Disrotted - Disrotted

By Matt Hinch. I’m not sure what Disrotted means (as it concerns the band's completely rotted sound) but I know that in the case of this band and their self-titled album it doesn't mean they're a death metal band or one of the number of grindcore/d-beat Dis- bands. No, this Chicago outfit is all about the doom. Massive, droning, punishing, hateful doom.

By Matt Hinch.


I’m not sure what Disrotted means (as it concerns the band's completely rotted sound) but I know that in the case of this band and their self-titled album it doesn't mean they're a death metal band or one of the number of grindcore/d-beat Dis- bands. No, this Chicago outfit is all about the doom. Massive, droning, punishing, hateful doom. Disrotted is four tracks spread over 43 minutes that push the listener to the edge of endurance.

"Spell of Madness" starts off the lumbering hate with a hammering plod and a spiraling atonality rising from the muck. Deep growls emanate from the depths beckoning death with a slavering malevolence. Turning the gigantic marching pace into something more dynamic, black metallic tremolos (still downtuned as fuck) push the pace and instill a different sense of terror.

Photo by Carmelo Española.

The aptly titled "Brain Death" is a harrowing endeavor with driving notes cracking the ground to send the listener tumbling in slow motion into the abyss, slamming into every outcrop on the way down to be left broken and alone. One can't help but scowl in the face of the way they can manifest such a sense of dread. A scowl more of accomplishment than of displeasure. At this point those not as accepting of molasses thick doom may find their attention wandering but this sort of measured and persistent cadence isn't easy to pull off while creating such sinister and dark atmosphere. Yet it’s the kind of heaving, stunning doom that resonates through the whole body no matter how you choose to experience it.

Photo by Carmelo Española.

"Celestial Empire" seethes with an unstoppable hatred, stomping everything in its path. Noisy feedback makes the blood runs cold. This is far from the traditional sense of doom (Trouble et al.) brought to the fore through lyrics but rather it is brought upon through tone and heaviness. Again, Disrotted move from long, drawn out notes into more blackened ones like cresting a hill and racing down its slope to crash into their instruments making monumental reverberations spread like the sonic break of a nuclear bomb.

Closing out this test of mental stamina is "Restless Death". Again aptly titled as the listener squirms under the relentless plod toward their final end. Strained amps fight to stay together as hints of melody poke through the din. Arresting feedback and growls most foul call an end to the suffering endured with a pleasurable pain.

Photo by Carmelo Española.

Disrotted is simply devastating. The wheel turns, the path is drawn and all those (un)lucky enough to find themselves buried beneath the putrid piles of ultimate doom Disrotted leave in their wake first tremble under the sickening might before succumbing to the rot.

Desert Storm - Omniscient

By Ulla Roschat. Omniscient is about 50 minutes and ten songs of a blues infused southern stoner rock with a definite psychedelic vibe, touching metal territory, especially with the vocals, and spiced with funky jazzy elements as well as with calm acoustic parts. It’s also the 3rd full length album of NOLA based … wait, no … Oxford, it’s Oxford UK they come from… all right

By Ulla Roschat.


Omniscient is about 50 minutes and ten songs of a blues infused southern stoner rock with a definite psychedelic vibe, touching metal territory, especially with the vocals, and spiced with funky jazzy elements as well as with calm acoustic parts. It’s also the 3rd full length album of NOLA based … wait, no … Oxford, it’s Oxford UK they come from… all right, Oxford based five piece rock/metal band Desert Storm.

The opening song "Outlander" is a fast paced blues laden groovy stoner track. With this track the band comes strutting into a dark dive bar, like a genie released from the bottle, blaring boldly: "We are Desert Storm and we are going to set this place ablaze!". With this magic spell the bar comes to life…. there’s drinking, joking and shouting, stories are being told, with passion and emotion.

Each of the following songs is like a different aspect of what is going on in the bar, each of a distinct character with a measured intricacy, surprising moments and twists, but they are complected, with intertwining textures, magically bound together by a secret formula that is only effective within the walls of this bar.

While the first songs are all dominated by a groovy stoner vibe that is slowly sliding into a dark heavy swamp atmosphere, the 5th song "Home" is a kind of break, a hauntingly beautiful, dark, bluesy folk tune with clean vocals. From here the songs take on more of the jazzy, funky, boogie attitude, without ever letting go of the southern boozy swamp feel.

With the last song "Collapse of the Bison Lung" the genie struts out of the bar as bold as he came in, stomping and raging with one last crushing blast to make sure the destruction is complete and the magic goes up in smoke.

Open the genie’s bottle, or simply push the play button for Omniscient and Desert Storm will take you to the magic bar with their intoxicating homemade spice blend of bluesy, funky, psychedelic and dark folky tunes they use to create their unique style of southern downtuned heaviness.

The song "Home" is featured on The Wicked Lady Show 83

Anopheli - The Ache of Want

By Justin C. There are a lot of ways for metal bands to incorporate instruments that aren't common to the genre. In some cases, like the banjo solo on Taake's Noregs Vaapen, they surprise but then disappear almost as quickly as they arrive. In other cases, like Jørgen Munkeby's sax in Shining or Otrebor's hammered dulcimer in Botanist, they are an integral part of the band's sound.

By Justin C.


There are a lot of ways for metal bands to incorporate instruments that aren't common to the genre. In some cases, like the banjo solo on Taake's Noregs Vaapen, they surprise but then disappear almost as quickly as they arrive. In other cases, like Jørgen Munkeby's sax in Shining or Otrebor's hammered dulcimer in Botanist, they are an integral part of the band's sound. And of course, in some unfortunate cases, a band with more money than sense will hire a string section or a whole damn symphony orchestra to simply double some riffs and bass lines for no musical purpose (*cough* Metallica and Guns 'n Roses *cough*).

Anopheli and their cellist, Nicole, are a fine example of doing this right. The band very accurately self describes itself as "melancholy doom-laden emo punk," and there are a lot of great things happening with this music, but the cello parts are certainly some of the more striking. On Anopheli's latest album, An Ache of Want, the cello is front and center, carrying melodic lines and naturally riffing with the guitars. The album's closing song, "Trade," has a great example of this interplay, with the cello and guitar sharing and trading motifs back and forth. You might not expect a crust punk band to be striking in a compositional sense, but sometimes exceptions to the rule are very happy exceptions, indeed.

But I don't want to make this sound like the band just plays slightly heavy chamber music, because they also happen to be furious and emotionally raw. The line up for this particular album credits three vocalists, featuring plenty of dueling male/female lines. Guitars range between distorted, clean, and acoustic, and likewise, the rhythm section delivers what's needed, both in the doomier and more explosive sections. The band can bruise and delight in equal measure, and it’s a blast listening to them mix them together.

Their previous album, A Hunger Rarely Sated, is also well worth checking out--and I'd almost forgotten how much I enjoyed it until I went back to re-listen to it when prepping for this review--but The Ache of Want is a huge step forward for this band. It may wear its heart (and its rage) on its sleeve, but repeat listens reveal its subtlety.