A horror story this morning; where, sitting around the shop, my poor unsuspecting self was completely unprepared as my face melted and my being was obliterated into a grand cosmic abyssal ending. That is what happened when Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean’s new record came on the shop speakers. Let us not speak of them but Look and Pass On is a full throttle, balls to the wall of sonic depth and crushing riffs. The EP consists of only 4 songs but each of them are beautifully dismal in their own way. Setting my hands on the record, I was assaulted with a beautifully chaotic cover that reflects what is about to come. A picture scape of shapes and tones that fill the entire cover; no text, and none needed. Just an array of beautiful colours and designs in a contrast of dark chaos and beauty, as you whisper to yourself “oh this is gonna be good”. The band have been consistently putting out music since 2024 releasing a record or this EP yearly. The 4 piece from Springfield MA joined together in 2017 and have been pushing out sludgy riffs since, and what sludgy riffs they are indeed.

The band uses revolving heavy riffs with interesting changes that challenge the traditional layout of early 00s doom metal, all while remaining familiar in song structure and tonality. Giving the EP an overall “familiar but different” feel that any sludge/ doom enthusiast will love. The record predominantly features a “fry” style vocal that also engages the same sense of being not entirely traditional for a doom record but really adds to their sound and the vocals never step in the way of the other instruments, allowing the riffs full impact to hit with vocals or without. Everything in this EP sounds massive. The guitars and bass fill out such a large sonic space, every drum hit is huge and in your face, and the vocals are always present right in front of you. The song structure and style really allows the instrumentation to breathe and allows for these large blooming notes to really fill themselves out without becoming sonically overcrowded. The second track “Upheaval” even having some reminiscent throwbacks to some classic early/mid 00’s metal core styles that bring out my inner, giddy, high school self yearning for the pit; though remarkably difficult to start a pit at home.

Its been a long time since really hearing some tasteful blast beat style riffs in some heavy doom metal (or really any blast beats for that matter). Just like finding a machine gun in the muck at the bottom of a bog, parts of the record throw themselves into a frenzy of high energy chaos amidst the sludgy riffs. “An Adornment of Light” makes good use of this by throwing them after the slow break sections for a diverse contrast in the sonic spectrum. The band always keeps the riffs heavy, moving, and evolving, so every turn of the record remains interesting and holding you there.

Let Us Not Speak of Them but Look and Pass On was recorded at “Machines with Magnets” in Pawtucket Rhode Island. Though there isn’t much information easily found on the band or the equipment used, they do appear to be playing Sunn amps live currently, and judging by the crushing tonality of the record I would say that checks out if they were used. The records production features a wonderfully unafraid brashness to heavy amounts of compression that really push the record into another dimension. The forefront of the vocals features an immensely heavy amount of compression and distortion, along with the scream type vocals delivered on the record, they contrast the low down tuned instrumentation sitting blissfully on top and in your face throughout the sonic experience. Though it would be nice to learn more of the actual production of this record, what can be said for certain is that is quite the tasty sounding record.

It seems almost contradictory in a way to classify something as “high energy” doom metal, however if you listen to this record you will understand perfectly what that means. The EP really brings the pain in terms of the crushing depths of riffage you hope for, while keeping the energetic attitude of faster, more groovy based mid 00s metal that you may not be expecting, but is entirely worth it. The record feels like you are Frodo falling face first into the dead marshes, drifting off into the abyss, and I never have wanted that experience more than now with Lets Not Speak of This. Throw this record on, crank your speaker system up to 11 and prepare some serious “stank face”. The Drone Shop severely hopes for them to do a tour through the Pacific Northwest someday, and to continue putting out the heavy, grooviness that the world needs more of.

If you classify yourself as a sludge/ doom metal enthusiast to any degree I would highly recommend picking this EP up and throwing it into your playlist of doom. 

Let Us Not Speak of Them but Look and Pass On was written and performed by Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean

Recorded and mixed at Machines with Magnets by Seth Manchester under Redscroll Records

Front and back cover artwork and lettering by Aaron Turner