Ten Ton Slug – Colossal Oppressor
Ten Ton Slug – Colossal Oppressor
Self-Released
Release Date: 01/05/24
Running Time: 41:09
Review by Paul Hutchings
9/10
It’s been a few years since the sheer groove and riffage of Irish Doom / Death / Sludge trio Ten Ton Slug blew a hole in the side of my head at Doom Vs Stoner, one of those events run by the maligned HRH agency. While the Slug have two weighty EPs available in Brutal Gluttonous Beast and Blood & Slime, there’s something a bit special about the debut long-player.
Such is the demand for the band’s music that some variants of the vinyl for Colossal Oppressor sold-out within days of release. Pulling through the culmination of five years of work, this is a gargantuan release, firmly cementing the band’s cult status, and hopefully providing them with a wider audience with which to share their sound.
If you wanted a short three-word review, it would just say “Riffs, Fucking Riffs” for it is absolutely saturated with crushing power. The screaming guttural roars of singer Rónán Ó hArrachtáin fit the band’s filthy low-end sound perfectly. The songs are massive in sound and composition, Pavol Rosa’s bass pummelling in harmony with the drums of Kelvin Doran, paving the way from Sean Sullivan’s thick riffage to inflict maximum damage.
Bringing in the legendary Karl Willetts on ‘Brutus’ is a masterstroke, his instantly recognisable delivery adding another edge and dimension to the song. There’s a clever interlude on ‘Ghosts of the Ooze’, and a magnificent and epic finale to conclude matters with ‘Morgore the Unkind’.
This is a magnificent album, full of the spine crushing sludgery that one hoped they would eventually deliver. Even though as a gardener I am in an eternal battle with the slimy oozing bastards, this remains an album that will threaten my top ten come December. Chilling artwork thanks to Adam Burke at Nightjar Illustration and a cohesive and solid production make “Colossal Oppressor” a must hear release.
TRACKLISTING:
01. The Ooze
02. Balor
03. Ancient Ways
04. Brutus
05. Mindless and Blind
06. Ghosts of the Ooze
07. Mallacht an tSloda
08. Mogore the Unkind
LINE-UP:
Rónán Ó hArrachtáin – Vocals
Pavol Rosa – Bass
Sean Sullivan – Guitars/Vocals
Kelvin Doran – Drums*
*All drums written and arranged by Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin
LINKS:
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