Release Date: 20th January 2023. Record Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
Doom Sessions Vol VII Feat: Endtime // Cosmic Reaper: Tracklisting
ENDTIME - Tunnel Of Life
ENDTIME - Beyond The Black Void
COSMIC REAPER - Sundowner
COSMIC REAPER - Dead And Loving It
COSMIC REAPER - King Of Kings
Review
Here's the exciting new Doom Sessions chapter from Heavy Psych Sounds featuring Swedish Doom/Sludge Rockers ENDTIME and USA Heavy Psyched Doom Stoner Rockers COSMIC REAPER. Both bands who released acclaimed albums on the ever present Heavy Psych Sounds label. It's good hearing new music from both bands especially from ENDTIME who impressed me greatly with their last release.
ENDTIME offer two songs here running under twelve minutes with Tunnel Of Life and Beyond The Black Void allowing the band to play a different style of Psychedelic Doom Metal compared to their last album which you can hear with Tunnel Of Life. An excellent track that sees ENDTIME bring Heavy Psych Grooves and Gloomy Synths that gives a more "Goblin-esque" feel to their standard Sludge/Stoner Metal sound. The vocals are quite abrasive when they appear but they do hold your attention. Though, it's the music that impresses the most and the bold creative choices ENDTIME makes for this track. Some epic synths and psychedelic beats give ENDTIME a more cerebral outlook with the band still finding time to play epic riffs along the way.
Their second track Beyond The Black Void is a more darker and disturbing affair with glitchy distorted noises having a slight industrial and seedy feel. The distorted vintage doom grooves are essentially what ENDTIME excel at and when the SABBATH inspired AMPLIFIER grooves appear then the music moves from 70's Doom Metal to modern day Sludge/Stoner Metal atmospherics. The Crust Punk inspired vocals add a more classic "HORROR" element to ENDTIME's music but with the music moving cautiously slow, you begin to notice a more progressive and harsher sound that could easily came from their acclaimed debut release.
Time for Cosmic Reaper to take over with three tracks running around nineteen minutes in length with tracks Sundowner, Dead And Loving It and King Of Kings showcasing how different the band are to ENDTIME but working superbly together for this release.
Sundowner is a great mix of Cosmic Rock, Psych Rock, Doom Rock, Stoner Rock and Classic Hard Rock which reminds me of Black Sabbath, Monolord, GEEZER and Thin Lizzy. Heavy Stoner Grooves packed with a fantastic Space Rock energy with Cosmic Reaper in fine storytelling mode. As the band have written excellent lyrics to match the sublime gloomy and groovy sounds. There's a high amount of classic hard rock guitar solos that venture off into darker areas of Psych Stoner Rock or perhaps Spaced Out Doom.
Dead And Loving It is a bleak alternative to Sundowner with Cosmic Reaper playing into the darker reaches of Doom/Stoner Metal with a thunderous creative drive that can be quite punishing to listen to at times. The band are perhaps more BRASH and IN YOUR FACE with this track but it's good to see a different side to the band. The vocals are quite operatic at times but the music is always fully bang on point with echoes of Classic Doom and Proto Metal leading the way. The song can be quite slow in places but Cosmic Reaper knows what they're doing and that's delivering the album's finest track.
King Of Kings is another great track from Cosmic Reaper that matches Classic Doom, Proto Metal and highly atmospheric Stoner Metal with a warped progressive sound. The music is very multi-layered and once again the band take their time bringing the heaviest sounds to the party. The Psychedelic grooves even become slightly creepy and freaky which brings a twinge of Occult Rock to the record. When the band starts bringing a gloom based narrative and progressive vibe to the track, everything becomes more clearer with the music being some of the finest music Cosmic Reaper have written to date. If you dig Black Sabbath and Uncle Acid but with a more Cosmic/Space Rock approach then this track tells you why Cosmic Reaper are highly thought of within the scene.
Doom Sessions Vol VII is a fantastic and thrilling release showcasing not only the two great bands involved but also the wonderful work that Heavy Psych Sounds continue to do within the Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal underground scene. Though, ENDTIME and COSMIC REAPER deserve the majority of the plaudits here. As they've both written outstanding tracks that will delightfully entertain the Underground Community for some time to come.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Claire at Purple Sage for the promo.
Doom Sessions Vol VII will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds from January 20th 2023.
ENDTIME Links:
COSMIC REAPER Links:
