Clouds Taste Satanic-The Glitter of Infinite Hell

Self-Release/Independent
2017

Formed in 2013 and calling Brooklyn, New York their home base of operations, Clouds Taste Satanic is the most underrated doom metal bands of our generation! Released on October 31st of 2017, Clouds Taste Satanic's latest album, "The Glitter of Infinite Hell", offers all the proof necessary to make such a bold proclamation. The hour-plus album serves as the follow-up to 2016's "Dawn Of the Satanic Age" and finds band members Sean Bay (bass), Steven Scavuzzo (guitars), Brian Bauhs (guitars), and Greg Acampora (drums) transforming doom metal into the devil's own apocalyptic soundtrack! With mountain size riffs that could easily crush small cities, this four-song release is the stuff that hardcore doom metal fanatics dream about!! The average length of each track is 18 minutes and thanks to some truly unholy guitar work it is every bit as nightmarish as it's sick artwork suggests!! For the life of me I cannot understand why this instrumental doom act is not more well known. Really all it would take is one listen to a track like "Treachery" to rope more fans in! Limited to a mere 100 CD copies, "The Glitter of Infinite Hell" is the best release so far from Clouds Taste Satanic. It is extremely tight, well thought out, and chock full of incredible moments that will make you fall in love all over again with doom metal! If this masterpiece of a recording isn't in your personal music collection then you have no right to call yourself a doom metal fan! This golden gem is a 10 out of 10/ A+ release!!  

Old Mother Hell-Old Mother Hell

Cruz Del Sur Music
2017

Formed in 2015 by two ex-members of the thrash metal outfit Hatchery (bassist Ronald Senft and drummer Ruben André), Old Mother Hell is a German metal band that is fronted by guitarist/vocalist Bernd Wener (Shapeshift, ex-Refuge, ex-Maladie). The self-titled "Old Mother Hell" serves as the debut EP for this three-piece band and it clocks in at just over thirty four minutes. With the passionate and powerful vocals of lead singer Bern Wener proving to be a real highlight (as in wow, that voice leaves a lump in your lump!), Old Mother Hell magnificently combines elements of epic heavy metal, doom metal, hard & heavy rock, and traditional heavy metal into a eye opening sound that is all their own. Recorded at Rama Studio Mannheim by producer/engineer Jens Siefert, this six-track EP has a vibe that is both modern and vintage. In a very remarkable way, "Old Mother Hell" also happens to feel both sorrowful and hopeful. In that regard, credit goes to both the group and Jens Siefert. Further props must go to Cruz Del Sur Music. They have caught lightning in a bottle with this signing! Thanks to this cool label, "Old Mother Hell" will be released on CD and LP. Obviously the highlighted link above will lead you to a digital version of this exceptional release, but I cannot help but feel as if this is a recording that you need to be able to physically hold. In closing, "Old Mother Hell" is simply a blast to listen to! Like the band that created it, the EP is strong and confident. At the end of the day this one gets a A+ rating!! Whatever you do, don't snooze on this power rock/metal trio. In no time at all this is going to be a very successful act.

Chained Lace-Morbid Fascination

Heaven and Hell Records
2017

Chained Lace was a doom metal band from Washington, DC. that was active during the eighties. The group was lead by Cheri Blade (ex-Rat Salad) and featured members with ties to the D.C. heavy metal band Hellion. One of those members was Norman Lawson (guitars) who also played in the bands Bedemon, The Obsessed, Bitch, Overlord, and The Factory. This limited-edition compilation gathers together the two demos that Chained Lace released (1985's "Chain Lace" and 1985's "Morbid Fascination") and then adds in unreleased material. Named after the group's one demo, "Morbid Fascination" features re-mastered material and makes Chained Lace's music available on CD for the very first time ever! With the punk rock-like vocals of Cheri Blade (R.I.P.), Chained Lace was strikingly different than most doom metal bands of the time period. At times you can hear the Black Sabbath influences. Other times you can pick up on the influence of The Obsessed. That is the doom metal aspect of these DC doom rockers. Along with Cheri Blade's punk rock delivery, "Morbid Fascination" suggests Chained Lace's flirtation with everyone from Motörhead to The Runaways! As Loot FP properly puts it's on Heaven and Hell's digital page for this album, Chained Lace had a one of a kind sound that even payed homage to (early) Mötley Crüe! For their time period this four-piece band was in a world of their own making. It was a place where punk rock, garage metal, and doom metal all converged in order to give us kooky cool music like this. Thank God that happened and much kudos to Heavy and Hell Records for realizing the important nature of that event!   

