A new missive of earth-shaking tribal sludgemetal from Finland's Dead In The Water, this vinyl version of Echoes In The Ruins comes to us from the new label Winter that's run by one of the members of the band. The last record that these guys put out (2003's Less Days Left Until The Final Rest) was a burly slab of dissonant, apocalyptic sludge metal that reminded me of a cross between the post-rock influenced later Neurosis sound and 90's "Holy Terror" metal core a la Integrity and Starkweather, but way, way slower and laced with passages of winding instrumental rock. I've been waiting for Dead In The Water to finally heave a full length album on us, and this expands on their ultra-heavy sound and put even more distance between themselves and the Neurosis comparisons that I heard on that last EP. There are still the huge, chugging riffs that crash in from quieter, muted sections and an apocalyptic vibe that permeates the six tracks on Echoes, but DITW have injected their gloomy dirges with a ton of jangly, clean guitar parts that have a dark indie rock tone that about as prominent as the heavy sections, and solemn piano melodies appear in a couple of spots . Then there are the vocals from DITW's two singers, whose synched up throat terror is even more intense than before; one of the singers screams in a fearsome black metal shriek, and the other belts out these deep, gutteral beast growls - the delivery is so much more powerful than their earlier stuff. Imagine a blackened Red Sea era Isis combined with Morgion and Mogwai. Seriously crushing, atmospheric doomcrust that fans of Minsk, Mouth Of The Architect, Swallow The Sun, Tides, and Rosetta should check out.

The CD version of Echoes In The Water has been out since last year, though we have yet to carry that version - this vinyl edition however just came out at the beginning of the summer, presented in a gatefold jacket on thick vinyl.