“Yellow Acid Rain” is already the fourth release by Switzerlands SLUDGE, following an EP on Godhead Records in 1996 (“Sweet Daisy”) as well as two full length albums on Headstrong Records (“The Well” in 1998 and “Scarecrow Messiah” in 2000). Their line-up features SAMAEL’s Marko on guitars / bass, they previously had worked at the famous Sunlight & Fredman Studios in Sweden and used to play a couple of very successful support shows as well as a tour with CROWBAR already… But for some reason none of those facts brought them to my attention before… until I received this newest album here. Recorded in Switzerland this time (but once again mixed at Studio Fredman by Fredrik Nordström) and packaged in a typical modern style “Yellow Acid Rain” features nine tracks of slow to midpaced, crunchy and overall very groovy yet always extreme Metal. Somehow the band is able to create a rather cold and often quite mechanical sounding atmosphere, with extreme harsh vocals and razorship heavy riffing. They do not exactly sound like – but obviously incorporate – influences from slower CARCASS (“Heartwork” period) and later SAMAEL, so fans of those acts with a soft spot for the more slow’n’heavy acts in general or the Swiss scene in particular should definitely check them out. Done very professionally, but for an old school Metalhead like myself a bit too modern in its overall approach. More info at: www.sludge.ch or www.mightymusic.dk.