November is Doom- Pantheist : "Uncanny Times"

This band from Belgium plays a compelling version of funeral that uses some interesting layers of sound rather than just the atmospheric, cavernous drift. Female vocals color the opening song. It's punchier than what funeral doom normally does, but that plays to their benefit, as they do not allow themselves to check off the expected boxes. There is a bit of grandiose chaos, but it works for what they are doing; if every song has this level of over-the-top bombast, it might be a bit of an acquired taste. The guitar solo fills the spot where the operatic vocals sat. Growl vocals do emerge, with drums moving the metal riffs with a more flowing speed. 

The second song: The Laughing Falcon," is more of an uptempo, grooving death-doom riff-based attack with growled vocals. It has some atmosphere, but the primary attack is more metallic, placing them on the Paradise Lost side without the gothic touches. I guess it sounds good, but it doesn't really set them apart, even when the female vocals come in. "Kuebiko" brings the more grandiose symphonic elements back into focus with the wailing of a soprano. As someone who has listened for more than my fair share of opera over the years, she does not have the control an actual opera singer should, but it should fool heavy metal kids who have no idea. The pipe organ is a cool touch. 

"Entropy" balances the atmosphere with a cool groove. It's an instrumental that is under four minutes, but is a direction they have been better served exploring. Used in this context, it's more of an interlude. "Ithaca Out of Sight" has more of a Dead Can Dance ambiance it lingers in before hte guitar solo comes ripping in. At almost 14 minutes, they let this one sprawl out. In closing with a 16-minute song, they are not afraid to sprawl things out. Normally, with doom bands, this is because of the tempo they are playing at, but this album is pretty deliberate. At times, this album brings Theater of Tragedy to mind. At the five-minute mark, I have no idea how they are going to drag this out for another 11 minutes. The answer is that, six minutes later, they let things break down into a lingering piano jam before bringing the growled vocals in. It is pretty dark and depressive-sounding, so it works.I will give this album an 8.5, if you want operatic doom this is for you.o

5.5

the Heavy Eyes : "Focus"

This is the band's 5th album, so they have a solid grasp of what they are going for here. It opens with a strummed, folksy ballad that slowly unfolds. The vocals are more soulful than most and carry a little brooding to them. The guitar tones have a Western shadow to them. This one does not really hook me, though I can tell they have talent so I keep listening. The fuzz is not fired up until the second song. Even then, there is still not a heavy feel to this, though they are going for a more rock vibe. The vocals are a little too happy; with a huskier vocal apporach it might work better. The drummer and bass player seem to be the most talented members of this band. If it were not for the bass player, this song would not be heavy at all. 

There is a better groove for "It's All Simone," yet another song that owes a great deal to its bass line, as it could easily be more like Hozier in other hands.I mean, I like Hozier for what he is, but I do not think that is what this band is going for. The vocals hold this one back. The drummer tries to get them fired up, and the bass player might be down for it, but the rest of the badn is trying to figure out what is going on. band. By the time it gets ti 'Sarissa," I am having to endure this album more than I am enjoying, yet they are decent musicians; it is just how they are applying these skills. The vocals at this point are annoying me. 

"Corporal Upham" finds the tones gaining more heft, which makes you think that they might get more serious here. If some frat boys tried to make a jam that had a slight Black Sabbath influence, it would also sound like this. However, this might be the album's best song so far, so there might still be hope. I am betting these guys are all really into All Them Witches, which I just reviewed, so it is hard to unhear the similarities. The groove here, however, goes a long way. The title track is more of a boogie than I like my music to dance in. 

The groove for "Greener " works better for me, but it is more of a Kings of Leon vibe. The beer-drinking college kids need something to listen to, and this song is better than most on here. They name-drop Fugazi, but I am not hearing much of that in their music, aside from the occasional bass line. "Words" has the most aggressive feel so far, and it's about as heavy as Pearl Jam when they are not in their more punk mode. The Might Return of "That Cold Goliath" has a better groove than the first time around. 'Holy Envy" closes the album with an oddly more melodic song that feels like it is combining elements of all the bands your average college kid might love; Pink Floyd collides with a more jam band version of the Police. Musically, it is a little moodier, which i can appreciate. Overall, I will give this album an 8.5, as they are good at what they are doing andd the album sounds well crafted it is just not my thing, not dark enough. 

10.2

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November is Doom- Earth Tongue : "Dungeon Vision"

 

This album came out back in February, and I am just now catching up with it, though I can understand why it was not on my radar, as it falls into the more indie rock side of the genre clsoer to Dead Meadow than Castle Rat. Still, they do manage to keep a fuzzed-out backbone to provide enough menace to make your average indie rock hipster feel like they are listening to metal. There are psychedelic elements as well as a more garage rock sound coloring the production. It is mixed by Ty Segall which explains a great deal. They are more focused on the title track that opens the album than they are on the second song. 

The guitar tone has to stay dense enough to feel likea bass since they are only a duo. The female drummer seems to sing most of the time, though they also sing in unison often that gives things a 60s feel. They are from New Zealand, but it sounds like this was conceived somewhere in the hills of the English countryside. "Flashlight' carries a more staccato groove. Things are not dark or dense enough to feel heavy; there just happens to be some sonic heft. I stumbled across them while looking for new stoner rock, and I can hear how there might be some overlap. 

"Body of Water' is more of a folk ballad than it is metal. There is some early Pink Floyd influence in play at times in the quirky moods conveyed. I think smoking a great quantity of weed might make this have more impact. They lead off with the more lumbering riffage for "Watchtower". It converges into an angular stomp that is more playful than menacing. "Orbit of A Witch" works with an overdriven rumble with ome effects on it; the sing-song cadence of the vocals carries a more 60s-influenced occult rock feel. That is where they find the most common ground with Castle Rat. This is one of the album's best songs. 

The drums get more nuanced for "Symmetry Dripper"; it's a pretty cool vibe. "1000 Curses" finds things getting a little mathy with the angular timing. They have some prog flirtations that you can appreciate, since it is better than if everything were just 4.4. They balance a surreal, atmospheric vocals feel with the more uptempo pounding on "Silver Eye". This creates an overall feel that is darker than the creep of "Living Hell" though both songs find the album moving in a better direction. 

"Harvester" ambles along more likea na indie rock song with much less menace. The lat song has layered vocals that further the 60s garage pop feel like Shocking Blue or even Coven. I will give this album an 8.5, it finds itself in a better place than how it begins and takes some twists and turns. A metalhead looking for a doom album is better off checking out the new Fvnereal Fukk album but this works for what it is. 

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November is Doom - All Them Witches - "House of Mirrors"

Surprisingly, for a band this big, it's been crickets when it comes to their new album. Their last album got my attention; it was awesome, so I have high hopes for this one. It opens with even heavier Sabbath-like riffing. It makes me think of Queens of the Stone Age despite not having the punk boogie shuffle. It's more about how the vocals counterbalance the music. "Culling Line" builds out of a fragile simmer andd builds its groove with a great deal of blues in its veins. I can hear more Led Zeppelin in how this plays out. The more honky tonk ide of the blues moves "Aethernet". It is good for what it is, but you can only hear blue rock done so many ways until it sounds the same. Great guitar playing regardless. 

There is a more winding bass line weaving through the blues boogie of "Hold Up Say What?" which implements a well-placed melodic breakdown. 'Go Getter" feels like it is more of an interlude leading into 'Startling Line" which is the best song of the album so far as it places melody first while still grooving.  "Turn on the Light" is a shuffle that took a second listen for me to put together any thoughts on it, there was a feeling it gave that reminds me of The National. This contrasts with the more 60s fuzzed-out rock feel of "Angel on the Wayside," which feels more along the lines of the grage rockers like Blue Cheer. 

The album's best songwriting lies in "the Welterweight"; it's prety earnest and thoughtful in its melody. The last song has similar feels as "Turn on the Light" but it flows better, while still carrying that more introspective melancholy that the National wove well at their creative peak.  I will give this a 9.5, it's impressive even though it is not their best album, they are maturing at that is hard to argue with when done this well. 

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November is Doom- King Buffalo : "Doomsayer"

 Like punk bands that become metal after mastering their instruments over the years, doom bands do the same thing when they go prog. Though they were more on the stoner metal side of things, as I don't recall them being all that dark, they are moody as they bust into the rather bluesy jam that pursues blues in a similar way to how Pink Floyd appealed more to the stoner metal side. There are guitar solos that work well to build the dynamics, and you do not have to be a shred nerd to enjoy. There is a jammy vibe to what is going down here. They still cram it in under six minutes. At times the groove brings All Them Witches to mind. 

There is more of a "Stranglehold " vibe to the tension setting "The Slick and the Dead". Lyrically bleaker than you might expect, it proves pretty effective.  "Vagabond" is powered by a marginally more metallic aggression underlying the guitar. They ride the hypnotic tension for the bulk of the song in a Tool-ish sense. But unlike them, they don't feel the need to have the obligatory breakdown. Groove is the name of the game here as"Hell or High Water" pulls from most of the sonic colors they have introduced up to this point. The psyche vibes feel like they are from a 90s grunge filter here. They allow themselves a few more power chords to bask in. They float off on a jammy guitar solo. They have mastered the jam that brings it back around full circle. 

"Into the Foundry" finds the bass trying to replicate the luck they had on the first four songs, and while it does not suck, it feels like they have gone to the well too many times with this formula. I am also stone-cold sober as I am listening to this, so perhaps that factors in. "Ether on the Darkside" creates more of a 'Have a Cigar' feel, with its bass line holding it down, though less funky and more throbbing. A big guitar solo jamming around. It does, however, keep with the album's groove-first formula. The drummer works over time, but it never crashes into heavy. 

