As equitable observers of accretion and erosion by the loom-tied hands of time Salem/Portland, Oregon-based extreme doom/sludge metal acts MIZMOR [מזמור] and HELL present a collaborative full-length album which is surprisingly connective and concise, drawn into monolithic form yet stated in sonic (rather than temporal) excess. Split into two streams and combed free of its agitated pulse by meditative segmentation ‘Alluvion‘ is perhaps the most natural intertwinement presented via Mizmor‘s string of four collaborations in this last half-decade. Concerned less with the antipodean possession of sludge, doom and glowering atmospheric black metal our protagonists embrace the kismet of their roles, generating catharses from mounding gloom and entranced drone.

Out of the Willamette valley and into the (then) dearth of Portland’s river-crossed stew these the two artists, guitarist/vocalist and drummer A.L.N. (ex-Urzeit) alongside guitarist/vocalist and bassist M.S.W. (Asphalt, MSW) would forge their paths alone after each featuring in the underrated one-off album from Eugene-area stoner/doom metal band Sorceress back in the late 2000’s. Their paths overlap quite a bit beyond that point but the most infamous release which came at the height of their shared underground uprising is a 2014 split LP, ‘Mizmor/Hell‘ which is since out of print and featured on their own compilation releases [1], [2]. This isn’t necessarily the main precedence for this release but perhaps one of several landmarks along the way to further collaboration as each artist generally includes in the others live performances/tours as well as via fairly consistent appearances, guest spots, or contributions on several main entry recordings beyond that point.

While I wouldn’t say a collaborative LP from the two artists was inevitable or expected it isn’t an idea I’d snub, at least considering the successes found on the Mizmor & Thou collaboration LP from 2022. Here M.S.W. took a stonier round beyond Sorceress than A.L.N. but I won’t get too tangled in the weeds of the past here beyond suggesting the first and second Hell albums featured fairly traditional shapes and then dark experimental horror respectively before the deeper abstraction of the third saw that original idea stretched to an extreme limit via subtler performances. The eventual reconstitution of ideation and experimental sounds alike took cohesion of that trilogy informed a fourth self-titled album where M.S.W. most clearly defined Hell. Since I’ve analyzed and mused over Mizmor‘s last three releases I would point to reviews for ‘Cairn‘ (2019) [1] and ‘Prosaic‘ (2023) [2] for more extensive thoughts on their evolution.

How receptive the listener might be to subtle gestures of meaning might determine how deeply they’ll connect with the simplicity of forms found herein. This quest to create catharsis for those experiencing dread is neither a chaotic maze or a nihil-soaked hissing riff machine so much as a serious-faced exploration of heavier highs, contemplative lows and some blackened fusion to generate rhythmic interest along the way. The bones of this experience, the weighted alienation and finger-tenting meditative escapism incarnated by this collaboration, arrives via the doom-and-drift structure of opener “Begging to Be Lost”, a resounding meeting which acts as the most prime action (and mover) on this release for my own taste. On first pass it’d been transfixing note-for-note and by the tenth spin this song’d clearly delighted in the delirium of its atmospheric motion, a foggiest and forested hike with a bench in the middle.

It could all pass before you, appearing simplistic and slugged to death ’til you make the conscious choice to match the land-speed of ‘Alluvion‘, follow each channel of their river’s minimalistic curves in the landscape as they expand into a variety of knots. Beyond “Begging to Be Lost” we trip over “Vision I”, a searching thread given to buzzing atmospheric black metal guitar lines and twanging electro-acoustic glitch, carrying a repeated melody and developing it between two equally awkward paces. Tentative, anxious motions become mantra before passing along to Side B opener and major component “Pandemonium’s Throat” a strumming and inhaling build to a buzzing strike, a red-glowing funereal sledged pulse clobbering at its slow-kicked progression. Crookedly ringing chords act is punctuation for the verse riff, a spitting and snarling hulk outlined and a hiss to begin. Those rhythms eventually yield bittered black-metallic ride, ah via the blackened volatility of ‘Prosaic‘, as the pace quickens toward its more ear-catching atmosludge-meets-atmoblack gloom spike into the final third of the song. This song is the second major sensorial fest of ‘Alluvion‘ and another equally compelling exploration of moodier (not prettier) downtuned roar which feels kin to extreme sludge metal and not post-metal.

Our quietus by way of “Vision II” is another experimental, meditative piece in some respect, a descent built on a dual vocal scored atmospheric drift and a tempered doom metal riff which chops the seas up as one fellowe rasps and the other roars. Sludge guitar toned sustain used in a droning fashion in this case recalls the best interstitial moments of Hell‘s second albums from my point of view but for me this doesn’t fully justify the seven minute drift of the piece, it could’ve been shaved slightly to accentuate the repeatable cycle through each half of the album. That said, both sides are essentially equal in span and considerations for time are misplaced when given an album intent on presenting the affected mind with a path to follow.

While ‘Alluvion‘ did absolutely convince me to re-center, calm my mind and sate the thirst of angst atop the temporal lobe with frying thoughts… the sound design of this record and the accompanying curation of artwork, including cover art via maestro Kjetil Karlsen, are too righteous to not have added to the appeal. Just the thundering guitar tone hanging at the precipice of “Vision II” is enough to entertain me for hours on repeat and the groaty lustre of that sound shifts in response to each song, or creates additional elasticity within its waves. While I’ve always paid a fair deal more attention to Mizmor beyond 2014 I can feel the Hell in this collaboration to the point where that exchange of sensibilities and performance obviously channels the right ratio of yin to yang, making good sense sonically in every sense. It came in waves, and slowly, but this album sold itself with every point of return and eventually found the “Vision” pieces just as vital as the colossi that precede them. An essential record for 2025 if you’ve any interest in sludge/doom metal. A high recommendation.

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