German wasteland sludge band Saraksh have released “Confinement: Bottom Deep,” the second single from their upcoming full-length album Abiram, which they will self-release on November 20. It follows the first single, “Forlorn,” and dives even deeper into the record’s dark, narrative world.
Listen to “Confinement: Bottom Deep” on Bandcamp.
The new track reinforces the band’s signature blend of nerve-crushing riffs and atmospheric depth. It is the last part of a three-song “Confinement” suite at the heart of the album, following “Confinement: Carving Me” and “Confinement: Circles.”
A Story That Continues From Moloch
Guitarist and vocalist Severin Mäker founded Saraksh in 2018 as a project shaped by dystopian and science fiction themes. Their 2023 release Moloch: refactored pushed the band into a more conceptual direction, setting its brutal title track against three tighter songs, “Drive,” “R.T.W.Y.A.” and “Eden in Waste.” That record swung between grooving and crushing riffs, chaotic outbursts with unsettling chants, layered guitars and synth-driven passages.
Abiram picks up exactly where the grand finale of “Moloch” left off, as the story’s wanderer leaves Moloch full of despair and hopelessness. Mäker handles guitar, keys, programming, vocals and the full production himself, from editing to mastering, with Christian Busch on guitar and Max Hönig on drums.
- Scavenger
- Confinement: Carving Me
- Confinement: Circles
- Confinement: Bottom Deep
- They Come At Night
- Forlorn
- Mire
- Designation
The sci-fi roots run deep. Saraksh is also the name of the planet in Arkady and Boris Strugatsky’s classic novel Prisoners of Power, a world of radiation-scarred wastelands ruled by a hidden, manipulative elite, which makes it a fitting namesake for a band that writes about a ruined future. “Forlorn,” the album’s sixth track and first single, is also streaming on Bandcamp, so you can hear both preview songs ahead of release. Abiram will be available through the band’s Bandcamp page.
Influences
The band names Converge, Ulcerate, Totem Skin and Omega Massif as influences, and keeps its organic, tight playing closely tied to storytelling. That mix of hardcore aggression, dissonant death metal and post-metal atmosphere is what they call “wasteland sludge.”
Our Take
Concept albums in sludge are rare, and a continuing dystopian narrative gives Saraksh an identity beyond heavy riffs. Splitting a track into a three-part “Confinement” suite suggests real ambition. For a self-released record, Abiram is shaping up as one of the more interesting underground releases of November.
