Tag Archives: doom

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Former Trouble members spark new life, light bright doom fire on ‘For Those Which Are Asleep’

The SkullLike many other metal fans, my pathway to doom came from the mighty Black Sabbath. But they weren’t the only band that exposed me to the darker sounds, the slower tempos, and the feeling something sinister could be lurking around the bend. Chicago-based Trouble was just as influential for me growing up, even if their music also radiated light and positivity in a world often bereft of both.

I remember quite vividly riding on the bus and walking the halls of my high school listening to Trouble’s 1990 self-titled record (“End of My Daze” could have played on an endless loop and I would have been happy) and 1991’s “Psalm 9,” and their style of metal awakened something inside of me that opened up my understanding of metal as an art form. To this day, I still love those early Trouble albums and wish their early lineup remained intact. But that’s not to be, as the band has been reshuffled entirely, but a new group The Skull, featuring three former Trouble members including awesome vocalist Eric Wagner, have released their debut record “For Those Which Are Asleep” that seriously alleviates that long-term itch.

The Skull coverWagner’s inclusion in The Skull (named after Trouble’s second record) is the biggest key. His voice still has that higher range, but for the most part, he wields a huskier voice now. But he remains as poignant as a lyricist and in command of the machine as before; he just sounds like he’s weathered battles over the years and has an insight many of metal’s voices do not. Joining him are former Trouble members Ron Holzner (bass) and Jeff Olson (drums), as well as guitarists Matt Goldsborough and Lothar Keller. The band sounds formidable, provides a look back to doom’s metamorphosis through the late 1980s and early 1990s, and stomps forward with a newfound energy and focus that makes “For Those” such a pleasurable listen, especially for us old Trouble fans.

“Trapped Inside My Mind” is a tremendous and fitting opener, as it’s slow driving, doomy, and melodic, with Wagner having his first chance at showing the world just how strong those pipes still are. The riffs are really fun and punchy, and after a wicked solo, Wagner begs, “Help me to escape.” “The Touch of Reality” has some tremendous Sabbath-influenced guitar work and deeper vocals from Wagner, as he reaches lower in his register and still has full command. Once again, the lead guitar work stands out and burns brightly, with a burly rhythm lurking underneath, and the end of track chugs pretty hard. “Sick of It All” pulls back the tempo a bit, but not the heaviness. The song has a nice psychedelic edge to it, with Wagner lamenting the things wearing on his mind, and he sings a little grittier over the chorus, which adds a proper sense of wear and tear. “The Door” also is slower, with Wagner warning, “I am darker than you know,” with a mind-altering glaze drizzled over top. As the song goes on, the sounds cascade, the guitars get bluesier, and the conclusion hits hard with doom, organs, and chimes. “Send Judas Down” is one of the most aggressive on the record, with a nasty riff, a mean sounding chorus, and a pace that could leave you bruised all over. Awesome song.

“A New Generation” is another rocker, with blues-fed doom riffs, a vintage sound that reminds of these musicians’ early days, and the only drawback being a chorus that lacks punch. “Till the Sun Turns Black” is a killer track with a chunky groove and Wagner sounding on fire, howling, “All I ever wanted was to love you back.” It’s dark, punchy, and one hell of a lot of fun. The 7:03 title track begins with acoustic strains and Wagner opening his dark storytelling, with the music sounding dusty and rustic. Then the song powers up, and the guys hammer hard when the chorus arrives, but they eventually go back to a mid-tempo pace for the verses. That only makes sense. As the song reaches its second half, the guitars open up more and conjure some classic metal thunder, the riffs start piling up and wailing away, and things are beaten to dust before fading away. “Sometime Yesterday Mourning” also harkens back to Trouble’s earlier years in a really awesome way. The riffs are heavy, the tempo is just crushing, and Wagner sounds amazing, like he’s turned back the damn clock. Speaking of that, the guys end the record with a new take on Trouble’s old cut “The Last Judgement,” giving it a proper modern update and proving they have the chops to play anything from any era of these musicians’ careers with fire and passion. Really cool to hear this finish off the record.

The Skull’s music hits the doom spot far more effectively than the current incarnation of Trouble, and this is a great start for this band of veterans. Wagner is in fine voice and is as engaging as ever before, and the rest of the band totally delivers the goods on “For Those Which Are Asleep.” There aren’t a lot of bands making the type of music The Skull is, making these veteran players’ work a breath of fresh air not only for doom but the entire metal world.

For more on the band, go here: http://theskullusa.com/

To buy the album, go here: http://shop.teepeerecords.com/

For more on the label, go here: http://teepeerecords.com/

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Encoffination’s death worship sounds lurching, punishing on terrifying ‘III – Hear Me O’ Death ‘

Photo by http://www.gregcphotography.com/

Photo by Greg C Photography — http://www.gregcphotography.com/

So let’s go ahead and harp on this point again, and for the second day in a row. There’s a reason that people clamor for music they refer to as “real death metal.” It’s right there in the title: death. What about that is supposed to be slick, uplifting, catchy, and shiny? It’s death. It’s the end of all things. That isn’t supposed to be a particularly happy time, and many of us don’t care for our death metal to make us feel exuberant and pumped up.

