Doom/Sludge Metal and Stoner Metal are subgenres that are like twin brothers: they share many resemblances, but are not equal. It comes from the fact that the same 'generator' of both genres isn't other than BLACK SABBATH on their early age, when the Witch of Birmingham released "Black Sabbath", "Paranoid" and "Master of Reality", the true compendiums of both subgenres. One can check as the frontiers between Doom Sludge/Metal and Stoner Metal are fragile hearing to "Break the Oath", the second album of the Dutch trio PANDER. The trio has a melodic and oppressive work, with clear traces of Stoner Metal (as some nasty groove presented on moments as "Deceit"); in other hand, the use of abusive distortion of the guitars is a trace of Doom/Sludge Metal (but in a form that's understandable).

It's form of blend between the genres named above, personal, oppressive and heavy as Hell, but one can check the melodic sheath where their songs as built upon. It's full of a nasty energy and with crude hooks, but they can do better than is shown on the album (their potential is clear to anyone). The production of "Break the Oath" worked to construct an organic and oppressive sonority (in some moments, one can think of something recorded in only a day, and in the most 'rehearsal' form possible), but taking care to let things being shaped as they must to be heard and understood without problems.

The album is a very good experience for those that are into Doom Metal, Stoner Metal and Doom/Sludge Metal, being nasty and hooking at the same time. But for begin with, one can check "Earth's Face" (a brutal, energetic and ferocious song that's based on very good tempos created by bass guitar and drums), the long "Ordeal" (where tempos slow down, with nasty distorted guitars filling all the spaces on an omnipresent form), "Deceit" (a very catchy moment of the album, with catching tempos and some Hardcore traces on the guitar riffs), "Break the Oath" (this one is abrasive as a coarse sandpaper on an steel surface, with a good technical work of bass guitar), "Krush" (another hooking and savage song, with good vocals that can become better in the future), and "Lost".

"Break the Oath" is a good release that shows clearly that PANDER is just beginning to show its talons. And let's hope that they can evolve in the right way.