DMP-1922

Aggressive Rhythm
2017

Formed in 2014 and originally known as Witchtripper, New York hard rock/stoner rock/doom metal band DMP (Death Metal Pope) just released it's second EP last week. The gnarly three-track recording is entitled "1922" and with a run-time of twelve minutes and twenty three seconds it serves as the highly-anticipated follow-up to 2016's "Harvest". For those of you who are keeping count that makes two EPs in the two years that this Long Island-based group has been known as DMP. If you ask me that is a damn good speed rate for these (hard & heavy) occult riff-rockers! Speaking of all things occult, Pentagram's "Forever My Queen" is given the royal treatment thanks to the members of DMP. It's a picture-perfect fit next to the group's two original compositions, "13 Devils" and "Lord of the New Depression". Self-dubbed "Halloween Rock" on the group's bandcamp page, "1922" is the sound of one ghoulish metal group that has it all figured out! From this point forward I plan to follow DMP on their Facebook page.

Witchers Creed-Witchers Creed EP 17

Self-Release/Independent
2017

 Witchers Creed is a hard & heavy/doom metal band that is made up of guitarist/vocalist Filip Andersson, bassist/vocalist Emil Bjällerhag, and drummer Charlie Rangstedt. This two-track recording looks as if it is the first release from this occult Swedish trio and it clocks in at over 14 minutes! The group's influences include Black Sabbath, Leaf Hound, Pentagram, & Orchid and I have the always reliable Paul Rote to thank for introducing me to this killer the release! I completely agree with Paul's statement that this is "Mountain meets Sabbath meets your favorite underground seventies hard acid rock band". I might add in a little piece about the early days of stoner rock (and how it influenced the back end of these riff-rock warriors from the underworld!), but otherwise this one sure as hell sounds as if it has been ripped straight out of the seventies and time warped to the here and now! With this fuzzed-over release likely serving as the group's first time in the studio, Witchers Creed is bound to get all kinds of notice from fans, critics, and labels alike! Glory awaits these Swedish merchants of doom and, frankly-speaking my friends and fellow rockers, I cannot wait to see what else this band is capable of!!  

El Hijo de la Aurora-The Enigma of Evil

Minotauro Records
2015

El Hijo de la Aurora (Son of the Dawn) is an experimental doom metal/psychedelic rock band that was formed in Lima, Peru in may of 2008 by Joaquín Cuadra (ex-Don Juan Matus) and Manolo Garfias (Don Juan Matus, Throne of the Fallen). By December of 2008 the band had issued it's first full-length in the form of "Lemuria" before following it up some two years later with the LP "Wicca: Spells, Magic and Witchcraft Through the Ages". Here it is 2015 and after five years of silence the band has returned with it's third full-length album in the form of "The Enigma of Evil". These days Joaquín Cuadra (drums/FX) is the only original member left and here on the self-produced "The Enigma of Evil" he is not only blessed by the presence of other talented writers and musicians, but several captivating vocalists. Together these wonderful guest players surround Cuadra in a magical circle where the known and unknown universe collide into one explosive fireball! And that's just the musical side of this Lima-based project! Concept-wise, this new album "explores the origin of the cosmos, and how we establish our relationship with the spiritual world", but if you really want to break down even further then try this one on for size. On "The Enigma of Evil" the band (lyrically-speaking) explores "elements of philosophy, occultism, witchcraft, esotericism and spirituality" and that ends up making album number three as heavy vibe-wise as it is sound wise! All of which brings up a really good point when it comes to this Peruvian doom metal band. Not only does El Hijo de la Aurora excel on the sound-stage*, but also in atmospheric sense. I don't mind saying that this one gave me the creeps! Whether that had anything to do with the fact that I listened to this album in the dark while wearing headphones is debatable. What is not open to debate though is the Heavy and Oppressive nature of this LP and how spooky it's vibe is! Even when you take into consideration the experimental nature of this release (see below) we're still staring into the cold dark eyes of one honest to goodness doom metal band so it's bound to be a downward spiral one way or the other! So, what's the ultimate verdict on this one? Frankly-speaking "The Enigma of Evil" works on every level. From it's overall production at the hands of founding member Joaquín Cuadra to it's otherworldly vibe you just can't go wrong with this one my friends. The music is ultimately a heavy take on the early doom scene, but it is also dyed in the vibrant colors of the psychedelic rock and then it is filtered through the horror-cinema soundtracks of yesterday. It's all of this and more while it runs about at night tiptoeing through fields overflowing with death rock, acid rock and stoner rock. This was my very first taste of El Hijo de la Aurora and I'm truly hoping that any and all of our readers who have not yet experienced this Peruvian project first hand will be inspired to try this band out so that you too indulge in the same luxury! This is a great album from a largely unknown band, but here's hoping that we will be haunted by this band for years to come!

