Artist: The Abominable Iron Sloth
Album: The Id Will Overcome
Genre: Sludge Metal
Label: Black Market Activities

With a name like The Abominable Iron Sloth, it’s apparent the listener is in for an interesting audible experience. Since forming in 2004 this Seattle-based, sludge metal band have undergone an abundance of line up changes, which ultimately led to their downfall. Shortly following the release of their well-received debut album in 2006, they disbanded due to financial difficulties and member altercations.  With the support of fans they decided to return with a sophomore album featuring a revamped lineup. Due to a series of delays they were unable to make their scheduled release in 2008. After a considerable wait, The Abominable Iron Sloth are finally nearing their 2^nd album entitled, The Id Will Overcome, on Black Market Activities.

Sludge metal flourished in the 90’s but has since dwindled and has found comfort on a lower plateau. The Abominable Iron Sloth precisely follows the architectural foundation of the genre by combining elements of doom metal with heavily distorted instruments. The Id Will Overcome employs slow tempos and a raw, abrasive sound. However after the intensity the opening track, “I Destroy,” greets you with slowly diminishes into lingering skepticism and even further into rubble. Each track consistently delivers a large amount of mind-numbing feedback. They do their job by creating an abrasive sound but quickly become tedious and even daunting to listen to. The dark and sludge-driven atmosphere is further executed with Justin Godfrey’s eerie screeching vocals but he never ventures from the same path and readily becomes repetitious.

The Id Will Overcome may not remotely compare to their debut album but this is without saying there a number of noteworthy additions. They drew their inspiration for the album from the band’s disdain towards humanity and views humans as a virus depleting the planet. Fittingly enough, they offer an interesting take of Charles Manson’s song, “Big Iron Door.” In just over a minute run time they are able to carry an intensity that they lack throughout the whole album. The opening bars start with a psychedelic atmosphere built by eerie clean singing and then the music ascends to a full assault of angsty screams and hard hitting drums. After a few memorable thick breakdowns and a fury of rage comes the questionable, “Heterodax Nonconformists.” The track comes in at a lengthy 14 minutes and offers nothing to evoke interest. An atmospheric feel is repeated by screeching noises and distortion. I’m unsure why anyone would enjoy sitting through it a first time, let alone on multiple occasions. Their anomalous song titles recapitulate but most memorable on the album closer, “The Timely Death of Billy Mays.”

Down tuned guitars, meaty distortion and an overall abrasive atmosphere build the backbone of, The Id Will Overcome. While at times, The Abominable Iron Sloth delivers a fierceness that’s crashes upon you with a magnitude of fury, unfortunately it isn’t consistent. The majority of the songs never culminate to anything spectacular or journey from the same path of droned out mediocrity.

Score: 4/10

Review written by: Nerissa Judd

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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