November Doom- Den : "Iron Desert"

Riding the line of sludge and doom, these guys throw some pretty creative stuff at you, despite the vocals being the kind of coarse bark that more typifies sludge there is enough darkness to their lumber to belong here, though more punk sensibilities to their sound than what you are normally going to find in any kind of doom . The do blast in with varied tempos , but it returns to the lava flow of their normal burning pulse. The verse to the second song is darker and more doomy with the dynamic shift that follows more of an explosive noise rock thing.  Here it's doom colored by more of a Melvins influence. There is more of a dynamic shift here, I like this one better than the opener which was till a pretty solid song.

"Svalbard' is slower and resonates off of the fuzz with an almost analog synth vibe. The vocals are more growled here, but have begun to get a little stale for my tastes as they are a one trick pony.
"Taste of Blood' has more of a back woods boogie set against the more Black Sabbath like pacing. The vocals here are howled more like Black Fl;ag era Rollins. "Bones & Flies' is a great deal darker. It almost has more of a Neurosis feel. The spooky atmospherics are cool as they add a nice dynamic to the album as a whole. The title track that closes the album, has the more coarse husky vocal. The bass is booming a fuzzed out tot he max. I like the tempo they are pounding this one out at as it has a great deal of groove. I begin hearing the hints of the more Rollins like vocal again. The song takes a really unexpected turn somewhere between kraut rock, dungeon synth and tribal drumming its way into more apocalyptic sludge. There is plenty of noise to add angular abrasion.


I really like the sense of dynamics and the more melodic elements these guys use. They are much better than avaerage song writers. My only complaint is the vocals .The get old quick. My hope for them is in the future they employ more vocal colors as it would take their songwriting to the next level I will give this album an 8. This album is being released on Corpseflower Records.      

Abigail Williams :"Walk Beyond the Dark"

A great deal of solid stuff is coming out late in the year. I listened to this album several times today which is a good sign. The first song is well done , but falls along the lines of what you would expect from them , almost more like blackened thrash. I appreciate the lack of reliance on blast beast. The drummer actually plays better when not doing them, From a song writing perspective, which songs are what we care about here, the second song "Sun and Moon" is more well written and has a greater range of dynamics, where the opener is more straight forward. It's both dark and melodic which are two things I always want from music. There are more vocal colors and two and a half minutes in when the blast beasts do come I am fine with them . They have already shown me , they do no need them to do black metal.

"Ever So Bold " has some melody in the guitars, but sounds more in line with your average black metal as it is more blasty.  'Black Waves " is a song that excels at giving me what I want even more so than "Sun and Moon". There are more varied guitar tones and a touch of strings to add elegant atmosphere to the shadows.  Sung vocals also join in. The main screamed vocals are kind of a static one trick pony that could use more range so these touches are needed. Breaking down into the bass line and strings is a wonderful touch. The album can become a tug of war where they fight sounding like every other black metal band. There is a few touches of atmosphere but a song like "Into the Sleep" is largely full blast ahead.  I prefer the darker touch of "Born of Nothing".

After the strings opening the song, it's four and a half minutes before sun vocals come in and things begin to deviate. They go in a more doom direction, with the lower growls echoing off the sustained chords. It's an 11 minute song so there is plenty of time to case around all sorts of ideas. Some art though I feel the previous song does more in less time.It's a pretty solid effort that is easilly given repeat listens I will give this one a 9.

November Doom - Smoulder : "Times of Obscene Evil and Wild Daring"

This is the time of year when end of the year lists start trickling out and I have  the chance to find bands that flew under the radar and did not catch my ear earlier in the year.  If a band claims  on it's Bnadcamp to be influenced by Solitude Aeturnus the stakes are high. These guys could just be slow power metal or doom for people who like power metal I am hoping for the latter. The production on the drums could be better. It seems the vocals got more love . I like the effects on them, they give her a little more of aggressive edge. Most power metal is too happy for me, but these kids bring it with a darker shadow to their big chugging guitars. The vocals work, though are generally not super hooky, with the opener being the exception to this rule and  one of the album's strongest songs, if not the strongest. I would have been fine with things keeping a Holy Diver level chug.

