Straight out of the UK underground scene Bastard of the Skies and Grimpen Mire join forces on this Limited Edition Split 12'' from Future Noise Records. The A-side is courtesy of Bastard of the Skies, while Grimpen Mire deliver the goods on side B.
The four tracks by Bastard of the Skies fall under the rubric of sludge metal and barrage the listener with midtempo stomping tempos and simple, primitive, but effective, riffs accompanied by powerful drumming which emphasizes the use of crash and splash cymbals. The vocals are harsh and suit the power and occasional dissonance that emanate from the four tracks on side A.
Grimen Mire is stylistically quite similar to Bastard of the Skies, but packs a bit more aggression in the form of angry hardcore-ish vocals but also in an orientation towards more doom metal aesthetics (as heard in passages of 'Fragments of a Forgotten Craft'). As with Bastard of the Skies, Grimpen Mire drown the listener in sludgy and primitive mega riffs. The three Grimpen Mire tracks also harness power and stomp their way into the listener's battered eardrums.
The production is consistent throughout the release, and this probably owes to the fact that all seven tracks were recorded in Bastard of the Skies guitarist Matt Richardson's own studio and produced with the help of James Plotkin. While some listeners might appreciate this coherence, others might argue that the whole point of listening to a split is the musical and sonic variation that such releases typically have to offer.
Fans of the two bands, and sludge metal in general should definitely get their fingers out and grab this Limited Edition Split release.
Tracklist
Bastard of the Skies
1. Yarn
2. Bao Fu
3. Wounder
4. Old Vessels
Grimpen Mire
5. Hollow Wreck
6. Vermin Hive
7. Fragments Of Forgotten Craft
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