Free Metal Monday: Oblivious-Doom

Self-Release/Independent
2017

Brazil's Oblivious expertly split the difference between doom metal and stoner sludge. Indeed it is a glorious thing to behold! Unfortunately there is only one track "Doom" and that would be the five minute plus title track. This (name your price) single was just released this month. Hopefully it is just the start of many good things to come. 

Ugly-Butcher

Self-Release/Independent
2017

Ugly is a new sludge metal/doom metal band from Prescott, Arizona that is lead by black metal vocalist Krysta and comprised of Chris (guitars), Brandon (bass/vox), and Ben (drums). I just stumbled across the group's debut EP, "Butcher", and there was no way in hell that I could keep such good news to myself! In addition to the slow burn that is this EP's fiendish title track(!), "Butcher" includes the cuts "They Will Find Me", "Time To Run", "Remember Him", and "Your Job". All of the tracks are good in their own way, but it was "Time To Run" and "Your Job" that made me want to share this EP with our readers. "Your Time" is the only track on "Butcher" to feature clean vocals* and "Time To Run" (with it's clever use of samples) has a certain flow about it that points towards bigger and better things for this four-piece band. If I was reading things correctly then Ugly will be recording it's full-length album sometime in 2017. From what I hear on this EP, "Butcher" might just be the first few steps in this band's journey towards proper recognition and respect. Anyway that is into sludge metal and/or (blackened) doom metal should give this one a spin.



*I have no issues whatsoever with Krysta's voice. It's perfectly suited for this band. "Your Job" merely shows off a different side of the group. The track "Butcher", which opens this highly-recommend EP, works as well as it does because of the bleak and blackened voice of Ugly's lead singer.    

Still Dead-Demo no.1

Self-Release/Independent
2017

Still Dead is a doom metal band from Israel that features former members of defunct melodic black/death metal group Sheamut within it's ranks. Those two fine individuals would be guitarist/vocalist Dima Katz and Shaked Oz (bass/drums). On the group's first studio release, "Demo no.1", they are joined by guitarist Cyrill Kravtsoff. Tracks include "Falling Asleep", "Endless", and "No Escape". That first number (my favorite one of the lot!) clocks in at eight minutes and six seconds while the other two songs have run-times of 7:16 and 6:20. If the long lengths of the songs don't give it away, "Demo no.1" is a wonderful tale of well-thought out and slowing developing doom. And it's vintage-infused doom at that! At only one dollar to download it is a absolute steal of a deal and I simply cannot wait to find out what comes next for this power trio!

Free Metal Monday: Hazarder-"Against His-Story, Against Leviathan!"

Active since 2011, Hazarder is a doom/sludge metal trio from Croatia that more than lives up to the implication of it's name. This (HARSH & HARDCORE) 7-track recording from early December of 2013 is Hazarder's only full-length release and it can should be downloaded for free by clicking on this link. With a run-time that is just over the forty minute mark, "Against His-Story, Against Leviathan!" is all kinds of brutal and maybe even a little dangerous with it's no-holds-barred delivery! For that very reason you are going to want to play this one LOUD and PROUD friends!!  

Free Metal Monday: Mist-Demo 2013

Self-Release/Independent
2013


Here's another Free Metal Monday feature that I'm hoping everyone will enjoy. This time around we have the young Slovenian occult doom metal band Mist with their 2-song debut, "Demo 2013". This very cool band was formed in July of 2012 and they take their cues from the likes Black Sabbath, Pentagram, Candlemass, Coven, and Saint Vitus. The band is lead by the remarkable Nina Spruk and so far in their brief time together they have played with band's such as Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, Saint Vitus, Mount Salem, Avatarium, Manilla Road, Forsaken, Kadavar, Helstar, Officium Triste, Ophis and Cauchemar. Mist has also toured all over Austria, Italy, Malta, Germany Belgium and the Netherlands and their overlooked gem here has apparently been re-issued on CD three times(!) due to great interest! Thankfully you can download a copy of  it for free by clicking on the link above.

Close The Hatch-Death & Resistance

Red Moth Records
2016

A quick word or two is in order before we jump into this short review. Originally this was to be the last of our three Free Metal Monday offerings of the day for yesterday (April 11th). In typical fashion that did not happen, but instead of waiting around until next Monday I am just going to be dropping this EP off now. And because it is Tuesday and I'm crunched for time thanks to having a sick kid at home I'm just going to lick & stick yesterdays article onto this page as it was originally set to appear. There's no need to thank me...