"Sword Woman" grows on me by the second listen . The chorus is not as strong as the first song, but still works .The thing that could be a sticking point from this band is when the sped up they sound just like all the other bands longing for the 80s. There are a few moshy riffs, but the rule here is cool riffs alone does not a good song make.  The album got off to a good start , but there is something kind of awkward about how " Voyage of the Sunchaser " is written  This feeling comes and goes as the album progresses so I had to take a second listen to the album in order to find the problem.  There is some dynamic ebb and flow. The awkwardness might lie in how they play the more uptempo sections that are more like Paul Dianno era Maiden. After a closer listen the bass playing is kind of clunky and very forward in the mix , this could have been smoothed out in production. 'Shadowy Sisterhood" is better as it's more deliberate and darker. More power metal than not if Iron Maiden is the barometer we are using. It is the next best song after the opener.

 There is something kind of disjointed to "Black God's Kiss" they sound like they could be any local band playing a Saturday night battle of the bands . The riffs are thrown together without telling a cohesive story from which they flow. I will round it down to an 8. They do not suck, but do not belong to be  on  any end of the year lists. Maybe their next album if they get a new bass player . I know i can be a hard sell on this sort of thing since I was around when the bands they are influenced by came out. I can see young kids being impressed, but I did not think Decibel was hiring underage writers.  The argument that they are good for Canadians doesn't work either.

November Doom- Arrowhead - :"Coven of the Snake"

Is this the most original band? No, there is a great deal of retro stoner metal that falls in the rotation of these guys. They are really good at what they do. I hear hear some Think Lizzy influence in how the vocal melodies work, so this is not just Sabbath worship. The guitar tone of this Sydney band  is very much metal and the grooves are aggressive. They are more about getting stoned in a van with all the other heshers and not dark or depressing like doom should be. "All Seeing Eye' is heavier than the opener, though neither song is shabby or taking it easy. They have some commanding gallops on here that will induce heading banging easily.

They get darker and heavier on "Ceremony of the Skull" . Lyrically themes are like bong infused Dungeons and Dragons.  The vocals get more aggressive , not yelling, still holding melody. They are very much riff worshipers which I can appreciate. The first real hint of Sabbath I hear is on "Ghost Ship" , I can also hear some Sound Garden as well. The more deliberate Sabbath rumble is kicked up on "Root of Evil" . It falls some where between blues and grunge.  "Dopanaught" is like a moderately slowed down version of "Paranoid" but with lyrics about  wizards.  The get a much better grip on groove and melody with "March of the Reptiles". The vocals are smooth. The drummer is kicking it pretty hard on this one as well. "Golden Thunder Hawk: works of a more restrained groove. The song end with a really strong riff.

 Despite riffs being their stock and trade, the rule here is cool riffs alone does not a good song make, On "March of the Reptiles" they prove they can write a song. I will round this album up to a 9. I am not sure how many extra listens this one will earn.
Was released back in July on Ripple Music/

     

November Doom- Ecstatic Vision :" For the Masses"

Doom is a color these guys trade in, the other genres they encompass are all next door neighbors to doom, stoner rock & psychedelic so they belong here. They remind me of Monster Magnet more often then not. A little warmer and  more organic sound than Monster Magnet but in the same sonic sphere. They boogie and groove along, often making me wish I did not quit smoking pot as they would sound great high.. "Like a Freak" is pretty straight up rock n roll and too much of a Camaro party to make me want to give it a ton of replays. The vocals are pretty manic, they come forward in the mix where on the previous song they were buried further in the mix.

The title track is mainly trippy noise . It is not until "the Magic Touch" that they actually get back in the business of songs. I appreciate the darker hypnotic atmosphere the song works off of. The slinking bass gives it a slithering groove befitting of the mood This is a common theme of the album for the bass to really set the bass. The bass player must be the main songwriter as it feels like all of the songs are written around the bass line. This is not a complaint as I am more of a bass player than guitarist myself . In fact I think it is the bass and drums that actually makes music heavy and it's the guitars and vocals that make it metal. This also is reason that these guys might not meet the hard and fast definition of metal as the vocals are not aggressive and the guitar is warm and retro owing more to perhaps garage rock than Black Sabbath. On this song it proves this point as the vocals are  lower and ore Tom Waits like it their ranting rasp.

