“Hipoxia: a pathological condition in which the body as a whole (generalized hypoxia) or a region of the body (tissue hypoxia, or less commonly regional hypoxia) is deprived of adequate oxygen supply.”
Hipoxia were born in Madrid in 2009 when JK, E and K pooled their music interests and started to play and drink beer together. In summer 2010, Hipoxia published their first reference: Doomrehearsal. As the name suggests, it is a 40 minute rehearsal of three songs full of hateful and filthy doom/sludge/drone with black metal and punk influences. That year, the band began to play live. Their live debut was in December 23010 with Dispain. Since that moment, Hipoxia has shared the stage with bands like Monkeypriest, Reznik, Ali Agca, Iron Batasuna and ROLF.
Photo: Gema Valencia
Hipoxia, a new heavy-weight band within the Spanish sludge/doom scene, present their first original album, recorded and mixed at Mantis Studios by F. Trych and V. Brown (Wormed, Gödus, Banished from Inferno or Nüll), simply entitled Hipoxia introducing four tracks and 50 minutes of nihilistic and misanthropic sludge/doom.
Opening the hostilities with “Children of Winter,” a theme that, during its 12 minutes, drags us at a slow pace commanded by the drum and its repetitive, almost tribal beats. Flanked by foul guitar riffs that slowly chew our eardrums, we are dragged into this dirty pit from where the agonizing voice seems to echo. Although the song unfolds at a very slow pace, Hipoxia can provide another dynamic to the tracks by introducing some more thrilling punk-ish rhythms into it. At some points, the band decides to break down barriers and takes us to the neighboring border, as in “Living Dead Society,” a track that opens on a cloak of caustic-half-drone riffs where the voice echoes through a fog of stinking sludge. “Living Dead Society” is a track that pulls over the atmosphere into which we enter cautiously, only to slowly sink in the quicksand created by Hipoxia.
“Black Blaze of Terror”, as the name suggests, is a sonic nightmare, sweating filth and disease, where Hipoxia once again manages to incorporate feelings of euphoria and grief with malice. All of these are ingredients that make us a little bit uncomfortable as the air thickens and we drown more and more in Hipoxia.
The album closes with “Disembodied Metamorphosis,” one that is, in fact, the best track to close this chapter, for now. In a decadent tone it penetrates slowly into our guts, almost like a disease that silently attacking us. Corrupting us from the inside out. Negative aspects of this release? At first listen, it may sound repetitive and may not be an easy-listening album for the common sludge fan. It may take more than two or three repeats before you get it. But the more you listen to it, the more asphyxiating it gets.
Overall Hipoxia created a tight album with a thick atmosphere. Of course, there are some edges that need to be trimmed, as they need to create new elements or other vitality to their music in order to pop out of the sludge/doom scene – otherwise they will be just another band in the catalog. Incidentally, Hipoxia’s music serves its purpose, giving the listener what he wants, a heavy dose of the most filthy and corrosive sludge/doom that will leave him gasping for air.
Hipoxia’s self-titled album is available for download via Bandcamp, or if you want a physical copy of it, head to Strange Records, Féretro Records, Le crepuscule du soir or email the band at: hipoxiadoom@gmail.com in order to grab a copy. Also visit their blog to get more info about tours, merch, etc.
Hatred made noise.
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