Nearly thirty years of diving headfirst into the void, and Church of Misery are back with Tatsu Mikami once more giving worship to the Blackest of Sabbath’s, acolyte to ‘The Riff’ and servant to the retro groove once more on Born Under A Mad Sign (Rise Above). Joined once again after a twenty-five-year absence by original vocalist Kazuhiro Asaeda, there is a fine sense of anticipation about the Japanese doom merchants seventh full-length.
To be fair, there’s a lot more to this warden and his armory than straight Iommi worship, and while ‘Spoiler’ may hark back most stringently to those seventies classics, Church of Misery has enough of their own vibe to counter-act Mikami’s claim they are the “true heirs to Black Sabbath!” – we know there is more to the melting pot than that.
Preferring lengthier tunes, by now you know the drill… mid-paced lolloping riffs decorate and proliferate, even if opener ‘Beltway Sniper’ keeps the bpm lurchingly steady, and examinations of serial killers decorate the lyrics and focus for the songs. ‘Freeway Madness Boogie’ skates by, blowing desert stoner vibes and Fu Manchu groove in our faces for a dynamic shift, and ‘Come Get Me Sucker’ is fuzzy bass-driven rockier fare leaving all the people feeling fine, but the meat and gravy is in the more steady, considered doomy stoner fare. The church is open for worship, and it’s dealing in riff salvation once more.
7 / 10
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Australians Witchskull, who lucked out on the metal name-generator lucky dip with the two most metal of words to slam together, are looking to consolidate their reputation as respected stoner-cum-metal exponents on their fourth album, The Serpent Tide (Rise Above).
Aided by the distinctive vocals of Marcus de Pasquale, Witchskull also help set themselves apart by adding elements of psych to the mix, with ‘Sun Carver’ opening out into the chugging maelstrom, from open chords to a rousing (US) power metal-styled mid-section and chaotic solo in the best NWOBHM tradition. ‘Bornless Hollow’ continues in a more powerful vein, while ‘Misery’s Horse’ chugs and roils. Nominally stoner, there is plenty of metal and impetus to the Witchskull sound.
Perhaps missing a classic notability to some of their riffs, and with de Pasquale’s style one that will grate on some, and not lending itself to hooks, nonetheless, this is a worthwhile, honest, powered-up stoner/doom offering.
6 / 10
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Flying the epic-doom flag, Denmark’s Altar of Oblivion celebrate signing to From The Vaults by digging into their own vaults for this five-track (three full songs) EP, Burning Memories, a triumphant collection of traditional metal imbue dark tunes that have laid dormant since 2016.
While previous comparisons to Solitude Aeturnus help set the ballpark, the conquering riffs of Atlantean Kodex are another worthy reference point. Our opening title track runs riot in the heavy metal and US power metal shadows, while ‘Through The Night’ takes is cues from Candlemass, sombre, elegant and powerful in its unfurling. After the brief respite of ‘Cosmic Chaos’, ‘Manic Masquerade’ brings the two together, with tales of conquest and yore.
Short and sweet, nonetheless, Burning Memories serves as a neat and welcoming stop-gap ahead of the release of new material on the band’s new label home.
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7 / 10
British quartet Wytch Hazel have no worries about producing memorable licks or hooks on their classic dual guitar-embellished fourth, and defining, opus IV: Sacrament (Bad Omen). Hints of early Magnum, Thin Lizzy may underline, but the rocking swagger, classic rock, and proto-metal fare is glorious throughout the ten tracks on offer. With a wonderful mix of retro songwriting and ideas, Colin Hendra’s vintage sounding tones lead the way, with a production that brightens, shines and gives the right amount of space to each part and helps showcase the songs.
If the drumming is a touch unschooled, it can be forgiven – songwriter Hendra was forced to lay those down, too, along with creating and curating the music and recording the guitars, leads, and vocals – but the world-weariness as Hendra juggles bringing his vision to reality alongside real life, ageing, and series of difficulties to overcome during the recording process, seem to have added to the joy and uplifting nature of tracks like ‘A Thousand Years’ (which features a stirring and claw-inducing solo), ‘Deliver Us’, the opening combo of ‘The Fire’s Control’ and, especially, ‘Angel of Light’. Meanwhile ‘Future Is Gold’ leans on an olde folk tree stump draped in rustic charm.
There’s something inherently glorious about rock music being a route for escapism, and while acts like Ghost may dip in the same pool of influences as Wytch Hazel here and produce something with more sheen and dazzle, there’s something endearing (not meant in a patronising way) about an honest underdog creating their own offering drawn from the heart of a musical yesteryear, and doing it with a class and vigor that few can muster.
8 / 10
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It isn’t easy to make music as evocative and as visually stimulating as that which Yawning Man (seemingly effortlessly) achieves on Long Walk Of The Navajo (Heavy Psych). Whether it’s the meandering ‘Blood Sand’ invoking the feeling of trudging through oppressive heat, rock formations sheering around you, and birds of prey circling, or the more hopeful fifteen-minute opener / title track that sets the picture of setting out, caravan entourage in tow, into the wilderness through its sparse repetition and spaced snaking instrumental music, the ultimate desert band with the ultimate desert jam are vivid and engaging, with a Floydian mid-third that sings through guitar peals of hope and progression.
The opening motif casually returns fourteen minutes deep to take the title-track home and hand over to the redolent and shimmering ‘Respitory Pause’, Greg Arce’s vision-creating guitar sliding into space, allowing Billy Cordell’s casual bass-meandering to walk in the gaps. Three songs, the closer of which is the shortest, and still comes in at over eight minutes, and still finds an unrushed build of a feelings that reminds of the awesome *shels Plains of the Purple Buffalo, (though these OG’s were rocking it, generator-fuelled style, well before then). Long Walk Of The Navajo highlights that, thirty-five years deep, Yawning Man are still demonstrating their absolute mastery of the craft.
8 / 10
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https://www.heavypsychsounds.com/shop-usa.htm
While displaying an assuredness of knowing their third album The Perfume of Decay (Loosegroove Records) reeks, not of dying and failing, but of it; with the slinkiness of ‘Show Me My Maker’ light on its feet as Jamie Hall breezily and easily slips out biiiig worms for the ears, and the ultimate coolness of being signed to Stone Gossard’s label, there is still something earnest to Brit alt-rock three-piece Tigercub.
Oh, they’ll swagger and flirt with the popperati with ‘Play My Favourite Song’, but they hit best when they flick up the dirty and roll around in a more-humble-than QOTSA (the strutting ‘You’re My Dopamine’), way-more-modest-than Muse (the chugging ‘The Dark Below’ and the neo-grunge of ‘Swoon’), or more-restrained-than Foo Fighters (‘The Dark Below’) type of space
There’s plenty to shout about, and taking influence from stoner, rock (both alternative and more contemporary), grunge and britpop (‘We’re A Long Time Gone’ in particular sounds like a collab between Graham Coxon and the DeLeo brothers) and more, while melding them into an cohesive and impressive album, takes some doing. Being cool and ready is one thing, being successful is another, but having songs like these can only serve Tigercub well as they seek to grow and assert their dominance in the musical jungle.
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https://www.tigercubtigercub.com/
8 / 10
STEVE TOVEY