From yesterday:

I'd like to present a heavy band that hails from my neck of the woods and sure has a heck of a swell release on it's hands with their latest recording here. Of course that would be the ever so gnarly Close The Hatch who come from Dayton of all places and were first assembled (no doubt riff by bloody fucking riff!) back in 2011. If ever there was a group whose harsh and extremely-distorted sound represented how I truly feel about my home state of Ohio then this would be it! On the name-your-price "Death & Resistance" this sludgy (and somewhat experimental) doom metal/post-metal band melts minds and destroys everything that is innocent and holy. Or to put it another way they put the bop in the bop she-bop and it all feels SO GOOD! All of this oozy & boozy fun has been gift-wrapped in the shape of a four-song EP that can be found by clicking on this link.

Witchskull-Promo CD

Self-Release/Independent
2015



Based in Cambria, Australia, Witchskull is a heavy stoner/doom metal band that was formed in 2014 by vocalist/guitarist Marcus De Pasquale (Looking Glass) and drummer Joel Green (Wardom, ex-Armoured Angel, ex-Under Oath). The very definition of a power trio, Witch Skull was put together with the sole purpose of creating a blues-based doom outfit. To that end, Marcus De Pasquale and Joel Green recruited  bass guitarist Tony McMahon before hitting the studio with Jason Fuller in order to record their full-length debut. In addition to the album's solid title track, "The Vast Electronic Dark", this limited-edition promo CD features a rough doom slammer called "Temple of Ly's" and the epic track "Harvest the Druid". With a run-time of over six minutes, "Harvest the Druid" alone is easily worth the price of admission and that has everything to do with it's sick mash-up of Black Sabbath-like seventies doom and what sounds like N.W.O.B.H.M.-influenced proto-metal! That being said, "Temple of Ly's" ends up coming in at a close second thanks to it's perfect one-one combination of Motörhead and bands like Black Sabbath, Trouble, Witchfinder General and Pentagram. Now, seeing as I like to give credit where credit it due I have a confession to make. I actually have Paul Rote to thank for this highly-recommend 3-track teaser CD as Witchskull is another one of his wicked cool recommendations! Paul was spot-on when he had this to say about Witchskull, "Sounds like the eighties band Piledriver mixed with a touch of Witchfinder General", and that sentence was all it took for me to want to hear this trio for myself! I ended up buying the Witchskull promo CD & patch combo from this link and man was I ever happy that I did! My next purchase will be a t-shirt as I want to be able to represent this band all the way over here in the U.S.! To see what all the fuss is about just head here. But first a word of warning. Let's not mince words here. Witchskull's music is very addicting. You should know that ahead of time. Even though this trio's sound is blues-based and rock-ready there's something else going on with Witchskull's metal side that makes it almost impossible to put down! I wanted to hear more from this Australia band, but now I'm forced to sweat it out while I wait! Seeing as this sampler is really nothing more than a naughty tease to get your heart pumping chances are you'll end up feeling the same way! So just a head's up friends...

Pendulous-A Palpable Sense of Love & Loss

Self-Release/Independent
2015

Now signed to Baneful Genesis Records*, Pendulous** is a doom metal band from Los Angeles, California that was formed in 2011. Having shared the stage with the likes of Evoken, Bell Witch, Primitive Man, Windhand, Atriarch, and Mournful Congregation (among countless others) this popular (and frankly rather innovative) L.A. band made it's studio debut in 2013 with "Mirrored Confessions". That 21 minute EP was just the beginning for Pendulous though as nothing could have prepared fans and critics for an album like "A Palpable Sense Of Love & Loss"! At nearly sixty minutes(!) this is the kind of release a band like Pendulous needs in order to make the leap from local favorites to national treasure. With the addition of second guitarist Nicholas Rocha (Deathkings) and a expansive catalog of influences from which to pick and choose (everything from funeral doom to dark metal) the band's full-length debut has so much to offer for the discerning doom metal fan. We'll get to that bit shortly. First things first. Let's talk about the overarching sound of "A Palpable Sense of Love & Loss". The album was recorded, mixed, and mastered by John Haddad at Trench Studios (Intronaut, Exhumed, Phobia, Abysmal Dawn, Hirax) and for Pendulous it's a near-perfect backdrop for the story that they wish to tell. To that end one simply couldn't ask for a better "storyteller" than lead vocalist E.R.M. (Eric Rezső Mendoza ). This former Dona Eis Requiem front-man moves effortlessly between clean and harsh vocals and with someone as all-capable as he is leading the way there's no telling just how far this band will go! With a surrounding cast of characters that makes all-encompassing death metal mood music for the doom metal minded this L.A. act is clearly on the rise. All of which brings us to this album. A lengthy spoken word intro opens things up on the appropriately-titled  "A Palpable Sense of Love & Loss" before the nearly nine minute(!) car-crusher that is "A Faltering Will" works it's way into the picture. It's not the longest track of the lot (as that would be "Closure" with it's run-time of 11:48!), but it does the job that it was hired to do and it does it oh so well. And that job would be slowing grinding the listener under the weight of it's overpowering and oppressive boot while sadly humming a melancholy tune! Sounds pleasant right? You bet your life it is! Much likes "40 Years" it's all about squeezing the most of the music while making sure that there is always one eye focused on the prize. Everything about "A Palpable Sense of Love & Loss" is aimed towards the bigger picture. It's the idea that doom metal can be miserable and menacing. It can be overpowering and naturally oppressive. It can crush it's enemy and bury it's bones under rubble. But that does not mean that it has to be pure noise. It can have structure and be well-conceived. "A Faltering Will" is heavy alright, but it's also full of purpose and it has it's own distinct charm. Then again so does "Hibernal Sun". Unlike "A Faltering Will" though it's not so much about death/doom as it is post-rock. It's a different side to this band and yet it fits perfectly with the overall atmospheric vibe that Pendulous was aiming for. The same can be said of "Pendant World". It's more in line with death rock, but it to fits a pattern that is started early on with Pendulous and their debut full-length and it's one that ends with the subtle, piano-driven beauty that is "Memoirs". Without a doubt this is one of the most compelling doom metal albums of 2015 as well as one of the most genre-splitting. Doom fans are going to want to check this album out.

