The MESSIAHVORE is a doom/sludge/stoner/groove metal band from Denver, Colorado that formed in 2018.  'Transverse' is their second full-length album.  This album is a guitar player's wet dream.  From top to bottom, it is absolutely drenched in sludge covered and very groovy riffs.  This album rocks so hard that if you don't head bang to it, you're probably dead!  Hell, it might have the power to bring the dead back just so they can rock some more!  The whole band is on fire, however.  The vocals are solid, somewhere between a rough clean and a growl.  The rhythm section is stalwart and dense enough to hold back a storm.  The album as a whole has an undeniable energy, sort of punk rock in a way but with their sludge influence that should come to no surprise.  There is also a lot of variety among the eight track and thirty-eight minute run time.  Sludge, doom, and stoner rear their powerful heads throughout and the tempo can go from mid, to slow, to fast.

The album begins with 'Discipline of Violence,' and its epic build up. By the time the vocals hit around the 1:10 mark, the song is already groovetastic. The vocals bark over the guitars but switch to gang chants when the riffs get deep. The drums compliment the riffs very well, another groove machine in their own right but more than powerful enough to be an unsinkable foundation. 'Deconstructor,' has riffs that are both sharp and thick as hell. The straight forward approach to this song gives it a wide appeal.  About half way through, the bass drops hard and the song speeds up, led by powerful but crisp drumming. The last moments of the song switch between drops of heavy riffs and a slower, doom-laden atmosphere. 'The Million Mistakes,' begins its life with clean tones and a hazy, stoner atmosphere.  The drums come in with just the right approach, pushing the song forward without overwhelming it. The bass is huge, drenched in fuzz and adds a lot of character. The vocals are clean but outlined with rough touches and even a slight psychedelic vibe.  The guitar solo near the end is excellent, the perfect combination between emotional and complimentary of the music around it.

 The final song is 'Replicant,' a heavy song with a sinister feel to it, especially in the beginning.  The guitar tone hangs, dropping static fuzz while the bass moves earth itself.  I love the part at 1:58 when the vocals explode and the guitars drop this MASSIVE riff.  There are even a couple soulful guitar solos in the first half before the band doubles down on the atmosphere, ending the song with mammoth sized drums and spoken word vocals All in all, MESSIAHVORE's 'Transverse,' is so full of amazing riffs and catchy songs that it is impossible for me not to recommend it for any fans that enjoy anything under the umbrella of stoner/sludge/doom.