Tag: doom
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Cretus – Dux Mea Lux
Given the mainstream success of Ghost, it’s not surprising to see a wave of copycat acts beginning to rise like that drunk idiot who won’t sit down during a key at-bat of the ALCS. This particular trio checks all the boxes: masks, robes, melodic vocals and Satanic themes. They’ve even got a thinly-veiled promotional website…
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Spider Goat Canyon – Always the Heavy
Endearing album title from this Aussie guitar/drums duo, Always the Heavy packs a whopping 13 tracks into 76 minutes that don’t always live up to its moniker; Spider Goat Canyon’s sound is really all over the map. But don’t get me wrong; this ain’t no easy listening. A foghorn effect reverberates all over opening track…
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Wizard Eye – self-titled
When I think Wizard Eye, the first thing I see are the dreads—their frontman’s got the longest ‘locks this side of Jamaica. But that’s not to say this Philly stoner/doom trio’s music isn’t memorable in its own right. Their self-titled sophomore effort starts out with “Eye of the Deep,” which gives us some wah-heavy stoner…
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Limb – Terminal
Limb play excellent stripped down stoner-doom, with more than a hint of Corrosion of Conformity and Motorhead. Another plus on the band’s second album, Terminal, is an excellent concise yet organic production from the legendary Russ Russell; he has truly captured the essence of the band. Moreover, Limb’s song-writing is first class (all bands without…
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Irata – Sweet Loris
Though Irata are relatively unknown, this Carolina trio comes with some instant sludge cred—this record was produced by Phil Cope and is being released on Kylesa’s Retro Futurist Records. Oh, and they’ve also snagged the opening slot on Kylesa’s upcoming tour. I guess that comes with the territory, eh? Thus, it should probably come as…
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Kowloon Walled City – Grievances
I had read somewhere that Kowloon Walled City‘s new album, Grievances, is a concept album about office culture, workplace conflict and the rat race. You get a bit of a sense of that in the lyrics, but had I not been alerted beforehand, I probably wouldn’t have picked up on it—post-sludge often tends to be cryptic,…
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Bevar Sea – Invoke the Bizarre
When Reverend Bizarre penned their tongue-in-cheek anthem “Doom Over the World” back in ’05, I’m not sure they could have foreseen a doom outfit from India invoking them 10 years later. This is actually album number two from the Bangalore-based Bevar Sea, whose Billy Anderson engin-eared debut landed them a slot at MDF in 2012.…
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Windhand – Grief’s Infernal Flower
I’m probably one of the few doom critics who didn’t put Windhand’s Relapse debut Soma in his year-end top 10 in 2013. Not that I really had anything against that album; I just thought it tested my patience a tad, what with its whopping 77-minute runtime. Since then, I’ve seen ’em live twice, and while…
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Grime – Circle of Molesters
As far as sludge bands go, Grime is aptly named. These Italians play a dirty, gritty blend of downtuned doom, taking the foundation that Eyehategod built, and making it even more unpleasant. Case in point: their sophomore album, which boasts a title even more offputting than its artwork. Curiously enough, the song titles seem more…
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Witchsorrow – No Light Only Fire
That’s right kids, it’s another doom band with Witch in its name! They may not be playing Witchella next year, but Witchsorrow has done alright for themselves, with their third album dropping on Candlelight after a couple records with Rise Above. Their association with the latter label naturally brings comparisons to a band with Wizard…