*Independently-released, "A Palpable Sense of Love & Loss" is due to receive a special vinyl treatment thanks to Baneful Genesis Records.

**pen·du·lous adj \-ləs\
1 : poised with no visible support, or hanging downward.
3 : marked by vacillation (between polar opposites),and uncertainty. 

Tony Tears-Follow The Signs Of The Times

Minotauro Records
2015

It might not be obvious at first, but Minotauro Records has quietly amassed a strong catalog of doom metal releases. Now you can add another one to that note of distinction as "Follow The Signs Of The Times" is arguably one of 2015's better doom metal recordings in addition to being Tony Tear's greatest solo release to date! I realize that's high praise considering just how good Tony Tear's solo career has been up to this point. Even so it's the truth and that judgement call on my part has everything to do with the strength and consistent nature of such delightfully sinful tracks as "Mark Of Evil", "The Road To Research", "Queen of Darkness". and one of this album's better instrumental numbers, "Covenant of the Lords of the End". On instrumental numbers like this one, "Demonic Puppets" and "Deep Misanthropy" Tony  Tears (ex-Zess, Soul of Enoch, ex-Abysmal Grief, ex-Helden Rune, ex-Ignis Fatuus, ex-Kathekon, ex-Lux Obscuritatis) handles everything otherwise he is joined by vocalist David Krieg (Hexenfaust, Neith, Progeria, Toolbox Terror, Soul of Enoch, ex-Hastur, ex-Malignance, ex-Ignis Fatuus, ex-Kathekon, ex-Lux Obscuritatis) and bassist/drummer Regen Graves (Abysmal Grief, ex-Malombra). In addition to Tony's own material there is a Paul Chain cover ("Armageddon") and this album's eerie intro track, "Sighs of Time's Fear", shows how fantastic it can be when you add Dario Argento film scores to Italian doom metal of this caliber! Some are calling "Follow The Signs Of The Times" Tony Tear's HEAVIEST and best-produced release ever (!) and I would be hard pressed to argue with either of those points seeing as Tony's new album is so f**king good! This one most certainly comes with my highest recommendation!

