King Giant - Black Ocean Waves (2015)

Headstones and Heartbreak:

Whether it’s Alice in Chains or Acid Bath, I’ve always been primarily drawn towards heavy music that simultaneously pummels your skull with ballsy rhythm section and alleviates those wounds with elaborate, soulful melodies. Like confronting the psychological demons from your past, dealing with the misery, overcoming

all the hardship and frustration to achieve mental redemption. That’s exactly the kind of feeling you get while listening to King Giant’s profound, solemn and heartfelt metal anthems.

Although King Giant have gotten bluesier and more texturally varied over the course of their three full-lengths, the gritty unrelenting sludge of their debut EP Identity is still discernible at times. For instance, “Shindig” from Southern Darkness and from its successor, the doom-drenched “The Fog”. Black Ocean Waves is no exception when it comes to no frills heavy riffage, in fact immediately after the epic instrumental opener “Mal De Mer” it leaps right into the dominant galloping crunch of “The One That God Forgot to Save”, a harrowing tale of a prostitute’s revenge on the society. “Trail of Thorns” is again a straightforward heavy rocker about a devil-may-care spree killer full of foot-stomping hooks complemented by a nostalgic southern-fried bluesy solo. And as much as I love Evil Elvis dare I say that nowadays I’m a bit more partial towards David Hammerly? As I find his gravelly baritone more broad and flexible.

Black Ocean Waves is also the album where King Giant embrace their melodic prowess to the fullest. As evident in “Red Skies” which more or less serves as the disguised titular track as it accentuates the album cover art in the audible form. An intense composition about the slaughter of an entire whaling ship’s crew by its captain and his regretful confessions. It features expansive layers of harmonized twin-guitar, multi-tracked vocal harmonies and aplenty variations. “Blood of the Lamb” revolves around the perennial debate on redemption. It's a gloomy hard rocker full of sardonic atmosphere and abrupt yet catchy tempo shifts.

This is not the kind of record where you’d seek a particular stand-out. In Black Ocean Waves every song has its own defining moments and characteristics. But

still, the album peaks with the aptly placed closure “There Were Bells”, a wistful and moving metallic ballad where the band laments the passing of their friends and dear ones most notably the band’s original vocalist Bob Dotolo.

If Southern Darkness and Dismal Hollow were the footsteps that trembled the face of the underground then Black Ocean Waves is that gigantic stomp that would establish King Giant as the bona fide kings of whiskey-soaked nostalgic heavy metal.  

Rating - ★★★★★ (98% on Metal-Archives)

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Subterranean Masquerade - The Great Bazaar (2015)

Relive the Feeling, Welcome to This Reanimated Masquerade:

During my progressive rock/metal phase back in 2006-07 I came across Subterranean Masquerade's debut full-length Suspended Animation Dreams and

as soon as I gave it a spin I knew it was definitely not your run-of-the-mill prog-metal album because this thing doesn't let technical gibberish take hold of the songwriting. Yes, that's the key aspect of Subterranean Masquerade and that's why I love them to this day when my taste hardly runs parallel with contemporary prog-metal, well, at least what's in the bigger picture anyway.

For those who aren't acquainted with the background of this supergroup, it's the brainchild of Israel-based multi-instrumentalist Tomer Pink and Paul Kuhr (Novembers Doom) is also a principal member as he's been lending his voice since the inception of their first recording Temporary Psychotic State. Although Kjetil Nordhus (Green Carnation) has taken over most of the clean vocal duties this time around Paul is still available to provide his adept death-growls and also some clean parts during the harmonized sections.

The middle-eastern salvo of the opener "Early Morning Mantra" is just a glimpse of what's ahead in this sublime excursion to The Great Bazaar. By the time you reach the jazzy climax of the track after a palette of tastefully incorporated styles you'll realize that it's every bit of worth the ten years wait. Next in line, "Reliving the Feeling" drips with catchy tempos and invigorating grooves which leads to the wah-laden bridge and peaks with an orgasmic outro. The bittersweet melancholy of "Blanket of Longing" sharply contrasts with the overall uplifting vibe of the first-half. The oriental panache and the heavier metallic edge returns with the penultimate track "Specter". The grand closure "Father

and Son" (featuring guest vocals from Orphaned Land frontman Kobi Farhi)  reinstates the fact that Sub-Masq is back with a major statement.

The Great Bazaar is driven by free-flowing hooks and cohesive songwriting yet minutely complex enough for prog-rock/metal fans. From Rush, Genesis to King's X, Anathema and even Mastodon, each and every fan of the aforementioned acts will be highly satisfied with this record. And for me it's already a strong contender for album of the year category.

Rating - ★★★★1/2 (95% on Metal-Archives)

Melvins - Hold It In (2014)

Federation of Freaks:

Name a band with a career spanning over three decades that contain about two dozen records, numerous mini-albums and non-stop touring. That's right! Melvins are a rare breed which not only spawned the Seattle and New Orleans scene almost single-handedly but also a benchmark to a generation of experimental heavy acts like Boris, Sunn

O))), Earth, Khanate, Neurosis, Isis, Mastodon, YOB, Eagle Twin and the likes. Hold It In is the latest addition to their ever evolving consistent catalogue.

The duo from Big Business are on a break this time around as King Buzzo and Dale Crover have opted to churn out some freaky jams with two of their other weirdo kins, Paul Leary and Jeff Pinkus from Butthole Surfers. This is not a collaboration between the Melvins and the Surfers instead Paul and Jeff are serving as the full time members of the Melvins with bringing in some of their own ideas as well. 

The opener "Bride of Crankenstein" truly lives up to its name by showcasing some of the trademark massive wall of sludgy riffing. It's just so relentlessly pounding and loud that unaccustomed listeners may end up in a trauma. Oh, the lyrics, they're as wacky as ever - "What was that shit you sold me? We both know you should've told me. It got me spinning 'round the wrong way, It's gonna be a long day!" Just when you're in a mood for more of these sick, loud and freaky soundwaves Melvins troll you by becoming nonchalant and feel-good in the following two tracks "You Can Make Me Wait" and "Brass Cupcake" while the former, written by Paul Leary is a quirky almost surprising take on shoegaze with ethereal psychedelic layers and upbeat rocking melodies and reverb soaked vocals, not to mention the exuberant bluesy solo in the middle. The latter is a bit more conventional laid-back groovy punk rocker. However, the heavy returns with the noise-doom torment of "Barcelonian Horsehoe Pit" and the gigantic stoner lurch of "Onions Make the Milk Taste Bad". "Eyes on You" is a total sing-along freak 'n' roll anthem.

"Sesame Street Meat" is as meaty as its title, full of slow-burning heavy gallops, molten drumming of Crover and infectiously catchy howls of Buzzo. "The Bunk Up" offers more of the Melvins' psyched-out Beefheartian take on Sabbathian metal. They let their much acknowledged KISS influence shine on "Piss Pisstopherson" before the absolute avant-garde climax of "House of Gasoline".

Hold It In is a total package. It offers the iconic sludge of the Melvins as well as their ever-present experimental traits to the maximum. Enough said! Off to worship the King's 'fro. 

Rating - ★★★★1/2 (96% on Metal-Archives)

Pallbearer - Foundations of Burden (2014)

Bearing Naysayers with Pride:

Since the debut of the Arkansas doom quartet they've gained a fair amount of

acclaim as well as negligible number of naysayers. And like all wise minds Pallbearer too don't care about their detractors. That's why they're back with all of their defining traits in their sophomore effort. Foundations of Burden has all the characteristics of Sorrow and Extinction and a few fresh stylistic approaches to expand their sound into a new ground.

First of all the album is mixed by Billy Anderson whose reputation within the doomy domain of rock and metal is no secret. From Melvins' Houdini to Eyehategod's Dopesick he has produced some of the topmost classics in doom and its subcategories. And certainly his touch has made Foundations of Burden more dynamic and varied than its predecessor.

