From Ireland, comes Sludge Metal trio TOOMS. They formed in 2013, originally as GAIA, this is the sophomore release, and I believe it is an EP, because it only has three songs. "Anvil Crawler" is the first. Rain falls gently, followed by a motorcycle starting up and then leaving. The music is dark and heavy, and the vocals are odd...they are harsh but not in the traditional sense. The riffs, while powerful, area bit trite and the song fails to make much of an impact on me. "Stabbed in the Head" is a little more pep to it, but again, the riffs are very simple. I am not expecting complexity from Sludge Metal per se, but they need to work on updating these riffs. Through only two songs of three, the vocals are annoying as well.

"Megalobong II (The Great Whitey Shark)" is probably a visual of what one might see after sucking on a bong for too long. It's a short song with a steady beat of drums, guitars, bass, and more shouted vocals. The breakdown in this song is slow and brutal. First, I have to question why a band would release an EP with only three songs? And, why would they present a similar sound? Not being familiar with this band, I can only guess, but none of the songs resonated with me, and the vocals grated on me. I see no reason to listen to these three songs, but if you like their sound, go for it.Purchase Link:

https://tooms.bandcamp.com/