Demon Eye - Termpora Infernalia

(Soulseller Records, 2015)

Demon Eye’s Termpora Infernalia is, unfortunately, an album of diminishing returns; starting with such energy and enthusiasm, it’s easy to get swept away in the fervour and the authenticity of their sound (which has been refined during their other gig as heavy-rock tribute act Corvette Summer). Bill Eagen’s drumming swings like Bill Ward, and lead man Erik Sugg has clearly studied the clipped vocal stylings of Ozzy, however by the midway point the Raleigh band’s lack of new ideas or willingness to infuse a hint of their own personalities into their music begins to grate. Ironically enough for such a hard-rocking bunch, the most compelling moments come when the band either slows down, as on ‘Poison Garden’, or put down the electric guitars completely on the contemplative ‘Please, Father.’ Termpora Infernalia is solid – of course it is, it was built on the foundations laid down by Black Sabbath and Pentagram – but unfortunately it doesn’t bring anything new to the table. In an increasingly busy crowd of retro doomsters, you can do far better than this. 

[Originally published in Iron Fist Magazine, Issue 15 August/September 2015]

Bell Witch - Four Phantoms

(Profound Lore, 2015)

Four Phantoms, the second album from Seattle doom duo Bell Witch, is a harrowing exploration of death which builds upon the unique sound established on their haunting debut album, 2012’s Longing. For a two-piece, the band make an earth-shattering racket: Dylan Desmond’s bass provides crushing waves of distortion in tandem with soaring leads which Adrian Guerra dutifully hammers home with brutal, minimalistic precision. However it’s the pair’s vocals and lyrics that lie at the heart of the album’s bleak devastation across these sixty minutes. Flitting between Gregorian chant and desperate screams of despair, the effects of dying in the four manners depicted on the album’s cover – suffocating, burning, drowning and falling – are powerfully expressed and felt. The four songs transition elegantly between moments of sorrowful contemplation and real anguish, providing plenty of dynamic surprises along the way. A true progression for the band in every way imaginable, you are unlikely to hear a truer expression of dread-filled doom than Four Phantoms this year. 

[Originally published in Iron Fist Magazine, Issue 15 August/September 2015]

Opium Lord - The Calendrical Cycle: Eye Of Earth

(Candelight Records/Cry Cough Records, 2015)

Birmingham’s Opium Lord have had a kind of fast-track experience since forming just a few years ago. Their first EP (the fancily-titled The Calendrical Cycle – Prologue: The Healer (reviewed here), released by Thirty Days Of Night/Witch Hunter Records) sold out quickly, and it has since been revealed to be the prologue for a two part album, the first of which is The Calendrical Cycle: Eye Of Earth which comes to us via Candlelight Records (CD) and Dry Cough Records (Vinyl). This kind of ambition (and the prerequisite hard work) has seen the band headline tours in the UK and make various trips to Europe and most recently, North America with firm friends Primitive Man. More importantly, it’s highlighted them as a band to watch.

The main reason for the band’s success however is that their music is excellent. The Healer seemed to strike a chord because it dared to vary from the Pentagram and Sabbath-leaning doom of many UK doom bands, taking just the menacing tone at the genre’s core and adding a level of sophistication to their take on sludge – not unlike a dopesick Alice In Chains jamming with Soundgarden and Johnny Morrow. The result was a band that was tight and tuneful, whilst also being incredibly heavy and bleak. Efficient too – Eye Of Earth runs a slim 7 songs and 33 minutes long which is mercifully shorter than your average doom record in 2015.

