Tag Archives: doom

Review : PSYCONAUTS – ‘Planet X’

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Psyconauts- Planet X
Release date: 2012Mar03
Label: Ozium Records
Rating: 10/10

To be blunt here, I’ve struggled for months to find the inspiration to review. So many excellent releases and so little time. There are are a few albums that I refuse to let slip by. Case in point, Planet X from the Psyconauts out of Italy.  Immediately, I thought of Serpent Venom with a stronger lyrical focus on the Mayan 2012 controversy.   “Road to Nibiru” starts off with a beautiful echo effect that quickly transitions into soft, ethereal doom vibes laced with synth.  These effects combine to create a eerie, majestic soundscape that commands your attention. Four minutes in, they pay homage to Black Sabbath with riffs that would be at home on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.

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Review : ARGUS- "Boldly Stride The Doomed"

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Argus - Boldly Stride The Doomed
Release: 2011May03 (US)
Label: Cruz del Sur Music
Rating: 5/5

My biggest gripe with doom metal is the endless amount of cookie-cutter bands that shamelessly ape the godlike riffs of Tony Iommi. Argus stands out from the pack with a sound that combines the ferocity and intensity of classic metal with punishing riffs that bring to mind Candlemass and Trouble among others. “Abandoning The Gates Of Byzantium” is a short intro track that also forms the basis for the outro on “The Ruins Of Ouroboros” when the album comes full circle. “Wolves Of Dusk” and “Durendal” offer plenty for the fan of traditional doom: the former contains slow, bluesy riffs while the latter changes up the pace. Things don’t really take off until the title track, the shortest full song here, which sounds like a hybrid of Samson and Trouble; I really like the combination and I hope that Argus expands upon this sound with future releases. Listen for Butch Balich’s best Messiah Marcolin impersonation on “Pieces Of Your Smile”—a haunting, expansive 11+ minutes, in which Kevin Latchaw shines on skins.  Indeed, the doomed shall stride boldly and carry big axes! It doesn’t take 100 eyes to see that.

A Best of 2011 pick!

FCC OK
Try: 5, 7, 9

01. Abandoning The Gates Of Byzantium
02. A Curse On The World
03. Wolves Of Dusk
04. The Ladder
05. Durendal
06. 42-7-29
07. Boldly Stride The Doomed
08. Fading Silver Light
09. Pieces Of Your Smile
10. The Ruins Of Ouroboros

~Brad Barratt

Review : GRAND MAGUS – "Hammer of the North"

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Grand Magus - Hammer of the North
Release: 2010Jun23 (EU)/2011Jan25 (US)
Label: Roadrunner Records
Rating: 4/5

The Metalverse has Sweden to thank for vital inspiration over the last couple of decades. While most attention is paid toward their contributions to death metal, Grand Magus eschewed that template with their stripped-down, no-nonsense, traditional doom. Roadrunner Records picked them up and did a European release in June 2010; Metal Blade reissued their first two albums—Grand Magus and Monument—in September 2010 through their partnership with Grand Magus’ original label, Rise Above Records; now in early 2011, we get the full brunt of the band’s fifth album, Hammer of the North. They retain the same lineup from 2008′s Iron Will, which was the first to feature drummer Sebastian “SEB” Sippola.

The immovable distinguishing aspect of this band is frontman Janne ”JB” Christoffersson. Not only is the man a solid guitarist, but he dominates his vocal range. While he may not possess the full dynamic of, say, Rob Halford, he actually channels the same timbre on more than one occasion—check out “I, The Jury” or “The Lord of Lies” for proof. If I’d liken the band to anybody, a safe bet is the Indiana trio (and former label-mates) The Gates of Slumber. Both are reverent of their first- and second-generation ancestry in Black Sabbath and Saint Vitus, but Grand Magus go further to set themselves apart in this 21st century fog by also invoking their Swedish homeland.

The title track comes crashing like a judge’s gavel, following the mighty opener. This is where you really hear bassist Fox Skinner finger like Geezer, who further guides the ravens at album’s end. And thematically, this is also where Grand Magus makes the most sense. Observe “Northern Star”, with all its internal empowerment that maintains there is “no one up above and no one below” and encourages “don’t resort to prayer”. However, directly following is “The Lord of Lies”, which may be interpreted to mean Satan himself (a seeming contradiction for non-believers) but could refer to Loki, considering the source.

There is no trickery found here, though. Hammer of the North is set to smash your face in, and doesn’t require a hint of death metal’s brutality or technical wizardry to do so.

FCC OK
Try 1, 2, 3,  5, 6, 8, 10

01. I, The Jury
02. Hammer of the North
03. Black Sails
04. Mountains Be My Throne
05. Northern Star
06. The Lord of Lies
07. At Midnight They’ll Get Wise
08. Bond of Blood
09. Savage Tales
10. Ravens Guide Our Way
11. Crown of Iron (bonus on MP3 download, get it below!)

~MetalMattLongo

Review : DARKBLACK – "Midnight Wraith"

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DarkBlack – Midnight Wraith
Release: 2010Dec01 (US)
Label: Stormspell Records
Rating: 3.5/5

Admittedly, I was not expecting traditional NWOBHM-styled metal to make such a strong comeback. Remember, Metal’s elder statesmen started honing their chops some 35-40 years ago; don’t take this fact for granted, folks. If anybody out there still actually cares about radio, you may know that usually labels the performers as “oldies” artists. Our hero worship has just begun.

So get ready for more bands like DarkBlack, who are set to make their mark, if they can only distinguish themselves better. The first thing that jumped out at me were the vocals. If you look for a parallel within the confines of classic metal, Eric Wagner (Trouble) is the obvious choice, but I often hear bassist/vocalist Tim Smith strain as a young Chris Cornell before Soundgarden hit their stride. His range is more limited than either of those men, but the band is only about six years old.

