Haarp

New Orleans sludge/doom metal outfit Haarp return with Husks, their three-track follow-up to their exceptional 2010 debut full-length, The Filth. Clocking in at 40 minutes, Husks is an unrelenting onslaught of low and thick, groove-heavy riffs that are at once depressing and engaging, embodying an insane amount of hopelessness, decay, hatred and self-loathing. "Deadman/Rabbit" is an 18-minute composition, featuring a combination of slow rhythms and fast riffs, as well as vocalist Shaun Emmons' disdain-filled, raspy growls that anchor the track in pure hostility. "Bear" is more of a classic sludge number, with strong, furious grooves that build and dissipate, then build again in a vicious cycle, while "Fox" is a slow, doomy dirge, encompassing oppressive and despair-soaked guitar tones that end Husks on a beautifully bitter note. Produced by Phil Anselmo, the record features raw and filthy muddiness, showcasing Haarp's classic, uncompromising approach to doom-infused sludge, as well as NOLA-bred anger and intensity.