Let me make this clear that Pallbearer are not about groovy and meaty "let's get stoned" riffs. If you're expecting doom akin to Sleep's Holy Mountain or Cathedral's The Ethereal Mirror then this record is not for you (probably most of the naysayers are having this problem I guess). They have some echoes of Patrick Walker's former band Warning in terms of doom with emotional depth. But that's about it. Their approach to doom metal is all about creating a melancholic atmosphere and forlorn aura. Of course a lot of doom bands have done it in the past but Pallbearer's sound rings perfection. For instance, the tranquil and serene nature of "Ashes" where Joseph Rowland's piano led atmosphere and Brett Campbell's spaced out pensive vocals take control. Of course there are Phrygian riffing in all of their heavy compositions but as I've said they are not about the grooves or catchiness but to complement the grief-laden melodies.

"Worlds Apart" begins with a Katatonia like lead coated in lumbering drones. The definite highlight of this song is its masterfully crafted a cappella-esque chorus. "Foundations" has a typical Sabbathian main riff, two other distinctive rhythmic improvisations, a moment of clean guitar silence after six minutes of funeral dirge and voila you're in for an epic closure:

"Descendants of dust
With faces carved from stone
The legacy of what has gone
Our paths connected by a thread
Only remains of the lies we led
Impart the weight of the years we shed"

"Watcher in the Dark" is arguably the heaviest song on the record featuring a thumping main riff unleashed right after a creative percussion jam. "The Ghost I Used to Be" is the ultimate stand-out drenched in somewhat weird uplifting

psychedelia and an unconventional almost alternative approach to traditional doom metal.

Coming back to the point of band's naysayers. While they're small in number their brain cells spend abnormally large time to cherry-pick vague flaws like "Hey! their album cover is un-metal or pink or purple or violet" (Born Too Late by Saint Vitus anyone? or Voivod's Nothingface or Sabbath's Master of Reality) or they're not quite heavy (Haha! There's enough crunch to their riffs. Ask Mike Scheidt of YOB) or "identity crisis" huh? Pallbearer's sound is rooted within traditional doom metal and they borrow influences from drone, funeral doom and psychedelia as well. Yea, it's not that complex but their execution is what makes them unique and stand out. Save the phrase "identity crisis" next time for bands like Orchid. And finally Brett Campbell's vocals. Seriously? Check your ear drums if possible. Because his wistful vocals bring perfection to "doom" metal. So, if you love doom metal, heavy metal in general or emotional heavy music you can relate to then cast aside these skeptics and get your copy of this masterpiece straightaway.

Rating - ★★★★1/2 (90% on Metal-Archives)

Blood Farmers - Headless Eyes (2014)

Homecoming of Gore Doomsters:

One of the most mysterious and covert groups of all time is New York's Blood Farmers. Formed way back in 1989 the band has gone through a flurry of line-

up changes but the core members Dave 'Depraved' Szulkin (guitars) and Eli Brown (vocals) remained intact. After twelve years since the release of their self-titled cult classic the band reformed with three of the original members in 2007. But unfortunately bassist and Dave's cousin Phil 'Dr. Phibes' Markonish passed away in 2010. Since then vocalist Eli Brown took over the bass duties and ex-Toxik drummer Tad Leger joined the band.

Headless Eyes is the sophomore full-length release by the NY doomsters and it's every bit of a worthy successor of their 1995 self-titled masterpiece. It's filled with trademark Szulkin riffs, creepy somewhat uplifting psychedelic leads and 70's horror movie inspired atmosphere especially what Blood Farmers and Szulkin are known for. However, the biggest surprise of this record is the album closer, "The Road Leads to Nowhere", a cover of a song featured on the soundtrack of the 70's cult horror film The Last House on the Left originally performed by David Hess. It's a pretty well executed intriguing cover with acoustic guitars kicking in layered within spacey dream like psychedelic leads and Eli Brown's plaintive vocals. The song remains into psychedelic territory throughout without delving into doom metal heaviness. Although this cover may not come off as surprising to well acquainted fans of the band as Szulkin's association to horror movies and his bestseller book about the same film is no secret like I mentioned previously.

"Gut Shot" is classic Blood Farmers. It has all the elements of the band's sound but it's unlike any of their earlier songs mainly because of the production. The production here is a treat for every doom metal fan. Top notch pounding and bottom-heavy. The title track is clearly the winner and all these

so called new flock of doom bands should learn from it that how to write a long doom composition without sacrificing catchy hooks and remarkable variation tempo-wise.

"Thousand-Yard Stare" is the most Sabbathy track of the album and it acts as a bridge between "The Creeper" and "Night of the Sorcerers" which are the usual Blood Farmers instrumental psych doom jams in the vein of "Twisted Brain" and "Awakening of the Beast". "Night of the Sorcerers" in particular begins with a hypnotic middle-eastern tinged clean guitar melody further delving into pounding doom riffs and trippy psychedelic solos. The album concludes with the aforementioned "The Road Leads to Nowhere".

Headless Eyes is a triumphant return by Blood Farmers. It's a must have for doom metal fans and if you're into 70's horror and B-movies then it's a bonus. I just hope we don't have to wait two decades for its follow-up.

Rating - ★★★★1/2 (90% on Metal-Archives)

Alice in Chains - Black Gives Way to Blue (2009)

Downright Brooding:

Alice in Chains had hardly anything to do with grunge, the catchphrase for each and every early 90's hard rock band that came out of Seattle. They sounded nothing alike their 'grunge' contemporaries, song structures usually consisted of eerie atmosphere, Black Sabbath like proto-doom metal riffs, wah-driven subtly textured solos and dark, gloomy lyrics. Anyway, 'grunge' is long gone but Jerry Cantrell had other plans. He opted to resurrect AiC from ashes. It becomes nearly impossible for most of the bands to continue after a tragic demise of the frontman and prolonged inactivity. And talking about frontman, dealing with the loss of such an iconic frontman like Layne Staley, who made AiC special with his astounding vocal abilities and harmonizations with Cantrell, it's hard to believe that AiC could return with a different vocalist and deliver something as good as their previous materials like 'Dirt' or 'Facelift'. But AC/DC has done it, why can't AiC? Yes, AiC can and they did. 

Beside Layne Staley's dark, gritty voice and songwriting, Jerry Cantrell has always been the driving force behind the band. His harmonizations with Layne produced the trademark sound as I mentioned above, he has written almost 70% of the lyrics and he has written some mind boggling riffs. With Black Gives Way to Blue he has done the same as well as re-inventing himself in certain ways. At first, I wasn't too sure about William DuVall but he sure has got a cool and diverse voice which reminded me of something in between Chris Cornell and Ronnie James Dio. 

"All Secrets Known" announces the rebirth of a tragedy-ridden legendary band when Cantrell sings ''Hope, a new beginning.....Calm, all wounds are healing''. A cracking opener with gloomy and pulsating main riff driving heaviness all the way through. The single "Check My Brain" is a sludgy delight with sort of a stoner rock thing going on. There are enough mellow contents present to complement the overall heavy context of the record. Such as the single "Your Decision" which is a reminiscent of 'Jar of Flies' era, the psychedelic "When the Sun Rose Again" or the title track "Black Gives Way to Blue" featuring legendary pianist Elton John which is a tribute to Layne.

The freaking creepy "Acid Bubble" is my personal favourite. It's an out and out doom metal composition with 7 minutes of gruesome heaviness. William DuVall sounds really good when he harmonizes with Cantrell in traditional AiC manner and successfully displays some sparks of his own on "Last of My Kind" and "A Looking in

View". I've heard some complaints about the production of the album but I haven't noticed any such issues maybe because I've always preferred this kind of murky production on heavy metal albums which brings the heaviness out.

Altogether, 'Black Gives Way to Blue' is an impeccable album and nothing short of a comeback masterpiece. Each and every song is rock solid, well written and contains vintage AiC feeling alongwith some fresh new hints on the band's direction. I'm extremely excited for the follow up to this majestic comeback.

Personal Favourites:

"All Secrets Known", "Last of My Kind", "Your Decision", "Acid Bubble" and "Private Hell"

Highly recommended!

Rating - ★★★★★ (98% on Metal-Archives)

This review is also available on Metal Archives under my pseudonym doomster999