Review of Windhand's Grief's Infernal Flower

Windhand has gotten wider exposure in the last couple years but not much has changed on their third studio album. The songs are still driven by the fuzz laden guitar drones, the production is still a bassy haze, the vocals sound like the incantation of a swamp witch, and the song lengths are as drawn out as ever. That said, Grief's Infernal Flower serves as a nice improvement of an already solid sound.

As expected, the release of singer Dorthia Cottrell's solo debut earlier this year does rub off on this album. Her voice is much higher in the mix than their first two efforts and there seems to be a greater emphasis on acoustic guitar. Previous albums included a full acoustic song or two, but "Sparrow" and the closing "Aition" feel like direct leftovers and "Crypt Key" features an extended soft intro before the heaviness kicks in. The lyrics are probably more personal and the vocal lines more complex on these songs but considering how the acoustic and electric guitar patterns really aren't that different from one another, it does make one wonder how they decide which format to go with.

And with that, it becomes apparent that Windhand is a dynamic band but still a one-trick pony in terms of tempo. Songs like "Tanngrisnir" and the bass heavy "Hyperion" have more drive and the back-to-back fourteen minute epics "Hesperus" and "Kingfisher" offer more elaborate structures, but they don't stray too far from the ultra-slow approach. Fortunately, the songs have excellent grooves but seventy minutes of music does make one hope for stronger fluctuation.

The power behind Grief's Infernal Flower justifies Windhand's status as a rising staple of modern doom but the songwriting still makes them a challenge for those outside the scene. The band sounds excellent and there are plenty of strong songs on here, but the band could afford to put in more riff variety on future efforts. It may be their most consistent effort to date though I'm pining for another Dorthia Cottrell album just a bit more...

Highlights:

"Crypt Key"

"Tanngrisnir"

"Sparrow"

"Hyperion"

"Aition"

Local Love: Review of Gorgntherron's Second Sun

Evansville, Indiana's Gorgantherron make their influences quite prominent on their first full-length studio album. Kyuss and Sleep are the strongest presences as the driving riffs on songs like the opening title track recall Josh Homme's patterns while the dark tone and monolithic heaviness on channel Matt Pike's early dirges. Elsewhere, the serpentine guitar lines on "Superluminal" and "Bookbinder" reach for the grimiest Pentagram tunes and one can spot a cute wink at "Black Sabbath" at the end of "The Stone."

Thankfully not coasting by on the inherent listenability of most stoner doom, these songs have pretty strong riffs and the band members exert a lot of energy. The structures stay pretty adventurous and the guitars don't always keep the spotlight. The bass is about as powerful and the gruff vocals never remove the listener from the often catchy choruses at work.

If there's any flaw with Second Sun, it's that some songs do sound similar to one another. There's a decent amount of variety but it feels as though songs of similar tempos were grouped together. It's especially apparent towards the end as "Paranoia" and "Entropy" offer the same swing rhythm as "The Stone." Fortunately, the songs are well executed and the order can always be remedied with a good shuffle.

Those who found Gorgantherron with their 2012 EP will find this to be a strong expansion of their sci-fi stoner sound. New listeners will find an excellent doom album that should work well with just about any taste. It isn't the most unique album in the scene but the enjoyable riffs make such pretentiousness unnecessary.

Highlights:
"Second Sun"
"Bookbinder"
"Seventh Planet"
"The Stone"
"Paranoia"

Local Love: Review of Void King's Zep Tepi

The style of doom played on Void King's debut EP Zep Tepi (Yeah, not sure what it means either) is tricky to pinpoint. It only has three songs but each one opts for  different direction. "Release The Hawks" starts things off in a slow, grandiose fashion before opting for a faster tempo, "Raise The Flags On Fire" features the heaviest riffs and a stirring vocal, and "DFI (That Was Not An Owl)" scales things back with a bass heavy, slow burn groove.

Each of these songs is united by a consistent band dynamic. Those familiar with vocalist Jason Kindred's work with So Sayeth will know what to expect and his husky drawl gives the EP a grounded feel that wouldn't have happened with a more refined approach. Tommy Miller's fuzzy guitar tone recalls the doom album that Hank Williams III released in 2011 but the songwriting here is much more compact.

Three songs does make for a guaranteed lack of filler but it also makes Zep Tepi seem more like a mere sampler rather than its own release. This is most evident with "DFI;" it is a strong track but its pacing wants to flow into a fourth track rather than close things out. It's a minor nitpick as this is definitely designed to make one want more.

Length aside, Void King's debut EP offers strong tracks and promises the rise of a new titan in the Indiana doom scene. Its sprawling sequences keep it from being more of the same stoner metal and the blue collar execution prevents it from being another Candlemass clone. One can only hope their full-lengths will have the same preoccupation with bird-themed song titles...

Highlights:
"Raise The Flags On Fire"
"DFI (That Was Not An Owl)"

Review of With The Dead

Serving as both a supergroup and a reunion, With The Dead was formed by Electric Wizard/Rameses comrades Tim Bagshaw and Mark Greening in conjunction with Lee Dorrian of the recently disbanded Cathedral. The resulting debut was recorded and released in a hasty yet secretive fashion, seemingly fueled by grievances with the almighty Wizard. Many supergroups are formed when someone puts a bunch of musicians in a room together to see what happens; With The Dead's debut was born with the intent of venting rage and spreading doom laden despair.

Those fantasizing about a Dopethrone-Forest of Equilibrium hybrid may not be too far off from the truth. The vocals have the same character of The Last Spire but the raw production puts the instruments at a fuzzy distance, the pacing never goes beyond the vague energy of "I Am Your Virus," and Bagshaw proves to be a competent guitarist though the sparse leads are simple and the melodies are driven by pounding chords rather than outright riffs.

But there is a decent amount of variety even with the slow tempos and six song duration. Things start off a little rocky with "The Cross" in particular feeling somewhat stilted. Fortunately, the album picks up as "Nephthys" offers a mournful refrain most reminiscent of Equilibrium while "Living With The Dead" unleashes a hard groove after the album's quirkiest sample.

With The Dead's debut feels hastily put together but that rawness combined with the names involved will be the reason why doom fans love it in the first place. It may be one of the darkest albums that any of these musicians has been involved with may be closer to the spirit of primal Cathedral than that band's last efforts. It'd be great to see this lineup expanded with a worthy guitarist but it works well as an unrehearsed blast of cathartic doom.

Highlights:
"Nephthys"
"Living With The Dead"
"I Am Your Virus"

A Look Back at Pride & Glory

Now that guitar god Zakk Wylde has become a living cartoon character not unlike his mentor Ozzy Osbourne, it's easy to forget how ambitious he was back in the day. His fiery performances on No Rest For The Wicked and No More Tears made those the Ozzman's most energetic records to date and a growing interest in southern rock led him to form Pride & Glory with bassist James Lomenzo and drummer Brian Tichy in 1994. The music on their sole album predicts every project Wylde led from that point onward and while a few of those effort match its quality, none of them are as creative.

Those already acquainted with Black Label Society will have an idea of what to expect here, but Pride & Glory is more than just a southern rock version of it. The songs do alternate between chuggy sludge rockers and sentimental ballads but the compositions aren't as straightforward as Wylde's recent fodder. The structures are generally looser as "Horse Called War" and "Toe'n The Line" have solid jamming segments while "Harvester Of Pain" and "The Chosen One" mix some moodiness in with the heavier riffs. There is also more instrumentation beyond the trio as "The Chosen One" brings in a nice string section while a banjo dominates lead single "Losin' Your Mind" and the laid back "Hate Your Guts."

This also feels more sincere than anything Wylde has done since. The melodic tracks feel more organic with "Machine Gun Man" having a smooth twang and "Cry Me A River" playing out like a more pleasant version of Alice In Chains' "No Excuses." The lyrics aren't brilliant but they're more real than the mindless doom and gloom peddled by Black Label. This point is enhanced by the vocal performance as the Rickey Medlocke impression is surprisingly soulful for a guy born and raised in New Jersey...

Alas, the album isn't entirely perfect. Like many CDs that came out in the mid to late 90s, there are a few too many tracks on here. None of them are below average but the ballads towards the end probably could've been cut without raising too much of a fuss. Some may also still find the vocals nerve grating even if they aren't as demanding as the nasal Ozzy aping that defined Black Label in their post-Hangover Music era.

Overall, Pride & Glory's sole album is a southern metal classic that shows Zakk Wylde at the most interesting phase of his career. A few of his subsequent efforts came close to its sound but nothing could ever capture its atmosphere. A sequel is being planned to Book Of Shadows for next year so it's worth wondering if a similar fate could be planned for this...

Highlights:
"Losin' Your Mind"
"Troubled Wine"
"Cry Me A River"
"Toe'n The Line"
"Hate Your Guts"

Review of Tvsk's From The Ashes

When a doom group consists of a bassist and a drummer, it is tempting to compare them to the Sleep offshoot Om. The same could be said for Tvsk of Alameda, California but they don't sound like a clone band on their debut EP. The sound is dominated by a spacy atmosphere but there is a degree of accessibility that isn't seen often with these particular setups.

While the music here is more trippy than spiritual or meditative, the songs flow in a way that gives From The Ashes a narrative of sorts. "Sacred Kind/Awake The Plague" and "Dead Womb" are the most aggressive and straightforward tracks, the smooth but upbeat swings on "Blooze/The Peregrination of the Nomad" help it live up to its somewhat awkward title, the swells on the title track recall Shrinebuilder's sole studio effort, and the closing "The 'All'/Transcendence" brings it all home with its more subtle heaviness. I imagine the sequence is enhanced when driving out in the California desert.

And through it all, the duo never sounds limited and the performances work well with the compositions. The vocals are gruff but have plenty of memorable lines, Nick Baumgartner's drums roll with the punches well, and Justin Dimig's bass leads the way with mellow builds, aggressive riffs, and even a few distorted leads here and there. A bit of bass layering could be seen as cheating but the effect never makes one lament the absence of a guitarist.

Overall, Tvsk's debut EP should appeal to fans of all things Al Cisneros but solid writing and performances make this a highlight in its own right. The songs' variety keeps the listener's attention and the natural track order makes it even better. One of the more interesting finds in 2015 and it'll be interesting to see where the California duo goes from here.

Highlights:
"Sacred Kind/Awake The Plague"
"Blooze/The Peregrination Of The Nomad"
"From The Ashes"

Review of Denner/Shermann's Satan's Tomb

From the influential Mercyful Fate to the lesser known Force of Evil and Zoser Mez, guitarist Hank Shermann and Michael Denner have a long history of collaboration. Their latest venture aspires to the sound established by their most famous project as the lineup is rounded out by occasional Fate drummer Snowy Shaw, Demonica bassist Marc Grabowski, and Cage vocalist/King Diamond protégé Sean Peck. The results of Denner/Shermann’s debut EP ultimately don’t reach the heights of Mercyful Fate but they do make for solid power metal.

If going by the production and band performances, Satan’s Host lacks the raw darkness that gave Melissa and Don’t Break The Oath their signature character. The tone is noticeably brighter, the guitars are rather polished, the drums are more active, and the vocal delivery has more in common with Rob Halford’s prototype than King Diamond’s sinister hamminess. This is best demonstrated by “War Witch,” which sounds more like a Cage song than anything Denner or Shermann had done anything before.

Fortunately, the compositions are closer to the spirit than the performances. “New Gods” is a step in the right direction but “Seven Skulls” excels due to the guitars frequently chiming in ghostly melodies and a wider vocal palette fueling the deal with the devil lyrics. One can almost imagine the King himself giving this one a whirl…

Denner/Shermann’s debut EP won’t be making waves in the greater metal community but it’s a promising look at what could be a fun project. The modern production keeps it from hitting the same aesthetic as Mercyful Fate’s best efforts but the songwriting makes it worth checking out for power metal fans. At the very least, it’s good company to keep while you’re holding out hope for that reunion.

Highlights:

“Satan’s Tomb”

“Seven Skulls”