Dogbane-When Karma Comes Calling

Heaven and Hell Records
2015

"When Karma Comes Calling" is the latest release from Greensboro, North Carolina metal band Dogbane. At just under 36 minutes it follows the group's sadly overlooked debut album, "Residual Alcatraz", and it once more finds this largely unknown New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal act channeling the spirits of many a great doom and N.W.O.B.H.M. band that came before them. Four or so years removed from "Residual Alcatraz", "When Karma Comes Calling" was recorded and produced by Dogbane bassist Kevin Davis and the rest of the gang at Studio 5 in Greensboro, NC. Lead as always by the Rob Halford-esque voice of Jeff Neal (ex-Steelwolf) and featuring guitar performances from Jeff Rinehart and Mitchell Allred that should make fans of Trouble, Pentagram and Black Sabbath weep with joy, Dogbane is about as close as you can get to having the perfect combination of doom metal (Witchfinder General, Trouble, Pentagram, Black Sabbath, Witchfynde, The Obsessed, etc.) and classic metal/N.W.O.B.H.M. (Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Satan, Pagan Alter, Manilla Road, Brocas Helm, Savage, Motörhead, Saxon, Thin Lizzy, etc)! With drummer Jerry Cloer (Crucifice, ex-Rictus Grin) rounding out the line-up, Dogbane is one traditional/doom metal band that deserves every bit of good fortune that could possibly come their way. For a band that was formed way back in 2010 it is a little bothersome that Dogbane are not more well-known within the metal community. Hopefully this spirited follow-up to "Residual Alcatraz" changes all of that as Dogbane is far too good to be kept under wraps for any longer! Mastered by Gary Long (King Diamond, Solitude Aeturnus), "When Karma Comes Calling" picks up where this band's debut album left, but for comparisons sake let's just say that album number two from these North Carolina merchants of metal would get a ***** rating if "Residual Alcatraz" was a *** release. In other words, "When Karma Comes Calling" has the same calling cards but it is a more focused and mature affair. But, you don't have to take my word for it. Right now (and mind you this is for a limited time only so go here right now!) you can download "When Karma Comes Calling" for only $1! You heard me right friend. For only one measly dollar you can pick up a digital copy of this killer album so that you can see what all the fuse is about for yourself! And let's face it, $1 is literately a steal for an album like this! Especially seeing as (heavy metal-wise) "When Karma Comes Calling" is (if nothing else) a straight-shooter of an album where speed rock ("Warlord") gets the same kind of special treatment as a slow, Black Sabbath-like number does ("Devil by the Horns"). That means whether you are a fan of Trouble of Tytan there's just got to a better than 50-50 chance that at least one song on this one dollar download should appeal to you. Although I've got to think that more than a few of you will appreciate this band's doom metal approach to traditional heavy metal. Need more info on Dogbane? Be sure to check out the group's Facebook page then and we'll you're at it be sure to snag a copy of "Residual Alcatraz"!

Wicked Inquisition-Wicked Inquisition

Tridroid Records
2015

Formed in 2008 by Nate Towle (guitars and vocals), Wicked Inquisition is a doom metal band that lists it's influences as Black Sabbath, Budgie, Blue Öyster Cult, Trouble, Witchfinder General, Pentagram, Bang, Saint Vitus, Judas Priest, Spirit Caravan, Blood Farmers, Blue Cheer, Buffalo, The Obsessed, Uriah Heep, Captain Beyond and Lucifers Friend. With one demo, two EPs and now this self-titled album to it's name, Wicked Inquisition was at first a one man band as seen and heard on the demo "A Turn to False Hope" and the group's first EP, "Self Made Tomb". Main man Nate Towle (ex-The Rare Breed, Enter The Worms (live), ex-Burning Cedar, ex-Reshetar and the Pitch Blacks, ex-The House Wives) not only sang, but he handled all of the instrumentation on these 3-track recordings. From the very beginning Nate was driven by a love of bands like Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus, Blue Öyster Cult, Trouble and Budgie and given the boss cover of "Livin' in a Ram's Head" (Pentagram) on "A Turn to False Hope"* this righteous front-man/guitarist was not one to shy away from such choice influences! But then again why should he? If you really think about it pretty much every new band is influenced by some older band and usually those older bands were influenced by even older bands. And on and on we could go. On "Wicked Inquisition" we're looking at a sincere love and deep appreciation for the likes of Black Sabbath, Trouble, The Obsessed, Blue Öyster Cult and Saint Vitus, but we are getting way ahead of ourselves as it was the band's excellent "Silence Thereafter" that really paved the way for the band's upcoming self-release. Released in 2013 to high praise and justifiable positive reviews (and graciously enough available as a name-your-own-price digital download at the above link!), "Silence Thereafter" found Wicked Inquisition transitioning over to full-band status thanks to the addition of guitarist Ben Stevens (ex-Burning Cedar), bassist Jordan Anderson and drummer Jack Mckoskey (A Moment in Time, ex-Burning Cedar). With that same line-up in place for two years now we can finally turn our attention to this, the group's first full-length album which will arrive on May 8th, 2015. 
For guitarist/vocalist Nate Towle and his crew of doom metal disciples you just couldn't ask for a better opener than the pulsating "Black Magik Nacht"! The album's obvious choice for first single, "Black Magik Nacht" is groovy as fuck and with it's sweet mixture of 70's hard and heavy rock riffs and (light) psychedelic doom this six minute jam is absolutely epic! You can here it for yourself by clicking on the YouTube link below. "Black Magik Nacht" is effortlessly followed by easy riders like "Crimson Odyssey" and "Sun Flight", but for those who have come to this party in dire need of true blue slow and torturous doom there's the track "M.A.D.". On "M.A.D." these doom rockers from the Twin Cities of Minnesota dig out some tasty sweet leaf before smoking it all up in a haze of heavy riffs! Heavy riffs also come into play on the soul crushing "In Shackles" and the Black Sabbath-leaning cut, "Death of Man". Lyrically and sound-wise it is arguably the closest Wicked Inquisition gets at full-fledged Black Sabbath homage, but regardless of such thin transparency the song "Death of Man" is still all kinds of fun thanks to the passion of Nate Towle. Meanwhile there is a hint of Sleep Hollow in the ever-pleasant "Tomorrow Always Knows" and with the band's signature song/title track finishing things off nicely it's hard to find fault in an album like this. If there is any criticism to be had with "Wicked Inquisition" then it would have to be the familiarity that exists in this band's solos. Or if you will the distinct playing style of Wicked Inquisition's lead guitarist. Much like Tony Iommi before them or even Dave Mustaine** the lead guitarist in Wicked Inquisition leaves his trademark sound wherever he goes. There really isn't anything wrong with that as there are hundreds of guitarists both past and present that has their own style going on. It is just an interesting observation that in no way whatsoever would keep me from sharing this band with doom metal fans. In fact I would still strongly recommend this album and suggest that if you get a chance to catch this Minnesota four-piece in a live setting then by all means jump to it! For more information Wicked Inquisition be sure to head over to Facebook and you can pre-order a copy of the group's self-titled album here. Between the doom influences (Black Sabbath, Trouble, Saint Vitus, The Obsessed, etc.) and the misc. rock, hard rock and heavy metal that has found it's way into this band's spookadelic style (Budgie, Blue Öyster Cult, Manilla Road, Bang, Uriah Heap, etc.) there is a lot to like about this young act. This is definitely a band that I'll be keeping an eye on!

