This split-album isn’t just some cheap re-release. It was originally released on 10” vinyl edition in 500 copies, and now it gets re-released with a bonus track done by each band involved with the split. Again in 500 copies only, by the way…
Actually, this material was (re-) released to celebrate SardoniS’ Japanese tour and so on, but who cares, besides a handful of Japanese Sludgers?...
The split opens with SardoniS’ contribution, which brings, first of all, the magic (instrumental) track The Ascending. It is another proof of Belgium’s superiority when it comes to massive Sludge stuff in general. This duo (Jelle Stevens and Roel Paulussen) did start this project in 2006 after having been active in diverse Hardcore and Metal bands, and SardoniS is some symbiosis of the best elements from their mutual past. It’s a sludgy yet mercilessly pounding experience, tank-ward through any eardrum, yet maintaining the original melodies into the overpowering heaviness of the structures. For sure a sonic pleasure to any Sludge-fan, especially those who like their material rather distinctive from the average (do I hear my chauvinistic side promote the excellent Belgian scene once again; yet one cannot ignore the superiority of our bands, can we?). The same goes for the rather simplistic yet still ingenious bonus track, To The Barn (which was originally released on the split with Tank86, by the way). To the point it is!
(recommended: for fans of everything in between Ufomammut, Saint Vitus, Black Cobra and Acid Witch)
Eternal Elysium are a pretty ‘old’ band, formed in Japan more than two decades ago and ‘owner’ of numerous splits and EP’s and, in mean time, five full length recordings. The trio combines elements from Proto-Doom / Doom-Rock, 70s Psychedelica, Stoner and Sludge, balancing in between experiments (including a handful of jazzy elements) and tradition (think: the basic elementary of, for example, Church Of Misery). It’s not another sabbathian experiment, yet one cannot ignore, again, those rather evident details. But since Japan is a ‘huge’ country as well when it comes to this kind of sweet lullabies, I cannot have the arrogance to ignore or deny this band’s excellent qualities, even though they lack of an own face. Besides, a track like Circulation, and then I’m referring to the finale of the track, expresses my love for the likes of some Saint Vitus-meet-Trouble-alike entity…
My preference goes out to the Belgian part of the split (88/100) rather than the Japanese side (75/100), but it’s a refreshing and well-thee-come addition to the currently über-growned promotion of Sludge / Doom / Stoner material.