It's been a pretty great year for Sludge/doom/stoner records so far, but this is one of the best I've come across. Eagle Twin is Gentry Densley of Iceburn and Ascend on baritone guitar on vocals and Tyler Smith on drums. It's like Melvins meets Nick Cave's early, dissonant stuff, plus moments of Sunn O))) droney intensity and wild jazz-rock freakouts. It's pretty bluesy in places, but unlike most stoner blues stuff it isn't boring or predictable - in fact, Harvey Milk is the only other doomy band I've heard which has tempo and stylistic shifts as dramatic as Eagle Twin. The lyrics are far better than you can normally expect from doom metal bands too, inspired by Ted Hughes of all people.

It's also highlighted Randall Dunn as one of my favourite producers of all time - it's amazing how he can get a band to sound so hugely tarry and heavy, yet organic, and match aggression with almost spiritual intensity. Just out of this year's releases he produced Sunn O))), Wolves In the Throne Room and Eagle Twin, and previously he's produced Earth's recent stuff and Asva's albums, plus much more.