As you can expect, they have brought a more metallic riff for the title track, though it's not really doom. It follows more of a Queens of the Stone Age dynamic.  Though a little more metal than them, but not as metal as early Kyuss. I will give this album a 9, it's some impressive jams that work well if you are stoned. This album drops December 4th. 

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November is Doom- Exhuming the Tunes with Trouble's Self titled Album

 

This 1990 classic is where everything fell into place. Drummer Barry Stern stepped behind the kit, and Rick Rubin produced it. It opens with perhaps the best song, "At the End of My Daze". There is more space in the mix. Wagner's voice comes forward in the mix, and a great deal of the reverb is stripped away. Sure, it's more Sabbath, but his voice creates its own identity here along with the song's subtle swagger. "The Wolf" finds the tempo picking and a darker tone creeping in. Many of the religious references heard in the earlier songs are gone. There is a more desperate starkness in the lyrics of this album. 

Of all the Rick Rubin-era albums, this one found the band at the most manageable level in terms of substance abuse, which did not escalate until after this album; despite songs like "Psychotic Reaction," there was a more rock vibe creeping in. 'A Sinners Fame" is a good song, but it has a high bar to live up to considering the three bangers this album opens with.  "Misery Shows" is ahead of its time; it's an almost grungy power ballad of sorts. One of Wagner's best vocal performances, due to the fact that it's not as bombastic and shows restraint. When you hear this album, it's clear that drugs are the reason they were not bigger than they were as a band, as this would fit in pretty well with the grunge era to come.

'R.I.P" offers the first taste of  striaght up doom song on this album, that has been some pretty moving rockers.  It also evolves into more of a powerful chug with some metal window dressing to please their established fan base. If you told me this was left over from the previous album, I would believe you.  "Black Shapes of Doom" is another one that steps back toward the album NWOBHM sound from the previous albums.  "Heaven on My Mind" is another uptempo rocker with more memorable vocals that comes closer to living up to the promise that the front end of the album made. I like the darker turn the song takes at the end and the way Wagner's vocals shift. 

"END" is back to a more metallic attack, though his vocals have grown more capable of transitioning back and forth from a more rock vibe. The doomy chorus is strong. 'All is Forgiven' is more of a doomy trudge that shows a hint of the more Judas Priest undercurrent of the old stuff. There is what might be the album's most memorable guitar solo on this album. 

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November is Doom- Fvneral Fvkk : "Indecent Idol"

This German band is impressive, as they play a traditonal form of doom that comes from the darker side of what Candlemass does, but with more grace. I review hundreds of metal albums, and it is rare that I get to the second song and start downloading the album, as that is how sure I am of the fact that this is something I am going to really listen to. This is since I already own a great deal of music, and metal tends to be a bit redundant depending on the genre, and most of the time I alreaddy have a band that I am locked into, so it's common for me to write, "that while I like this, chances are when I am in the mood to listen to this and am going to just put on... insert the name of the band depending on the genre here. 

What these guys do is original, but that is not to say there are not already bands that I like who have done this sort of thing. It just happens that those bands are not doing it at present, Solitude Aeturnus, or they have moved away from this and now play another style of music, Pallbearer. These guys hit just in time to fill that void for me. Speaking of voids, this band features members of the band Voidhaven.

 The superb vocals are a key selling point, along with the dark mood. 

Conceptually, they are cool as they focus on the many crimes of the Catholic Church, primarily the sexual abuse of children that has gone unanswered. The sample at the beginning of "Hidden Threnody" is from a documentary andd sets the tone for the ominous riffage to come. The croon for this is a little more introspective. "The Beasts of Speyer" opens with clean guitar and a more solemn, hymn-like tone. He was the lyrics finds the notes being the empahsis over the articulation , so it's not like the stories are in your face. I would be interested in sitting down and reading them with more focus. 

"Bishop of the Iron Guard " might have the coolest riff, as it's picked out in a more syncopated manner.  The guitar simmers more when it is setting things up for the vocals to come in. This is also the first that builds into a more thundering double bass section and allows the dynamics to take dynamic shifts with the most interesting arrangement yet. "Leichsynode" carries a heavier, doomier chug, though the vocal lines wander more and are not as catchy; it might just need repeat listens for it to click

"Even in Death" is a little more on the melodic side, though leaning further into the melancholy. This is another one that might reuire a couple of listens to fully absorb, as it works off a similar mournful throb as other points we have heard on the album; still, this is doom, so that can be expected and I think they do a great job of capturing an honest emotion here, rather than just checking off booxes to bring the expected sounds of the genre. I will give this one a 10. One of the best doom albums of the year for sure. 

5.9

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