REVIEW: STOMACH - LOW DEMON

After their 2023 release PARASITE, Chicago’s own sludge/doom act STOMACH are back with their second album, LOW DEMON. Originally a duo consisting of drummer and vocalist John Hoffman and guitarist Adam Tomlinson, the band have more recently forged into a collective of three, with the addition of bassist Kirk Syrek who you may know from Sick/Tired, a band in which Tomlinson also plays. You may also recognise the members of STOMACH from band Weekend Nachos, who both Hoffman and Tomlinson were/are involved with. The future of Weekend Nachos remains ominous with their “Still basically broken up but felt like playing some shows in 2024” bio on X.

The transition to the sound that STOMACH creates, rather than the other two projects mentioned, is more gloomy, atmospheric, and reflective. With tracks that span up to almost the twenty minute mark, this gives stark contrast to the short bursts Weekend Nachos presented to their listeners. LOW DEMON was recorded in 2024 at The Pit II in Genova, Illinois and was mixed and mastered by Will Killingsworth - who you may be familiar with from a plethora of bands, including Orchid and Ampere.

The five track album spans over forty minutes of ground-shaking distortion and devastating vocals capturing themes of a raw nature, with scratchy vocals that transport you to moments of highs and lows that bring your attention to the intricacies of the human self. ‘DREDGED’ starts things off with a moody drone that sets the perfect tone for the album, echoing drum beats across this intro track, which smoothly transitions to ‘BASTARD SCUM’. The second track brings a solid doom sound under emotive vocals, that strain lyrics against radio sound samples interlacing with the track. These seem to allow you to come in and out of focus before Hoffman comes back in with the line “Cruelty is gone”. The last few minutes of the track feature a stunning, nigh trance-inducing outro that feels fulfilling. This track is a personal highlight and definitely one to listen to.

The two singles included on this album are ‘GET THROUGH WINTER’ and ‘OSCILLATE’, which were both released earlier this year. Both offer different approaches to the genre and showcase what this band can do. ‘OSCILLATE’ honours a sludgier sound at the beginning and then falls into a doom outro, whilst ‘Get Through Winter’ plays more on the doomy side throughout. Out of the two, ‘OSCILLATE’ packs a punch right from the get-go making it a great choice for a first single release, although listening to the singles separately doesn’t do justice to the LOW DEMON project as a whole.

The album closes with a seventeen minute spectacle named 'SHIVERS // DRAFTS' in which, around the halfway mark, the guitar brings a new dimension that is punctuated by forceful drums. This is where the track really comes into its own as the riff drags fondly for the rest of its duration. Listen long enough, and you’ll be presented with indiscernible horrors that signify the end.

With the band and their sound often described as dismal, this offering from STOMACH is truly dismal in the best way possible. Full of riffs, and creating a potent atmosphere that chokes the listener throughout, LOW DEMON is a characterful and smothering piece of heavy music that's well worth visiting.

Score: 8/10

Low Demon was released on July 18th 2025.

Words: Danielle Henderson

Photos: Stomach