*Here on the recommend "The Enigma of Evil" (an album which {incidentally enough my friends}you can get directly from Minotauro Records) Joaquín Cuadra and his fellow conspirators not only tap deep into the vein of classic 70's doom (Black Sabbath, Pentagram, the American band Bang, etc.), but then they try to balance it out with experimental sounds and unconventional instrumentation. Well, the word "try" is not the right word to use at all seeing as El Hijo de la Aurora ended up recording this beautifully haunting mix of all thing seventies doom (see the three bands above for a brief sampling of this occult rock outfits influences) and seventies hard rock/psychedelic rock (Lucifer's Friend, Budgie, Sir Lord Baltimore, B.O.C., etc.) before topping the who magical affair off with the likes of Goblin, Christian Death and Death SS! It's all rather terribly terrific and given the band's use of unusual instruments (at least for a doom metal-type release) such as Tibetan bowls and gongs (which really does point towards the brilliance of Goblin!) it's also an album that is downright spooky and spine-tingling! "The Enigma of Evil" comes across as a refreshingly brilliant listening experience while it simultaneously leaves you with this utterly terrifying sense of dread! This one is not to be missed if you are a fan of experimental/psychedelic doom metal! You can find out more about this band on their Facebook Page.

Jess and the Ancient Ones-Castaneda

Svart Records
2014 

Due out November 14th, "Castaneda"  is the latest release from Finland's Jess and the Ancient Ones. Available as a digital download and on 10" vinyl only, "Castaneda" features two exclusive songs in the form of the title track and "As to be With Him". Combined these two tracks run just over 11 minutes long and for this female-fronted occult rock band it's once more all about the psychedelic scene of the sixties and early seventies! Having covered both their 2012 debut (http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2012/09/jess-and-ancient-ones-jess-and-ancient.html) and last year's EP, "Astral Sabbat" (http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/02/jess-and-ancient-ones-astral-sabbat.html), "Castaneda" is by far the strongest material of the lot. More consistent and original than previous recordings, "Castaneda" finds a unified Jess and the Ancient Ones growing as musicians and songwriters while playing up to their own strengths and natural abilities. And frankly-speaking that is nothing short of marvelous!

Hell-Curse & Chapter

Nuclear Blast Records
2013

Having grown up in a Christian household rock music was considered dangerous. As I listen to Hell's
second full-length album, "Curse And Chapter" for the second time now (and that's after UPS dropped it off sometime last night after 7pm!) I'm drawn back to my youth when the devil wasn't so much in the details, but rather taking center stage for all to see through the likes of Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Iron Maiden and hundreds (thousands?) more! I spent grades 4-8 in a private Christian school where we had anti-rock crusaders* come in to preach to us ("The Devil inside" by INXS was about demonic possession? Really?) and I had the misfortune of being forced to sit and watch anti-rock preachers on VHS tapes (for those youngsters out there a VHS tape was what we used to watch movies on back in the days of cavemen and dinosaurs!) tell me how everyone from Cyndi Lauper to Queen was helping to usher in a new hell on earth! I always kid that at least being forced to watch the video tape turned me onto some great acts like The Lords of the New Church! But, now that I hear this new Hell about I must admit that maybe the devil, who is said to have all of the best bands anyway, is pulling the strings of this British occult metal act? No, not really. The real evil in is this world isn't found on an album like "Curse & Chapter". If you won't to see real evil then find yourself a map and look for Washington D.C. What we have with this traditional heavy metal five-piece is a band that is effectively lead by the theatrical David Bower who, in addition to be a splendid lead vocalist (think Rob Halford with a bit of King Diamond mixed in for good measure!) is also a part-time actor! In addition to David Bower the band features David's brother Kev (guitar and keys), Tony Speakman (bass), Tim Bowler (drums) and, last but not least, the exceptionally talented Andy Sneap (guitar). Musically Hell really doesn't sound like anyone other then Hell. Sure, you could draw parallels between Hell and the likes of Judas Priest, Merciful Fate/King Diamond, Satan and even Iron Maiden. But that would be selling both Hell and their sophomore recording short. "Deathsquad" for one features great keys that come across as partly Uriah Heap and partly potential soundtrack mater for Dr.Who! And really the opening of "Something Wicked This Way Comes" rivals anything Lars Ulrich and his bandmates released on Metallica's first three LPs! For a band like Hell, which arose from the ashes of Paralex and Race Against Time back in 1982, "Curse & Chapter" is a remarkably fresh revelation that traditional heavy metal still has plenty of lifeblood left in it! Speaking of Race Against Time, that group's cool track "Harbinger of Death" is covered here and it's a real keeper! And thanks to tracks like "The Age Of Nefarious", "Darkhangel" (possibly the best cut on "Curse & Chapter"), "Deathsquad", "Something Wicked This Way Comes" and "Land Of the Living Dead" this is one release that is sure to make the "Best Of" lists of many a fan and critic alike! Now for the million dollar question. Is it better then it's predecessor, "Human Remains"? In some ways yes, I'd say that it is. With more original compositions it feels more complete (if that makes sense) and relevant. It's hard to find a fault with "Curse & Chapter" other then it's (overly) critical and cynical viewpoint of Christianity. Considering that Christians are the last group left that you can still hurl vile insults at without any public outrage (no to mention the fact that you can disparage Christians and discriminate against them without fear of legal repercussions) it's just far too easy a target. Some of the lyrics, try "Deliver Us From Evil" for example,  are so cheesy and anti-religious that I felt like I was listening to a recording by Cronos! I normally try to refrain from mixing music discussions with religion discussions, but if a band like Hell really believes that Jesus Christ is the biggest threat our world is facing then they haven't been living on the same planet as I have for the last 40 years! The band is better suited (and much more original and interesting in my opinion) when they cover historical events or go after the greed of men (and yes, quite a bit of organized religion!) then when the go after a man who said to "love your neighbor as yourself". Just my two cents though and it's not a topic that will keep me from recommending this release and/or adding it to my "Best of 2013" list!