A fuzzed out bass propels the seven minute "Grasping the Void" . The guitar holds a static riff to bring the tension to more of a boil. The vocals take on the throaty sneer that really makes me think of Monster Magnet. I like it's ballsy attitude that adds some heft to some of the other whacked out hippie vibes they have going.I will give this album a 9. As far as the actual songs go the only one that did not fully click with me is the one that is also the most garage rock, so it might just be a matter of personal taste with that one, but for the most part me and this band are on the same page. This was released on Relapse Records.

November Doom -Howling Giant : 'The Space Between Worlds"

Here we get a clearer picture of what separates Stoner rock from doom, though this band is capable of pulling out some impressive doom riffs right along side of their more bong drenched moments of hyper tension.The vocals make me think of Foo-fighters , but comparisons could be just as easily drawn to Atomic Bitchwax, since the last Atomic Bitch Wax album sounded like if the Foo- Fighters were smoking meth.  I prefer "Nomad" even more as it is heavier and slower, thus also making it moodier and a little darker. The vocals to "Ghosts in the Well" take a more solemn turns to fit the spacey synths and acoustic guitar offering a more Pink Floyd like tone. The rumbling crunch to "the River Guide" fully commits to the more doomy sound.

The heavier turn continues on "Ice Castle' which despite the more Deep Purple like keyboards underneath the driving chug of guitar proves a powerful combo and more in line with traditional metal. The drumming also catches my ear on this song.  The pace picks up with "Cybermancer and the Doomsday Express' which makes me think of Stephen King's 'Gunslinger " .  There is a concept behind the lyrics that is not as evident as say 'Operation Mindcrime" in it's storytelling, but done more like Rush. This more straightforward style of rock is not their strongest side, though it's not that bad either , I think I like the more layered approach of the other songs, the dynamics do not shift here until the guitar solo. "Everlight" kind of runs into the song that follows it so I had to go back and give it another listen in order to make the distinction. It's the slow build that leads into the heaviness that will later erupt. It's a little darker , the sung vocals remind me a little of Opeth.

There is a more Pallbearer like feel to "the Orb".This song might be one of the album's more metal moments. They lock into some pretty crushing chugs. I think they are doing this better than a band like Spirit Adrift or Khemmis. "Stone Giant" reminds me a little more of Mastodon. The double bass is pretty punishing. They do lock into some pretty cool grooves along the way. I will round this one up to a 9.5, it turned out to be a great deal heavier than expected going into this and the prog elements do not diminish the power. This was released on Blues Funeral Recordings.

7.6

November Doom - "Bask :"III"

These guys are on the fringe of a doom. I would say it is certainly their influence when it comes to t heavier side of what they do, but they have matured beyond it. This album has enough of that to appeal to fans of the genre.   This North Carolina band merges prog with their brand of stoner rock, with a great deal of moody melody. It's two minutes in before the heavier side starts to show. When they fully commit the results are powerful as the big riffs counter balance the soulful vocals. The second song is not as good at keeping this melodic balance with heaviness. It might be a case of me letting this grow on me. They are skilled musicians. The singer add a marginal amount of aggression to his voice , at his angriest he is on part with say Dave Grohl. Even with their plaintive quality, the vocals help set this band aprt from their peers. That is if they have any peers since they pull from so many different places there are not any bands I can think of off the top of my head doing this.

They do not have to be focused on heavy as there is a more math rock, indie rock feel to "Stone Eyed" it just works because it is a good song. It might seem that I c an get invested in a band staying within the bounds of certain genres, but at the end of the day it comes down to good song writing. They do get heavier on "Stone Eyed" midway into the song. They do this in a way that escapes becoming a formula. The pace gets more frantic and rock n roll. The more rambling country influence leads into  "Ride of You". The guitar is very wandering. There are some great tones on this album. The heavier side is more subtle here , but can be felt.  The drummer really starts showing off as the song builds. "Nobles Daughter' is a two part song. The second better than the more twangy first part which is still pretty solid it is just not as good, and the vocals feel more focused on the second part. There is also a heavier dynamic underlying the second part.

On the last song they pull out banjos and the country thing that was hiding in the corner of their sound some closer to center stage. They are not going full on Amigo the Devil or Devil Makes Three here as they are still maintaining their identity. I will give this album a 9.5, it is not the darkest or heaviest album you will here and doom is a color used but not the full spectrum, I am including it in November Doom as much like say Chelsea Wolfe it will appeal to fans of the genre.   Out on Season of Mist.