EP REVIEW: (((Unholy))) (reissue) – IBLISS

Hailing from one of the fastest growing cities in Asia, Kuala Lumpur, with their debut album Demonic, Her gaining them cult status in the stoner doom underground, Malaysian trio IBLISS return with a sludgy down-tuned, drug-fuelled, groove-laden EP (((Unholy))). Reminiscent of the early days of ELECTRIC WIZARD and SLEEP’s demonically fuzzedout riffing, IBLISS maintain the traditional stoner template over 15 glorious minutes of burning amplifiers and earth-shattering, bassy riffs. Sounding as though it was recorded to an old tape machine, (((Unholy))) also has an element of that late 1990s doom nostalgia that we all love.

Despite only consisting of two tracks, (((Unholy))) is a hefty slab of earth shattering and hypnotic riffing. With screeching feedback, slow crackling drones and minimal vocals, IBLISS trudge along with demonic intent as they look to gnaw away at your sanity with walls of distortion. The introduction to Flower Ov Evil, with its maniacal laughter, sends shivers down your spine, with a BLACK SABBATH style bass introduction creating a foreboding and grim atmosphere. As the instrumental song progresses you’re sent down a rabbit hole of hypnotic, ritualistic grooves and dizzying guitar leads.

Unholy opens with more strangeness and maniacal laughter before the sludgy guitar drones give way a faster paced song, eventually unfolding into pure chaos with screeches from the void and blast beats that come completely out of left field. This shock treatment breaks the hypnosis momentarily as it feels like you’ve just been screeched at by a demon.

This unholy 15 minutes gives us a tantalising taste of what is to come from IBLISS. Sludgy, shady and grim, (((Unholy))) delights in the traditional skull-crushing sound of doom in the 1990s and delivers it with considerable venom.

Rating: 7/10

(((Unholy))) (reissue) is set for release on April 28th via Helter Skelter Productions / Regain Records.

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