Review: Slimelord ‘The Delta Death Sirens’ EP
Originally released back in June of 2019, (ah those good old pre death-virus days), the debut EP from UK death/doom merchants Slimelord has seen a re-release through Sewer Rot Records last September on cassette. That sold out rapidly, and so it has fallen to Dry Cough Records to enlighten the masses to this EP, and they will be releasing a vinyl edition in March/April of 2021. It’s a perfect time to revisit The Delta Death Sirens, and marvel at the darkness within…
Opener Insectoid – The Summoning may only be just over a minute long but it manages to set a scene for you rather well. Spacey effects fade in and out, creating a gnawing dread that something otherworldly is on its way. Magical? Cosmic? Horrific? Well, Demon’s Blood/Horrible Bog answers that with a tortured riff from the depths of the swampiest swamp.
I was kind of surprised when I saw this was death/doom and yet the tracks weren’t seven to twenty minutes long. But Slimelord have definitely nailed the sound. Each guitar riff feels like it is being wrung from pain itself, while the guttural vocals belch pure nihilism through that iconic feedback howl. This is the kind of song that when I hear, I instantly say to myself ‘hook this shit directly into my veins and let me LIVE it!’.
Each guitar riff feels like it is being wrung from pain itself, while the guttural vocals belch pure nihilism through that iconic feedback howl…
Amphibia follows with even more of this agonising, glorious brutality, drawing deep from the fetid wells of early Incantation. Slimelord have found a way to recreate those early 90s death/doom atmospheres brilliantly, and it never feels artificial.
The brief, eerie pause before the riffs come back in is an awesome pacing moment, while the title track builds itself upon its driving opening riff and uses it as a lynchpin to mold a monstrous piece around. The bending, swooning melody that sidewinds its way through this track is deeply unsettling, and when Slimelord show their first true turn of pace, the death metal presented is intense and dense. Also, give me ALL of that solo agony coursing through the end.
The Delta Death Sirens shows in its eighteen minutes exactly why it has needed to be rereleased so many times. Slimelord‘s work is special, and hopefully there will not be too long to wait until a full length follow up is due. Sign me up for that, because if it has the swampy, sullen fire that this has, it’ll be staggering.
Label: Dry Cough Records
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
Scribed by: Sandy Williamson
