Tag Archives: metal

Watch: Metallica – Live @ Slane Castle, Meath, Ireland 6/8/2019

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In the summer of 2019, massive gigs were commonplace, to the point of almost being taken for granted. Aside from the scientists who’d warned that a global pandemic might be a possibility in the near future – a warning that fell on governments’ deaf ears – people weren’t concerned about any health related disasters.

Metallica had reached the British Isles on the European leg of their ‘Hardwired’ tour and were delivering their typically lengthy set. Various shows were filmed for posterity, but their stopover in Ireland is potentially the most interesting, with the band surrounded by the historic grounds of Slane Castle.

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TOMMY STEWART’S DYERWULF – Doomsday Deferred

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Ever since the release of their debut LP in 2017, Tommy Stewart’s Dyerwulf have been committed to taking doom metal in a more experimental direction, but none of their work has ever felt quite as important as their 2021 release, ‘Doomsday Deferred’. The origins of the album date back as far as 2018, at which time the world looked very different, but as the material began to take shape, a global pandemic swept the world, allowing Stewart even more time to get creative during a time of isolation. The resulting album is heavy, but it’s also a cut above the obvious sludgy tones of the debut. In fact, with a minimalist set up of just bass, drums and occasional cello, combined with a willingness to experiment, the final release could be the crowning achievement of Stewart’s career to date.

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EMBR – 1021 EP

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On their debut album ‘1823’, US metal band EMBR wasted no time in introducing their talents with a heavy riff. Across its seven songs, there were strong callbacks to doom and sludge greats like Crowbar jostling with flourishes that suggested a love of the darker side of the grunge and goth movements. Unlike so many other similar releases was a strong melodic core, helped no end by some great vocal performances from Crystal Bigelow. The band closed the year with a surprise covers EP, ‘Idolatory’, which further showcased their natural abilities for heavy sounds, as well as a love for some of Seattle’s finest exports. After that release, there was no doubt that this would be a band to watch out for in the future.

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SLOMATICS / YANOMOMO – Split Release

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For fans of extreme metal, Belfast sludge beasts Slomatics are a band who’ll need no introduction. Since their inception back in 2004, they’ve been utterly committed to creating the heaviest sounds and they’ve won a legion of fans with their slow, crushing, doom-laden noise. No strangers to a split release, they’ve shared discs with Conan, El Bastardo and Holly Hunt. They kicked off 2021 by sharing a split with UK hardcore metal act Ungraven, only to return a few months later on this split disc with Aussie doomers Yanomamo.

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