• Slomatics

    Off the back of their trouncing new LP Strontium Fields, the Belfast prog-doom titans sit down with Pádraic Grant to talk sci-fi, analogue synths and two decades of sonic expansion Photos by Sean McMahon ​​Twenty years into their existence, Slomatics have entered a new phase. Over six albums, countless splits and EPs, their fuzzed-out sound has grown in complexity and scope. Emerging from the chaos of the pandemic, latest release Strontium Fields, sees the trio – guitarists David Majury, Chris Couzens and vocalist/drummer Marty Harvey – push beyond the doom-stoner-fuzz continuum to blossom into an experimental rock unit as likely…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – 8th September

    It’s another big week for Irish music, from the latest installment of island-wide compilation A Litany of Failures, to new releases from Slomatics, Elaine Malone, Dollops, girlfriend. and more Slomatics – Strontium Fields Strontium Fields by Slomatics Elaine Malone – Pyrrhic Pyrrhic by Elaine Malone Dollops – Wire and Wood Wire and Wood by Dollops A Litany of Failures: Volume IV A Litany of Failures: Volume IV by Litany Of Failures girlfriend. – In Silence In Silence by girlfriend. Niall McDowell – Start Again Sprints – Up And Comer Soda Blonde – Dream Big Dream Big by Soda Blonde

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – 27th August

    It’s been another great week for new releases in every corner of the island. Delve into the best of the lot, featuring JYellowL, Ciaran Lavery, Jennifer Moore, Claire Guerin & Eamon Ivri, Leo Miyagee, Emperor of Ice Cream and more.   JYellowL – See Me Finish Ciaran Lavery & Soft Sports – Happiness EP Jennifer Moore – Channels Of Time Channels of Time by Jennifer Moore Claire Guerin & Eamon Ivri – Entropy ​​Entropy by Claire Guerin & Eamon Ivri Emperor of Ice Cream – Weather Vane Weather Vane single by Emperor of Ice Cream Leo Miyagee – Act III…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – March 5th

    It’s been yet another banner week for Irish music. Dig into the best new sounds of the past seven days below, featuring new sounds from Choice Music Prize Album of the Year winner Denise Chaila with God Knows and MuRli, Lighght, Laurie Shaw, Kojaque, Tolü Makay, CATALAN! and more God Knows x Denise Chaila x MuRli – Water Hatfield Field – Survival Is Triumph Enough EP Survival Is Triumph Enough by Hatchet Field Laurie Shaw – Forest Floor Forest Floor (Single) by Laurie Shaw Slomatics – Kaān Split with Ungraven by Slomatics Tolü Makay – Used To Be Conchur White…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – February 5th

    It’s the day we’ve all been waiting for: the first Bandcamp Friday of 2021. If you’re going to pick up some great new Irish music, best make it today. Here’s our round-up of the best new tracks, LPs & comps from Woven Skull, The Department of Energy, Bangers ‘n’ Breakups, Arvo Party, Joshua Burnside x Sorbet, Slomatics, Any Joy, Tolü Makay & more. Woven Skull – Space City: Live In Glasgow Woven Skull – Space City – Live In Glasgow by Woven Skull The Department of Energy – Lee Lines (Landscape Mixtape) Lee Lines (Landscape Mixtape) by The Department of…

  • Monday Mixtape: Slomatics

    Belfast’s primary exponents of titanically heavy sludge, Slomatics, give us a rundown of some of their all-time essential tracks, from krautrock through to horror OSTs. Hawkwind – The Watcher Live Hawkwind albums can be a real mixed bag, and even for fans with as low a quality threshold as me they can be fairly disappointing. I’d avoided The ‘99 Party Live for years as I assumed it was recorded in 1999, a bit of a low point for the band, but this was actually recorded during Lemmy’s last tour with the band in ‘74 when the concept of 1999 was still very futuristic, and…

  • Curfew Festival Announced For Twelfth of July

    Making its return for the first time in many years, Belfast’s alternative, inclusive Twelfth of July proceeding Curfew, takes place across two of Belfast’s finest small venues – The Black Box & Voodoo. The whole day is kindly run by original runner Pete Jez’ Solid Choice Industries. In direct opposition of ‘the other one’, we don’t have to pretend to enjoy the rad tunes. The only cultural division to be seen is in the cross-genre venue booking -Voodoo is set to host the riff-centric acts, headed by Dublin’s synth-driven space-metal trio No Spill Blood, sludgy heavy rock trio Slomatics, Dublin hardcore act Destriers, space punks Wild Rocket, sludge-doom act Nomadic…

  • Doomed & Stoned in Ireland

    Since its inception, international metal blog Doomed & Stoned has went to great lengths to appraise and give voice to the heft-inclined communities across time and space throughout its sprawling back catalogue of compilations, from obvious hotspots like Portland, to 70s proto-doom, to current day Asia. Incredibly, they’re all available on Bandcamp, on a name-your-price basis. Being one of our most fertile and certainly overlooked creative grounds, it’s vindicating then, that no less than 24 tracks from all corners of Ireland’s doom, stoner & sludge scene comprise Doomed & Stoned In Ireland, the latest in the series. Outright sludge-doom exports like Nomadic Rituals and Slomatics, who’ve played stoner Mecca –  Roadburn Festival – and beyond, are represented alongside…