"Black Magik Nacht" can be heard here and might I suggest you crank this bad boy up LOUD? You're welcome in advance!

*Per the Metal Archives. While I couldn't find an actually link to the 2010 demo in question it should nonetheless be noted that on the group's myspace (remember those?) there seems to be a cover of Pentagram's "Dying World"!

** Don't ask me why, but some of the lead work on "Wicked Inquisition" reminded me of Megadeth's front-man/founder. Not necessarily in the sense that Wicked Inquisition's lead guitarist sounds like Dave, but from the stand point that both have a very distinct style going on.

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.

Strange Here-II

Minotauro Records
2015

Strange Here is a new (heavy) psychedelic rock/doom metal project from ex-Paul Chain member/solo artist Alexander Scardavian. In addition to playing with Paul Chain on his 1991 full-length LP, "Whited Sepulchres" this stellar musician appeared on the "Official Live Bootleg" live disc from 1999 and on a 2001 single entitled "Sanctuary Heve". He also contributed to Death SS member Steve Sylvester’s two solo albums, both as a writer and as a session musician. Here on the highly-rated "II" the highly-skilled/praise-worthy Alexander Scardavian (born Alessandro Scardavi) effectively handles all the vocals, plays as guitar and takes care of the much-enjoyed keyboard parts. With a little help from ex-Hand of God member Domencio "Dom" Lotito (he tackles bass duties and ends up adding some extra-spicy guitar playing to the mix) Alexander turns his various influences (Black Sabbath, Venom, St. Vitus, Pentagram, Blue Cheer...) into pure gold with this 7-track LP nothing short of an essential pick-up for fans of doom metal! As the original "Strange Here" was a 2002 solo release from Alexander Scardavian (a highly skilled musician in his own right!) it is easy enough to see where this band's name came from and here on the atmospheric "II" it is not just the name game that is played with an eye set on the divine purpose as (musically) Alexander Scardavian takes a further peak at hell and it's all for a chance to continue his journey into the mouth of utter, unrestrained and unholy madness! On this eerie soundtrack we are given a pinch of Black Sabbath by way of vintage Venom with "Still Alone" and "Kiss of Worms" (a old track that Paul Chain often played as a show opener) all but sealing the deal that "II" was going to be thick-skinned pseudo thrash album! But, just about when you think you've got "II" pegged and you naively talk about where this adventure is taking you it all slows down to a creeping crawl with the rest (or at least a choice chunk!) of this fascinating CD pecking at your eyes as you twist in the wind! As I plunged further into pitch-black abyss that is "II" I felt the cold chill of Strange Here's music with the only apt-description almost as psychological scaring as the music itself! Imagine a long blade slowing digging into your body and as the perpetrator slowing stabs you to death it's all you can do to hold onto that last tiny shiver of life. With death peaking it's eyes out you begin to fade and as the darkness closes in on you it's all over. That is the tale of "II" from "Born To Lose" onward with Alexander and Lotito having graciously granted us admission to the nightmare. Not bad for a first recording. Not bad at all.

