Wren - Auburn Rule (2017)

Keeping things Heavy and Sludgy with their debut full-length release, today we have UK’s Wren unleashing “Auburn Rule”. Delivering six tracks of highly atmospheric Doom/Sludge, this band sounds like a combination of Neurosis and AmenRa, while maintaining their own signature style of aural terror.

The release opens with the hypnotic riffing of “In Great Yield”, this Neurosis-esque piece slowly builds up around razor sharp guitars and fuzzy distortion that create a very thick and powerful atmosphere. The vocals are your typical raspy screams, fitting very well with the underlying musical structure. Continuing the onslaught, “Scour the Grassland” keeps the intensity rolling with a piercing bass guitar line working in parallel with intricate percussions and the incisive guitars.

The band’s uniqueness comes with their inventiveness, as we can hear in the crafty openings of tracks like “The Heard” and “Traverse”. Delivering playful drum patterns, the band paints different soundscapes that differentiate them from other bands. We particularly enjoy the atmospheric section of the later track, making it our favorite in this release.

As the album closes with the dramatic “Dwellers of the Sepulchre”, filled with crushing riffs and intricate tempo changes. Having saved the longest track for last, Wren manages to delivers a different release that stands out from the hundreds of Sludge/Doom releases we get. In “Auburn Rule”, the band crafts catchy and unique tracks that keep things interesting and diverse. If you like Sludge/Doom Metal, this is definitely an album you have to check out in 2017.

Label: Holy Roar Records

Release: July 14th, 2017

Genre: Doom/Sludge Metal

Country: UK