And let’s get this out of the way: Eye Of Earth only builds on Opium Lord’s early promise, and is more unrelentingly bleak and heavy than The Healer EP. Opening track Challenger wastes no time laying down the album’s foundation of toxic, sludgy riffs and a soaring, distant lead guitar that soon becomes the band’s signature throughout the seven songs, acting as a recurring coda, and a counter-point to the downtuned guitars and thunderous drums. As I’ve mentioned, comparisons to Iron Monkey are inevitable, most notably in singer Nathan Coyle’s more abrasive vocal delivery, although his voice also has a low, guttural and outright bilious quality which rears its ugly head when the band slow things down in Pink Mass, Black Libraries, and the fantastic Crystals. The closing duo, Ghost Singer andKrocodil finish the album off in a suitably horrendous fashion, with the latter being a particularly harrowing journey through its subject matter, sounding broken and dejected, the musical equivalent of pins and needles

Just as Bast created a compelling debut (2014’s Spectres – reviewed here) by mashing up doom and black metal, Opium Lord have crafted an incredibly cohesive and eery album by merging the sheer heft and despair of doom with the contorted melodies and tumultuous rhythms of sludge. By some strange alchemy, Opium Lord have managed to create a sound of their own in the very crowded (and increasingly uninspiring) field of doom-sludge. If Eye Of Earth is indeed part one of some wider narrative, it will be interesting to see how the Calendrical Cycle unfolds, but as debut albums go, you’d be hard pressed to find a finer example this year.

[Originally published on The Sleeping Shaman, 16/09/2015]

http://www.thesleepingshaman.com/reviews/album-reviews/o/opium-lord-the-calendrical-cycle-eye-of-earth-cd-lp-dd-2015/

Ufomammut - Ecate

(Neurot Recordings, 2015)

As the sun returned to our isles and I sat in my back garden, with blue skies overhead, the sun’s warmth on my face and the sounds of nature all around me, I should have been perfectly primed to soak in Italian doom trio Ufomammut’s latest conceptual album, Ecate. The band have become synonymous with fuzzy stoner riffs and warm tone in the fifteen years since they exploded onto the scene with their 2000 debut Godlike Snake, and after six more albums Ufomammut have become synonymous with heavy, full-stop. Although I’ve never had the opportunity to see them perform live, all reports suggest that it’s as close to a religious experience as any heavy-metal worshipping heathen could hope for and their recent form meant that I had high expectations going into this record.

Ecate is their eighth album, and their first since 2012’s double-whammy of Oro: Opus Primum and Oro: Opus Alter, and it has already earned rave reviews across the heavy metal media. As the album slowly lurches into action on opener Somnium with synths and creeping heavy tom-toms, it’s clear thatUfomammut’s mastery of dynamics is still very much in tact, and the band launches into a cyclical riff that blows away all the cobwebs that had been building in the sonic space the band left us in at the end of Opus Alter. Plouton follows and keeps up the destructive pace – no peaks or valleys here, just a boulder picking up speed as it levels everything in its path.

Temple lies at the heart of the album and is arguably the strongest song, acting like an almighty sun for the other songs to orbit; the riff that kicks in around the five minute mark certainly seems like it could have been forged in the heart of the sun, so unapologetically bad arse that it is.

However Ecate isn’t without its flaws. For example, Chaosecret, despite all its bells and whistles, feels a little bit bloated. In general the riffs on Ecate sound huge but are a little unremarkable and, except for the odd one or two, didn’t linger in the memory for long once the album was over. Likewise, the vocals are so muddy and buried into the mix that they lose their purpose; this means that the lyrics and melodies are practically unintelligible.

Perhaps it’s because Ufomammut are such a great band that one would hold them to higher standards, but Ecate sounds a bit like a band in autopilot mode. By no means is it a bad album, and coming from another band I’m sure it would be all the more impressive, but for a band of their calibre and having so much good work to show for their 15 years together, Ecate doesn’t show much in the way of growth or diversity. With an obvious drive to continue creating art, whether in their design collective Malleus or asUfomammut, let’s hope that Ecate is a temporary plateau rather than a peak.

[Originally published on The Sleeping Shaman, 30/07/2015]

http://www.thesleepingshaman.com/reviews/album-reviews/u/ufomammut-ecate-cd-lp-dd-2015/

Grizzlor - When You Die 7″

(Money Fire Records, 2014)

Let me tell you a little secret about me; if you tell me you play grungey noise rock, you’ve got my ear straight away. As a chap whose first foray away from mainstream music was along the lines of Nirvana, the Smashing Pumpkins and their many contemporaries and inspirations (which led me tumbling further down the rabbit hole that brings me here) I will always have a bit of a soft spot for anything that is made with the philosophy that noise, energy and destruction should be central to the creative process. So when the Shaman sends me an email telling me that a band named Grizzlor didn’t even have a press release but wanted a review I thought I’d give it a shot.

