Bloody Hammers - Under Satan's Sun

Doom/Gothic/Stoner Metal
Napalm Records
2014










1. The Town That Dreaded Sundown
2. Spearfinger
3. Death Does Us Part
4. The Moon-Eyed People
5. Second Coming
6. Welcome To The Horror Show
7. Under Satan's Sun
8. Dead Man's Shadow On The Wall
9. The Last Alarm
10. Necromancer

Under Satan's Sun is Blood Hammer's third album, but my first experience with them. I tend to watch the new albums coming out and give them a little preview if the general genre/style sounds like something I might be into and I liked what I heard from Bloody Hammers well enough. I've been digging some of the groovier doom/stoner metal lately and this fit the general bill so now it's time to give the full album a shot.

Listening to Under Satan's Sun it's a little difficult to pigeon hole Bloody Hammers into one particular style as I hear a lot of different elements. Their sound is definitely cohesive, but I hear everything from elements of creeping doom metal, to smooth gothic ambiance, to stoner metal fuzziness and groove, to subdued melodic passages. Nothing wrong with a unique fusion or an adventurous sound and I really dig what I hear on this release. Kind of like if you threw Hour Of 13, Kyuss, and The Bronx Casket Co. into a blender. This is dark, but quirky and fun at the same time like the audio equivalent of an old, vaguely cheesy horror movie. There have been a lot of these kind of occult rock/metal sort of bands springing up of late, but more than not I've been digging the trend and I don't think Bloody Hammers sounds precisely like any other I've heard. To the average traditional metal fan I can see where this might be a bit challenging and/or outside the box of the old school, but personally I find them refreshing. This is dark and atmospheric yet full of hooks and downright groovy while keeping a satisfactory level of heaviness.

Amusingly I didn't realize until I looked up the band members that I have actually heard and liked the vocalist Anders Manga before though in a different context. I remember I first heard and enjoyed his gothic/electronica stuff when I came across his cover of Mercyful Fate's Gypsy. Too funny for me and cool to hear him doing more with his obvious appreciation of metal. On Bloody Hammers he still sounds kind of gothic, but not as deep, cleaner, and with a little more edge which works well the music.

I've gotta say that I'm really digging this album. If you like dark, creeping metal and occult/horror themes than this is pretty damn enjoyable stuff. Don't expect high intensity, shredding traditional metal, but the atmospheres and grooves here are exceptional.

Highlights: Spearfinger, Under Satan's Sun, The Moon Eyed People, Dead Man's Shadow On The Wall

Rating - 4.0/5

Trouble - The Distortion Field

Doom Metal

FRW Records
2013

1. When The Sky Comes Down

2. Paranoid Conspiracy
3. The Broken Has Spoken
4. Sink Or Swim
5. One Life
6. Have I Told You
7. Hunters Of Doom
8. Glass Of Lies
9. Butterflies
10. Sucker
11. The Greying Chill Of Autumn
12. Bleeding Alone (Instrumental/Interlude)
13. Your Reflection

Going into this new Trouble album I had little in the way of expectations. Hopes maybe, but the last time this band managed to scrape together an album in Simple Mind Condition I was left just utterly bored. After that miserable, half assed album the band had a lot to prove to me here. Certainly, I used to love Trouble, but the last release left me wondering if the band was capable of coming back from the dead. Not to mention I was unsure what to make of the loss of vocalist Eric Wagner. His performance on Simple Mind Condition may not have been very good, but he was also a key part of what made their other albums as good as they were.

Well, enter Kyle Thomas on vocals and from the first track he seems like an immediate improvement by simply wanting to be there. Eric Wagner just didn't seem like he showed up for Simple Mind Condition and that is not the case here. Also nice is the fact that Kyle doesn't just try to be an Eric Wagner clone and has his own spin on the Trouble sound. Overall, he comes off a bit heavier and gruffer, with less of that Zeppelin-esque screaming. Don't expect him to sound like you may have known him on Exhorder either though as he does balance heaviness and melody quite nicely. In a way this kind of reminds me of Phil Anselmo going from his Pantera style to a Down one. The vocals may have changed a bit from Wagner, but the change is not a bad one at all and I think the band benefits from a refreshing of their sound.