That’s why I take a particularly morbid fascination with bands such as Encoffination, a group that sounds like it is the musical embodiment of death, the cessation of life. Their music is slow, drubbing, torturous, and sounds like it is one step away from shutting its eyes artistically for the final time. Nothing about it feels good or will get you jumping up and down like an idiot at a live show. You should be depressed, have darkened feelings that cannot be saved, and see only the worst in the music you are hearing. That’s exactly what you get with Encoffination and their suffocating third album “III – Hear Me O’ Death (Sing Thou Wretched Choirs).” That mouthful of a title alone should clue you into this being a dreary, miserable experience, and if that’s what you’re into, you won’t have a perversely worse time this year. Uh, in a good way. It’s the glorification of death, and that requires an abyss such as this.

Encoffination coverEncoffination is the work of two horrific souls, that being guitarist/bassist/vocalist Ghoat and drummer Elektrokutioner. Both men also play together in Father Befouled and also dot the lineups of countless bands including Beyond Hell, Chasm of Nis, Vomitchapel, and Howling. Ever since their arrival at this point in their journeys in 2008, they’ve been drumming up doom-blasted death metal that crawls painfully and scornfully, taking its time to spread its pestilence to ensure it has covered every inch of their battleground. From their 2010 debut “Ritual Ascension Beyond Flesh,” to their sophomore effort “O Hell, Shine in Thy Whited Sepulchres” a year later, to now, they’ve been making noise that fans of band such as Incantation, Mournful Congregation, Grave Upheaval, and Impetuous Ritual should find disturbing and strangely satisfying.

Opening hymn “Processional – Opvs Thanatalogia” begins the record perfectly, with doom bells chiming, throaty chants beginning to unleash the horror of it all, and the sounds of panic that lead into “Charnel Bowels of a Putrescent Earth.” The song is as disgusting as its title indicates, with the bells carrying over, a pulverizingly slow death march pushing forward, and infernal growls that sound voiced by a demon. There are hints of melodies, as morbid as you can imagine, and the song keeps spinning and scraping zombie-like all the way to its finish. “Cemeteries of Purgation” opens with deliberate drumming and guitars that are heated until they boil over. The vocals lurch from Ghoat’s mouth, with the pace remaining a death crawl, with trails of blood and ooze left behind it. The track keeps hulking and crushing, with the growls eventually turning to pained moans, sounding like those of a mortally wounded soul. “Crowned Icons” keeps the tempo where it’s been the entire record, and eerie noises give way to a drum beats that push a little harder and sweltering, damaged guitar work. There are some interesting moments toward the end, as the fellows play with some different sounds, but for the most part, it’s a beating rendered until submission.

“Rotting Immemorial” has an ugly, retching open, as it pulls you into the fog and toward further defacement. The guitars bleed and trickle all over the ground, leaving a real mess, and doomy hell erupts later and brings everything to a painfully slow ending. “From His Holy Cup, Drink; Come Death” runs 9:29, and it’s the first of a concluding triptych of songs that stretches across the record’s final half hour. Doom-encrusted smothering begins immediately, with the guitars simmering over top, the pace reaching slightly more animated levels, and the growls gurgling in a pool of nearly congealed blood. “Pale Voices” goes 8:44, and the drumming takes the grip from the start, setting the pace for the song and bursting through barriers. The vocals again sound pained and barely gasping at air, while the guitars are more frenzied and dizzying, with the drums setting a militaristic atmosphere. This thing just squeezes and squeezes until you have no more air in your lungs. The 10:28-long closer “Mould of Abandonment” is situated in another deep puddle of doom, with bendy and weird guitar lines strung about, vocals that sludge along like they’re dying, and filth choking out every living thing in sight. There are solemn, dark guitar melodies that arise toward the last half of the cut, with the music quivering, the tempo suffocating, and the final words croaked out before it all comes to a devastating end.

Horrifying, depressing, and clubbing, Encoffination cure what ails those who thirst for true death metal, with the emphasis on the decay and misery. Three albums in, these guys have proved to be one of the ugliest representatives of the genre, a band that remember the spirit and point of this music in the first place. “III – Hear Me O’ Death (Sing Thou Wretched Choirs)” won’t make you feel good on a Saturday night or be the fodder for silly arm swinging in the put, but it certainly delivers morbidity in crushing servings that most other bands can’t equal.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/templeofencoffinment

To buy the album, go here: http://selfmadegod.com/en/shop

For more on the label, go here: http://selfmadegod.com/

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PICK OF THE WEEK: As current era closes, Witch Mountain deliver soul-toppling ‘Mobile of Angels’

Musician Portrait seriesTo use an oft-spouted cliché, all good things must come to an end. That’s a profoundly sad statement if you take time to really analyze what it means. Your relationships, families, circle of friends, and life all will vanish one day. Most likely, it will happen due to something bad happening. Everyone smiling now?

