Jeremy Ulrey's Picks (So Far)
Godflesh – Decline and Fall
As I mentioned in my review, Godflesh do some of their best work in the EP format, and this is the perfect combination of monster riffs and lean, fat-free no bullshit.
Teitanbood – Death
One of the great noisefuck bowel cleansers of recent memory, this knocked the likes of other similar experimental audio terrorists like Wreck and Reference off of my short list.
Coltsblood – Into the Unfathomable Abyss
Until Yob frees us from our suspense in September this is likely the best of that monumental, cosmic malevolence style of epic doom you're liable to hear for at least 3/4 of 2014. The fact that it's the band's first album should send pee shivers down your spine.
Rorcal – Világvége
Few bands quite manage to pull off utilizing electronics to help sculpt the more horrific elements of their abrasive sound, but Rorcal swoop in with their industrial, blackened doom and ruin your ass for all other electronic noise bands.
Hark – Crystalline
I really didn't realize when I agreed to participate in this list-making exercise that it was going to turn out to be a self-inflicted guilt trip. Did I seriously only get around to reviewing one album that ended up in my top five of the year so far? Granted, Shayne took Teitanblood off my hands but still: no more excuses for the remainder of this ride. Hark are another band that took all of thirty seconds to grow on me, but their album came out during a time of several high profile releases so they fell by our wayside a bit. Catchy stoner rock with slight doom and sludge flourishes, this is one of those bands like latter day Mastodon that go over well just for their simple mix of accessible, well-executed heavy rock & roll.
