Bangalore metal has got a brand new release to rep it, and that’s coming from sludge and heavy rock band Shepherd, who, as the genre tag suggests, like to dive deep into heavy atmospheric guitars, a slow, hypnotic beat, and the grimiest bass grooves in town. They’ve even gone and given their first studio debut album the name Sterolithic Riffalocalypse, which is meant to hype the record. Tune in to the first track, ‘Spite Pit,’ which immediately establishes that Shepherd are one of the loudest three-member bands you’ll ever hear playing metal, with vocalist/guitarist Namit Chauhan seething, “I’m hidden in the pit.”
With Deepak Raghu on vocals and drums, Chauhan and Abhishek Michael on bass guitar, Shepherd are raucous at best with their live shows, bringing a wall of sound laced with the occasional rock ‘n roll guitar lick every now and then that is deservedly getting the band a lot of international attention. Songs like 'Crook', ‘Turdspeak’ and ‘Stalebait’ are the catchiest, heaviest songs off Stereolithic Riffalocalypse, one that mashes sludge with a bit of hardcore punk to give the former genre a new edge. It’s not just about dragging beats on for ages, as Shepherd proves on tracks like ‘Black Cock of Armageddon’, changing up the pace and throwing in one shred guitar solo after another. Their longest songs, ‘Stalebait’ and the title track ‘Stereolithic Riffalocalypse’, clock in over seven minutes and put Shepherd on the same level as any other global band playing sludge. If you’re a fan of psychedelic rock and never heard sludge, Stereolithic Riffalocalypse is your best introduction to the heavy, dirty world. It’s all out riff worship, much like Raghu’s other band, stoner/doom metallers Bevar Sea. It takes no time for anyone to guess both bands’ long list of influences includes the likes of Black Sabbath.
While each one of the cuts from the eight-track album is worth altering your mind, Stereolithic Riffalocalypse peaks with ‘Bog Slime’, with its crushing riffage that regularly mutates into guitar noise and Chauhan’s rage-filled vocals. It might not hold every metal fans’ fancy if they’re looking for technique and time-signatures, but Shepherd show the way to make one of the most memorable marks as an upcoming band – put out a solid album that’s snarling, gnarling and unsparing in its heaviness. Here’s hoping their flock grows.
Order the album from shepherd.sludge@gmail.com or shepherdrock.bandcamp.com
