Lomera

This is a worthy debut EP from Sydney, New South Wales based stoner/sludge band Lomera. Opener "Hail the Storm" sets the mood low and slow, like the greatest of NOLA's swamp sludge heroes, but then "Architect vs. Instrument" gets positively upbeat, at a tempo even Kyuss fans can appreciate through their haze. But despite the upbeat speed, the sound is still heavy, bordering on sludge, the riffs intense and oppressive, the vocals one foreboding and smoky rasp after another. "No Way but the River" is as good as, say, second tier Down material, which is pretty darn good. Fourth and final track "There will be Blood" ends on a catchy and memorable note, almost approaching fun Danzig or White Zombie territory (the rockier of the former, the sludgier of the latter). The vocals are the weakest link in the band and even they aren't necessarily bad, just without much personality, unlike the killer riffs and personable drumming.