Every so often, it is just when I get a craving – an itch, if you will – for something that the universe finds a way to deliver to me in such a form that I can’t help but thank the greater universe in all of its glorious randomnesses, and that proves no different for me today. A quality work of sludge metal is already something that we can’t deny when it does come around, but one that feels out-of-the-box even a little bit and manages to impress and even surprise is to come across something that feels like a purposely sent creation from on high. Seum has been on my radar for some time now with their talent far from lost on me, but it’s what they’ve brought to the table for their newest creation that I can’t help but feel as though the bar has been raised significantly on every possible level.

While it could easily seem like a gimmick for a band to approach sludge of all styles without the use of a guitar in some attempt to make for a more intense concoction that can somehow tap into what the sound is able to bring forth, bands like Seum quickly prove it to be much more than a simple gimmick. Instead, it’s a tremendous approach to the sound that already sets this name apart from many others, but it’s with impeccable energy and a fascinatingly raw yet incredibly honed performance that makes this name one to pay attention to. Nowhere else is that more obvious than the band’s second full-length album, “Double Double”. That title is true in more than one way with it really feeling as though Seum is doubling down on just about every aspect that made their debut two years ago a real head-turner to really allow this new creation to take on a life and destiny all of its own that doesn’t just stop at powerful riffage or a semblance of raw energy. Rather, Seum takes every opportunity they can to ensure that “Double Double” becomes a real whirlwind of intensity and punk-inspired chaos that blends almost too well with the additional influences from the many veins of doom to make for not just an eclectic blend that has a lot to offer, but a performance that begs you to find yourself ever-deeper in its trenches.

Every new spin of the album leads you to discover some new delicious detail that evaded you on the previous to really let “Double Double” become the sort of creation that demands more than a few listens for the more you find yourself in the depths of its record, the more delicious its secrets become. Such is the magic of Seum’s somewhat unorthodox approach to sludge that feels just as fresh as it does enigmatic with there truly seeming to be no bounds whatsoever even as “Double Double” stands as a testament of what kind of insanity and quality that we can come to expect from Seum from here on out.

“Double Double” releases on February 2nd!

LISTEN to Seum on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Seum on Facebook here.