Restless Spirit : "s/t"

 I approach traditional heavy metal coming out in 2026 with trepidation. I am often afraid it will sound too much like power metal. This would make it too happy for me, with more emphasis on solos and yodels that go nowhere. This might seem odd considering how some of my favorite bands are Iron Maiden, Dio, and King Diamond.  All of whom employ dramatic yodelling, but in a darker, more serious manner. This band gets it right on the opening track, which finds powerfully sung vocals that do not get mired down in silliness. 

They pack a more aggressive punch on the second song. They are also going for a more retro warmth in the production than everything reverbed out. The vocals are belted with a great deal of balls to them, and focused on melodies more than just swinging for the fence, trying to make each note more operatic than the last. They work off more of a stoner groove for "Red of Tooth and Claw". "Desire Lines" makes me think of Only Living Witness with its catchier riffing. 

"Desolations Wake" is more driving. I like how the vocals are produced here as well. "Time's Distance" finds a proggy nuance wrapping around the intro riff, before things get down to business, with an energy similar to the opening track. "Phantom Pain" has a more stoner swagger before ebbing down into a moodier place to give the vocals room. It also has the most psychedelic moments of the album. I will give this album a 10 as it excels at navigating this style of metal, which holds classic crunch without sounding dated or being too happy and anthemic. Fans of bands like the Sword should, without question, give these guys a shot. It not mellow out weed music but bang your head weed music. 

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Suncraft : "Welcome to the Coven"

Depending on what kind of weed you get, there can be different results, so not all stoner rock is created equal.  Norwegian stoners Suncraft have held onto a noisy punk aggression when they kick the doors open, leading into their new album. Even to the point of having gang vocal chime in. It worked for the first song, though I am not sure that an entire album of that would hold my interest, so let's see where they go from here. Thuptempo, only relaxing the dynamic slightly for melody to be added, as the vocals employ more of a croon for the second song. There is a little more of a Queens of the Stone Age vibe that is created by this. 

This finds a little more of a groove on "Greed Battalion" that feels like the Foo-fighter's more punk moments. The vocals stay fairly hooky here. It's not until it slows into a more deliberate groove midway into the song that they really give me what I want, though they are not content to stay there and go into a more black metal-like section, perhaps out of obligations they feel they are expected to comply with, being from Norway. It does not feel as fluid an expression of who they are as the more grooving boogies. The title track has them racing down the more rock n roll road of latter-day Kvelertak. 

They continue down a more punk road with "Wizards of the Anger Magic". The vocals have more room as they are not racing forward with the same intensity, and allow things time to simmer slightly. "Charlatan Killer" finds the drummer hell bent on trying to give things more of a Motorhead feel as he plows into his kick despite the vocals sitting back into a more chill mode. There is a heavier weight in the bass tone to "High On Silence". The syncopated riff allows the vocals to work around it. "Forgotten Goddess" finds the band not relenting even til the end as they plow into your eardrums. I'll give this album an 8.5, as it frantic tempo does create a dynamic uniformity that they manage to still make work. 

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November is Doom- Weed Demon :" the Doom Scroll"

 

This band from Ohio follows a pretty standard blueprint for stoner doom with the wall of Orange amp churning riffage, which is not redefining the genre in any fashion. In fact, it is almost the epitome of putting the capture of a sound over writing a song. Of course, there are going to be guitar solos in places that would have been better spent given to vocals to give this more soul. Something bands need to be thinking about, as you could type in traditonal doom metal riffs into whatever godforsaken AI program, and it could churn out something like this in  30 seconds, and I am not convinced that is not what happened here. I promise you smoking weed will not change this perspective. There is no chill out on this. 

Vocals are employed for "Coma Dose" and they fall about in the expected range that check off the doom metal boes, the more song vocals float in on a whispered wave, then roar, more death metal vocals come in. The riff that opens "Roasting the Sacred Bones" is pretty typical metal. I think that more different guitar tones might have benefited them more. The verse riff is pretty kick ass, though cool riffs alone does not a good song make. The vocals are just harsher bellowing that follows the riff. 

If a guitar player came in to audition for your band and played the last song, you would be impressed, ask him back and then jam on that idea, but let on it's own it is great guitar playing, but nothing original and something that needs more to flesh it out. I will give this album a 7.5, as it sounds solid, but is empty calories with little original ideas. But much of their fan base is likely too high to care. 

