Sorge - EP

Sorge - EP

Self released - 2020

Doom, sludge, gothic, psych

Rated: *****

Hailing from the capital swamp of Washington, DC, five-piece Sorge unleash a storm of epic, enigmatic doom on their debut EP. Composed of four tracks over six minutes each, Sorge's unique sound melds a wide range of influences and styles together seamlessly, drawing from gothic doom, sludge, occult, and psych to create a haunting and affecting release. Opener "Faith of a Heretic" draws the listener in with eerie synths and powerful, tortured vocals that steal the show whenever their wail is brought out in full force. The pounding drums and tectonic low end slowly build the mournful and mysterious atmosphere, eventually pierced by painfully slow, keening guitar that cuts through the noise like a knife. The low and slow trudge then turns into a crushing, gravelly distorted roll complete with yet more emotive guitar work in a soaring solo. Such a mind blowing first cut sets the bar ambitiously high, and is confidently passed with ease on following track and album highlight "A Horse in Turin". A nightmarish soundscape is painted with lamenting vocals and grandiose keys, taken straight from the organs of some massive church hall. It all slowly rises to a nearly overwhelming climax, as screams of "oblivion" usher in crashing, thundering drums and rumbling guitars. Blastbeats soon combine with synths to create a hair-raising finale, and that's only the halfway point of the album. Remaining tracks "Argent" and "Astral Burnout" further flesh out the previous cuts' themes and experiment with even more, including drone, spaced out keys, and even some up-tempo stoner riffage. Sorge's debut EP is an epic slab of doom completely on its own weird, dark wavelength, thick with unsettling, occultic atmosphere while pummeling with raw emotion and titanic riffs. Without question, a contender for debut of the year.

(Written by Shasta Beast)

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