From what I can gather, Grizzlor are a three-piece noise rock band from New Haven, Connecticut, they formed in 2013 and this 7” is their third EP, and their first release on Brooklyn-based Money Fire Records. Wasting absolutely no time, appropriately titled opener No Time is a fuzz-heavy assault, combining the Jesus Lizard’s lurking menace with a lumbering bass riff and early Mudhoney guitar spasmodics in a succinct 83 seconds. Plaster Cowboy applies the same formula but adds breakneck speed to the equation to add a palpable sense of surging energy that eventually causes the song to self-destruct.

Side B slows things down with some doom-inspired riffs in Stoned and Mini Spaceship which allowsGrizzlor’s low-tuned rumble to more-densely fill the airwaves. Stoned in particular is a delight of Electric Wizard style doom and weed-induced paranoia heightened by a fantastically psychotic guitar lead and Victor’s reverb-drenched vocals.

So as it turned out it was worth a punt – Grizzlor have got their sound down to a tee, and while there’s not yet a sense of their own personality coming through, you get the sense that they’re building towards something pretty great. Fans of the noisier end of the grunge spectrum will find a lot to like about this release, as will anyone who has enjoyed recent releases by Pigs, Pissed Jeans and the Great Sabatini.

[Originally published on the Sleeping Shaman, 06/12/2014]

http://www.thesleepingshaman.com/reviews/album-reviews/g/grizzlor-when-you-die-7inch-dd-2014/

Fuzz Evil / Chiefs – Split 7”

(Battleground Records, 2014)

Battleground Records is a relatively new label operating out of Tucson, Arizona which supports a small roster of underground bands playing fuzzy stoner rock and sludge, both in Arizona and further afield. And successfully so, it would seem, as the label has racked up an impressive nine releases on a variety of physical formats since establishing in 2013 – an encouraging sign for such a fledgling label. Fellow Arizonians Fuzz Evil – as their name suggests – obviously embody the fuzzier end of Battleground’s musical spectrum while Chiefs, hailing from California, play a slower, more-relaxed form of stoner rock, making up the two sides of this split 7” release.

Unfortunately, the main riff that makes up the backbone of Fuzz Evil’s Glitterbones is a bit too generic to make much of a lasting impression, and matters aren’t helped by moronic lyrics alluding to some vague “spirit quest to a distant land,” successfully aping every stoner epic ever whilst adding nothing new to the never-ending yarn. All this coupled with what can only be described as a turgid guitar solo makes for a largely forgettable slice of by-the-numbers fuzz rock, although the driving chorus pleasantly recalls Songs for the Deaf-era Queens Of The Stone Age for a brief moment. Admittedly, a single side of a seven-inch record isn’t the most forgiving format when trying to make a good impression on a new listener, so perhaps we ought to wait for a full-length before passing further judgement on Fuzz Evil.

Chiefs suffer from many of the same issues that marred Fuzz Evil’s contribution but whereas the Arizona band sound like an over-eager puppy, the Californians benefit from a more relaxed pace that allows their riffs to ignite and burn slowly. Vocally too, Chiefs’ Paul Valle has a good ear for melody and phrasing that gives Stone Bull a more assured sound. Again, the riffs aren’t going to set your world on fire because you’ve likely heard them (or something very similar) before and it might be considered a backhanded compliment to say that you could easily put on Chiefs side as pleasant background music whilst doing something else.

While it’s not always a genre of music that demands ingenuity or creativity, there are plenty of stoner bands trying to innovate within the relatively safe and unassuming confines of the genre, implementing unusual instrumentation, interpolating other types of music or simply writing great, memorable riffs. That’s why it’s a bit of a shame that these two relatively new bands aren’t pushing the boundaries or carving more of an identity for themselves on these two songs when what they’re doing has already been done to death. Fuzz Evil and Chiefs are not bad bands by any stretch of the imagination – they certainly know their way around a bluesy riff and can write well-structured songs – but with so many bands competing for an audience to hear and buy their stuff, these two might want to try branching out when they return from the distant land.

