Brainoil "Singularity to Extinction" LP

There is a certain dissection of sounds that is integral to the core of many sludge metal acts, especially ones that incorporate the styling of doom and crust punk. Long-running Oakland outfit Brainoil deliver an album with Singularity to Extinction that seems to open up new layers no matter how deep your knife of critique goes, which is sure to become encased in the murky grime that covers their particular brand of metal. There are moments on the album that provide the sinister, funereal wall of sound from the sustained guitars, yet with the speed of a key change they are able to take it from a trudge to a full-on assault that still takes you by surprise no matter how well you had prepared yourself.