Release Date: December 24th 2023. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD
The Death Spell - The Death Spell - Tracklisting
Nail You Higher Than Before
Leave You Lying On The Ground
Funeral Pyre
Die Alone
Witch's Coven
Potter's Fields Forever
I Am The Shadow
Kill In The Darkness.
Members
Ozan Turan - Vocals/Guitar
Alessandro Iraci - Bass
Owen Drew - Drums
Review
New Zealand Psych Doom/Stoner Metallers The Death Spell self-titled debut album portrays a band playing their own style of 1970's Doom Metal fused with the aggressive energy of the 1990's Stoner Metal scene. Though, The Death Spell embraces a heavier attitude for 1980's Heavy Metal with that true "KIWI Hard Rock Grit" which sees the album offer different styles of music throughout the album. The record is constantly catchy and quite moody when the occasion calls for it with a flamboyant Stoner Rock energy showing some fine instrumental grooves on the opening tracks of Nail Higher Than Before and Leave You Lying On The Ground.
These two tracks showcase what The Death Spell are about with tales of the more gloomiest and seediest parts of the Doom/Stoner Rock world with a delicate FUZZ ROCK attitude moving between areas of almost 3 decades (70's, 80's and 90's) instrumental sounds and giving them a fresh modern creative spin within the lyrics the band have written for the album. The vocals are inspired by the era of Proto-Doom and NWOBHM with a sinister appeal and edge to them on the more outrageous tracks on the album which come into full effect on tracks such as Nail You Higher Than Before, Funeral Pyre, Die Alone and Potter's Fields Forever.
The Death Spell follow a similar Occult path to Green Lung but with a more outlandish Hardened Stoner Rock appeal and perhaps slightly less-polished which allows the band to deliver their own destructive sound. There's influences of bands such as KYUSS, Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus and even well known New Zealand Hard Rock acts which makes The Death Spell such an interesting band to listen to. The Psychedelic energy on the album is quite inventive when played with strands of Fuzz/Stoner Rock before the band move into areas of Proto-Doom manic energy on the later stages of the album.
The instrumental passages, unmissable guitar solos, overpowering rhythm section and superb vocals allows The Death Spell to have released a first rate and spellbinding debut album with fabulous production values that captures a classic Hard Rock sound you rarely hear on a debut release such as this. The New Zealand Doom/Stoner Metal scene has already seen bands such as BEASTWARS and Demons Of Noon already releasing acclaimed albums recently and you can add The Death Spell to that list as well. Their debut album is an intense and seedy blast of Fuzzed Up and Occult slice of first rate Doom/Stoner Metal.
What more do you possibly want....
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to The Death Spell for the promo.
The Death Spell will be available to buy from December 24th 2023.
Links
