SARDONIS (s/t) LP
Originally released by MeteorCity a few months ago in April 2010, this is the strictly limited vinyl edition which is a co-release between Electric Earth Records, Heavy Birth and Hydro-Phonic Records. Hailing from Belgium, SARDONIS is an instumental duo consisting of drummer Jelle Stevens and guitarist Roel Paulussen. Their debut 7" EP was promising and therefore I was very curious to hear their first record. The songs of SARDONIS are based on heavy sludgy riffs, vintage tube amps and massive volume. This is why a bassist is not required, because Roel Paulussen's overpowering and filthy guitar tone makes sure that a bass is completely redundant. For me, there are, however, more important criterions which decide whether I like an album or not and that definitely includes the songs.
What pleasantly surprises me at this record is the fact that SARDONIS made every effort to record a relatively varied album. Due to this reason they draw on many influences, ranging from doom and thrash metal to punk and heavy rock. The final result is well above the sector average, even tough I think that this album sounds a little one-dimensional after some time. Something's just missing, and I am not sure exactly what it is. In principle, I am not against instrumental heavy bands, but here I get the feeling as if a vocalist would be an additional benefit. In all other respects, however, there's really not much to criticize. 'More Severe Things Await' is a nice acoustic song that helps replenish the dark atmosphere of the entire record and it adds a strong Sabbath-esque vibe to it. In sum, SARDONIS offer a relentless riff-o-rama that could be interesting for fans of bands like High On Fire or Weedeater.
(KK)