DEEPSLEEPER – EP + BLEAK (2016)
Lamenting, dejected heavy crust has been thin on the ground in the UK, but Deepsleeper from Plymouth are bringing about change with their initial efforts. Mature post-metal dissolves seamlessly in to their gruff sound, with a percussion free, Justin Broadrick styled introduction firmly establishing a wide, earthy tone and a torturous method of persistent smothered chugging that unravels across the two tracks of their EP, most of which is taken up by the marathon ‘Black Bile’. Thematically, they sit alongside xRepentancex with a fellow nihilistic vegan stance, but it makes more sense to trace their roots back through bands like Year Of The Flood, Fall of Efrafa and naisian. Standalone track ‘Bleak’ hauls unwieldy slabs of sludge out of a droning mire before snapping in to fast dbeat action with only a fraction of the track left. Fingers crossed they keep up the diversity moving forward.
Routine Stomps 