Doubleplusungood - Loathsome Christ

Doubleplusungood is a sludge/doom metal project from the owner of Doomslayer records, Eric Crowe.  The moniker’s debut release is the debut album, “Loathsome Christ.”  I suppose it is more of a compilation per say but, regardless, it is over 55 minutes of music so as far as I’m concerned, it’s a full-length album.

The three songs that comprise this album were originally created under the banner Her Name Is Death and remained hidden away for over 20 years!   Crowe has re-recorded them and has brought them to the surface.  These three songs are nasty, and the light will do nothing to remove their darkness.  This is abrasive, festering extreme doom/sludge and there isn’t anything safe about it.

The project’s name actually comes from the novel 1984, where language is disintegrating and words are being built using smaller words.  It’s a dystopian notion and that fits right at home with this music. I like the production and mix a lot.  It isn’t overly raw like some toilet level black metal recording, but it is obviously not coated with a shiny, bright sheen.  These songs are not built for that–it needs something filthy to really let it breathe out its fumes and that’s what is taking place here. 

Each of the songs is long with no real structure—it’s sludge but with the mindset of funeral doom.  This isn’t background noise:  each song is extremely potent with a lot of detail that needs to be absorbed.  But be aware: if you stare into the darkness, it can stare into you.  But isn’t that the true purpose of underground metal?  Shouldn’t metal be uncomfortable?  Especially the doom and sludge genres?  Resounding yes.  

The first song, “Wraith of the Lamb,” has a long intro, which is something I want to hear on sludge/doom of this caliber.  If this song started with more immediacy, the potency would be lost.  Half the charm of this genre is the lumbering longing and trepidation that comes with such a buildup.  With a harrowing scream at the 2:14 mark, the anticipation gives way to sobering reality.  The moment has arrived and there is nothing you can do about it except let it wash over you.  Except this song doesn’t wash—it watches you drown, pulls your bloated corpse onto solid land then steamrolls you.  I love the tone of the instruments: super heavy but not overly crunchy, retaining the abrasive density of sludge.  The next five minutes are a steady stream of each instrument crushing over and over.  The mid-section changes the presentation of the music but not the tone.  This section could be called ambient I suppose but that doesn’t fit quite right.  It’s more of a bridge to the other said with great usage of liminal spaces and minimalism.  Sometimes less is more, right?   At the 9:32 mark, the heavier side of the song’s walls begin to cave back in, like crush syndrome but from the inside out. 

The title track is a nearly 21-minute behemoth with such a sinister vibe, especially in the beginning with the tones, bass, and spacious drumming generating what I can only describe as a ‘musical void.’  This serenade of darkness rings out alongside the vocals, the bass and drums putting them up on this sacrificial pedestal.  This whole passage lasts minutes and seems never-ending (in a good way), my ears trapped in this echo chamber of endless darkness.  There are some subtle changes in this song, brought on by the drums and the interaction of the low-end tones as they ever so slightly change the atmospheric landscape.  This song is much sparser in terms of tempo and riffs than the previous song but offers even more depth because the structure allows even the moments between the notes to be just as loud. A lot of people may not understand what I mean or even be able to handle a song like this, but if you know, you know. 

The final song, “Warren’s Dead,” is absolutely dreadful (again, in a good way). Instead of traditional vocals, this song uses sound clips, and it certainly adds to the horrific nature of the song.  This one is probably the most dystopian of the three, which says a lot and it is a demanding song.  The instruments are like a brutal storm put into music, an unstoppable probability that just hangs over the unfortunate.  The middle passage is great—it’s always difficult to make drums seem atmospheric but it’s pulled off exceptionally so here.

All in all, Doubleplusungood’s “Loathsome Christ,” is an unforgiving piece of sludge/doom that asks for much from the listener but also gives generously as well.  This album’s very nature means it won’t be enjoyed by just anyone but if this is your style, it has nearly bottomless depth to drive into.  Just make sure you can get back out…..

Rating:  Great