Jump to content

Slow Forever

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Slow Forever
Slow Forever album cover
Studio album by
ReleasedMarch 25, 2016 (2016-03-25)
GenreSludge metal
Length83:53
LabelProfound Lore
Cobalt chronology
Gin
(2009)
Slow Forever
(2016)

Slow Forever is the fourth studio album by American black metal duo Cobalt, released by Profound Lore Records in 2016. It is a double album and the band's first with vocalist Charlie Fell, who replaced founding member Phil McSorley. The album leans more heavily into blackened sludge metal, similar to acts like Anciients and Tombs.

Composition

[edit]

Critics categorized Slow Forever under a variety of genres, including black metal, post-hardcore, post-grunge, progressive rock, crust punk, sludge metal, American folk, hardcore rock, thrash metal, and hardcore punk.[1][2][3]

Reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic88/100[4]
Review scores
SourceRating
About.com[5]
AllMusic[1]
Metal Hammer[2]
Pitchfork8.4/10[6]
Revolver4/5[7]
Spin8/10[8]
Sputnikmusic4/5[9]

Slow Forever was critically acclaimed upon release, garnering an aggregate 88/100, based on five reviews, from Metacritic.[4] In addition to being ranked the 25th best album of 2016 by Stereogum, it landed in the top-ten of year-end lists from BrooklynVegan, Decibel, and Sputnikmusic.[10][11][12][3] Pitchfork's Grayson Currin also named it the duo's best album yet.[6]

A frequently-highlighted aspect was the songcraft. Currin praised it as "accessible as it is aggressive, with magnetic hooks, shout-along mantras, and sparkling riffs".[6] Dean Brown of Metal Hammer argued that the track-list worked together "as one singular totem" while the songs were "individualistic and animalistic" on their own.[2] Also noted by Brown and AllMusic's James Christopher Monger was the development of the group's musicianship and Wunder and Fell's chemistry. Brown wrote, "Fell's toxic self-hatred and disgust for humanity further intensifies Wunder's inventive, impactful instrumentals, which have developed significantly since Gin."[2] Monger called Fell "a far more dynamic screamer than McSorley, and his feral and elastic wail suits Wunder's newly expansive composition style."[1]

Track listing

[edit]
Disc 1
No.TitleLength
1."Hunt the Buffalo"8:48
2."Animal Law"2:47
3."Ruiner"6:32
4."Beast Whip"9:13
5."King Rust"11:14
6."Breath"2:25
7."Cold Breaker"6:44
Disc 2
No.TitleLength
8."Elephant Graveyard"7:51
9."Final Will"11:16
10."Iconoclast"2:30
11."Slow Forever"9:35
12."Siege" (hidden track)5:38

Credits

[edit]
  • Erik Wunder – all instruments
  • Charlie Fell – vocals

Charts

[edit]
Weekly chart performance for Slow Forever
Chart (2016) Peak
position
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[13] 17
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[14] 25

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Monger, James Christopher. "Cobalt - Slow Forever Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d Brown, Dean (29 March 2016). "Cobalt: Slow Forever". Metal Hammer. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  3. ^ a b Spencer, Trey (23 December 2016). "Staff's Top 50 Albums of 2016: 10 – 1". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Slow Forever by Cobalt". Metacritic. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  5. ^ Marciano, Dan. "Cobalt - Slow Forever Review". About.com. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  6. ^ a b c Currin, Grayson. "Cobalt: Slow Forever". Pitchfork. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  7. ^ Bennett, J. "Cobalt – Slow Forever". Revolver. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  8. ^ O'Connor, Andy. "Review: Cobalt Return With Two Thunderous Discs and a New Screamer on 'Slow Forever'". Spin. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  9. ^ Xenoplanes (23 March 2016). "Cobalt - Slow Forever (album review)". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  10. ^ "BrooklynVegan's Top Albums of 2016". BrooklynVegan. 20 December 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  11. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2016". Stereogum. 1 December 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  12. ^ "SPOILER: Here Are Decibel's Top 40 Albums of 2016". Decibel. 17 November 2016. Archived from the original on February 21, 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  13. ^ "Cobalt Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  14. ^ "Cobalt Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 16, 2022.