Phyllomedusa -- Environment and Adaptation (review)

Band: Phyllomedusa
Album: Environment and Adaptation
Genre: sludge metal | ambient
Year: 2012
Label: Sloth Clatter Media

Big Frog is the mastermind of various underground solo projects, including my personal favorite, Phyllomedusa.  A variety of genres are explored throughout his discography, but most of them are brimming with abrasive noise and amphibian calls.  Environment and Adaptation is a sludge-drenched doom metal behemoth that trudges along, dragging the listener's lifeless body along for the ride.
The album opens with a soothing ambient track before erupting into the crushing riffs of "The Misfortune In Pursuing Food."  From that point on, Big Frog hardly lets up.  The guitars and bass are drenched in caustic distortion, and the drums pound steadily and relentlessly.  I personally love the ring that the snare has to it.  Overall, the sound is organic and filthy.  Big Frog's vocals are fuming with hatred, which fits comfortably with the aggressive instrumentation.
This album is all about repetition, which can best be seen on the titular track.  About two minutes into the song, the tempo slows and the guitars shift to a very simple, repetitive riff.  This is easily one of the heaviest, dirtiest riffs I have ever heard.  When Big Frog lays down a riff, he hammers it into the listener's skull.  By these means, I would say that the songs become catchy (but not really, right?).
Due to the extreme level of distortion, the bass seems to melt into the wall of sludge, but in the intro of "Scutiger" the bass gets a chance to shine (except it's covered in filth, so it can't really "shine" per se).  I absolutely love the tone as it has a throbbing pulse to it.
The album's final track is a nearly half-hour ambient piece which juxtaposes a tranquil atmosphere with the absolute filth of the sludge metal.  Big Frog is known to create softer works aside from his vast catalog of gorenoise and sludge.  The stark shift in style from crushing guitars to waves of ambiance works well here.
I plan to review plenty more of Big Frog's releases (does he even sleep?), but in the meantime, check out his catalog on bandcamp and give Environment and Adaptation a listen here.


Rating: 4 / 5
Top Tracks:
Environment & Adaptation/Glandirana-Ki
I Come from the Water (Toadies cover)
Scutiger
Chiasmocleis Humming In Dusk (Supratympanic Fold)