Slugdge's Gastronomicon is a post-modernist Black/Death/Sludge Metal masterpiece, that can only exist today, due to the establishment of tropes. Matt Ross and Kev Pearson are the Dan Harmon of the Metal scene and unfortunately like Mr. Harmon, isn't given enough attention. For those who don't know what is postmodernism, may have difficulties in reading this post but here's a short definition, courtesy of Lord Google;
noun: postmodernism; noun: post-modernism
- a late 20th-century style and concept in the arts, architecture, and criticism, which represents a departure from modernism and is characterized by the self-conscious use of earlier styles and conventions, a mixing of different artistic styles and media, and a general distrust of theories.
There are many ways this band reminds me of Dan Harmon's Community. It takes the conventions, typically seen their respective media. Dan Harmon takes the tropes he has seen through television and movies while Slugdge takes the over the top lyrics of bands singing Lovecraftian themes, mythology, cosmic dangers and blends all of them to create their own folklore, with intergalactic cosmic slug conquerors in the place of Chthulu this time.
Using that gimmick and not going so serious about it, the bands glorifies these tropes, celebrates them as it is the identity of the subculture, while pulling off something comedic. We don't laugh at the tropes, we laugh at the comedy created through the tropes. Just like how Community, glorifies pop culture and nerdery (for a lack of a better term) making you laugh along with the nerds, rather than laughing AT the nerds like a certain TV show. How can one not feel the majesty of the Ancient Slug One when reading quotes like this;
Using that gimmick and not going so serious about it, the bands glorifies these tropes, celebrates them as it is the identity of the subculture, while pulling off something comedic. We don't laugh at the tropes, we laugh at the comedy created through the tropes. Just like how Community, glorifies pop culture and nerdery (for a lack of a better term) making you laugh along with the nerds, rather than laughing AT the nerds like a certain TV show. How can one not feel the majesty of the Ancient Slug One when reading quotes like this;
"Rhaexorog the lord of all protector of what lies beyond
the greatest of the chosen ones, anointed of the netherslugs "
And not laugh at the same time that the destruction of our universe and galaxy is at the hands of a creature known to be killed by our Grandmothers using kitchen salt in our garden. Surely somewhere out there a little kid is screaming "ewww" while pouring salt all over these slimy creatures (You're welcome, now you have your weekend schedule filled). At that point, the band is not what you are laughing at, but the actual content of the lyrics. As if rewarding us, the bands uses puns as reference to great bands of yesterday, as an audio equivalent of a battle vest.
Exactly how Community is already fun as it is, but you could spot the Stanley Kubrick or West Wing references in the episodes, you will get an extra kick and feel special. Dan Harmon managed to pull in the people who understood those complicated reference in the background and make them belonged in the universe of Community.
They feel as if they are part of that universe, a universe that understands their sense of humor and that is what this band is also doing through their lyrics and song titles. Salters of Madness is truly streets ahead. Same as the lyric content, you feel as if you were pulled into that universe. What may seem as something alien, becomes familiar to you as only the ones who know the genre conventions know where it is heading.
Exactly how Community is already fun as it is, but you could spot the Stanley Kubrick or West Wing references in the episodes, you will get an extra kick and feel special. Dan Harmon managed to pull in the people who understood those complicated reference in the background and make them belonged in the universe of Community.
They feel as if they are part of that universe, a universe that understands their sense of humor and that is what this band is also doing through their lyrics and song titles. Salters of Madness is truly streets ahead. Same as the lyric content, you feel as if you were pulled into that universe. What may seem as something alien, becomes familiar to you as only the ones who know the genre conventions know where it is heading.
Where slugs roam free
Just like the elaborate set-up, and the genre pastiche that Community uses, Slugdge were not afraid to combine every single influence they have and they wear it proud. Community uses the sitcom format while presenting tributes to Mad Max, John Woo action movies, and Doctor Who being channeled through Inspector Spacetime, while Slugdge doesn't give a fuck about the genre conventions and did something honestly original.
While primarily using Death Metal as their template, the Black Metal influence comes in the tremolo, and the atmosphere, reminding me of mid-era Behemoth. Rather than purely blasting their way through with double bass and picking up the pace like Nile, the band balances their slow parts in the verses with blistering speed only when necessary.
In fact, at times, the band sounds doomy and may very well stay in the mid-paced Death/Doom region but then all of a sudden Black Metal comes in to rip off your face. The sound resembles exactly their subject matter of slugs. They may come off slow when you see them from a far, but when you look at their gross faces you, feel as if you were just sucked at rapid pace into that horrendous black hole of terror.
Then when you thought that the tracks were just on the brutal end of the spectrum, clean operatic vocals strike in. Like God Dethroned's In The Sign of the Iron Cross, the clean vocals serves as a menacing though of how majestic is this. In any good pseudo-opera vocals, the clean vocals in this album were served with echo, simulating an experience where the music consumes you and surrounds you, despite being in a massive cavern.
Just when you thought they ran out of tricks, songs like The Sound of Mucus come in and play a hard hitting Sludge tempo and catchy riffs, that could easily remind you the heavier tracks of Kylesa. The semi clean vocals on this part sounds less operatic and visceral, as if trying to remind you that the threat you are about to see is real and will cause grievous hurt.
Just like Slugs, real versions of college aren't that fun. Slugs must be spelled with capitals now.
All in all, Slugdge just like Community, can even be enjoyed even if you were to just enjoyed Death Metal for a year. Maybe you would pass it off as another record, just as many decides to skip this and watch Parks & Rec instead but you cannot deny the brilliance of it. However, it's the ones that understood what were the band was talking about and why did Dan Harmon decide to pull off an action movie in a 30 minute sitcom with paintballs, that will enjoy the full extend of this record.
Oh, did I mention it was free on their bandcamp? It's free!
Bandcamp: http://slugdge.bandcamp.com/
Slugdge: https://www.facebook.com/Slugdge
If you are too lazy to download:
Terence A. Anthony commutes between Kuala Lumpur and Kuching. Co-Founder of Aural Chaos. He also writes for Greater Malaysia and Opinions Unleashed.