I can’t say I’m too versed in the Austrian Sludge/Doom scene, but the internet tells me that Axis Mundi is the third album from this Austrian trio, who are not in any other projects. Either way, I’m kinda digging this.

Occasionally, I need a break from deathcore and symphonic black metal, and a couple of doom and doom-ish releases have my ear; Last Light Fades from Aussies, Graves For Gods, Galvanist’s The Silence Between Stars from last year, and this hefty little release.

This album resides a little more in the sludge/stoner realm, with its down-tuned, groovy, smoky hues, but also features some more death-metal-ish vocals, which appeal to me. It should also appeal to fans who like Crowbar, and to these ears, the 2010’s Finnish act Lurk. I also feel like some of these riffs could have been on the later, pre-reunion Gorefest (Soul Survivor, Chapter 13) albums.

The deeper, gravelly vocals of Philipp Seiler keep things heavy, as does the earthy guitar tone, which delivers a nice blend of pure doom/sludge (“Valley of Nowhere”, “Full Circle”, “Between Earth and Moon”, “Axis Mundi”) or smoky, hazy lopes (“Burning Out”, “Sea of Drowned Souls”, “Swans”).

With that, it stays away from the more traditional/epic doom (there are just a couple of very small clean vocal segments) or more psychedelic sides of stoner doom, and feels a little more like death metal on barbiturates, chilling on the couch with a bong and a bag of Doritos.

Axis Mundi has been an album I’ve been giving a surprising amount of listening time, especially on weekends, with headphones and a…. little medicinal assistance. I suggest you do the same and give it a go.

[Visit the band's website]

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