71TONMAN – Of End Times (Absolute Funeral Sludge)
In spite of having one of the absolute worst band names I’ve ever heard of (seriously, come on guys wtf), 71TONMAN absolutely destroy, even though they bring it slow. Of End Times is my first exposure to their work, and, combining the drag of funeral doom combined with the edgier push of sludge, they make me wonder even more why they have such an absolutely horrid name. Why 71 tons specifically? Why a man? I don’t want to know the answer, so please let me be, I just want to listen to more.
In spite of being a mere four tracks, Of End Times is a monolithic look at slow-paced, hate-filled, doom presented in a thick bog of liquified angst peat. This is musical catastrophe, figuratively speaking, flattening the listener into dust with an apocalyptic march that never ends, yet each track has its own distinct voice. One of the best details about this one is the vocal variety. We’ve got everything going on here from depth so low you’ll swear it’s a force of nature rather than human, to shrieking and shouting. At times the music is given full due and the vocals take a much needed death nap, but when they return it’s a static charge to a dead heart; momentarily lifting, but then the disgust sinks in again. Definitely a buy.
Written by Stanley, Devourer of Souls
71TONMAN – Of End Times
Transcending Obscurity Records
Cover Art: André Trindade (CVSPE)
4.7 / 5
