It’s Monday and Mondays suck, so let’s grind it out with an album premiere from Wallowing entitled Planet Loss.
For those that like it when I post bands that have longer songs and more variations beyond guitar and drum rigs that sound like exploding aerosol cans, I think you’re going to like what we have in store today: a heavy slab of sludge and grind, with plenty of the noisy bits to go with it.
If you haven’t heard of Brighton, UK’s Wallowing (who contains members from: Aerosol Jesus, Surya, Herd Mover, Prisa Mata, and King Goat), that’s not a huge surprise since the only material up until now has been a 2018 demo entitled II: Phosgene. I don’t know if there’s a I and I haven’t seen anyone else writing about it. Despite having a small repertoire, Wallowing sound fucking massive. Furthermore, the record is a science-fiction concept album that is “a self-aware perspective, all carefully crafted within an epic story of a small rebellion fighting its last battle against a ruling oppressive regime only to result in the end of civilization due to both parties own ignorance.” Which is furthermore also a six-panel comic created in collaboration with Astral Noize. Let’s get into the music.
Planet Loss is an album in six movements, all flowing effortlessly from one track into the next. “Prologue” and “Epilogue” are what you’d expect: moody slow-steering pieces. “Prologue” starts with barely a peep for a little while, and it’s almost like the band is building towards an Alien movie vibe. However, the noise begins to hit and in a little over two-minutes the first track crashes through the starboard side. “Earthless” lumbers forth like it’s doing so through cracked teeth, bleeding gums and blurry eyes. It’s the kind of track that already sounds like the battle is lost and the site is being surveyed. The feedback gets harsher, the melodic nature dies down, the momentum slowly picks up, falls, and picks up a few more times. It’s very Primitive Man, even when it sounds like it’s ready to become frantic. And then it does about six-minutes in.
“Phosgene” is where Wallowing’s sound really kicks into gear and suddenly it’s like the band is channelling Secret Cutter. Those looking for the grind, the demolition, the absolute war, this track is where the band gets in a mech and wrecks everything. It’s not a full-bore wrecker for four minutes, but it certainly brings haste and urgency. Its fuzz, its rift heft and its frenzy are building even when they’re going slow.
“Hail Creation” takes things back to the sludgy side of the moon. This time around things feel a little more like Indian or Thou. The melodies are downtrodden, even a feeling a little bluesy. However, the state of heavy remains throughout. Even when the band keeps it slower, they don’t lose their grinding edge.
“Vessel” starts out melodic and distorted, with only a little heaviness to back it up. Like the rest of the record, it gives over to the slower side of things. Feedback and high gain leads make their way into sometime more picturesque and beautiful. But slowly the band gives way with the beauty and embraces the heaviness once more. The track reads like mourning. And as it moves on, it breaks itself down further and further until it’s all a wall of noise.
Planet Loss is more sludge than grind, but that shouldn’t stop grind freaks from loving it. As a six-song movement, the record flow is sharp and hits that science fiction feeling it’s going for. Planet Loss’s 32-minutes fly by a lot faster than one might realize. If you like heavy and noisy, then Wallowing’s turned over a record you’re bound to love. And if you like your bands politically charged, well, I’ll post the song themes beneath this as provided by the labels (The Sludgelord and Black VooDoo Records). Get grinding on this one!
Song Themes:
"Earthless": The current political climate, the effects it has on the planet and its inhabitants.
"Phosgene": Racism, homophobia and discrimination as a whole.
"Hail Creation": Being born into a failing system.
"Vessel": Mental illness as well as the stigma around such issues.
Pre-orders are here. Pressing info is:
300 number of units x Slime green LP
Wallowing are touring alongside Monolithian over 12th – 15th September in support of Planet Loss (UK dates only):
12/9 – New River Studios, London
13/9 – Temple of Boom, Leeds
14/9 – Chameleon Cafe, Nottingham
15/9 – The Old England, Bristol
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Listen to the Monthly Grind on Spotify here.
