Space Doom

Planet of the Dead, Pilgrims (2021)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , , ,

The sophomore release from New Zealand space stoner doom band Planet of the Dead should definitely be on your radar.

Four musicians from Wellington make up Planet of the Dead, Mark Mundell (vocals), Malcolm McKenzie (guitar), Kees Hengst (bass), and Josh Hussey (drums). Their debut album came out last year, Fear of a Dead Planet. The new release is a fresh adventure with a familiar crew.

It is hard to think of a better summary of the band’s music than this, from the press release: Hurtling towards the forever yawning void within their busted-up space freighter, they draw inspiration from classic science fiction and horror, and push supermassive and megalithic riffs to the outer limits.

There are eight tracks on the album, and I starred every one of them on my media player as I listened, one by one. The music is heavy fuzzy doom set in the limitless expanse of the collective mind (space, that is). Utterly irresistible.

“Escape from Smith’s Grove” stood out for me with the shifts it takes from heavy doom to a more urgent agenda. “Pilgrim” is a set-stone artifact as well, and you cannot set aside the leviathan that is the closer, “The Great Wave.” This album will be on heavy rotation for the summer desert road trip ahead. Highly recommended.

Pilgrims is out on Friday, July 23rd – get more info at the band’s website and pick up the music and Bandcamp.

Links,

Bandcamp, https://planetofthedead.bandcamp.com/album/pilgrims

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

Website, https://planetofthedead.band/

Planet of the Dead, Pilgrims (2021)

Spaceslug, Leftovers (2020)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , ,

This lockdown music from Spaceslug is a dose of acoustic Doom.

From Wrocław, Poland, Spaceslug is a band whose name should live in your brain. Since 2016, they have released three LPs, three EPs, and a split. With that kind of work ethic it is no surprise they were intent on creating new music during the pandemic. The band members are Bartosz Janik (guitars and synths), Jan Rutka (bass and vocals), and Kamil Ziółkowski (drums, guitar, and vocals).

Spaceslug is a Doom band, but the music they create is definitely not what most people would first think of as Doom. I have started to read more frequently the observation that Spaceslug has a Pink Floyd atmosphere in their music, and I am beginning to agree, never more so than with Leftovers. It is largely acoustic music (actual, and acoustic-style, if you know what I mean) that carries a pervasive tone of Doom, composed in complex and thoughtful arrangements.

There are five songs on the new EP, starting with “Wasted Illusion.” It is a trippy and ethereal beginning, with mellow tones and a lot of synth infusion. Next is “Behind The Glass,” which sounds like music for an arid desert if that desert was actually floating in outer space. “The Birds Are Loudest In May” raises melancholy to a mission critical level. “Place To Turn” is positively peppy in the context of the previous songs, but the underlying sense of dread is there, strong enough to make you uneasy. The title track is last, and it is the most ponderous of the set. It is a real whiskey and razor blade situation. If you want a helping of Doom with no fuzz or feedback, this Spaceslug EP is the ticket for you. Recommended.

Leftovers is out now as a download or CD. Go to Bandcamp for the quick pick up. You can also get a t-shirt there, and more of the band’s music.

Band photo grabbed from their Facebook page.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://spaceslug.bandcamp.com/

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

Spaceslug, Leftovers (2020)