But not all ends are because of catastrophe, though they can be just as upsetting. Uta Plotkin, who has fronted the great doom metal band Witch Mountain for their last three releases, announced she is exiting the group following a brief touring cycle for their fourth record “Mobile of Angels.” Wow, how do I say this without devaluing the contributions of the rest of the band? Well, that’s not my intent, but I don’t see how they carry on now. Plotkin was a vital organ in the band’s creative body. She was that missing piece Witch Mountain lacked on their 2001 debut “Come the Mountain,” and she powered this band forward with her unmistakable voice and gut-wrenching delivery. The rest of the band is comprised of fine, accomplished players in their own right, and I’m sure the next incarnation of Witch Mountain still will be worth our attention. But wow, this is a major loss. This hurts. And the fact that “Mobile” is hands down their best record, one that could have been a major groundbreaker for the band, is even more gutting.

Witch Mountain coverBut here it is, this five-track, nearly 39-minute document that will be remembered as one of 2014’s finest records by a number of outlets. Rest assured. Plotkin and her bandmates, guitarist Rob Wrong, bassist Charles Thomas, and drummer Nathan Carson, reach something magical on this collection. I’ve been a little up and down on the band’s albums (loved “South of Salem” immediately; “Cauldron of the Wild” still is taking time to grow on me), but “Mobile” is a holy-shit-they-arrived document. It is must-hear, lifetime-achievement worthy, and I can’t help but again say what a shame it is that it marks the end of the road for this version of the band. They deserve to play huge rooms with this release, with Plotkin’s world-swelling voice filling every crevice. Too bad that won’t be so.

The opener “Psycho Animundi” is one of the dirtiest, most aggravated songs on the band’s entire catalog, with Plotkin going darker and grittier with her vocals, practically spitting out her words most of the way. The music, especially Wrong’s guitar work, is particularly bluesy, and there is a menace hiding in plain sight on this one. The song keeps charging, with Plotkin practically shouting, “All I want is to get out, to transport, to transcend,” which seem like very telling words, before the song goes clean and calm. Everything gets heavy again before the track bleeds to a sorrowful finish. “Can’t Settle” starts with sludgy riffs, the band heading again into blues territory, and Plotkin calling, “It’s growing like a cancer, it’s growing like Rosemary’s baby.” From there, her voice soars high, and the band backs her with atmospheric passages that head right into pure doom. Growls are unfurled, the only point on the record where that happens, and as the torment and dark clouds accumulate, Plotkin vows, “I’m getting the hell out of here,” with fiery soloing taking the song to its gripping conclusion.

“Your Corrupt Ways” is the 10:27 centerpiece, and it’s one of their most impressive songs ever. This is where all the forces comprising this record are at their highest, every instrument and every player. It’s an unreal track, with Plotkin opening, “I don’t think you’re aware of how falsely you appear,” with the band swelling behind her and offering a tidal wave of their own emotions. The track is like an extended relationship epitaph, and while it may have nothing to do with Plotkin’s eventual decision to move on, the way she delivers lines like, “I’m afraid our differences we can’t reconcile,” it sounds like she’s wrestling with dark shadows and decisions that have overcome her. The last few minutes of the song let everyone get out their energy, and it’s a massive caterwaul of expression. The title track follows and lets you blood come back to normal, with eerie soundscapes, keys swimming and creating a medicine head-like effect, and Plotkin wondering, “What will he see at the end of the world?” Closer “The Shape Truth Takes” is an incredible finish, the perfect way to drop the curtain on this record. The track is sorrowful and slower, as the band walks their final steps together. There are great, quivering guitars along the way, Plotkin’s vocals hit a higher register as she has her say, and the band builds to a crescendo that’s like a dam breaking and unloading billions of gallons of water all over. Wrong’s soloing is exploratory and enthralling, and the four members of Witch Mountain bring the record to a stunning finish that suits their power as a unit and should have your heart surging.

I hate making this review sound like a eulogy, and let me reiterate that every part of this band is vital and powerful. But you can’t help but mourn that that voice no longer will be a part of this band. That’s a tough thing to accept, especially considering how great “Mobile of Angels” truly is. At best, this band is going out on a major high note before they write their next chapter, whatever that may be. As for Plotkin, we can only hope we hear more from her in the future, be that on her own or with one of her other bands. She’s too vital, too good to lose. Hopefully both sides go on to new, great heights, with the majesty of this record powering their respective journeys.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/witchmountain

To buy the album, go here: https://www.profoundlorerecords.com/products-page/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.profoundlorerecords.com/