Sea Bastard – Cyclopean
Release Date: 30th October 2026
Label: ROAD TO MASOCHIST
Bandcamp
Genre: Sludge, Doom.
FFO: Primitive Man, Dead Existence, Dragged Into Sunlight, Rwake.
Review By: Paul Cairney
I’m not going to lie. I asked to review this album based purely on the name of the band, Sea Bastard. After 2 albums released over 14 years ago, and a couple of split releases, a request from a friend with a terminal illness saw the Brighton-based quartet reunite and release the truly gargantuan Cyclopean.
The first thing that has to be recognised is that this is a proper sludgy doom album. There is absolutely zero half-measures, no ethereal vocals or lighter tracks. Cyclopean delivers 4 tracks designed to impregnate your soul. This is doom from the pits of hell itself, and you better prepare yourself. Oh, it is also just about 76 minutes long!
Yes, 4 songs, 76 minutes! So get yourself settled and ready for some long tracks. The first of which is ‘Dark Alter’. A disturbingly filthy riff is accompanied by a band who use the full run time to develop the song. It twists, turns and never settles, full of ideas that Sea Bastard take the time to explore.
‘Entombed with the Pharaoh’ follows and, the short run-time (this is only 12 minutes or so long) is dominated by the rumbling bass-runs of Steve Patton. Again, the riff benefits from a truly outstanding guitar tone, courtesy of Oliver ‘Irongiant ‘ Hill, and the vocals are on point – a delicious grunty attack from Ian ‘Monty’ Montgomery. This is turning into a good listen!
‘Prophet of the People’ is just fucking heavy! The tone leads the aggressive nature of the innate heaviness provided. The power invoked rips through you with undiluted pleasure. Sea Bastard, so far, have been unrelenting in a manner that many modern doom bands dial down.
Album closer, ‘Nameless Purgatory’ is a monolithic beast clocking in at just under 25 minutes. A gradual build leads into a crushing riff before the song reaches out into a hundred directions at once, holding everything together with supreme ease. The doom delivery is tangible. You feel every single ounce of their commitment.
Underpinning the album, (or is 4 tracks an EP?) are the drums of George Leaver. While the others explore new territory with each riff, the drums hold everything together, bringing the track back when it attempts to overreach. This is a band in tune with what they want to achieve.
But, it is an incredibly long album. Perhaps even too long. In a world of streaming sites, how many but the ardent of doom fans will listen to a 22-minute opening song? Cyclopean is an album for doom fans. I have a metal-loving friend who doesn’t like this genre – he will absolutely hate this album.
Sea Bastard probably don’t care about my friend. They have delivered an album in honour of their own terminally ill friend. Cyclopean is an album they should be immensely proud of and, for sludge and doom fans, should be an essential listen.
(4.5 / 5)