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November is Doom- Bog Wife : "From Ashes"

 

To hail from Denmark, this band summons up a deep friend vision of swamp rock.  It is their third album, so they have had plenty of time to perfect it. Yes, it does fall under the banner of stoner rock, so maybe it is the magic plant medicine that takes them to this blues place you might think could only come from the Southern regions of America, but they pull it off with conviction. The second song brings a harder rock bombast. The vocals feel a little more like Pink Floyd. Not that they really capture David Gilmore's husky butter, but more of Waters' urgent plea. It winds around as the arrangement begins spawning more riffage.,

The things break down into a more melodic blues shuffle for "No Church". They give the vocals plenty of room to help build the dynamics of the song as it ebbs and flows back and forth in the structure. The more stoner rock moments of Corrosion of Conformity might be a fair point of reference here as well. "Light of Day"  has a little more groove. The plaintive vocals provide the needed melodic accents to create a proper narrative. This one is a little closer to what you expect from doom metal, though not plodding in depression. There is enough of a casual jam session vibe to be consistent with the genre and make for a fun live show. 

As expected, "Heavy Burden Blues" is in fact blues, though by way of Pink Floyd's more rock n roll side, thanks to the vocals, there is little in the way of synths to give the trippy atmosphere. 'Ages' runs of a more sinewy rock tension. I prefer this to the previous song as it rocks harder. Has kind of a 90s post-grunge feel. 'Agony" has a more ominous, almost Tool-like slither to the verse riff. Their drummer works hard on this one despite not being a Danny Carey. Comparisons could also be drawn to Kyuss here. The seven-and-a-half-minute closing song is more melodic and moodier, with greater nuance in the guitar lines. It's also a little darker, though overall, to have doom leanings, this band is not as dark as the majority of the metal bands I cover here. When it ebbs back down from the more rocked out clima of the chorus, the guitar solos flow easily. I will give this album a 9.5, as they excel at what they are doing here and are not just a Black Sabbath cover band but pull from other influences to create a vital chapter in today's stoner rock scene. 

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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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November is Doom 2025

 

I have been doing this doom-dedicated month for a few years,  it makes sense, as we head into the gloom of the year. First and foremost, when it comes to bands I am looking to cover this month, I am not seeking out bands that worship Black Sabbath.. In fact, I am reviewing every single Black Sabbath album this month to see how they have held up over time, so I don't need any tribute bands to write about. My favorite sub-genre is Funeral Doom, so we will have our fair share of that, but also sludge, stoner rock, darker psych, death doom, and more. More is the variation of traditional forms of doom. 

However, despite the twists and turns the genre might make, there may be doom-adjacent artist or two, we are going to be very clear about what is doom and what is not. It is not just about playing slowly. Sludge most commonly makes this mistake as it is often slow to pass through a metal filter. Sludge is about aggression, which is more tormented than hateful. Doom is about sorrow, loss a foreboding fear of what is to come, not unlike horror movies in this regard. While darkness is the driving force behind black metal, it should also be a pervading theme of doom. There are a few bands, one of whom I review this month, who confuse power metal for doom, and that does not work for me. 

The month will end with me revealing the best lists for doom, sludge, and stoner metal. One reason I keep doing this every November is it gives me the time to catch up on bands that might have flown under my radar the rest of the year, or catchy bands who have released their album late in the year. I think releasing an album after October is pointless. There used to be a trend of holding out until November so it could be sold for Xmas, but how often are physical pressings of music given as gifts these days? Not much and not enough to have release schedules delayed. Anyway, here comes a parade of sonic despair for the month.   

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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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Beast Eagle : "Sorceress"

 

This Nebraska-based metal, combines sludge with a more fiery brand of anthem hard rock thanks to the soaring vocals of Kate Lewis. The riffs are hooky, and the opening track kicks the door in with the kind of energy you want from a metal album. There is a more traditional metal gallop on "The Dead Follow". In some ways, this picks up where Royal Thunder, as she carries a similar blues-drenched alto that can be carried up into a belted upper register.  

"Send Me Down' is bombastic as the two previous song, but does not hook me in as infectiously, perhaps because they are keeping things to such an in-your-face intensity, which is almost like Clutch in that regard. They do find a more bong-water-coated groove for "Witch Hunt," which is marginally darker, though the emphasis is clearly on rocking your face off. 

