5IVE
Hesperus
(Hydra Head)

UFOMAMMUT
Idolum
(Supernatural Cat)

MACHINIST
S/T
(Debello)

HEX MACHINE
Run to Earth
(Molsook)

CORPUS CHRISTII
Rising
(Moribund)

MUTE THE SILENCE
Cursed With Ambition 

(Venerate Industries)

SADAHARU
Resist.Revolt.Reclaim

(CI)

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They say Italians do it better. I am going to plead total ignorance, pretend I don’t get the joke and ask the question; so what is it that Italians do better? Manufacture luxury cars? Design smooth looking furniture? Elect more unscrupulous politicians? Make arthouse films? Or make rocking music? From all the questions posed I’d be eager to check all of the above but the last.  But all that may just be about to change with the latest batch of releases from the Supernatural Cat label. I have already gone into the bizarre likes of Morkobot and the somber expansions and retractions of Lento, so now is the turn of the most veteran band of them all; Ufomammut.   As the handful of Americans who got into their game via the likes of their collaborative work with Lento (Super Naturals Record One) or their previous releases 2000’s Godlike Snakes, 2004’s Snailking or 2006’s Lucifer Songs, are already aware, this is one band to watch for. If you were among them and already consider yourself a fan, I am glad to inform you that Idolum dwarfs all their releases in the span of one song.

As Idolum opens with “Stigma” Ufomammut’s heavy fucking guitars just get heavier and heavier. And just when you think there is no more room for heaviness or space for guitars, these bambinos just keep on stuffing the record like this is some sort of aural stromboli. In the past I was intrigued by Ufomammut’s sound, but it was either the almost deplorable recordings or the inconclusiveness of their music that failed to solidify their psychedelic doom. It is no coincidence that Idolum seems to be their first album that is being properly promoted in the States. This is one fucker to be proud of.

Sonically, few albums achieve this girth without blowing speakers or self-distorting their structure into absurd noise.  Idolum, which is a Latin word for both ‘ghost’ and ‘idea’, was recorded at Milan’s Magnolia Studio and it proudly displays such a fatass bottom sound it would make Divine proud.  Also, Ufomammut has made good use of the available facilities which has aided in the fulfillment of the band’s expansionist (read; experimentalist or psychedelic) desires. On “Ammonia” they introduce operatic vocals with the aid of British vocalist Rose Kemp and the result is profound, devastating, and thanks God, totally void of cheese. Like most tri-dimensional doom records Idolum is best when absorbed with patience, which pays off when the record is closed with such a fucking humongous piece as “…Elephantom”. It is well worth the wait.

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