Staunton, VA sludge act Diseased Earth have kept busy since their 2014 inception, with consistent shows, two demos, an EP and last year's release, Promo 2017. Now, the band offer up their long-awaited debut, Bleeding of the Light, which features seven tracks that incorporate blackened doom and dense sludgy harshness with airy, captivating melodies.
"Willow Tree" starts the record off with piercing feedback that leads into a crushing, groove-laden riff. The relentless and visceral aggression of Travis Simmons' vocals is jarring, as it transitions between sinister shrieks and raw gutturals, which contrast the crisp, blazing guitar leads. "5'13 on Kerosene" and "A Temporal Husk" are particularly despondent and gloomy, while tracks like "May the Old Gods Starve" and "Graven Images" pick up the pace with catchy riffs that combine stoner-style spacy tones with thrashy rhythms.
Throughout Bleeding of the Light, there's a clear dichotomy of clean and muddy, light and dark in the sound that plays into the album's themes. And while Diseased Earth experiment with different styles, influences and dynamics, there's a thoughtful cohesion to this record that is quite impressive.
(Independent)"Willow Tree" starts the record off with piercing feedback that leads into a crushing, groove-laden riff. The relentless and visceral aggression of Travis Simmons' vocals is jarring, as it transitions between sinister shrieks and raw gutturals, which contrast the crisp, blazing guitar leads. "5'13 on Kerosene" and "A Temporal Husk" are particularly despondent and gloomy, while tracks like "May the Old Gods Starve" and "Graven Images" pick up the pace with catchy riffs that combine stoner-style spacy tones with thrashy rhythms.
Throughout Bleeding of the Light, there's a clear dichotomy of clean and muddy, light and dark in the sound that plays into the album's themes. And while Diseased Earth experiment with different styles, influences and dynamics, there's a thoughtful cohesion to this record that is quite impressive.
