November Doom- Wo Fat- "the Singularity"

 

One thing that sets stoner rock apart from doom is sometimes there are bands who ignore Black Sabbath and instead just pick up where Kyuss left off instead which is what happens here. This album came out back in May on Ripple Music.The songs are pace to cruise along with the bong-tinged grace of Camaro on a desert highway. It builds into riffs that have a winding sinew that might bring Tool to mind. There is a more familiar boozy shuffle to "Snows of Banquo". The way the vocals are more spoken going into this one creates more of a Clutch feel. The song ends up finding itself indulging the band in a jam that works better live than in the studio.

By the time you get to  "Overworlder" the question of if these guys are capable musicians is off the table. They continue to jam on grooves this time they even packed their wah pedal for the occasion. The sogn is propping up the guitar solos, and they have a sound their teeth are firmly dug into.  Their use of vocals is not the most dynamic element of what they and sometimes seems more obligatory. They are however very much the masters of riffs and know how to ride those grooves out to the full effect. 'The Witching Chamber" might be the album's most impressive song, but it also the first moment on the album where they give a heavy wink to Monster Magnet. The vocals sound much better draped with effects and the overall feel of the song is darker.

The title track has more rumble to it. The rumble it does carry is one that is pretty run of the mill as how many stoner bands have not trampled upon your ears with chords close to these before. here is where we find ourselves at a crossroads of when does a genre become too confining and force the bands to recycle all too familiar in order to fit within its boundaries. The sixteen-minute last song is pretty much an extended jam that guitar solos come blazing out of.  I will give this album a 9, they havea strong command of what they do, the vocals might be the weak spot, but the guitars compensate, more jams than songs at times..