Mammoth Storm – Fornjot

Mammoth Storm – Fornjot

Napalm/PIAS – 2015

Metal, Sludge, Stoner, Doom

Rated: ***

Draconian. The other band of guitar player Daniel Arvidsson is much more gothic and classic sounding. So the man had to found a new band to explore all his sludge and stoner ideas. Mammoth Storm is that band and with Fornjot they follow up their 2014 Rite Of Ascension release and with which we are treated to almost typical Scandinavian metal with sludge and stoner influence and olden tales from the homeland. Tight repetitive riffs that grind away and melodies that lean towards epic doom. There is little wrong with the Fornjot release, yet there is also little that really sticks out. Don’t be mistaken, the record is thoroughly enjoyable and with truly aggressive bass work, thunderous drums and boisterously down and dark guitars, this is everything a Mammoth Storm should sound like. But there is something lacking to make this adventure really memorable. The heavy riffs are there, the booming rhythms and damn fine folkloristic lyrics too, so I am sure that it’s just me and all of you lovely freaks out there will be massively in love with the album after the final tones of opening track Augurs Echo die away…

(Written by JK)

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Mammoth Storm – Rite of Ascension

Mammoth Storm – Rite of Ascension                
Self Released 2014
Doom, Sludge 
Rated: ***

Rite of Ascension, the effort laid forth by Sweden’s newcomers Mammoth Storm lay their cards out on the table quite early in the form of two tracks of menacing, plodding doom metal. This particular doom shimmy recalls the likes of Sleep and Warhorse, the former by way of a gruff, stoned vocal delivery and the latter in the form of thick, grimy doom metal riffs that may or may not leave thin resin cake on your ears. Whether or not one should smoke said resin cake is up to the listener but the high times certainly permeate the recording session. What the title track may lack in variation is made up for in mind-swerving doom riffage. Second track “Obscure Horizon”, thankfully varies up the proceedings by splicing in quieter moments and introducing some phased-out guitar soloing that lends just enough psychedelic flavor to keep the track above water. Mammoth Storm have some work to do in the songwriting department, but the sheer devotion to sludgy stoner doom is unquestionably, and welcome...

 

(Written by Matthew McGarity)

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