November is Doom -Castle Rat : the Bestiary "

 

I waited for our doom month here to review the new one from Brooklyn-based fantasy metallers. Their last album earned the number even spot on our top 10 Stoner Metal albums of the year. So, despite the gimmick, they are capable songwriters. There are some odd production choices on this album, and the hype machine is churning even harder behind these guys as they gain more recognition."Wizard" works off a deliberate twin guitar attack version of traditional metal, but with a deliberate Blacki Sabbath like groove. Her voice helps to avoid Sabbath comparisons. Though riff-wise they really get into more "Vol 4' like sonic places going into the guitar solo. She does not go for dramatic belting, but a more plaintive approach, with minor key melodies. The drummer has improved this time around. 

"Siren" is marginally darker, and she begins to make more attempts to catapult her voice over the guitars. There is a doomy stomp driving this one. "Unicorn" moves with a darker chug, as atmospheric layers of melody begin to work themselves in. "Crystal Cave" is even more melodic as it ebbs down to a strum. This is more of a ballad that takes them in a Rainbow direction. Riley does not have the big Dio drama here vocie ven as it builds, but she does show improvement as a singer. In fact, the overall band has grown on this one. They continue to gallop in a similar Rainbow direction for "Serpent". Then 'Wolf 2" finds them taking a turn to more baroque folk, which is taking another page from Ritchie Blackmore's playbook. 

"Dragon " gets back into the more doomy shuffle. There is a more brooding tension to it. It's one of the album's heavier songs. 'Sun Song' finds them back with a bigger pound of guitars. It's evident that some life on the road showed them they need to step up their game to be considered heavy. They are also much closer to the Black Sabbath brand of doom than they were on the previous album. But are we just getting a head-crushing riff for all six minutes, as I like heavy, but I also like dynamics and songwriting? The guitar playing intensifies. Leaving it as the sole dynamic focus and what is effectively the climax of the album, as the outro track is more subdued. I will give this album a 9.5 and see how it grows on me. They have certainly grown as a band as their fan base should appreciate this. 
 

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Kryptograf : "Kryptonomicon"

For the 420th post of the year, I had to go with a stoner metal band. This came out back in March, but it's essential to catch up with these guys, as they prove that more music comes out of Norway than just black metal. These guys are just as invested in music from the '60s as they are in more traditional metal. The first track alone carries a wide range of dynamics. They go from a metal gallop into a hazy mellow jam. The vocals are more Ian Gillan than Ozzy. Their guitarist rips, so I am impressed right off the bat. 

"The Blade" boogies with riffs that remind me more of early Judas Priest or Thin Lizzy than Black Sabbath, and thus, the delineation is made between stoner metal and doom. Nothing is really dark or mournful, thus it does not move with the depressive lethargy that should possess doom. The title track is, in fact, oddly a fist-pumping party anthem of sorts. They do ebb down to a gloomier mood coming out of the more vibrant riff, but such is their way with dynamics. They also do not get carried away with long, jammy songs.

"You and I" is more along the lines of Queens of the Stoneage. It carries a similar attitude in its strut. "From Below" is the first song where they shift gears into more of a doom lumber, but then shift smoothly out of it into a more Mastodon-like riff. "Lost at Sea" has a similar feel with moodier chords ringing out to shift the tone a little.  "The Gates" closes the album out. At 8 minutes along, it's the most sprawling song on the album. Marginally darker and more psychedelic than the previous song, there are still touches of Mastodon in how the vocals interplay with the music. These guys excelled at making the album they set out to make. I will give it a 9.5 and see how it grows on me. 

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Castle Rat : "Into the Realm"

 

This album dropped back in April and just now catching up to it. I think my reluctance lies in the whole playing dress-up thing and labeling yourself as "fantasy" metal or really anything. I did not fall for it regarding Manowar either. I am all for Red Sonja cosplay and am really confused by the move to perform like this after Butcher Babies started wearing clothes. Ya, know the whole "male gaze" thing and want women to be taken more seriously in metal. I personally do not care, but the whole puritanical slant to the last wave of feminism, which say juxtaposed precariously against the anti-slut shaming thing. I mean I saw Lita Ford blow Yngwie off stage in the 80s and did not really give a whole lot of thought to any of that as a teenager. This is why I am bringing this all up since my teenage years are when I would have enjoyed this band most. 

The first two songs pretty much ran together. It strikes me as being a more jammy cross between Coven and Candlemass. By the second song I am done thinking about the fact her tits may or may not be out while she is singing, since that is the thing about gimmicks, none of it matters when you are just listening to it. King Diamond is awesome sounding even if he was wearing street clothes the whole time. Sure some of the storytelling fits in with his persona, which could also be said of Gwar. This band is not all in like those guys, This could be any vest metal occult rocking band from 2010. The bass tone leading into "Red Sands" was a little clunky, but I like the more psychedelic place the song is going to. Making it the best song thus far. 

For this to be a 9-track album, three of those tracks are interlude pieces leaving only six actual songs, so every minute counts. For a doom band, there is less than a moderate amount of Sabbath worship, but still, some influence from Iommi could be heard. I think the singer's hair is big enough that he might have tried to marry her if these guys came out in the 90s. They also do an effective job on the ballad "Cry For Me", as you can hear that Riley can really sing.  She is also capable of metal shrieks leading into "Fresh Fur". I like the effects on the vocals here, though it obscures the lyrics a bit so I am not sure if it's about her having a 70s bush or something PETA might frown upon. I like the creepy mood of the song. After further listening the song might even be about werewolves, which I am not sure PETA's stance on, there is some gray area there. 

"Nightblood" just kind of walks the middle ground, and meets fantasy stoner expectations, it does not bring as much new to the table as some of the other songs. Overall, she does not need to dress up like Red Sonja, but I am not complaining either, will certainly watch the videos accompanying the release of this album for a better look, it's entertaining, and some strong moments I think they need to lean into more of the psychedelic undercurrents here and smoke more pot while playing D&D. I will give this album a 9. See just because I have an opinion on some points does not mean I don't like it musically, or even thematically. Hell, I might like Jinger better if she dressed like slaves Leia. 

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the Class of 82- Witchfinder General: "Death Penalty"

 Doom bands suckling from the teat of Sabbath is a long running tradition going back all the way to 1982. The thing about it back then is bands also brought other influences to the table as can be heard on this band's debut. The squeals and squeaks trying to be metal yodels are kind of funny, but over all this band seems very earnest in what they are doing.  At times the melodies churn more like Blue Oyster Cult. "Free Country" moves at a faster pace, with a pounding chug, as their singer proclaims let's trip on LSD.  This is a very rough and raw mix, that works perfect for what is going down here.  

The title track works for what they were doing, and I appreciate there is less boogie and more of a darker undercurrent. Aside from that there is dynamically not a great deal of new dimensions being explored here. "No Strayer" is more like if Diamond Head had been listened to southern rock and wanted to throw in some guitar solos to jam on. The song "Witchfinder General" is pretty heavy, I general likes when a band names a song after themselves. I like the chorus, as the vocals go in a different direction for a section as he sings more from his chest voice, where the vocals have been fairly basic throughout the album.  

"Burning a Sinner" is more mid paced and punchy. There is another vocal shift on the chorus, which helps as dynamically the vocals have not been the album's strong point though to their credit his voice has a honesty to it. He sounds like himself rather than trying to sound like Ozzy. The guitar solo is balls to the wall. The cowbell of "R.I.P" closes the album. The vocals get a more nasal cock rock sneer to them, this makes this feel more like hard rock than metal. I will around this down to a 9, as the rawness of it finds it not a fined tuned as it could have been , but for what this is it works.    

November is Doom -Cardinal Wyrm :" Devotionals"

 I am not sure what is going on here. Apparently this band thinks they are playing doom. There is little going on musically in the first song that makes me understand why they think this. This is a hipster metal supergroup with members of Vastum, Terebellum and S.C.R.A.M involved. They are obviously not the principle song writers for these bands because the song is barely coherent in composition. This is their fourth album so it has to be intentional./ The more snarled chat is the closest thing we get to a hook . The lead vocals are terrible in that they seem to have no clue with what the band is trying to do and so pitchy it makes me wince. It is more deliberate but not quite doom on the second song. More like a weird mix of grunge and proto thrash , with wanna bee Candlemass vocals . It is not until the third act of this song that we hear anything in realm of doom. The vocals are off doing their own thing during that moment. 

There is more cohesion with the vocals on " Imposter" . If the pre Mike Patton version of  Faith No More were hippies during the "Introduce Yourself" days I can hear them doing something like this. It is some where on the outskirts of sludge and doom. I could see the vocals having a bit of death rock influence. This is the only way what they  yare doing makes sense."Selimesh" is the first song that has a more prominent doomy angel to it , not unlike Crowbar in the mood it invokes . More Sabbath influenced riff wise. The vocals begin to sour the song, the are more manic and remind me of old Gwar. 

"Canticle" is the first song that I have really liked. It has punch and purpose. The vocals work with what they are doing. I get the impression this band is more punk than a bunch of LSD  dropping heshers. The pace picks up for "Abbess" and the results are less impressive. I do not hate what they are doing on "Nightmarchers" I suppose this fall into the parameter of doom to some extent . The last song also touches on doom themes and flavors, but kinda bores me as a song. I will give this album a 7.5. It has it's moments , perhaps I did not like it as much since it was not doom enough for me but if you like more meat and potatoes proto metal sound then I think a 7.5 is a fair score. 

6.5

November Doom - the Lone Madman : "Let the Night Come"

You can never trust other blogs. I guess that is why you read my stuff in the first place.  I heard great things about this one. Even their own press is misleading. This is just traditional heavy metal with a great deal of respect for Black Sabbath.This is the second doom band  from Finland I have reviewed today. In this case I use doom more loosely The vocals are plaintive and sound like Uriah Heap if they were bored and left  the keyboards at home. It is a little more on the proto metal side and dealing in retro sounds.  By the second song 'the DownFall" I am already getting bored. The bland vocals are the worst offender in this regard.All the tired metal tropes are paraded about here and turned up 11. If Spinal Tap had been a serious band they might have sounded like this.

"Haxan" is heavier. The guitar take on a more sludged rumble. The vocals go into a throaty bark. This compensates for a great deal. The vocals sound more like James Hetfield singing power metal when they come back in. There is a darker more solemn sense of melody to the last song "House of Mourning". This fall within the boundaries of doom. It is also more interesting than the previous songs.  The song drops down into an acoustic guitar before predictably building back up. The they jam out into heavy metal glory, like all the other heavy metal songs that seek glory in the same manner. `

The album does get better as it goes along. the album does get better as it progresses and more aggressive vocals surface. This is normally opposite how I feel as I prefer singing to growling or screaming, in this case the more throaty vocals work better. I will give this a 7.5. The album sound good, it is just the vocal preferences nag at me, but if you like traditional heavy metal and Candlemass is too dark and dramatic for you then you might like these guys.
 

Saint Vitus : 's/t"

Going into this album came the difficult realization that this was their first singer Scott Reagers and not Wino. As "Born to Late' as what  I think of as their high water mark, this has a more hippie vibe to it like Pentagram rather than the more disturbed plea of Wino's voice. The opener feel more rock n roll without him and lacks the personality Wino brought to their sound. It takes one song for me to get over this and then accept the fact it is Reagers on the microphone so that is what we are working with here.  The first hint of doom comes on the second song. Still there is more of a proto metal feel to it. "City Park" is an interlude not a song. But when they kick back in things do get darker on "Last Breath"  . The vocals are lowers and more grit behind them.

The minute and a half of the punk rock that is "Useless" really is out of character for these guys. When do get back to something doomy on "Remains". It also has a more jammy feel, which with this kinda of thing I am fine with.  They launch into something more up tempo , but not as out of character as "Useless" with "Bllodshed" .  "12 Year in the Tomb" reminds me of Celtic Frost at times . It's speed up doom with the minor notes still intact.  Not the best song on the album, but it could be worse .

If you are fine with this band being without Wino and prefer their original singer then go ahead and give this album an 8. I don't think I personally will get much in the way of repeat listens though the spins I gave it did find it growing on me. This review is obviously short and sweet , because with or without Wino what you see is what you get aside from the odd interludes and the turn to punk they stay true to who they are most of the time which is very straight forward like they are the Motorhead of doom. This was released on Season of Mist

Monster Magnet : "Mind Fucker"

I used to love their first two albums. I did a shit ton of drugs to both. They eventually got a little to middle of the road rock for me and by today's definition might not be metal. So I am giving their new one a shot. First off lyrically they have gone down the toilet. There is an element to "Soul" that is a little too peppy for. This punk thing they are is not letting up and finds them having more in common with the MC5 than Black Sabbath. While I don't mind a little kicking out of the jams on occasion I am not sure this plays  to their strengths. The title track is the first song that really connects with me even though it might be a little more upbeat than I remember their old stuff being. "I'm God" also connects the dots to the band I used to listen to. It's not as upbeat and a little darker. These guys are such a guitar driven band that they need the level of playing on this song to compensate that Dave's voice is more attitude than pipes.

His voice takes a bluesier turn and almost sounds like Nick Cave on "Drowning". "Ejection" feels more like filler in it's proto-punk stomp. I don't think that this is what the band does best.  "Want Some" seems like a better use of their talents. It still has some of the raw power of early Stooges punk, but with the cerebral space rock that defines their brand of hard rock. Their is a hint of Blue Cheer and Cream to the more garage rock shuffle of " Brainwashed". I think what I want more of is the trippy haze that used to menace their songs and I am not sure where this punk thing is coming from. Gone is the hooky sense of adventure that used to define them . It's been replaced by a 60s vibe that can be felt on the boogie of "All Day Midnight" which is a step in a better direction for them. There is nothing that really comes close to being metal here except for the more powerful they take on the last song. The effects on his voice is a wise move. This what I want from the band so I am sure why there was not more of this on this album.

I'll round this down to an 8.5. This album is good and if you are a fan that has hung with the band in more recent years than this won't phase you as much as it does me since I want them to sound like they did 20 years ago. On most occasions they are good at what they are doing it's not what I want them to be doing so this album might be better than my sense of nostalgia allows it to be, but I think even with that in consideration, a 8.5 is a very fair score.