Sloth Herder are a blackened grind outfit from Maryland and Pennsylvania, whose name is as amusing as their music is heavy. You may notice I don't post much grind or many variations on it. I'm not sure why that is, but these days I'm just not finding too many fast-paced bands that really impress me. That said, Sloth Herder have my full attention with this ferocious release.
This album is aggressive in a wild way. Most bands with an introductory track will use it to lure the listener into a false sense of safety or just to build up. Sloth Herder's intro track bludgeons with style, just as much as any of the other tracks on this meaty album. It's slightly slower, but equally heavy to the rest of the album in its own way. As soon as the first "proper" track kicks in, the album sets a breakneck pace with plenty of solid sections for the required amount of headbanging on an album like this. I'm also really glad to actually hear the bassist in the mix, as that's a piece of the puzzle that often gets blended into the rest of the music in a lot of metal albums. I can distinguish each instrument, and I can feel the tension, as if Sloth Herder are collectively holding each other back from jumping into the audience and attacking. It's nice to see bands building intensity without just letting loose one hundred percent of the time, and Sloth Herder seem to have a stellar balance. The music's always fast and heavy, but there's just enough restraint to keep it interesting. Excess for excess's sake does no good for anybody, and it's apparent that Sloth Herder got the memo. The balance of sounds on this album works perfectly and even satisfies my ears, despite my general apathy towards grind and similar genres. Good work gents.
I'm not currently aware of a link for physical purchase, but you can pay the amount you see fit on their bandcamp page. Download this rager today and impress all your friends.