* No names please, but we were subjected to a set of (twin) gentlemen who, on more then one occasion, told us that everything we liked back then (in my case it was everyone/everything from AC/DC, Ratt and Heart to INXS, U2 and the Beach Boys) was just flat-out WRONG! Then, as a twenty something year old, I remember having one of them ring the doorbell of a party I was at of my then girlfriend/now ex-wife's Uncle's house. It was strange seeing this individual who had once condemned my choice of music now serving as a real estate agent!  Even more so I think I showed up at the front door with a beer in my hand! I'm not sure I ever got the full "benefit" of private school now that I think about it!

Nightbitch-Chaimaker EP

Ear One Productions
2013

As I went to listen to this 3-track EP my first thought was "Why didn't anyone tell me that Glenn Danzig had a side-project? "Chainmaker" opens up this short EP and right off the bat Chris Taylor (Kingdom of Sorrow) does his best to make this heavy metal outfit sound like a Samhain/Danzig cover band. "Disrober" rides a similar path although there's one little difference here. With it's over the top "Satan is my gym partner" lyrics it sounds more like the group went to the Cronos school of songwriting. Talk about cheese! "Into the Fire" closes things off. This Deep Purple cover is actually the one cut I enjoyed the most as it sounded like Danzig and Deep Purple getting into a head on collision and then their zombiefied corpses rising up and rocking out! As this is a side-project/love-letter to all things "doom and gloom", or as the promo put's it "sleazy 70's occult / exploitation films and plagiarized Danzig riffs", Nightbitch is more of a tongue in cheek/tribute then something to be taken dead serious. In that regard there's a certain degree of charm to these 3 tracks even if I did struggle to keep a straight face during the first two cuts.

Jess and the Ancient Ones-Astral Sabbat

Svart Records
2013

Having just covered Jess and the Ancient Ones self-titled debut album last September (see the link below) this 3-track EP came as a bit of a surprise. Indeed it's only been 9 months since that recording so it does seem as this Finnish band has been burning the midnight oil. "Astral Sabbat" sees the band covering "Long And Lonesome Road" by the Dutch rock band Shocking Blue in grand fashion while also tapping into new forms of energy on their own original music. At times this takes the form of the original members of Jefferson Airplane and Black Sabbath converging at a goth convention (headlined by The Damned) for the title track. It's quite the change then to hear the soft tones of "More Then Living". "Astral Sabbat" is clearly the attempt of a young band to shake things up and avoid falling into a creative rut. Sure that might seem a tad strange for a band with such a small catalog, but there's no way you can find fault when the material at hand is as stronger constructed as this.







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