Those in need of some piss and misanthropy will find themselves right at home with Iron Monkey. On their third full-length album, Spleen & Goad, they once again pump out the foulest fluids from the muddiest sludge swamps and unceremoniously dump them onto the listener.
Armed with guitars that sound like rusty saws and vocals drenched in battery acid, the Englishmen really know how to bring the aggression. After a vicious feedback loop, we’re immediately met with a muddy fist to the chin on Misanthropizer. Perhaps hidden beneath all that sticky muck is even a brass knuckle. The swampy riffage flies at you, and the drummer pounds the skin of his snare to pieces. Even the guitar solos emerge mercilessly filthy from the mire. The production quality has greatly improved with Spleen & Goad, but thankfully, this hasn’t softened the filthy and hateful sounds that Iron Monkey manages to produce. I was at an Eyehategod concert a while back, and the singer said something along the lines of “Electric Wizard is the Green Day of Doom”. If we listen to the pure disgust that Iron Monkey brings to the table, Eyehategod might have to take notes. Could we say that they’re the Green Day of sludge? I wouldn’t dare to say. But mostly because I don’t want a nail bomb with heroin needles outside my door.
Spleen & Goad features two notably long tracks: Off Switch and The Gurges. Both clock in at over seven minutes. At times, it feels like we’re dragging a sledgehammer through the swamp. There’s an incredible urge to destroy, but the dragging muddiness of the ground prevents us from making a swing. Textually, Iron Monkey delivers exactly what you’d expect: classic themes like drugs, violence, and misanthropy all make an appearance. The aggression shines particularly well on the poetically titled Lead Transfusion. Vocalist Jim Rushby screams his lungs out while he shreds his guitar to pieces. On The Gurges we hear extra crackling feedback loops that will be eaten up by the sludge fanatic. Album closer O.D. Rose consists solely of the instruments humming away. It could easily pass as the intro to a Sunn 0)))) record. Very atmospheric, but perhaps somewhat unnecessary in the context of this album.
Iron Monkey is back with a bang! For fans of muddy swamp sludge, Spleen & Goad is definitely a must-listen. Hopefully, a tour is on the horizon because I can’t wait to experience this hatred in person.Iron Monkey – Spleen & Goad
Score:
85/100
Label:
Relapse Records, 2024
Tracklisting:
1. Misanthropizer
2. Concrete Shock
3. C.S.P.
4. Off Switch
5. Rat Flag
6. Lead Transfusion
7. Exlexed
8. The Gurges
9. O. D. Rose
Line-up:
- Jim Rushby – Guitar, vocals
- Steve Watson – Bass guitar
- Ze Big – Drums
Links: