This band from Portugal is on the more traditional side of the doom-metal equation. It reminds me of more recent St. Vitus in many ways, as it is not as dark and depressing as some takes on doom these days, and feels a more triumphant part vibe of metal in the 80s. From a production standpoint, things are not as slick as expected which works with their jammy style that finds solos taking their time. The bass line going into the latter section of the opening tracks is somewhat Sabbathy , but the heavy presence of an organ in the sound leans toward Deep Purple. They are obviously talented musicians the test will be how the songs hold up.
"Things get a little darker for "Old Beast". The vocals are more ominous but still have a more Wino-like approach. It lumbers along the kind of doom boogie you might expect out of this sort of thing. No real sonic surprises popping up yet. Retro sound without Sabbath worship is appreciated, not because I do not love Ozzy and friends, but because I prefer them not their imitators. "King Crow" does not deviate much from this formula, I would say they carry the thunder of a storm rather than really being all that dark. There is more of a metal tone to this song than a rock n roll one.
"Lawless Road' feels like a jammed-out extension of the previous song, which would work well live. The spoken word part feels like this was the only transition they could come up with. It works in the context of the album, but not the strongest moment. "Perishing Hour" creeps into the darker place I prefer when it comes to doom. It winds its way to a more metallic place making it one of the album's best songs. Overall these guys are good at what they are doing I will give this album an 8.5. If you like 70s flavored doom this guys got you.
pst580
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