Cancervo - II (Album Review)

Release Date: January 27th 2023. Record Label: Electric Valley Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl

II: Tracklisting

Arera

Herdsmen Of Grem

The Cult Of Armentarga

Devil's Coffin

Zambia

Zambel's Goat

Review

Italian Doom/Stoner Metallers Cancervo return with their new album II and it marks quite the departure against their debut release. For a start the band have added vocals compared to the instrumental path their acclaimed debut release took. Cancervo have also returned to early days of 70's Doom Metal for creative inspirration for this album. As the album is more Doom Metal though with still cool flashes of Stoner Metal being played.

The album sees Cancervo taking influence from bands such as Saint Vitus, Black Sabbath, Trouble, Pentagram and even Witchfinder General. That's not to say Cancervo are totally all about Classic/Traditional Doom Metal as they're not. There's still delicious bouts of catchy Fuzz Rock, Psych Rock and Gloomy WEEDIAN sounds. 

II runs for thirty five minutes in length across six tracks with Cancervo playing at a slow cautious pace with Occult based vocals leading the narrative charge for the album. There's a dark vivid style within the lyrics that work surprisingly well against the Black Sabbath/Electric Wizard AMPLIFIER based guitar grooves that can be quite melodic and catchy in places.

The whole sound, atmosphere and tone of the album is quite vintage with Cancervo writing music that would benefit a Classic Horror Movie Soundtrack with sinister lyrics to match. 

Standout tracks are: Herdsman Of Grem, The Cult Of Armentarga, Zambia and Zambel's Goat. 

These tracks are where Cancervo moves between the different areas of Doom Metal and Stoner Metal with a Classic Hard Rock approach. The FUZZY guitars do become quite sludgy along the way with perhaps a more Progressive feel especially on the final two songs of Zambia and Zambel's Goat.

Production is handled superbly well on this album. As Cancervo offers a fine balance of 70's Classic Doom Metal Grooves against the modern day Sludgy Fuzz Rock sounds that have a cool Psychedelic effect. 

I may prefer their debut release a bit more, however, that doesn't stop II from being another winning album from Cancervo that will delight the legions of fans within the Doom Metal Underground scene. 

Words by Steve Howe

You can buy the album now on DD/Vinyl via Electric Valley Records.

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