In terms of the songs, The Distortion Field starts off pretty ripping as things open up with a fair amount of speed and heaviness on When The Sky Comes Down. Kind of a nice kick in ass from the beginning with some good intensity, but also some slow down moments and a nice doomy sound to the riffs to remind you you're listening to Trouble. After this though things really start to get excellent as that the band dials it back a notch into some exceptional blues based grooves. Paranoid Conspiracy is just the sort of song that gets your head moving with stonery doom catchiness and both The Broken Has Spoken and Sink Or Swim follow suit. Really memorable stuff in the best tradition of Trouble and with a nice pace that is groovy, but not too slow. All of these tracks are total keepers and never drag.

After this excellent round of grooves, One Life slows it down a bit with a darker and doomier sound that is a welcome change of pace. The grooves are still there, but the pace is a little slower and there are some nice dark/melodic moments. I appreciate both the variation and the fact the band seems intent on making a complete experience. This is not a one trick album. Not to be forgotten is some of their more melodic, rock sounding stuff and that shows up on the following track, Have I Told You. This is a nice smoother, lighter tune, and once again I find myself appreciating the total package this album is offering. The songwriting here is adventurous and varied and it keeps things from getting stagnant.

Next up, things get heavier once again with Hunters Of Doom which speeds things up, brings a fair amount of aggression back to the mix, and comes together as another highlight. Following this, Glass Of Lies is decent, but a bit shouty and rough and both Butterflies and Sucker are decent groove tracks, but not quite as memorable as some of the material. Maybe a slight weak spot/filler-ish, but by no means bad either. Just not quite as inspired as what came before. I guess not every track can be a highlight. The Greying Chill Of Autumn fixes that though with kind of a dark, twisted feel that is different and interesting. I really dig this one and it certainly has a sound of it's own. Bleeding Alone is a bit of an intro that has a heart beat sort of sound to it so not much to report there. Closing out the album though is Your Reflection which is a good one with another nice, heavy groove.

I don't always like to go track by track on albums as I prefer giving more of an overall impression more than dissection, but this is the sort of album that deserves this treatment. There's a lot of creativity here and the songwriting is adventurous enough to warrant some individual write ups. This is not a by the numbers sort of album that sticks to just one sound and the depth here is what impresses me the most about this album. That and the fact the band has really come back from the brink. The Distortion Field is simply more than I could have hoped for. Trouble really bring their A game here and this is the classic Trouble I remember. I have to give it to the entire band, but once again I have to give a special mention to Kyle Thomas for staying true to the Trouble sound, but at the same time bringing his own touch. Very nicely done. Trouble and Doom/Stoner metal fans need to hear this.

Highlights: Paranoid Conspiracy, The Broken Has Spoken, Sink Or Swim, Hunters Of Doom, The Greying Chill Of Autumn.

Rating - 4.0/5

Orange Goblin - A Eulogy For The Damned

Stoner Metal
Candlelight Records

2012

1. Red Tide Rising
2. Stand For Something
3. Acid Trial
4. The Filthy & The Few
5. Save Me From Myself
6. The Fog
7. Return To Mars
8. Death Of Aquarius
9. The Bishops Wolf
10. A Eulogy For The Damned

Orange Goblin are a band I've always liked. Nothing to reinvent the wheel, but pretty damn fun music when you're in the mood for it. Tends to be how I feel about Stoner metal in general with it's somewhat familiar blues based grooves. Catchy stuff that's good for hanging out, drinking, and... well you know.

Listening to A Eulogy For The Damned I pretty much get what I came for and what I expected. In terms of sound this is upbeat and rocking for the most part with a good groove sound and gravelly vocals that suit the music. Basically, this album delivers it's sound without a lot of frills, but plenty of good rocking energy and a cool vibe to it.

In terms of songs this one just keeps coming though as the catchiness factory is extremely high. I find myself enjoying this album more than anything they've done since Coup De Grace, the album that got me into the band back in my college radio days. The grooves here are just massive and make my head want to move. Kind of the epitome of just doing your sound well.

With a retro based sort of sound like this you can't really expect the album/band to reinvent the wheel, but the same could be said of the typical happy power band. All in all, this album succeeds at exactly what it aims for. Fun, catchy, heavy music to groove to. Eulogy For The Damned is a pretty solid release and sure to please fans of the band and genre. This album doesn't quite wow me on that next level, so to speak, but it is an enjoyable listen from start to finish.

Highlights: The Filthy & The Few, Red Tide Rising, Stand For Something

Rating - 3.5/5

Cathedral - The Guessing Game

Stoner Rock/Metal
Nuclear Blast

2010

Disc 1

1. Immaculate Misconception
2. Funeral of Dreams
3. Painting in the Dark
4. Death of an Anarchist
5. The Guessing Game
6. Edwige's Eyes
7. Cats, Incense, Candles & Wine

Disc 2
1. One Dimensional People
2. The Casket Chasers
3. La Noche del Buque Maldito (aka Ghost Ship of the Blind Dead)
4. The Running Man
5. Requiem for the Voiceless
6. Journeys into Jade

I've gotta tell you that the very concept of this album had me pretty excited. Cathedral putting out this much material at once in a double album after a 5 year wait. I'm an absolute Cathedral fan and I liked the long and experimental approach the last album took on the track The Garden. Basically I was looking for something as awesome as The Garden Of Unearthly Delights.

No such luck I'm afraid. Not only does this one not really resemble the last album, but it doesn't resemble Cathedral much at times. I know Cathedral has always had a strong sort of 60s/70s sorta vibe, influence, and even moments of this sort of sound, but something is definitely amiss with this album. It takes not a step, but a dive past a simple influence and into some sort of funky retro rock sound.

The first disc is pretty much dominated by this sort of a sound. There are some heavy, signature Cathedral riffs sprinkled into the mix, but much of the album is dominated by Lee Dorian singing cleanly and lacks a lot of his signature heavy vocal deliveries. While Lee Dorian switching to a cleaner vocal approach has been done sporadically before, here it takes over and I'm sorry but he is not that great of a singer. Dorian is one of those guys I love as a Vocalist because he has a cool heavy sound, but as a clean singer trying to hold up this sort of material he doesn't fair nearly as well. This is not to mention weird little passages like in the opener, Funeral Of Dreams, which left me scratching my head. It sounds almost like Lee Dorian doing beat poetry. The song was actually not too bad with a driving riff up to this point, but these slow downs completely derail what could have been a good song.

The second disc does get a bit heavier and Lee Dorian does sort of refind his voice. Certainly the material on the second part of this double release seems a bit more traditional. Tracks like Requiem For The Voiceless and The Running Man sound much more doom oriented and have a good slow rolling heaviness about them. Also worth mentioning is Casket Chasers which is a solid upbeat Cathedral track which sounds much more like their signature. There are moments I'd rather forget though, such as the track Ghost Gallon which is once again taken over by that funky rock sound and some kind of annoying vocal deliveries.

All in all, the highlights are what I'd consider 'pretty good' tracks on another Cathedral album and this album hits a sour note most of the time. This is just really not what I was looking for out of this album and the band. I'm a pretty big fan and I cannot see myself buying this so I'm not sure I can even really recommend it to big fans. This one wants nothing to do with the album really. Not unlistenable, not always terrible... but probably not worth the price of admission either. I am really disappointed in this and will be surprised if this isn't the big letdown of 2010 for me. Already had a couple of those between Armored Saint and this release, but this one is worse.

Highlights: Casket Chasers, Requiem For The Voiceless

Rating - 2.0/5

The Hidden Hand - Resurrection Of Whiskey Foote

Stoner Doom
Southern Lord
2007

1. Purple Neon Dream
2. Someday Soon
3. Dark Horizons
4. Spiritually Bereft
5. The Lesson
6. Majestic Presence
7. The Resurrection Of Whiskey Foote
8. Lightning Hill
9. Broke Dog
10. Slow Rain

Wino of is something of a legend in stoner doom. Having been involved in bands at the forefront of the genre in bands like St. Vitus he is certainly known to fans of the style. The Hidden Hand is his current project, having been through and dissolved a number of others such as The Obsessed and Spirit Carvan. Resurrection Of Whiskey Foote marks the third release by this band.

First off, I've always been a fan of Wino's work. A strong voice for doom metal and he's always surrounded himself with quality musicians who often make dreary and or groovy/catchy doom and stoner rock. The problem I have with this release though is that it neither seems to establish a strong dreary feel or be particularly catchy. The groove riffing is there sort of but it seems to never really settle into a catchy rhythm. The music seems to almost have a random quality and also never really dips into the mellow flow and acoustic touch that I liked about the last album. The question is 'What do you get out of a stoner/doom album that has nothing in the way of catchy grooves or atmosphere?' and the answer has to be 'One boring experience'. I was thoroughly mind numbed by the time this one finished up and it's a striking disappointment after Mother Teacher Destroyer. All I can really say is... Nope... try again. The only song I find enjoyable at all is Majestic Presence and that's pretty much just a generic groover... just not actively bad.

Not much more to say about this one really. If you're a big fan of Wino you're probably going to pick this up anyways, but you've been warned. This isn't by a long shot his best work. If you're new to the band/Wino than this sure as hell isn't the place to start in my opinion.

Highlights: Majestic Presence

Rating - 1.5/5

The Cursed - Room Full Of Sinners

Groove/Stoner Metal
Screaming Ferret

2007

1. Sweeter
2. Evil, In the Bag
3. Wij Leven als God in Frankrijk
4. Breaking her Down
5. Best of the Worst
6. Native Tongue
7. Serpentine Slither
8. All's Right
9. One Time
10. Queen of the Down
11. Generate her

Anyone who knows me at all know's what a fan of OverKill I am so this album is something I had been waiting for for awhile now. The concept of Blitz doing something different with a side project was an intriguing one and I definitely liked the results when DD Verni came up with The Bronx Casket Co. Originally, I remember hearing of Blitz working with Chris Caffery and had high hopes for the project, but that one died on the vine. When I heard that Blitz was now working with Dan Lorenzo of Hades... I was admittedly less encouraged.

With a bunch of musicians from Non-Fiction/Hades and a band I've never heard of (Murder 1) this doesn't exactly have a lot of respected musician power behind it. Not that nobodies can't be good, but I've heard some of these nobody's try to make music before. I've gotta believe Blitz could've gotten some better talent interested in a project than he assembled for this band. I guess it's the 'fellow NJ thrashers' bit that assembled this lackluster crew.

Basically, the end result of this album sounds like a piss poor version of I Hear Black. It seems fairly obvious to me that Blitz wanted to get back to that Black Sabbath worshiping sound and try it with a band more appropriate than OverKill, but this is nowhere near as interesting. The riffs are flat out boring and could've been recycled from any mediocre stoner rock outfit. If you get an uninventive groove guitarist like Dan Lorenzo that's what you're liable to end up with though. This album just has zero interesting guitar moments, run of the mill songwriting, and plods along with a very basic formula the band never really deviates from.

The bottom line on The Cursed's debut is that it belongs in no other place than the bottom of the stoner rock/poor sabbath worship tedium pile. This style can be done well but the lack of any clear stamp of originality on it is dooming (no pun intended).The only thing that remotely makes this stand out is Blitz' unique voice but the dull music makes for no real energy in the singing. Certainly not his best performance as there's no real unleashing of the pipes and the music creates no energy in the vocal pacing. I really wouldn't recommend this one to anybody and the album has nothing in terms of highlights.

Highlights: None

Rating - 1.5/5

Down - III: Over The Under

Groove/Stoner Metal
ILG/Warner

2007

1. 3 Suns and 1 Star
2. The Path
3. N.O.D.
4. I Scream
5. On March the Saints
6. Never Try
7. Mourn
8. Beneath the Tides
9. His Majesty the Desert
10. Pillamyd
11. In the Thrall of It All
12. Nothing in Return (Walk Away)

After 5 years, Down return once again but this time as something more of the main band for Phil Anselmo. Certainly the guys from Crowbar & COC have other priorities as well, but with the death of Superjoint Ritual, it's been awhile since anyone has heard anything from Anselmo. I have to say I was excited for this one as there is no more Pantera to hope for and I'm certainly not going to be listening to Hell Yeah (or Damageplan for that matter). I've always been a fan of Anselmo's vocals and Pantera as mainstream or whatever people may consider them. Nothing wrong with a little success.

On this album Down sounds pretty much like they always have to me. Anselmo shifts from harsher to moodier vocals and the music follows suit and is driven by thick groove guitar. Pretty much what you might expect of the band and style considering their previous albums and the other bands the members have been involved with really. If you liked the other two albums then I don't see why you wouldn't like this one. I know some people felt the second album didn't live up to the first but I never really got that one personally so I can't say to those people if this is a 'return to form'. To me the form never really changed all that much. I will say this is definitely not just a screamer or heavy sort of album and Phil shows he can still handle a wider range of music than that. Some of the album's best moments come in the form of the slow rolling and moody tracks which sometimes have an almost southern blues feel to them. Phil really drives these along and adds to the mood with some good soulful vocals and the variation makes for a good, complete album experience.

Basically, the verdict is a solid experience for the Down fan and people who enjoy that sort of southern groove sound. It's always good hearing these boys are back together again and with the success of the act in radio & the mainstream concert circuit such as on Ozzfest it's a wonder to me that this band only surfaces every 5 - 7 years for an album. I know the members have other bands, but this band has really grabbed people's attentions over the years... especially for a band that has such long down time to be forgotten.

Highlights: On March The Saints, Nothing In Return, Never Try

Rating - 3.5/5

Place Of Skulls - The Black Is Never Far

Doom/Stoner Metal
Exile On Mainstream

2006

1. Prisoner's Creed
2. Sense of Divinity
3. Darkest Hour
4. Interlude
5. Apart from me
6. The Black is never far
7. We the Unrighteous
8. Interlude
9. Masters of Jest
10. Interlude
11. Lookin' for a Reason
12. Relentless
13. Changed Heart

For fans of old american doom metal, a name like Victor Griffin shouldn't need introduction. For those who don't know however, Griffin was the early guitarist of American doom legends Pentagram and Place Of Skulls is his latest project. This one marks Place Of Skulls 3rd release and it's pretty well what I (and I'm sure anyone familiar) expected.

The Black Is Never far picks up right where the band left off and though I was disappointed to see Wino leave on guitar and backup vocals, his presence really isn't missed too much here. I'm a fan of his work but this is really Victor's band and it has impacted neither sound nor style.

Place Of Skulls essentially manage to walk a line between more traditional doom and the stoner rock side of things. The riffs are very blues rock oriented like you might expect to hear in your typical stoner rock band but they're delivered in a usually down tempo and somber to mellow fasion. There are some up tempo moments scattered throughout though that keep things metal and interesting to me and the song Prisoner's Creed which rips along in a pretty heavy fasion. Generally speaking though there is real chill out vibe to this one as it trudges along and occasionally ventures into acoustic territory. It's quite an effective style as I tend to get pulled into the atmosphere of this release. There are some christian overtones in the lyrics, but they don't bother me personally. In fact, the very christian oriented ballad Changed Heart is one of the best moments of the album.

