Nine Layers Deep - Buffalo, NY

Nine Layers Deep - Buffalo, NY
Helmet Lady Records

All art, photos and description courtesy of the 9LD bandcamp page: 

Firmly rooted in underground filth and with weighty ambitions to match their filthy tones, Nine Layers Deep are looking to take on the world. Powerful, heavy and undeniably potent Nine Layers Deep are bringing thoughtful and simply crushing doom metal to the masses and forcing you to choke on their wonderfully bitter sonic pill.

9LD is:
Alaysa - Guitar/Vox
Jim - Lead Guitar
Kevin - Drums 

https://helmetladyrecords.bigcartel.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ninelayersdeep/
https://ninelayersdeep.bandcamp.com/

Review for Nine Layers Deep: Sludge Life: I by Joe Tell. 

Before starting I wanted to say that Nine Layers Deep reawakened my love for hearing loud de-tuned guitars, working together in harmony. A heavy, raw sound that initially drew me into music which led me into wanting to learn how to play. So special thanks to 9LD. 
OK, on with review, Sludge Life: I starts off with the instrumental title track Sludge Life. Before you play this song I have a small suggestion, dial-up a little more bass on your stereo system, more on this later. Placing Sludge Life as the first track of this new release is a brilliant choice. The choice for an instrumental works as it highlights each members musicianship as well as showcasing how the band works together as a cohesive unit. The pounding drums by Kevin and the crushing dual guitar attack by Alaysa and Jim kick off this song and will beat you into submission leaving your brain numb and waiting for what's next. The slow tempo and doom and gloom sound harks back to the late 60's and early 70's when the band Black Sabbath were in their prime. Fans of Metallica, early Queens Of The Stone Age and the lesser known band, Trouble will certainly love the sounds on Sludge Life. This is one of my favorite tracks on Sludge Life: I.

My review copy of Jupiter starts off with "When your heart is in love you're floating weightless. But when you lose that love you have to re-enter the atmosphere and it can get pretty rough. You're just bouncing off one molecule and on the next. Ripping through them at such a pace that they just ignite and explode. Until you find another heart that's doing the same thing, it has landed and cooled and then you start to float again." 
Jupiter is another outstanding heavy track. Combined with the de-tuned distorted guitars and bombastic drums the unique vocal sound that Alaysa contributes to the band gives the music a special quality. All of these factors combine to give the band a distinctive sound which sets them apart from a lot of the other doom metal bands on the scene. The raw, emotional lyrics tell of a undying love that lives on through space and time. The cool lead guitar fills add melody and aggression to the sonic palette. The band breaks into a massive pounding groove before the song ends with some melodic guitar picking.

Funeral is another offering of crushing mid-tempo doom metal. The guitar intro sounds very cool and unique. I like the heavy fade in which brings in the power of the rest of the band. Alaysa's vocals are laid back highlighting the grinding groove. The vocals become more aggressive right before the solo, setting it up perfectly. More screaming vocals and guitar soloing take the song out.

Fury // Beauty is my favorite track from Sludge Life: I. The power the band possesses is undeniable and on full display. The intro sounds cool with one guitar exchanging notes in harmony with the other guitar. The guitars then come together to sound like pounding sledgehammers only to sound like an angry swarm of hornets on the next verse. The lead guitar and drum performances on this song are some of the best on Sludge Life: I. The heartfelt and angst-filled vocals from Alaysa really shine through on Fury // Beauty. Remember my suggestion to turn up the bass on your stereo system in the beginning of this review?... Most listeners probably won't notice but being a bass player I noticed a bass guitar missing from the mix. I still enjoy this song a lot, I can picture a giant monster (Godzilla?...) stomping through a burning landscape along with the beat when I listen to this song as well as the title track from the album. A nod to one of my favorite bands, Black Sabbath is definitely in order.
The intense MetaSin is up next. The sarcastic lyrics add a sly sense of humor to the song, which I appreciate. The band shouting "That's Neat!" along with trading vocals with Alaysa show a different side of the band.    

Nero is a fantastic song that closes out the album. Nero is well composed with it's many tempo twists' and turns. The dual guitars work in unison to set a dark tone for the drone metal that's to come. The heavy pounding riff is further enhanced with Alaysa's screaming vocals. The band then breaks into a uptempo, giant-size riff completed with some killer soloing. The energy of the track is lifted high then brought back down intro the crushing intro music as it closes out. 

I think 9LD is a great, doom and gloom metal outfit and Sludge Life: I is a great first release. 

Special thanks to Helmet Lady Records for submitting 9LD for review. Visit the local record label, Helmet Lady Records online @ their website https://helmetladyrecords.bigcartel.com/ to purchase Sludge Life: I and many other great local metal releases.