Once again, Halo of Flies Records ensures that I keep a record player in my possession by releasing an impressive 2 track split 12″ from California sludge doom act Amarok and Polish doom band Enth. Both bands are new to me, but I’ll be certainly looking out for releases from both in the future.
I’ll start with the Amarok song “Survival”. Amarok are one of those blackened sludge doom acts that would sound right at home on Total Rust Music next to the likes of Highgate as well as bands like Cough, Thou and Lord Mantis. A droning, almost 20 minute song with blackened shrieks and rasps, thick sludgy chords and a doomy back bone, that has a surprisingly rending touch. The track plods along with a lethargic, haunting, hacking rasp for about half its length. About 10 minutes in, things shift a little as the tempo picks up into a grooving, blackened stoner realm that’s pretty cool and finishes the track with a lasting impression.
Enth‘s equally long track, “Cavern of Advices” is a little more traditional European funeral type doom, rooted in the likes of My Dying Bride and such. Deeper more traditional doom/death vocals layer over thicker, more melancholy loping riffs that start the track. Initially it’s a bit different for Halo of Flies, but it shows that the label is willing to go outside its usual fare. But Enth are a perfect style bridging band, because halfway through the track, they deliver some of the black sludge vocals and a moody atmospheric break that transitions back into more standard somber doom and violin fade out.
So you get about 40 minutes of quality doom and sludge from two fairly new bands, and with the Amarok track, a really promising new band in the blacker side of the genre. Now bring on the new Lightbearer LP.
