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Check Out Radian’s Grippingly Heavy Sludgy Doom Debut Album Exclusively Here

The powerfully rattling debut record from the Akron, Ohio-based sludgy doom metal band Radian drops on February 6 — but you can get an exclusive first listen below of the album in its entirety.

The group have opted, it seems, to feature gripping groove at the core of their creation. They’ve developed their massive physical heaviness into an energetic journey reflecting the occasional nihilism in the lyrics. (The whole LP concludes with some menacingly roared lines: “I’m gonna enjoy the pain! Pain, sweet pain!”) They’ve maintained the oppressive atmosphere, with plenty of fuzz to go around, that marks some of the greatest straightforward doom, but they feel like they’ve relaxed a bit — not into any catharsis, but rather, into the place where listeners get to experience that soul-crushing doom and subtly catchy heavy metal riffing right alongside one another. The band blend their elements powerfully and cohesively.

The thick and persistent core rhythms start going from the get go — rather than opt for musical suffocation, they’re defined and polished enough for a real chance to dig into the melodic journey. Vocalist Jeff Fahl veers between deathly roars and more mellowed out and contemplative heavy metal performances, but even when the music gets a bit “softer” — comparatively speaking — the band keep their solid and gripping melodies going strong in the background, which keeps the tension dialed up memorably.

And the band’s epic procession of their meaty riffs proves never far from the listener, no matter where they’re at on the record, which also veers into some memorably faster, abruptly shifting segments on spots like the song “Nothing Gets Through.”

The band features former members of heavy bands including Fistula, Rue, and Sofa King Killer, and they’ve got a few local shows coming up.

Check out the music below!