Trial-Vessel

High Roller Records
2015

Featuring two guitarists with ties to Enslaved (Alexander Ellström & Andreas Johnsson) as well as two former members of Abscess Plague in bassist Andréas Olsson and drummer Martin Svensson, with former Immersion front-man Linus Johansson serving as the last missing piece of this latest & greatest Swedish sensation(!), Trial are a five-piece act which is hellbent on reviving the classics. And by "the classics" this time around we mean the sounds of  "Iron Maiden, mid-period Mercyful Fate" along "with a bit of Omen thrown in for good measure". All off that in red bold there is per the promo although color me rather impressed as this time around that's a solid enough tag line to go if one had to sum this lot up ever so briefly. That said, let's expand the picture a wee bit and see what comes into focus shall we? OK then. With a demo release entitled "Demo 2010" (released on the record label The Coffins Slave in 2010 obviously!), one additional full-length album (2011's "The Primordial Temple" which was also released on The Coffins Slave) and two 7" singles to their name (one was titled "Malicious Arts" and it came out on Nuclear Winter Records in 2013 while "Where Man Becomes All" was released last year on High Roller Records) this new album should help Trial stick out somewhat from the pack. And well (frankly speaking and all) we could actually start with the whole "Swedish death metal maniacs form much better secondary heavy metal project" pack and then move on from there as that sums up at least one aspect of the band Trial! Yes, everyone here comes from a death metal background and all, but times change as do people so thanks to the collective efforts of all involved (and whats obviously a love for old school Swedish metal, N.W.O.B.H.M. and U.S.P.M.) we end up with a sophomore release that hits way more high notes than sour ones! On the band’s first full-length album for High Roller Records it's not only all of that jazz posted above in red (Iron Maiden, etc.), but there's some Satan influences to be had as well some Hell and even some Candlemass. OK, a lot of Candlemass. That isn't necessarily a bad thing as it meshes wonderfully well with those other influences especially the Mercyful Fate part. And at the end of the day Trial is more or less striving to do there own thing while paying homage to some old time greats so things generally point more towards originality as apposed to simply serving as the latest copycat band to ride the retro-obsessed train of rock! With plenty of fans and critics alike already hailing Trial as the likely successors to the likes of Portait, In Solitude, RAM and Screamer the sky sure looks as if it is the limit for these Swedish purveyors of all things old school. My best bet would be that full-length album number three for Trail will be the real kicker and (assuming they further forge their own distinct flavor of traditional metal/power metal/doom and tighten everything down) that will be the release that makes everyone stand up and take notice of this talented band.

Clouds Taste Satanic-To Sleep Beyond The Earth

Self-Release/Independent
2014

Well, I feel like a dick. I realize that's not much of a way to open a review, but seeing as this was released back in July and I just stumbled upon it in my email this past weekend its a reasonable enough response on my part. Better late than never I suppose. Although it's got to be said that when it comes to this New York instrumental band the cooler months of October, November and December do seem to offer up more suitable environments when listening to a modern day doom metal band with a "post rock" past like Clouds Taste Satanic. And while I can't be entirely sure about the name of this Brooklyn band (seeing as I've never had the experience of tasting clouds for myself!) I will say that the title of this band's first full-length LP is all the more fitting given the fact that Clouds Taste Satanic wears it's influences on it's sleeves! "To Sleep Beyond The Earth" is a debut album where the love of Earth and Sleep is but the first step taken in this band's personal journey towards self-discovery with some Sunn O))) and those "post rock" roots acting as stimulants for these passionate performers! Said performers include Steve Scavuzzo and David Weintraub on guitars with Sean Bay (bass) & Christy Davis (drums) rounding out this party. Music-wise you can expect to find yourself  transfixed by the cold stare of Clouds Taste Satanic with the album "To Sleep Beyond The Earth" methodically creeping and crawling towards the listener with outstretched skeletal hands of doom. All told it's 45 minutes of stretched-out soul crushing material, but as they often say slow and steady wins the race. Made up of "To Sleep Beyond the Earth (Parts I & II)" and "To Sleep Beyond The Earth (Parts III & IV)" this is one of the ultra rare instrumental albums that actually seems to work better without vocals muddying up the mix. Available as a digital download at the link below, with Kinda Like Music handling the  vinyl and CD versions of the excellent "To Sleep Beyond The Earth", the debut full-length from Clouds Taste Satanic is sinister sexy and should be viewed as a must-have for fans of Earth and Sleep!

