If you have or want to write a review for bands/albums in this genre, you can do so in this thread.

BLACK SABBATH - Sabotage (1975)

***** (5 out of 5 stars)

This album is nothing short of a heavy metal masterpiece, in my humble opinion. Sabbath really redefined their sound and peaked with both this and their previous release, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. One can hear layered guitars galore and a production that gives the entire album an "otherworldly" sound (and transports the listener entirely somewhere else indeed!)

The album comes out swinging with "Hole in the Sky" which showcases all four members at the top of their craft. A classic riff by Tony along with a wonderfully dissonant double-tracked harmony guitar lead, a soaring and melodic vocal line by Ozzy, an incredibly fluid and contrasting bass line coupled with finely crafted lyrical imagery by Geezer, and thundering drumming by Bill Ward all combine to make an incredible whole that is DEFINITELY more than the sum of its parts (and this is only the FIRST TRACK!) A short, classically inspired and dissonant acoustic guitar piece by Tony follows and segues into the classic and bone crunching "Symptom of the Universe" which includes a beautiful acoustic layered and melodic outro that is just as lovely as anything the classic prog-rock bands ever did (i.e. ELP, Yes, Tull, etc). This hard/soft formula works so well for Sabbath on this album that they continue to employ it with several of the upcoming tracks. "Megalomania" takes it and reverses the order, starting out with an ambient arrangement that can only be described as "haunting". Midway through the song, the tempo changes and Sabbath pounds it home like only they can with possibly the most classic and ne'er heard riff of their career and definitely some of the most sinister vocals ever heard on tape before or since.

(Here comes side two, for all of you who first discovered this gem on VINYL.)

Just when you think it can't possibly get any better, "The Thrill of it All" comes in with an incredible start/stop riff that leaves you drooling on your fretboard! The "hard/soft" formula is again employed and the outro section is every bit as exquisite as the ones that preceded it, if not more so. Next, the Sabs take it up another notch with the awesome "Supertzar", which is an instrumental piece that uses a full choir to sing the phonetic and inspiring vocal lines. GEEZ! If only to give us a break, the next track, "Am I Going Insane (Radio)", is the "single" on the album (if there really ever was such a thing on a Sab release). Lesser in total track time, but no less weird, the protagonist of the song continually asks the listener about the state of his mental health over rhythm tracks that race probably as fast as the poor man's thoughts and sound equally dissonant as his cognitive processes. At the end, one can hear bizarre screams of agony over careless laughter which only slightly prepares you for the magnum opus which is to come. "The Writ" starts out innocuously enough with a fluid bass line that only slightly hints at the massive wall of sound to follow. Lyrically, the piece seems to lash out at the horrible management situation the Sabs had just crawled out from under. Sonically, the song is no less poignant. As if stating that the previous efforts did not quite meet their own great expectations, they go again into a melodic outro that seals this masterpiece in the annals of heaviness.

As if at this point the quivering puddle of what was once the listener on the floor really cares...

Randy Michaud - 7/29/02

BLACK SABBATH - Technical Ecstasy (1976)

*** (3 stars out of 5)

"Tech Ec" is definitely the weakest of the original lineup's studio releases. There are a couple of classics on here, however. "Back Street Kids" and "All Moving Parts (Stand Still)" are probably the most finely crafted pieces here. Two additional treats are "You Won't Change Me" with it's nice and slow doom-metal pace, and Bill Ward's vocals on the ballad "It's Alright". Again, it's not up to the usual standards one would expect out of Sabbath, but if you love their creativity, this one is a must to complete the picture. This effort captures a moment in time for a band whose members were experiencing personal turmoil and seemed tired of the image they had been presenting on their previous six studio outings. I mean, it IS the original lineup, and can you really go wrong with that great chemistry? It's cool, even if only for the contrast it provides against the other works. But if you really dig the creativity that Sabbath demonstrated, check it out - but leave your preconceived notions at the door.

Randy Michaud - 7/29/02

BLACK SABBATH - Never Say Die! (1978)

**** (4 out of 5 stars)

Wake up, people! This is definitely THE most underrated Sabbath album of the Ozzy era! There are some classic moments here if one is able to just let go of the preconceived expectations of what Sabbath is "supposed" to sound like. There isn't really a bad song on this album, in my opinion. The title track, "Johnny Blade", and "Shock Wave" are all hard hitting Sabbath rockers with classic riffs to match, while "Junior's Eyes", "Air Dance", "Over to You" and "A Hard Road" are melodic and slower paced, but emotional and thought provoking numbers. The final cuts, "Breakout" (an instrumental complete with saxophone) and "Swinging the Chain" are definitely different for Sabbath, but Bill Ward handles the vocals on the latter song and how often do we really get to hear him belting out a number? The man has a passion and a rawness to his voice that definitely added another dimension to the already multidimensional Sabbath sound. This album also featured a certain air of hope and positivity that really makes it sound as fresh to me today as it did when I first heard it. Open your mind and give this one another chance. You won't be disappointed.

