In the case of Finnish sludge Fleshpress are still the unbeaten kings, although there are a few new hopeful bands like Frogskin or PAGANUS. This is their debut full-length, which has been released through Totalrust Music in 2007, and in contrast to Fleshpress this band is definitely more influenced by early Khanate than from Grief. Some parts of the the here included four songs sound, as if they come from an unissued Khanate demo. They have also a comparable guitar-sound, that is weighty and extremely downtuned, but despite the similarities this Finnish guy have more to offer than a soulless copy. Maybe one will need more spins to discover that, but then it's obvious that they use the sound from Khanate just as a foundation for their own ideas. Sometimes the vocals, for example have more in common with black metal, while the entire sound is closer to the sludge genre than to bands like Burzum and Swans. Although the album consists of only four tracks, the complete running time is close to 50 minutes so that this sonic soundscapes can unfold all their destructive negative energy. The powerful and fat production emphasis the brute heaviness of PAGANUS and fits perfectly to the sound. I recommend to listen more than once to this album, what makes it easier to realize the band's big potential. Fans of Khanate should check out this band immediately, but also all fans of sickening heavy sludge.
(KK)
www.paganus.kakofonia.org
www.totalrust-music.com