Release
date: April 21st
2018.
Label: Self
Released.
Format: CD/DD
Hymns
For A Dying Realm
– Tracklisting
1.Cosmic
Flare 05:05
2.Knight's
Return
3.Reigns
End
4.Scum
River
5.Pearls
in the Ash
6.Island
of Hate
7.Psychedelic
Haze
Members
Andrew
Haines-Villalta - Bass
Tom
Pilsworth - Guitar, Vocals
John
Slaymaker - Guitar
Rich
Walker - Drums
Review
Indica
Blues new album - Hymns For A Dying Realm - is an album that took
me a long time to fully appreciate. There were parts that I enjoyed
immensely and some that left me feeling rather cold. Not that I
thought it was a bad record. Far from it. It's quite a groovy and
heavy doom based album. Maybe I was listening to the album at the
wrong time. However as I now rate this album very highly indeed.
Opening
track - Cosmic Flare - is a groove laiden song with the band playing
a vintage Psychedelic Doom/Stoner Metal sound with elements of
Classic Rock being added just for the fun of it.
Second
track - Knights Return - offers a more complex and heavier sound with
the band adding a gloomy feel especially with the lyrics and vocals.
The whole atmosphere and tone of the album feels inspired by the
classic Doom/Heavy Metal bands of the last forty years or so. Lead
vocalist - Tom - sounds like a doomier version of Robert Smith from
The Cure. Even some parts of the album have a certain Post-Punk feel.
The guitars are what keep the whole album within the Doom/Stoner
Metal world. There is definitely an air of intelligence around Indica
Blues music and the album is quite serious for a Doom/Stoner Metal
album. That's a good thing as Indica Blues have their own unique way
of creating slightly depressing heavy Doom/Stoner based sounds.
Third
song - Reigns End - has quite a poetic and historic feel to it. This
allows the album to have a more personal sound and even becomes way
too real at times.
The
next few songs - Sum River, Pearls In The Ash and Island Of Hate -
sees Indica Blues play a familiar style of Psychedelic driven
Doom/Stoner Metal sound. The songs easily match the quality of the
opening three songs with Island Of Hate being one of the best songs
on the album.
Indica
Blues write some hard-hitting lyrics on the album and the band
deserve credit for writing highly imaginative complex and progressive
sounding riffs. The final song - Psychedelic Haze - is aptly named
with Indica Blues leaving you in a heavy whirlwind of Psychedelic and
Hazy sounds. The song runs past the nine minute mark and Indica Blues
prove their worth giving a damn about with the eerie Doom/Stoner
Metal sounds leaving you wanting more.
Hymns
For A Dying Realm may take a few listens to fully enjoy and
appreciate. However this is a journey worth taking as you'll be
rewarded with an off-beat and brilliantly heavy doom/stoner metal
odyssey.
Words
by Steve Howe
