Release
date: August 05th
2016. Label: Napalm Recods. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
Lovely
Sort Of Death – Tracklisting
Bloodletting
On the Kiss
Lights
Come Alive
The
Reaper Comes
Messalina
Infinite
Gaze to the Sun
Stoke
the Fire
Ether
Shadow
Out of Time
Astral
Traveler
Catastrophe
Band
Members:
Anders
Manga: Vocals, Guitar, Bass
Devallia:
Keyboards/Organ
Drums:
Dr. Jack Griffin
Review:
Masters
of the Dark Occult, Bloody Hammers return with their new album,
Lovely Sort Of Death. Their fourth album overall as the band show no
signs of changing their outlook on life with their style of gloomy
based Occult/Doom/Stoner/Psych Rock. This album has more of an
electronic sound and that’s possibly down to Ander's recent solo
work being a direct influence.
The
album is perhaps Bloody Hammers most experimental and personal album
to date as the lyrics are very bleak throughout. Opening track
Bloodletting On The Kiss sees the band inject a more world-weary
approach to their music. Electronica provides the main backbeat of
this song with the Doom/Occult riffs being added at different
moments. Anders vocals are more operatic/larger than life compared to
previous albums.
It’s
cool to see the band experiment with their sound once again. Some
people maybe put off by the more Electronic direction of this album
but I would say give this a chance as the band create stunning
moments of eighties inspired Gothic/Doom/Occult Rock. Second track –
Lights Come Alive – is a haunting love song that could have easily
came from the classic eighties synth era but the band wisely include
familiar moments of haunting Doom/Stoner Rock.
Third
track – The Reaper Comes – is a slow-paced almost post-rock
driven Doom/Occult Rock love song with the band weaving a magic
sinister tale. Though the bleak sombre mood gives way to heavier
gloomy riffs towards the end of the song.
Fourth
track – Messalina – sees the band return to their familiar
earlier doom based sounds. Haunting lyrics, vocals and riffs take you
back to the early days of the band. Messalina ends as perhaps one of
the best songs on the album.
Other
great songs to check out are: Infinite Gaze To The Sun, Ether, Astral
Traveler, Shadow Out Of Time and Catastrophe. These tracks show how
creative Bloody Hammers can be with their music. They offer the most
intense doom and gloom moments on the entire album. You can tell that
John Carpenter is once again a direct influence especially with the
twisted electronic synth based sounds. None so more on the song –
Shadow Out Of Time.
Lovely
Sort Of Death is not the easiest album to listen to as you have to be
in a certain mood to fully appreciate it. Bloody Hammers have created
a dark, twisted and delicious journey into the realm of
Occult/Doom/Stoner Rock. Long time fans will go crazy over this album
and it will be a welcome addition to their own Bloody Hammers record
collection. Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words
by Steve Howe
Thanks
to Napalm Records for the promo. Lovely Sort Of Death will be
available to buy via Napalm Records on CD/DD/Vinyl from August 05th
2016.
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