Ohio sludge upstarts Radian are back with a new record, Discordian.

Akron, Ohio is Radian’s hometown. The band formed in 2017 and released its debut studio album in 2020, Chapters. They play sludge and doom metal with an ear toward listenability sometimes absent in other bands. Discordian is a long EP with compelling songwriting that is sure to expand Radian’s fanbase. The band is Mike Burns (guitar), Jeff Sullivan (drums), Bill Govan (bass), and Jeff Fahl (vocals).

There are six tracks on the new album. Interestingly, the lyrics on “The Discordian” remind me a little of the approach Alice Cooper took on Flush The Fashion, style-wise. It is a great opener, fast and clippy – a rousing slap in the face to get your attention. “To Light and Know” is more direct-to-scene doom than the opener, and it is spacey, a little disorienting. So to with “Painless Void,” the longest track in the set. The flavor of doom is rich here.

“The Sun Spoils” turns the earth on side two with a methodical beat and riff. Wonderfully dreary, this one is my favorite on the album because Jeff Fahl’s vocals really sink in here. “At The End Again” makes you feel like the clock as about to strike midnight and, when it does, something terrible is going to happen. There is a significant dirge factor present that I respect. “They Look Like Good Strong Hands,” despite the clear reference, does not sound like a song you would hear in The Neverending Story. The sentiment of that scene in the movie (we’ve all seen it, right?), however, comes through with no mistake.

I am on board with this new Radian album. I am already looking forward to the next one. Recommended.

Discordian is out on Friday, June 24^th through Elburno Records.

Band photo by Josh Fitzjarald.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://radianakron.bandcamp.com/releases

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/RadianAkron

© Wayne Edwards