently titled Bastard Scum which steamrolls all in its path with its sheer heaviness as John Hoffman’s vocals take control alongside the monolithic riffs of Adam Tomlinson (the enchanting hypnotic riff that closes the song out is outstanding) and this combined with Hoffman’s pounding drums, which, add an even more nightmarish vibe to proceedings, then you are very much a match made in hell.
The mesmerising power of the music of STOMACH comes into play here and from then on in, it’s a glorious feast of everything you love about extreme music in all its various forms and STOMACH are about as intense, bleak and unrelenting as it gets. The following track Get Through Winter adds a touch more pace at times with its hardcore grind approach and this only amps up the heaviness as Hoffman roars in agonising fashion, his sheer despair soars through the grooves in the most intense fashion.
The straight up grind of Oscillate amps up the energy again at its beginning before the doom kicks in and the results are undeniably impressive. The groove on this one is so heavy, that it could knock through concrete at ease, and the STOMACH steamroller of heaviness rolls in, whilst taking down anything in its path, and its not over yet.
While everything that has occurred before it is intense and harrowing enough, the pièce de résistance of Low Demon comes in the form of its closing opus Shivers-Drafts and this epic track even eclipses the previous four tracks in terms of sheer affecting abject horror. This track is STOMACH’s magnum opus, a symphony of dystopian catharsis and the whole seventeen minutes that it lasts for takes you on an unapologetic journey through the world of STOMACH. It’s not pretty but any means, far from it but it is exhilarating and by the time the song finishes, you will be picking your jaw up from the floor.
This is cathartic music for dystopian times and the hopelessness of humanity is soundtracked here in the most vicious way possible. Where STOMACH go from here will be an interesting concept as it has to be said that Low Demon is much heavier, in terms of its sound and its outlook as well.
Rating: 8/10
Low Demon is out now via Hibernation Release.
Follow STOMACH on Instagram.
The post ALBUM REVIEW: Low Demon – Stomach appeared first on Distorted Sound Magazine.
