Review Summary: Wallowing in pure, unadulterated filth.
Voul is a Madrid-based sludge metal band formed in 2020 in the aftermath of the breakup of grindcore outfit Looking for an Answer, also featuring members of post metal band Adrift. Distancing themselves stylistically from previous endeavours, the band occupies a position within a growing trend of artists rightfully returning sludge metal to its foul roots, producing a debut record that – unlike most contemporaries – is less about progressive structures and atmosphere, and more about pulverising riffs, despair and of course, uncompromising heaviness. Featuring mainly slow, blues-based riffs, basic song structures and a guitar tone that sounds like the fretboard was dipped in a peat bog, everything about
Concrete Cult screams filthy, old-school sludge in its purest sense.
If anyone wants a preview of how caustic the water is prior to indulging, a glance at the title of the opening track “The Abyss Awaits” should give a good idea of what lies ahead. If committing to punishment, the sounds of churning cement and aggregate composing the album’s introduction tie in with the cement mixer adorning album artwork, both acting as a metaphor for the slurry we are about to get bogged down in. “The Abyss Awaits” starts things off with ear-piercing feedback and riffs of the most crushing degree, complimented by tight, impactful drumming and sets the tone for the forthcoming onslaught.
From all the genre’s flagship originators, one has evidently had the most influence on Voul – Eyehategod. Vocalist and drummer Edu Orcahammer comes close to matching the unhinged ferocity of Mike Williams’ vocal delivery before the cigarettes and substance abuse rendered his vocals intolerable. The marginally faster paced “My Ruin” also pays homage to Williams and co., displaying a hardcore influence from Eyehategod’s earliest releases. Another classic band with an obvious governance on Voul’s sound is Melvins, with Edu’s drumming performance bearing a resemblance to the style of Dale Crover. In addition, the catastrophic doom of 1991s seminal release
Bullhead is clearly reflected in the eerie bass intros and unrelenting steamroller-like riffs that dominate “Infernal Factory” and “Lime Wall”, the latter bringing the journey of hardcore-tinged doom to a close with a monolithic epoch of epic proportions.
From a production perspective,
Concrete Cult again pays homage to the old-school methods with a distinctly murky mix and a guitar tone more viscous than bitumen. Listening to this album will have one feeling like they are wading through a quagmire, with every step becoming more laborious than the last. For those seeking variety and technicality, there might not be much to please here but those who don’t mind getting down and dirty will enjoy a solid debut from the Spanish sludgers, making it their mission to cast the genre back to the putrid depths from whence it spawned.
