Unsigned and Unholy: Golgothan Remains, Lowered, Basilica

“Skronky.”

It’s a word seemingly born from nothing, but which so perfectly describes the type of visceral, churning, brutal death metal trafficked by the Australian outfit Golgothan Remains. The word has also been used to characterize the sounds that come off the wax on records by Gorguts, Ulcerate and Pyrrhon, so that should give you a good idea of what you’re in for with these guys.

Lowered are doom’s answer to Golgothan Remains; their music is no less skronky, it’s just much slower and more deliberate. Think what would happen if Gorguts channeled Black Sabbath as a primary influence instead of Morbid Angel and you’re close. Their music sounds appropriately way more evil, too.

Completing our trilogy of skronk today, we conclude with Basilica who proudly raise the core side of the torch. Like the above two bands, Basilica thrive on dissonance, but they rely on chugged riffs for brute force and they’re not afraid to throw in a sweep-picked arpeggio for effect. They go hard as fuck, though; never do these tactics come across as cheesy.