Fiery Pit of Hell Discs is the same exact concept as Desert Island Discs, only you know…evil. After all, a metal artist seems more likely to be stranded in the bowels of hell than on a sandy beach anyway, right?
Today’s edition comes from doom merchant Judd Madden. Madden is a one man wrecking crew from down under, creating monolithic, epic, instrumental doom metal that’ll have your insides shaking with fear. He has four records out which you can download from his Bandcamp page. Pay special attention to Madden’s latest album, Doomgroove which offers up a nice traditional doom mix of head bashing riffs with the feeling you’re stuck in quicksand.
I asked Madden to let me know the five albums he’d want to be stranded with and he didn’t disappoint with the list returned to me. See what Judd’s classics are and buy his fucking record while you’re at it.
Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath (1970)
Let’s start with the godfathers of doom. I was really torn between the first four albums, they’re all brilliant. The energy and enthusiasm on Black Sabbath is amazing. Just four guys, jamming out. It was considered ‘dark’ at the time, but for me it’s pure groove, and actually quite positive feeling. Every time I listen to this album it reminds me how much I love music, and life.
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Neil Young – Live Rust (1978)
Again, I was torn between so many Neil albums, so I cheated – and chose a live one. I’m listening to the first track “Sugar Mountain” now and I feel the tears welling up… Ha ha.
Every song on Live Rust is fucking heartbreaking and inspiring. I love the live sound, the rawness and the mistakes – Neil’s voice breaking. A truly talented and amazing songwriter. It was the first time I really sat down and took notice of lyrics.
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Sleep – Holy Mountain (1992)
A Sabbath-inspired album with Sabbath already on the list? Hell yeah. Why? Because the riffs are monumental. And super catchy. The simplicity of Sleep always amazes me.
Probably the heaviest three-piece ever. It’s impossible to listen without nodding along… albeit very slowly on some tracks. Sleep taught me to slow down.
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Meshuggah – Nothing (2002)
Meshuggah are so unique, all of their music just destroys me, this album most of all, in a good way. The complexity and the mechanical mathematics are overpowering. Within all the aggression and harsh tones however, is a balance. A sense of the universe. It’s complex but all the pieces fit. It sounds like chaos but when you learn, and listen, it’s perfect.
The end of Straws Pulled at Random – the guitar solo – makes me roll back my head and look to the sky.
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Sunn O))) – The Grimmrobe Demos (1999)
The plates of the Earth slowly moving against each other.
The structure of this album emerges so slowly, its extremely meditative and cathartic.
It requires patience; listening in bed is heavily recommended.
Dear friends, play this at my funeral.
Not for its doom, but for its beauty.
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