http://cloudstastesatanic.bandcamp.com/releases

Amulet-The First

Century Media Records
2014

Active since 2010, London's Amulet made their debut with the 2011 demo, "Cut the Crap". Independently released on cassette with a limited run of 222 copies (22 yellow, 25 red and 175 white) that recording would eventually see a limited release of 100 copies as part of a CD/DVD package before it was released as a 7" by Mordgrimm Records (100 white, 400 black-now sold old!). Somewhere in-between all of that chaos the four-track demo in question was magically transformed into a digital download and that would proved to be my first exposure to this spellbinding British heavy metal band. Like many before me I was hooked with "Cut the Crap" all but turning me into an obsessed Amulet fan! And now we are gathered together to behold the glory that is "The First". Released this past September, "The First" is exactly how I imagined it would be. Without mincing words, "The First" by Amulet is partly A) A tribute to the likes of  Diamond Head, Blitzkrieg, Tygers Of Pan Tang and Tokyo Blade (with a few sparkling glimpses of Budgie) as evident by the first half or so of this 14-track album and  B) Ozzy/Ronnie Black Sabbath appreciation day as heard the clearest on "Talisman"/"The Sacrifice" and expressed lyrically with this album's theme of black magic, mysticism and warning's about "preachers and fools" ("Wicked 'n Cruel")! Along the way you might pick out some highly appreciated affection for Italy's one and only Goblin (the instrumental "The Flight" is spectacular!), but musically this dark and spooky LP is all about the N.W.O.B.H.M. scene and occult doom metal. The CD version at least contains a cover of Coven's "Wicked Woman" all but furthering that particular agenda and if there's any fault to be had with "The First" I certainly haven't found it yet! Jamie Elton's vocals elevate the mood and if his bewitching voice (all but snatched from the windpipes of many a great lead vocalist with Ozzy and Dio merely heading that pack!) isn't enough Elton's backing band features a guitar great in the making by way of 'Nip' Blackford! Who knows where this guy has been hiding, but one simply rule out the involvement of the black arts as 'Nip' comes across as another time traveler plucked from Britain's truly glorious heavy metal past and deposited in London's post-N.W.O.B.H.M. landscape! And that is simply two of the five members who were involved with making this memorable debut album! As the title suggests this is just the beginning for Amulet and if "The First" is this desirable one can only imagine what these Londoners might have up their sleeves for a sophomore outing!

Bloody Hammers-Under Satan's Sun

Napalm Records
2014

Released back in late May of this year, "Under Satan's Sun" is the third album from Charlotte, North Carolina band Bloody Hammers. Having simply loved the band's self-titled debut album (a release which was as hit or miss with fans as it was critics) I must admit that I was slightly disappointed by it's 2013 follow-up, "Spiritual Relics", as it just felt....uninspired. So much so in fact that I couldn't bring myself to cover it. Now we have "Under Satan's Sun" and while I am in no way saying that I'm ready to write this band off completely I do have to wonder out loud how it is possible for a band with so much promise and potential to go from one great album to one (at best) decent album and then (some two years or so after first forming mind you!) follow things up with a release that I can't help but feel indifferent about? Psychedelic doom opener "The Town That Dreaded Sundown" (previously released as 7" single with "Glimpse") is alright and (fuzzed-out) heavy doom rocker "Spearfinger" offers tiny glimpses of hope that Bloody Hammers will right the ship and return to harbor, but then things start to unravel on "Death Does Us". As others have pointed out before me, "Death Does Us" is Bloody Hammers trying to be Type O Negative and while that is a crime in and of itself it gets worse. "Death Does Us" also sounds remarkably similar to "Load"/"ReLoad"-era Metallica and that is a unforgivable offense! For a band that had it all down pat on "Bloody Hammers" (a fun album that brought to mind not only classic Black Sabbath, but everyone from Alice Cooper to The Sword!) cuing up images of late-nineties Metallica simply does not cut it! Sure, "The Moon-Eyed People" is (hand's down!) an improvement when it kicks in and there is really nothing offensive about "Second Coming" (a Alice Cooper cover). Even "Dead Man's Shadow on the Wall" and "The Necromancer" are solid. So why does the group feel the need to infuse some Soundgarden into the title track? Or for that matter put to tape a number like "The Last Alarm"? At best "The Last Alarm" is more grunge for a generation which missed out on it the first time around. At it's worst though "The Last Alarm" is more grunge for those of us who lived through the scene already and heard it done a thousands times better. Once band leader/vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Anders Manga abandons everything that works in Bloody Hammer's favor (doom metal, psychedelic rook, occult rock of old, seventies rock/hard rock influences, inspiration from seventies horror movies and even stoner rock) things go down hill quickly! While I'm all for a band's right to grow and further experiment with their sound there are cases where this backfires. "Under Satan's Sun" is a case study on how to over-think matters when less would have been more. Maybe album number four will be the ticket for Bloody Hammers, but for now I think I'll go back to "Bloody Hammers" when I'm in the mood for something really cool and inspirational.
 
http://www.bloodyhammers.com/
 
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