Moloch returns a second time for 2013 while Meth Drinker join them this time. Moloch remain relatively the same in that what they do is play a deep dark style of doom that embraces the blacker elements of the genre. New Zealand's Meth Drinker return the favor by playing something that can at one point resemble trudging doom and at others play on sound to build atmosphere.
Meth Drinker play their side a bit faster (for doom) using the first 2 tracks to thrust at the listener violently lurching for about 4 minutes before giving the listener a slight reprieve with some subtle noise before slipping into the other half of their side. The next 2 songs feel close to the simplicity of the first trudging in relatively brief stints and jutting noisily towards the listener. The final track on their side breaks things up by opening with a calmer piece featuring a spoken sample before breaking into their lurching riffage.
Moloch share 2 sides of the same coin with the listener. Offering both a longer (just under 10 minutes) and shorter song (4 and a half minutes). This gives the listener a good idea of Moloch's sound on the whole. Allowing opener "Vomit Phobia" to stick around and slowly gain form before creeping at you with a dark and nasty snarl. On The other hand "Hunchback" starts with a wave of distortion creating a wave of noise before dropping the hammer with lurching riffs creating a completely uncomfortable feeling for the listener.
On one hand the listener gets more of the same in Moloch which is not a bad thing in any way. Consistency is not necessarily a bad thing and can be differentiated from stagnation. In Meth Drinkers' case we get to see a band forming their sound on a more distinct level. Having only been a band for a few years the bands sound is only starting to hit the point where it is their own. In the meantime the listener gets treated to a very good band that isn't quite over the gap between aping and originating.
