Black Tar Prophet's latest album, Sentenced, is a crushing display of sludge metal mastery. The duo, consisting of guitarist/vocalist Greg Swinehart and drummer/vocalist Erik Dever, deliver a relentless assault of heavy riffs, thunderous drums, and guttural vocals that will leave listeners feeling completely decimated.
From the opening track "Miserable" to the closing "Doomed," Sentenced is an unrelenting journey through the darkest depths of the human psyche. Swinehart's guitar work is particularly impressive, as he weaves together crushing riffs and haunting melodies with ease. Meanwhile, Dever's drumming is precise and powerful, providing a relentless backbone for the album's ten tracks.
The production on Sentenced is also noteworthy, as it perfectly captures the raw, unpolished sound that defines the sludge metal genre. The guitars are thick and fuzzy, the drums are thunderous, and the vocals are buried deep within the mix, adding to the album's overall sense of darkness and despair.