Randy Michaud - 7/29/02

Small reviews of the DAVID BENSON albums in order of preference:



1. DAVID BENSON/GOLIATH - David & Goliath demos

- David and Mick sounded GREAT together! Too bad they couldn't make it work. To me, these three songs represent the best sounding music either artist has ever made.




2. DAVID BENSON - Premonition of Doom

- His most consistent and doomy release. No filler on this one. Great Christian Doom with hellfire & brimstone lyrics!




3. DAVID BENSON - Purpose of the Cross

- This one really started to show that David and his band knew how to bring the doom and was a HUGE improvement over the debut. Almost the whole disc is a good listen. Only a couple of duds on here.




4. DAVID BENSON - Holy Psychotherapy

- The debut, 6 song disc. First one I ever heard and I grabbed it way back in 1997 because I heard that it sounded a lot like Ozzy. It does, but the songwriting also leaves a lot to be desired. Not bad, just not great. This is also the most rare of his releases. I actually sent a copy of this to David himself (along with the above mentioned demos) because even he didn't have a copy! )




5. DBEALITY - David's latest. A bit of a departure from the above five with less of an emphasis on the doom. This has more rock elements present and, as a result, I don't like it quite as much. It's well done (and even boasts none other than Robert Sweet on drums), but it hasn't grabbed me as hard as the David Benson releases have. It's also the one I am least familiar with at this point. But it still has a good sound (even thought David has started to move away from the Ozzy vocal sound a bit) and many of you will probably really dig it.

- Randy Michaud, March 2007

PLACE OF SKULLS - The Black is Never Far

Amazing!, April 27, 2007

Reviewer:
Brent E. Johnson "Power M. Fan" (Naches, WA) - See all my reviews
With the rise of the doom/sludge/stoner genre to prominence it seems that Place of Skulls would get more notice. Yet they seem to remain in the cult status the members former bands were in. Hardcore fans revere them but those finding bands like Wolfmother, Black Stone Cherry and others should be checking POS out to really hear the genre done right. Griffin loves the stop start effect of going heavy to light sonically and the vocals fit the overall mood perfectly. The Black Sabbath influence is extremely heavey with dashes of Trouble and even some Deep Purple moments added for variety. I wonder too, if the lyrical content is turning some off as Griffin is writing from a christian world view nowadays, albeit, mostly allegorical. I'd say any fan of aforementioned bands as well as all the ones the former members have been in will love this musically and the lyrics should not stop any fan from enjoying the high quality this band represents.
The above is a review I wrote for Amazon. Feel free to criticize or chastise at will.

Great review, man! Which album are you reviewing though?

It's the Black is Never Far. Yeah, that didn't copy from Amazon.

MY SILENT WAKE - Shadow of Sorrow

This is the latest musical incarnation of Ian Arkley. For those who don't know Mr. Arkley started in the late 80's with a band called Seventh Angel. Sounding some like a slowed down Metallica, they culminated with a drop d masterpiece called Lament For the Weary. This is a must have and not just in Christian music circles.
After an album with Paramaecium , an awesome doom band in it's own right, Arkley formed Ashen Mortality. Showing a softer side as AM mixed keyboards and some female vocals it still retained much of the drop d heaviness of Seventh Angel while moving into more of a doom/death sound.
After a few years of doing where are they now with Ian, he emerges in My Silent Wake. Trying to title the sound here may be pointless. Still retaining the heavy drop d sound at times, we get death/doom with some goth and even some folkish instrumentation. Lyrically Ian has always told tales of the dark night of the soul and the harshness of life that are then infused with the light of God's love and he does so here also. A worthy album for lovers of doomy heavy music that expresses real life with it's blisters and peelings but retaining the hope of The Morning Son.


This is my Amazon review for Shadow of Sorrows. Again, feel free to throw stones or correct mistakes. I hope my time line is right and I know I left out an obscure band or two he was in.

Thanks for the reviews, man! I added band names, titles and album art to your posts.

I appreciate that. Here in the sticks we only have dial up so adding pics is mind numbingly slow.

Terhen – Eyes Unfolded
Firebox Records



Of any of the Doom Metal records released this year, Terhen, a band from Finland, have released one of the best. Finland? Of course, Finland. That country seems to have some sort of cornered market on high quality Metal from all genres. Could be some sort of covert scientific experiment by the Finnish government to completely overtake the Metal scene in all corners of the globe…but I digress.