I think most fans of stoner rock or somber sounding, mellow doom should take a liking to this. If you're a fan of stuff like Abdullah, The Hidden Hand, Pentagram, etc then you should check this one out. If you're already a fan of the band then you have nothing to fear from this one.

Highlights: Prisoner's Creed, Sense Of Divinity, Changed Heart

Rating - 3.5/5

Russell Allen - Atomic Soul

Stoner Metal
Inside Out

2005

1. Blackout
2. Unjustified
3. Voodoo Hand
4. Angel
5. The Distance
6. Seasons Of Insanity
7. Gaia
8. Loosin' You
9. Saucey Jack
10. We Will Fly
11. Atomic Soul

Being the fan of Symphony X that I am this album is something I've been anticipating for awhile. I love the man's voice and I was curious to see what he would do with an album of his own. I am happy to see that with this album he branches out and doesn't just try to recreate what's already been done in Symohony X. A smart move I would say. The music on this album does not even remotely resemble anything he's ever done with SX.

What we have here is just a straight up blast of retro 70s stoner rock. Tons of blues based grooves grace this album with a definete catchy heaviness and Russell's voice fits this style rather perfectly. His more aggressive vocals give this album a heavy kick and his softer deliveries give the album a good chill out and smoke a bone feel. Very enjoyable. Anyone into stoner metal should eat this up. Recommended especially to fans of bands like Sixty Watt Shaman and later-era Cathedral & Trouble. Looking forward to hearing more of Russell Allen's Atomic Soul.

Highlights: Blackout, Voodoo Hand, Seasons Of Insanity

Rating - 3.5/5

Cathedral - The Garden Of Unearthly Delights

Doom/Stoner Metal
Nuclear Blast

2005

1. Dearth Ad 2005
2. Tree Of Life & Death
3. North Berwick Witch Trials
4. Upon Azrael's Wings
5. Corpsecycle
6. Fields Of Zagara
7. Oro The Manslayer
8. Beneath A Funeral Sun
9. The Garden
10. Proga Europa

Cathedral has long been my favorite band of the doom and stoner mold, as they've shifted between and blended both, but I wasn't really sure what to expect from this one. Their previous release VIIth coming really did little for me and is probably my 2nd least favorite Cathedral album after the slow, death/doom debut. VIIth overall just seemed disjointed and unmemorable, but I think maybe that album was just rushed, coming only a year after Endytime.

Now a few years after the release of VIIth this album shows Cathedral much more focused and taking things back a few steps towards their mid-era stoner material. This album isn't full on stoner rock though and comes across pretty damn dark and heavy. I suppose the closest comparison would be The Carnival Bizarre's Sabbath worship but at times Caravan Beyond Redemption style grooves and Ethereal Mirror's evil sounding weirdness creeps in. Really it is a mix of the best moments of their generally recognized glory era. To put it simply this album is full of heavy riffs, catchy grooves, and plenty of the dark/twisted atmosphere that Cathedral is best known for. From hard hitters like Oro The Manslayer and The Tree Of Life & Death to the heavy stoner grooves of North Berwick Witch Trials and Corpsecyle this album just suceeds in all forms. There should be something for fans of any era of the band really and the always inventive band adds their own touch to this one as well. Check out the creepy as fuck little girl chant in Beneath A Funeral Sun for some evil sounding shit and the constantly shapeshifting, 27 minute, The Garden for some guest female vocals and a pretty different Cathedral song.

In summation... this album destroys. This really has been the year for the darker metal bands to shine in my opinion. If Sabbath X100 on the heaviness and evil sounds good to you then you need this. Actually I'd recommend this to just about anyone who likes darker metal as this isn't your typical slow doom nor is it the standard fuzzy stoner band. This is just unique, heavy as hell asskicking.

Highlights: Beneath A Funeral Sun, North Berwick Witch Trials, Corpecyle, Oro The Manslayer

Rating - 4.5/5