6. Ufomammut—Idolum (2008)
Ultimately there comes a point when the entire arsenal of Earth can no longer keep up with the amount of debris tumbling into the atmosphere. Eventually, missiles and jet fuel begin to run low, and more and more extraterrestrial objects start to crash into the surface of the planet. Impacts in the oceans create tsunamis of sizes not seen on Earth for millions of years. Collisions on land obliterate entire cities. People run screaming though the streets or cower, shivering in basements, waiting for the inevitable end. The skies above are a murky red streaked with fire.
Idolum, the fourth album from Italian doomster trio Ufomammut is the most perfect fit for such a scene. The songs here are so spacey, yet so tooth-rattlingly heavy, that it truly sounds like celestial bodies colliding. The band name means, ridiculously enough, "UFO Mammoth", and that's actually quite fitting when you consider what they sound like. These people clearly have a lot of fun doing what what they do, and though they obviously don't take themselves too seriously, they do make some seriously incredible music. They've been on their own label for almost their entire career and release albums from an amazing, albeit small, roster of bands (more about that label
in my other journal). They also make their own artwork. And I'm pretty sure they're even self-produced. DIY at its finest.
Since it came up, let's talk about the production: it's perfect. Vast and cosmic, yet brutal and crushing. Crisp and clean, yet so unbelievably fuzzy. Vita's drums are utterly massive exploding supernovae. The guitar and bass are a wall of sound countless lightyears across—a fuzz lover's dream. Urlo's Al Jourgensen-esque vocals are flawless, raw and energetic, yet buried beneath the pure sonic force of everything else. Always at the edges are these beautiful, shimmering electronic swirls and oscillations. Honestly, I can't say enough about how fantastic this album is, but if you love the idea of something that sounds like Electric Wizard produced by Ministry, channelling Pink Floyd and Hawkwind, you really, really need to hear this album. Right now.