SAVAGE REALM
Nocturnal Savagery CS
01. So As Below
02. Poveglia
03. The Sea Of Claws
04. Sacred Grove
Downtuned to hell sludgy metallic hardcore filth from Lich and Art Of Burning Water members. Think Enewetak, Cattle Press, Unruh and Dystopia.
Released August 1st, 2016.
First press 103 tapes.
Second press by Heavenly Vault Records of 50 tapes.
Reviews
Lich (RIP) already did the whole 'effortlessly heaviest band in the UK' thing for a few years, and now four members have decided to give it another shot as Savage Realm, who are resuming business by swapping out some of the crust/sludge leanings for hazy, otherworldly, hideously detuned death metal. The woozy tremolo melodies in 'The Sea Of Claws' and 'So As Below' sound like they’re being melted, and although they play loose in parts, it's a case of giving you enough rope to slip around your neck before snapping tight with grinding, mechanical indifference. The guitars plummet down in to a gloopy murk so thick they don't need copious amounts of distortion, so far down that you might miss the devastating beatdowns that they sneak in in between grim blasts and cavernous atmospherics. Every one of the four tracks is saturated with grisly character and conviction, and it’s hard to fathom who would dislike this, such is the quality.
- Routine Stomps
I would find it hard to review this without pointing out that Savage Realm is 4/5 members of Lich, so if you are familiar with aforementioned band then it’s a good starting point for what to expect, if not then this is murky, downtuned, heavy and metallic with unholy vocals. Savage Realm have a much more pronounced Death Metal influence with occasional twin tremolo guitars riffing and harmonising, but still the Dystopia-esque misery throughout. Fantastically heavy live, punishing recording and the tape has killer artwork and sounds great.
- Collective-Zine