They hit the best blend of what they do and write their best song when backing off into more of a groove for "The Demonstration." There is a more overt metal mood to her melodies, rather than the blues belting that is often her mainstay approach; this performance is more nuanced and sets up the hooks well. The lyrics feel like they are more personal to give the song more weight. Her pipes seem to be more empowered as her airbags push the higher notes out of the park. This is an impressive display from this band. I will give it a 9 if you want a female-fronted hard rock band that understands the assignment and gets the job done better than most. Give this album a listen.

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In the Company of Serpents : "A Crack in Everything"

 

This band always scores a 9 here, which puts them in the upper tiers of doom/ sludge bands. They are always very organic, and this album holds a similar warmth, perhaps a more jammed-out feel when it comes to the songwriting. Great guitar playing embodies these songs, so if you are into guitars, this album is for you. The vocals are a throaty bellow that rides the groove but are more of an obligatory standard. They have more purpose on the second, though the verse finds them doing more of a Tom Waits thing. 

I know these guys are from Denver, which explains why they sound like a more southern take on sludge, it is because they smoke of ton of weed. They are often now more like a more sludged-out version of Clutch in the blues-infused way the songs groove. "Endless Well" finds their apocalyptic boogie dancing in a similar place to the other songs. "Buzzard Logic' finds things getting a little darker. The darker vibes are what lean this toward doom, where the bombastic fuzzed-out wall of guitars is more in line with sludge. On this one, the song roars long with the vocals, to create a heavy song, but not the album's best song. 

"Until Death Darkens Our Door' is like a depressive Tom Waits folk ballad run through Nick Cave's perspective. They close things out in a more bombastic metallic fashion for "Ghosts in the Periphery." It feels different than the previous albums, the songwriting is at times more focused, but overall I think this earns a 9, as well, which is certainly among the better albums of this genre, matured and more melodic but still heavy enough for old fans.

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AAWKS : "On Through The Sky Maze"

 

This Canadian band rumbled with a fuzzed-out doomy fury. Snarled vocals serve as a menacing ambiance while the bleak plead of the main vocals falls closer to what is expected of this bong-stained strain of heavy metal. It is darker than I expected which appeals to me. Too many stoner-friendly jams turn into long-winding boogies. The vocals have a droning whine that is not hooky but provides a narrative that fits the picture being painted here. The second song finds them switching it up with more ebb and flow thanks to the creepy bass line or palm-muted tension. I like their use of samples which works really well here. 

While the vocal approach does not vary greatly from song to song, I like how effects are used on his voice for "Lost Dwellers" though they are getting more into that boogie territory I was referring to earlier. Things shift more toward doom at the end, but the bulk of the song is more bad hippie-dancing metal. Things get doomier for "Caerdroia". The vocals serve more purpose though the song itself does not feel as focused as the bulk of the album has been up until this point  "The Figure' flows better, and some Sabbath worship begins to creep in here, 

Before it drifts off into space, things are rumbling in a more freewheeling direction for "Wandering Supergiants". The vocals make more of an attempt at singing and it makes me prefer the previous approach.  Something similar happens on "Drifting Upward" which makes more of an attempt to add melody. The layers of sounds help compensate for the weaknesses of the vocals. "Cursed Soul" goes back into more of the realms of the boogie. They do make more of an effort to write songs rather than just getting high and jamming. I had to give the last song three listens before I was able to pay attention, it starts off with a guitar solo, and the vocals are some of the album's most effective so that gives it an edge even when the riff kind of wanders around. I will give this album an 8.5, while it is not something I am going to listen to a great deal, they made the album they set out to and it's a good soundtrack for the smoke sessions they had planned for it. 

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Year of the Cobra : "S/T"

 

The first obvious thing about this duo's 3rd album is that Amy's voice has come a long way. Her performance on the opening track has more nuance. They lumber into a darker depth of doom than I recall from their first two albums. It seems that her time in the Doom Slayer tribute Slower, allowed her to hone her pipes further.  She creates a witchier vibe at times here. There is more of a rock groove to "War Drop". The harmonized vocals are such a part of this song I am having a hard time imagining how this is going to sound live. But I am not going to worry about it too much and enjoy this one. The third song finds them locked into the rock vibes, with a more uptempo energy to it. Though she takes on a brighter almost poppier tone to her voice that almost makes me think of the Runaways. 

The drummer is working overtime on this album to keep things flowing. "Alone" finds the bass line wandering into a more progressive place with its creeping melody. Her vocals fall back into a more introspective soulful mood. This serves as a great example of how she has grown as a singer. The songwriting also holds a wider breadth of dynamics. This might take them further from the doom label but is effective nonetheless. "7 Years" sounds like a lost 90s grunge classic. There is more brooding depth to the aptly titled "The Darkness".  Her vocals provide a counterpoint to the gloom. Amy's bass playing is less about heavy fuzzed-out tones and takes on a more melodic approach that opens up their songwriting on this album. 

"Sleep" is the song that most closely resembles their previous work with a turn back toward the doomier sound they once relied upon. I would say it's a little catchier vocally than their previous Doom releases.  The last song finds them backing off from the heavy again to go into a dreamier melody. This song is more like a ballad than anything I can recall them doing before. It might not be the album's best song but I understand why they are doing it. I will round this one up to a 10 as the songwriting has transcended genres to find them making grooving tunes that could have come from the 90s.   

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(16) : "Guides For the Misguided"

 

This band's past two albums were in the Top 5 of the Top 10 Metal albums for 2022 and 2020. They continue to deliver with their 10th full length. This album came about during the mixing of the previous album so it picks up where they left off with an aggressive sludge attack. "Hat on a Bed" finds the pace picking up to a taunt, tension-laden groove that is somewhat thrash-influenced. The vocals are barked out with a bit of hard-core grit, though no shocking changes to the overall sound. A creepy piano piece leads into "Blood Atonement Blues" with a ripping guitar solo, which has rock god bombast leading the way. It's darker and more melodic, with the vocals more sung than snarled. You can hear a subtle Lynyrd Skynyrd influence that reminds me a little of "On the Hunt". 

They go in a more Corrosion of Conformity direction on "Fortress of Hate".  It has a very deliberate groove to it. I saw the video for "Proudly Damned" a week before getting the album, so it's nice to hear how it fits in the context of the album. It has a heavier crunch than the first four songs. For these guys "Fire and Brimstone Inc" is a more mainstream rock song. Though it carries more heft than what you are going to hear on the radio. They continue down this sonic path on "Desperation Angel' though the vocals remind me of Henry Rollins ' mid-90s solo work. This album's strength is its knack for writing catchy songs that still manage to carry grit. Though in all honesty, it is the most accessible material this band has churned out. 

"Resurrection Day" works off a tightly coiled groove. The vocals have improved since the last album with the more throaty screams only used for accents most of the time. The vocals still carry menace despite this. They could have picked a band that fit what they do better than Bad Brains though to make the most of "Give Thanks and  Praises". "Kick Out the Chair' works off a powerful chug. The vocals work well on this one. It's more of a 90s melding of stoner metal and sludge. The cover of Superchunk's "The Tower" works better than the Bad Brains song. I'll round this up to a 10 as the more nuanced vocals give the songs more depth. It's dropping on Relapse Records.  

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November is Doom -Fire Ritual : "Apocalypse"

 

I normally avoid Black Sabbath worship, but it is a contrast to the Euro-doom I have been reviewing for the past couple of days, though the opening track of this album is really the only saving grace for them the piercing vocals. If not for them they would sound just like Sabbath, In some ways perhaps he is trying to emulate young Ozzy, but that is not how it is executed. It takes the influence and is run through the filter of who he is. The guitarist also does not solo like Iommi, so that is another thin saving grace. The second song finds them showing more of their true selves. The shuffling riff is more Sabbath, but the guitar embellishments and vocals are not. 

The vocals are really well produced, and their singer makes the most of the pipes he has. This aids in his delivery on "Sword of Vengence" which has a more "Children of the Grave" feel, the vocals are the chorus are hooky and stand out, almost more like solo Ozzy than something he would have done during the Sabbath years. "the Ring" finds them delving into Tolkien, the vocals sticking to the more robotic delivery. The guitar solo is more shreddy than Iommi worship would be, We are back to a more "Children of the Grave" style gallop for "Bought and Sold"  Lyrically it is the best song, as it is about the Pandemic, and strays from the accepted narrative to say somethings that need to be said. 

They continue down a more political path with "Number 46" which is about Joe Biden I would assume since he is the 46th president. But to their credit are getting to hear more of who they are as this song has more of a stoner rock feel to it.  "I Am Death' has a more "Into the Void " chug to it, but the accents break it up a little. Then there is a "Lord of This World" feel to "Queen of Darkness". Perhaps a teenager who does not know shit about shit is going to be fooled by, but I have listened to a shit ton of Black Sabbath over the years so not a person who is not going to hear this. 

Where I have to draw the line with these guys is when they steal from "After Forever" and try to play it off as an original when it comes to the melody of 'Evil Woman" showing even less creativity since that is the title of another Black Sabbath song. Then they cover "National Acrobat" which makes me feel they are a Sabbath cover band at some point. Granted they are going to do a spot-on job of it as it is what they do, this guy does not have the soulful quality to his voice that Ozzy does so he is singing the notes not fully feeling them I gotta round this down to an 8, due to the lack of originality, though when they show who they really are I enjoyed those moments, hopefully they will grow into their own band. 

psy556

Orange Goblin : "Science, Not Fiction'

 

This band was one of the first stoner rock bands to blaze the bong in their Camaro across the desert. There is more beef this time around, The vocals have more of a gritty growl, though they are upfront in the mix and hung out to dry with little effects on them. There is more in common with Motorhead here, than Black Sabbath, the riffs have a 90s grunge tinge at times.. I used to think of them as more stoner rock, but this album insists they are stoner metal and draws a pretty clear line in the sand about it. The burly boogie driving things is effective though, after the first three songs of it, I think they need to fuck with the dynamics a bit. The sound is big and easily establishes their relevance in 2024. 

I wonder how many people in the Music Press are going to pay attention to the lyrics of  "False Hope Diet". As it contemplates many topics that were hailed as being conspiracy theories.  "Cemetary Rats" is the album's most metal moment so far as it thrashes out with an almost Pantera-level heft. "the Fury of a Patient Man" is more straightforward, and back to the almost Motorhead-level rock. "GEMINI" works off an effective groove. "the Justice Knift" thunders down the highway with a high octane charge tempered by a shuffle. Midway into the song they go off into a jam. 

'End of Transmission " hits with a heavier hand that carries a more apocalyptic stomp. "Eye of the Minotaur" reminds me of Clutch. It's listed as a bonus track but it's on my version so I am counting it as one of the album's songs, I would say it does stand out a bit, but to their credit all of the songs are different, they are not just cranking out one sound and wearing it out. I will give this album a 9, it's a great deal of fun and rocks out harder than I expected from these guys. Peaceville Records is dropping this July 19th. 

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November Doom - Saint Karloff : "Paleolithic War Crimes"

This band from Norway has been cranking it out since 2015, so, surprisingly, I have yet to cover them, but here we go. They are on the super fuzzed-out retro side of things. The opening track falls more along the blundering boogie bombast of Sabbath. The riffing is super Sabbath-influenced. The vocals are belted out from a huskier chest register so ow little to Ozzy or Dio. However, they lapse at times into passages that are higher with more effects on them which come closer to Ozzy's territory.  The second song owes more to Deep Purple than Sabbath. With galloping keyboards that also bring Uriah Heap to mind, though the vocals merely get the job done and refrain from soaring into the kind of vocal gymnastics those bands employ.

They prove they have progressive chops, though vocals are the band's weak spot.  There is a two-minute "Planet Caravan" like instrumental that is merely an interlude so I will not count it when it comes to the purpose of this review. "Bone Cave Escape" picks up the pace and owes more to modern bands like Queens of the Stonege or Atomic Bitch Wax. The mood is more straightforward, so it does not appeal to me as the darker less rock n roll moments. The guitar solo section has an almost Motorhead-like feel. Halfway in things transition into more of a groove that works better for me. The singer tries to wail into his upper register which carries a more choked desperation. 

The vocals improve with the more strummed prog folk of "Nothing to Come" which carries more of a Jethro Tull vibe. I know some people are going to dislike pointing out the influences of this band, but when you are pulling from past sounds and making them new there is no escaping the debt owed to the inspiration. Midway they shift gears to a more in-your-face brand of 70s rock. The lumber of "Death Has No Mercy" finds them pushing proto-metal in a more metallic direction. There is also an ample dose of blues in the mix. The song builds in momentum until it reaches full rock density. The last song finds the vocals sung with a smoothed refinement. They continue to lean into this proggier side of the band which plays to their strengths. I will give this album an 8.5, it was enjoyable and places these guys firmly on my radar , if you like stoner prog rock they should be on yours as well. 

November is Doom- Acid King : "Beyond Vision"

 This San Francisco band jams out on a similar fuzzed-out doom boogie we have heard before. The female vocals that finally chime in on "Mind's Eye" take things in a more Windhand direction. Though their layered overdriven riffs come across as heavier, though less organic. The vocals are already going to be key in answering the question ...what is this band bringing that I have not already heard Sleep or Electric Wizard do. At this point, it is taken beyond Sabbath worship into harvesting inspiration from the second string. Not to say they do not lock into powerful chugs and punches that provide moments of awe at loud volumes, but it is less than original. 

Geezer Butler might play more of a role here than Iommi. The bass lines sometimes take the most interesting fills. "90 Seconds" finds the vocals playing more of a role, but the overall sound of the songs becomes uniform in a matter that they begin to run together, In fact, I had to listen to the song again to remember how it differed from the rest. For this reason, the ambiance leading into "Electro Magnetic" is welcome. It touches on darker tones that help give this album more of its own personality. Midway the metal gains more momentum. 

The title track might be the album's best song as it blends atmosphere with familiar rumble while giving the vocals room to weave an alluring melody. It reminds me a little of later Kylesa in this regard. It takes the last song about four minutes to really gather the force to rumble to life, however, it has the gloom of an overcast sky to the riffs. I love the reverb on the guitars on this song, too bad it drones more often than not. I will give this album an 8.5, it's pretty solid and creates a great mood though is less than original. 

November is Doom : Robots of the Ancient World : "3737"

 

This Portland-based band goes in a few different directions, some playing to their strengths more than others. They are a groovy stoner band rooted in metal. Kyus and Clutch can certainly be cited as reference points for bands that inspired their sound. The grunge-tinged Toolish slither of these grooves is appealing, though the vocals are their weak spot. Production is somewhat to blame for this. The vocals sit back in the mix. They are also very raw and dry. They need at least reverb on them. Stylistically it's apparent their singer is into Danzig, but his voice does not carry the same baritone resonance. If you want to sing like Danzig , you must listen to many Elivs and the Doors. I  do not hear the study of either. 

This album's redemption lies in their bass player, and the grooving riffs they lay down. "Holy Ghost" finds things gaining more momentum. The vocals are less than inspired when it comes to the chorus. The song's strength lies in the "Children of the Grave" like gallop that it works off of. "Moustache" finds a great deal of improvement in the nuances of production. This helps the vocals. The riffs are faster and more punchy here. Guitar solos make their presence more known. They shift in guitar tone to a more reverbed-out sound, which works really well. 

"Apallo" is just an acoustic guitar interlude, which would have been better served as the intro to "Silver Cloud". They save their best chorus for the end of the album. It's ambling boogie rocks at a more casual path than the rest of the album. The vocals also find themselves in a more electric boogie spots are jammed out more. It does equate to some great guitar playing. They build the riff into a heavy swirk of sound.   I will give this album an 8.5, the mix is rough and the vocals could have gotten more love in post-production. 

November is Doom - Tortuga : "Iterations"

This is the Polish band's third album. They balance the fuzzed-out desert rumble with nuanced atmospherics. The vocals sit back in the mix. They are sung simply when they emerge on the first song. The singer keeps things in a reedy tenor. The wheel is not being reinvented here, though there is ample room for progressive wandering. They do have a retro sound but it is mixed in a more modern m manner than most. Within the eight and a half minutes this song explores they manage to credit a jammy feel. "Lilith" is marginally darker with its more solemn melodies and moodier guitar phrasing.    

Their drummer is great, which keeps things moving to compensate for the lack of focus coming from the vocal melodies and layered guitars. There is a cool melodic passage midway into the song,. When the song tries to move in a heavier direction the fuzzed-out guitar overextends itself. "Laspes" has more of a psychedelic drone to it. The drums add jazzy flourishes to spice up the groove. The vocals finally come in halfway into the song and really do not offer much. The song winds down in a more simmering jam;  

"MALACA"  is even more of a jam with samples taking over the space vocals normally occupy. drone  "Quaus" drones forward in a dense throb of sound.  There are plenty of cool sounds at work here, but they echo out over a dirge. A robotic voice chants for the harmonies. The last song rides a drone that does not really progress anywhere. I will give this album an 8, if you are looking for some after-noon retro metal to get baked to this should work.Out on Napalm Records. 

                                                                                        

5

November Is Doom : Hippie Death Cult-

 

With a line up change that finds Ben Jackson gone and bass player Laura Phillips taking over the mic, the first song of their new album strikes me as sounding more like other female fronted doom, and less of the rock n roll feel that not only Jackson's voice brought but his songwriting as well. "Shadows" does begin to work in the more progressive grooves the band once travelled into. Phillips does have a decent voice. She can use a subtle moan, that gives things a dreamy feel in places, along with belt it out or scream as called for. They embrace a more jammy side when the guitar solo is given the room to playfully extend. 

"Better Days" has more of a Royal Thunder feel. With this comparison comes soulful singing and a moodier introspection. When the dynamics bring a heavier punch, there is a more organic tone than your typical metal gain which plays to their favor. "Red Giant" works off a pretty heavy groove and continues to find the band moving in a more metallic direction. They continue in the metal direction with "Toxic Annihilator" , but picking up the pace to a taunt chug. 

When the album veers into more psychedelic jams there is a looser sense to it that the more focused arrangments of past albums. The production is also not as refined though this might be to acheive more of a retro sound. "Tomorrow's Sky" has a more rambling rock sound to it. The guitar solos are well done, but also jammy and perhaps not as focused, though that to might be the point of their new direction. I will give this album an 8.5, it's good for what it is and might grow on me, though I think I prefer the previous incarnation of the band. This is still one of the best vest metal, proto stoner doom or what ever you kids want to call this sort of thing that I have heard in a minute.  

Mutoid Man : "Mutants"

 Cave-In vocalist/guitarist Stephen Brodsky, is releasing the 3rd full-length from his sludge-tinged rock band. Joining him again is Converge drummer Ben Koller, who has been on board since the project's inception. This time around High On Fire bassist Jeff Matz is in the band. There is a rock feel thanks to Brodsky's smooth vocal delivery, but ample bout of math rock in collision with punk energy. The second song employs much more speed than the opener, though both songs have their share of twists and turns. There is a doomier feel to "Broken Glass Ceiling".  They share some common ground sonically with Queens of the Stoneage in this regard. The chorus is not that hooky, though the verses have a pretty cool riff. The rule around here is cool riffs alone do not a good song make. The end of this song builds into harder snarled vocals. 

There is more of a stoner rock feel to "Siren Song".  This song might have some of the album's best melodies, though we are only four songs into the album at this point. There is a classic metal feel in how the vocals ride the guitars, without being overtly dramatic. "Graveyard Love" is more rock in its Van Halen-like boogie. "Unborn" opens with a pretty sweet grooving riff and interesting sounds, but as the song progresses these get coiled around themselves amid the jammy nature of the song. Perhaps the math just gets too complicated for their own good, as it's more effective when things break down to a tense chug. 

"Siphon" has a pretty mean chug, that was working well enough for it, until they decided to go and complicate things. It is not a deal breaker, but this could have been a headbanger all the way through. Instead, it feels more like Mastodon without the guitar solos. "Demons" rocks out like Kyuss at first before they have a spastic burst of arrangements. On one hand, they are cramming more into the three minutes they are compressing these songs into. Then on the other, the question must be asked ...does it need to be crammed in there? More importantly, does it mean they are not playing "Stonehenge" tonight? 

The answer I have come to is not get my hopes up at the onset of "Memory Hole" as they are going to eventually jerk it around into something crazy.  I begin to relax midway in when this has yet to occur. They do go off into a guitar solo, which is fine, I prefer it to take this to a crazy punk place. I think whatever conclusions you draw about their songwriting , no one is going to dispute if Ben Koller can play drums or not, in fact he establishes himself as one of the best here. The last  song "Setting Son" is almost six minutes long, so I am preparing myself for whatever they are going to throw at me, even after the two minute jammed intro. They chorus is not the album's hookiest , but works for what they are doing. They fall somewhere between 80s-themed stoner metal and prog on this one. Baroness would be a fair point of reference for the Sonic zip code they are cruising down. I will give this album a 9 and see how it grows on me. I like the direction they are heading in here and it's their most promising work to date.