[Originally published on The Sleeping Shaman, 06/12/2014]

http://www.thesleepingshaman.com/reviews/album-reviews/f/fuzz-evil-chiefs-split-7inch-dd-2014/

Windhand - Live At Roadburn 2014

(Burning World Records, 2014)

If you’ve not heard of Richmond, Virginia’s Windhand then you’ve probably been living under a rock for the last three years. From an intriguing practice space demo to last year’s critically acclaimed Soma(their second album), Windhand have literally had the wind beneath their wings, lifting them to the lofty heights of doom stardom in a very short space of time, landing them international tours, multiple represses of their records and a split with fellow Virginian doom legends Cough along the way. And last year it even took them to sludge and doom’s most hallowed grounds, Roadburn Festival, where this vinyl-exclusive set was recorded live on the Main Stage to a packed crowd of evidently enthusiastic festival-goers.

What got Windhand to this point (if you didn’t know) is their infectious combination of simple Sabbathian riffs and singer Dorthia Cottrell’s catchy vocal melodies, and while their take on doom has never been an innovative one, it is quintessentially pleasing nonetheless. The guitar tone, the pace, the occult imagery, and the hooks all combine to eradicate the need to intellectualise their music, and instead makes you want to light up a big fat doobie and nod your head to it. Dorthia’s vocals have an air of mystery about them; throaty and buried deep in the mix, they are simultaneously cloaked and omnipresent – never quite audible enough to be the driving force of the band’s songs but never entrenched to the point of being secondary.

Thankfully, Dorthia’s vocals are significantly higher in the mix on Live at Roadburn 2014 than they are on Windhand‘s studio recordings (where they are intentionally buried below the guitars). This is a welcome change and for once her powerful voice is given centre stage placement where it belongs. The band rip through text-book renditions of five of the six songs on Soma (more on that later), including a mighty version of Orchard with that huge, bouncy riff and Ryan Wolfe’s clattering drum fills, as well as an epic but slightly more vinyl-friendly (ie. edited-down) Boleskin to finish off the set. What is abundantly clear pretty much straight away is that these guys are tight, having toured fairly relentlessly for the last few years, and it’s a breathtaking performance all round.

One of the slightly disappointing aspects of Live at Roadburn 2014, however, is that the tracklisting (as I mentioned earlier) is almost exactly the same as last year’s Soma, except that the album’s acoustic centrepiece Evergreen has been replaced with Winter Sun from their debut album. On a similar note, the renditions of these songs – while powerful – are almost identical to their album-version counterparts. In turn Live At Roadburn 2014 can begin to seem like a bit of a museum piece rather than the kind of live album that mixes up album tracklists, presents a cross section of the band’s excellent back catalogue or offers wildly different versions of the songs. Contrary to, say, Yob’s The Unreal Never Lived – Live At Roadburn 2012 which clearly bills itself as an album being played in its entirety or Wino’s career-spanning Live at Roadburn 2009, this set feels more like another reissue of Soma.

To a certain extent this is to be expected from a relatively new band promoting a wildly-popular album, but given the time constraints perhaps the band could have thrown in a couple of the shorter tracks from their debut album such as Black Candles or Heap Wolves (which no-doubt kill live) in place of Boleskin to make this a more all-round enticing record to hardcore fans and newcomers alike. That being said, it serves as an excellent introduction to the band and while it’s a shame that they didn’t elect to play more of their earlier songs (which feature some of Cottrell’s most unforgettable melodies), their musicianship and unity is the stand-out element on these recordings. Live At Roadburn 2014 would be highly recommended for anyone who wasn’t able to attend Roadburn last year, went but missed their set or who didn’t buy Soma when it first came out. And needless to say it is an essential purchase for all Windhand and Roadburn completists (who this release was obviously catered for). However it might be surplus to requirements for the rest of you.

[Originally published on The Sleeping Shaman, 16/10/2014]

http://www.thesleepingshaman.com/reviews/album-reviews/w/windhand-live-at-roadburn-2014-lp-dd-2014/