Midnight Wraith is their second EP in this time, and follows their debut full length from 2009, The Sellsword (get psyched, fellow and/or former D&D nerds). They finally got an cover artist who is intriguing and not goofy, which helps the subject matter. Their choice to relocate in Portland, Oregon was also wise because Lancaster, PA is a far less metallic city, despite its location in the steel valley.

Regardless of their enthusiastic interplay, I have difficulty recalling individual songs, even after a dozen spins of this, their briefest offering. I enjoy Anthony Crocamo’s complimentary leads opposite Rob McConlogue’s reliable rhythms, which are beefed up nicely by Smith’s chugging low end. Because he also helms the vocals, he has the potential to stand as another Phil Lynott or Lemmy Kilmister, and I hope he rises to the challenge. As far as I know, they currently lack a permanent drummer, which may be the x-factor they are missing.

DarkBlack are one of those bands you truly like, but are not jean-creamers. Give all of Midnight Wraith a listen, because there is little wrong with any of these five songs. Hell, maybe you’re a Rose City skin-basher reading this right now. You busy this weekend?

FCC OK
Try: All

01. Doom Herald
02. Power Monger
03. Golden Idol
04. Midnight Wraith
05. Broken Oath

Review : ATLANTEAN KODEX – "The Golden Bough"

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Atlantean Kodex – The Golden Bough
Release: 2010Nov09 (US)
Label: Cruz Del Sur
Rating: 4/5

When you come from a land that is known for birthing all manner of heavy music, there will be high expectations and little forgiven. The German quintet Atlantean Kodex has released a pair of EPs in 2007′s The Pnakotic Demos & 2008′s A Prophet in the Forest, plus a live album entitled The Annihilation of Koenigshofen one year prior to unleashing this full-length, The Golden Bough. It seems four years of preparation was enough to yield an album of this caliber, comprised of both new material and older tunes honed to greater perfection. Truly, this is how you perform power metal.

I try to sparingly use the term “epic” in my reviews nowadays because it feels trite—but every so often deems necessary. The pitfall is hard to avoid when the first and second track surpass the 10- and 11-minute mark, respectively; not to mention the sound effects that transform the listener into one of the trekking crew. Most everything works seamlessly, with deliberate song tempos and invocations of ancient mythoi mixed with modern interpretation. Rather than coming across detached, one feels emotionally invested in the protagonists’ quest into Elysium and the subsequent downfall of Atlantis.

However, I was surprised that a track like “Disciples of the Iron Crown” did not grab me, as it contains some of the fastest moments on the album. The speed shifts strike my ear awkwardly, and at two minutes shorter than the next-longest track, it needs more time to flesh out. That next-longest track is the following “Vesperal Hymn”, which ably bridges the overarching storyline, but is not terribly compelling by itself.

Their eponymous song rightfully regains ground, though, as our heroes resolve to hold true to their ancestral origins:

The days are growing darker
And what the coming age might hold
Even the wisest among us cannot say
And though some things are better left undisturbed
We must not bury the past
Or we will be buried by the future

I can scarcely think of a better way to endear yourself to a critical Metal audience than through an a priori sense of brotherhood. Such a feeling is difficult to quantify, but recognizable when present. While The Golden Bough may not be the magnum opus of Atlantean Kodex, few bands are this strong right out of the gate, and I welcome their destined journeys.

FCC OK
Try 1, 2, 4, 7, 8

1. Fountain of Nepenthe
2. Pilgrim
3. The White Goddess
4. Temple of Katholic Magick
5. Disciples of the Iron Crown
6. Vesperal Hymn
7. The Atlantean Kodex
8. A Prophet in the Forest
9. The Golden Bough

Review : WITHERED – "Dualitas"

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Withered - Dualitas
Release date: 2010Oct26 (US)
Label: Prosthetic Records
Rating: 4/5

Withered is a blackened doom group that hails from Atlanta, GA. This is their third full-length release. Dualitas was recorded by Kylesa’s Phillip Cope at the Jam Room in Columbia, SC. Withered has also made appearances at both the Blackened Fest and the inaugural Scion Rock Festival in 2009.

“Extinguished with the Weary” starts things off on a dark, gritty note with primal drumming that picks up in speed throughout the track. The texture is similar to a cocktail made up of mud, rocks and broken glass. “Residue in the Void” eschews the caustic nature of the first track in favor of slowed-down drums and a hint of melody. At 2:25 in, the calm is shattered by a mix of blast beats and dripping riffs, courtesy of founder Mike Thompson, who also played in Social Infestation with Mastodon‘s Troy Sanders.

“Interlude” closes off the first half of this album on a somber note. It left me looking around a corner, expecting something that would shatter the silence. “From Shadows” emerges as a straightforward riffer with a great flow between bassist Mike Longoria and drummer Beau Brandon. They have been Withered‘s backbone since 2007 and appear on 2008′s Folie Circulaire, though they collaborated priorly, including the Atlanta-based band Waited with guitarist/vocalist Dylan Kilgore (another two-syllable name that begins with ‘w’ and ends with ‘ed’ …interesting). “Aethereal Breath” is the longest and most expansive track on Dualitas, with something for everyone as it showcases the rightful talents of each member, before concluding with an outro.

This is one hell of an effort from Withered. I loved the element of surprise on “Residue in the Void” and I was blown away by the skill and dedication present on “Aethereal Breath”. There’s nothing better than waking up in the morning with a cup of black coffee and some blackened doom.

FCC: Clean
Try: 1, 2, 5, 7

01. Extinguished with the Weary
02. Residue in the Void
03. Seek the Shrouded
04. Interlude
05. From Shadows
06. The Progenitor’s Grasp
07. Aethereal Breath
08. Outro