Gruel – “Gruel” – [At War With False Noise]

UK sludge metal band which draws from doom metal, post-metal, stoner metal, and dark ambient. 4 songs, each about 15 minutes. The music reminds me (at times) of mid-90s neurosis, but the vocals sound like Lemmy Kilmister vomiting. The guitar is mostly heavy, and the drums are mostly simple and pounding. All tracks include passages of dark ambience, including chanting, ceremonial percussion, and field recordings from French caves and the coast of England. The abstract lyrics are mostly unintelligible, but the imagery includes birth, death, blood, fire, night, despair, and the band’s own dark mythology. Track 3 is faster and thrashier than the others.