November is Doom -the Red Widows : "Fuzzifixion"

 

This album came out last year, but since it is doom month here , it is fitting to take a listen to doom of all types and times. It also means that this album is good enough that I think it needs to get more coverage so you guys and gals can go back and give it a listen on yourselves. This trio from London uses many of the elements of traditional doom. To their credit the focus is on a fuzzed out throb and they are not trying to re-invent any Sabbath riffs. I would be this more in the zip code of Electric Wizard. The vocals of Alex Corvino stand out. Her alto is low and haunting , with a great deal of vibrato behind it. Not an Ozzy clone for sure. 

The songs are on the longer side with the opening track breaking 13 minutes. I have more patience with doom bands than black metal bands when it comes to length, as doom has girth as well. 13 minutes of a pulsing lumber works better for my ears than 13 minutes of blast beats. Not to say I do not love black metal as readers here know I do, I just want to here less drone from black metal and slower paced doom lends it self more to the lingering drone. The bass tone gets burly on 'Lucifer's Maiden" . This song is even darker than the previous one which might be what I like about this album. The chorus has more of a chant to it. In the middle of the song where the guitar solo falls they kind of jam off the path. When they come back in they do so in a heavier manner. 

By the time I get to "There Is No God" I am feeling the Satanic leaning lyrical theme which lends to a darker mood that translates into the overall sound. This is also one of the things I like black metal for . There is a harder punch to the pound of the drums to this one .It might be a handful of bpms faster than the other songs, but has a similar feel. I also like the slight punch to the vocals on the phrase " Wake Up" .  There is a more atmospheric ebb and flow to the dynamics of " Cursed Forever". I like the hint of effects on the vocals. This might be the album's best song. The lumbering weight of what they do is felt in it's fullest impact on the last song. I like the use of samples on this song to create a bleaker feel. I will round this up to a 9.5 , it is very straightforward but effective and a fun listen I recommend it to all who like their doom on the dark side.