Demonic Death Judge: The Trail

There’s something about this band that reminds me of Cormac McCarthy’s dark westerns. Maybe it’s the way the band’s name makes me think of Judge Holden (from the novel Blood Meridian), a character that could easily be described as a demonic death judge. Or maybe it’s the way the cover art suggests a calm and peaceful landscape that is really a treacherous ridge that is just as likely to kill you as anything else. For an album called The Trail, it’s odd that there’s no clear way to go. And yet, with Demonic Death Judge as your guide, you might just make it. They are the perfect road companion.

This is the band’s fourth album and it shows off a band clearly hitting their stride. The music is big and bold, full of riffs and grooves that are as intense as they are infectious. If you haven’t heard this band, they could reasonably be called a sludgier version of bands like The Sword, only they trade out the clear vocals for a raspy, distorted sound that suits this band perfectly.

If you’re into stoner / sludge, check out this album. My favorite tracks were “Hardship� and “Shapeshifting Serpents,� but the whole album is worth hearing.

Track Listing:
1. Cougar Charmer
2. Filthy as Charged
3. Hardship
4. Elevation
5. Shapeshifting Serpents
6. Flood
7. Fountain of Acid
8. Cougar Charmer (Reprise)
9. The Trail
10. We Have to Kill

Added: August 19th 2020
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Bandcamp Page
Hits: 716
Language: english

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