Monkeypriest - Defending the Tree

Monkeypriest are a Sludge/ Doom trio from Spain and this their self - released EP which some people say is basically just a demo. I am not sure about that but if it is, it would explain the slightly thin production. Leaving that aside though, most of this EP kills with the force of a thousand rhino's. They would not get any points for originality but what they lack in that area they make up for it with sheer sludge overdoses of doom. There is so many bands to compared them to, Goatsnake, Grief, Eyehategod, Hellhammer or even Slayer if they had a taken too much LSD. This band has nothing to do with thrash or death metal but they have very metallic riffs, interesting tempo changes and a snarling lead singer who sounds like a pissed off caged animal. The opening track is the weakest track on the EP in my book, its called "March Of The Monkey" and it starts out good enough. Pounding ominous riffs that sound like thrash metal slowed right down but the track comes to a sudden stop like someone fell asleep and landed on the stop button. I hate it when bands end songs this way and on this occasion it ruins what could have been a classic opener. The rest of the EP is great though, the next track "Defending The Tree" sounds like the same main riff from the opener but this time it is reduced to blackened sludge. Nasty, dirty bass driven riffage is the order of the day and this track also ends with a sudden stop but this time it sounds like it was meant to happen. The sudden stop of the first track just sounds like a fatal error. Things get ever better for the next two tracks "War For The Throne" and "Doomsday", "War For The Throne" is close to a 10 minute exercise in musical filth. The rumbling, hypnotic riff is the masterstroke of the EP, at about the halfway point of the track the bass and guitar seems to vomit its way out of your speakers rather than just simply played. There is also a large amount of tension underlying every note as the song builds to a very stoner punk conclusion. "Doomsday" is the most traditional sounding track on the EP even though it is also the most up-tempo of the four tracks. It kicks off very much in the sludge metal vein before a old school death metal kicks in and then the track spirals towards the most Sabbath like moment on the record bringing the song to a close. You cant really go wrong with picking up a copy of "Defending The Tree", it is high quality sludge despite the sudden ending of the first track and the average production. The artwork is fantastic which is like a impressionist painting of lavender and lilac which forms the shape of the titular tree. If you like crawling sludge/doom, crude guitar work with tempo changes that take you by surprise then this is for you. The whole EP is over and out in little over 20 minutes and i can guarantee you will get the urge to hit the repeat button. Highly recommended. 8.5/10

MySpace.com/Monkeypriest