Terhen play a slow, dirge-filled Doom Metal with slight touches of Gothic flair. The use of low growls as opposed to clean vocals gives the record it’s dark, aggressive appeal. They’re the kind of vocals that get under your skin, in a good way, and begin to raise your blood pressure, again in a good way. In a way, they sort of energize the listener (in my case, anyway) and make one excited to be listening to it. Occasional appearances by a female vocalist only add to the atmosphere. Every other aspect of the album, sonically, is perfectly in step as well. The guitars are ungodly heavy, the keyboards add a funeral pyre air & the drums are just ambient enough without washing out. In other words, this record is HEAVY! Everything about it, every song, resonates gloom, despair & misery…5 songs totaling 53+ minutes of pure aural agony.

It simply doesn’t come any better. It’s not about breaking any new ground with Terhen, it’s about making the best Doom Metal the band can make. Fans of Shape Of Despair & Morgion take notice…Terhen needs to be on your list.

By Shawn Pelata

http://www.myspace.com/terhen

The Foreshadowing – Days Of Nothing
Candlelight Records



If you’re going to mix Gothic elements into Doom Metal it’s got to be done right. There has to be just the right balance to avoid becoming a caricature of itself. Italian sorrow-mongers The Foreshadowing have struck such a balance. Owing much to UK doomster’s Paradise Lost, they have mastered the art of grey-skied Metal music.

I mention Paradise Lost because that’s the band I am first reminded of, but that’s mainly because of the amount of melody involved here. The atmosphere in this genre is just as important as the musical dexterity & The Foreshadowing deftly blend melody & mood with thick, dense guitar tones. The keys add just enough color so as to enhance, like a sonic mist through which everything else arrives. There are also some beautifully mournful guitar lines that weep almost like an undercurrent violins. The slow tempos help to fully realize the band’s intent, which is to lure you, irresistibly so, into their deep well of grief.

Fans of My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost, & Katatonia’s slower movements will find much to enjoy about Days Of Nothing. A strong album from start to finish, some of the highlights include “Departure”, “The Wandering” & “Last Minute Train”. Seek it out and revel in the sorrow.



By Shawn Pelata

http://www.myspace.com/theforeshadowing

Winters – "Black Clouds In Twin Galaxies"
Rise Above



God bless Lee Dorian. His Rise Above Records is bringing us some very cool Doom oriented Metal these days. Winters play a Cathedral-esque, rough-around-the-edges sort of Doom Metal with a healthy dose of Indie Rock. In other words, it's heavy on the roots of Doom while having some body part (or parts) firmly entrenched in the here & now.

The tones on this record are raw and abrasive. Everything sounds big and live. This does nothing but add to the heavy vibe on the album. Doomy atmospheres ooze & crawl out of the speakers when these guys start riffing. Vocally, there is where the Indie Rock feel comes in. Paul Fyfe has an understated, very English delivery akin to Radiohead or even Pedro The Lion…or, if you will, imagine Elliot Smith dropping some guest vocals from beyond the grave on a St. Vitus record. That may sound (more than) a little out of place at first, but it actually gives the album a refreshing counter-vibe. Had Winters employed a gravelly-voiced screamer they would have run the risk of blending in a bit too much.

This is easily one of the best Doom related releases of 2007 for me. It may even find a spot in my (as well as others) Top Ten List by year's end. Not enough can be said about how cool & fresh Winters is. I have bore witness to a future legend in the genre, and it is good.

By Shawn Pelata

Litmus – "Planetfall"
Rise Above



Oh wow…where to begin. Litmus play a sort of Cosmic Stoner Rock. I hear traces of Floyd, Tull & (of course) Sabbath all throughout the Planetfall album...even hints of Steppenwolf's more trippy moments. The vocals are clean & harmonized, the guitars are wide & heavy, the synths are lush & sweeping. This album is all about mood creation & mind expansion and is most definitely made for the headphone crowd. Not those wimpy little "ear buds" all the iPod's come with. I'm talking about the big, orange, ear-covering headphones with the curly cable.

Each song, no…I can't even call them songs. Each soundscape Litmus presents us is pure, undiluted rock wrapped in velvet tapestries of spacey synthesizers & an all-encompassing, passionate vibe. You can easily picture these guys sweating on stage in a forest of shaggy hair & Gibson SG guitars (note: only one of them even has long hair, but that's beside the point). Guitar solos are delivered drenched in wah-pedal glory, and the jam passages are truly inspiring and spirited.

This is a fun, fun record to listen to, period. Fans of Space Rock & Stoner Doom have a new obsession here for sure. Planetfall offers more than enough energy, atmosphere and heaviness to enjoy for years to come. Blast off!

By Shawn Pelata