THROW ME IN THE CRATER - "Throw Me in the Crater"

Hailing from Eindhoven and Tilburg (The home of Roadburn) in Holland comes a new sludge doom quintet by the name of Throw Me in the Crater.

Self released back in May of this year their self titled four track album is doom with a lyrical content of an all together different angle. Apocalyptic vision is of course nothing new in metal of all sub-genres but as the band name will imply these Dutch doom lords take an interested in a very specific area... volcanic activity and more broadly natural disasters, as well as the suffering and untold misery that they create.

Opening with "Year Without Summer" which I presume may refer to the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull in Iceland which deposited ash over most of Europe and ironically severely effected the running of that years Roadburn Festival. In Iceland of course they may well have suffered a sky where the sun was blotted out for months on end, a year without summer! Of course I may just be reading too much into things.

Musically Throw Me in the Crater are a truly monolithic beast to behold! reverb practically drips and oozes off of the guitars whilst desperate, aggressive vocals ring out in pained, anguished fury! Proceeding slowly at first things soon gain speed and momentum. In doing so a catchy fuzz drenched melody is meted out yet always things stay raw, positively charged with a static filled tension and the constant rumbling thunder of the bass and drums which combine to create a truly doom like cacophony! As things descend into an almost lava like crawl the band sound truly oppressive, a slow drawling juggernaut of impending doom savagery!

I'd say that "Streams of Lava" is a lot more self explanatory and sees TMITC adopt a far more aggressive tinge to their already abrasive and belligerent sound! If I was to choose a style of Metal to put into music the concept of and the misery suffered by a volcanic eruption it would be sludge and doom and not just because of what the word doom implies. There is something about sludge, something truly malicious and foreboding, an untapped source of kinetic energy in musical form and many of these traits can be partnered with those of a volcano.

With more of a historical theme "Pompeii" has a sinister and cold blooded feel too it. Agonizingly slow, crushingly intense and seriously vitriolic, this is the band at their rawest and most lethal! With a dense methodical sound, their pent up anger is also thought provoking whilst still being a colossal force of nature! Things end with "I Am Your Crater", and bring to a conclusion one of the most original concepts for an album I've ever come across. Being true entertainers the band end on an upbeat fast paced number, still a sheer act of force yet with a more personal introverted vibe.

Be sure to put this LP on your Christmas list, its certainly on mine!

[8.5/10]

Throw Me in the Crater [Bandcamp]

Throw Me in the Crater [Facebook]