Sunday 11 February 2024

The Obsessed - Gilded Sorrow (Album Review)

Release Date: 16th February 2024. Record Label: Ripple Music. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Glided Sorrow - Tracklisting

1.Daughter of an Echo

2.It's Not OK 

3.Realize a Dream

4.Gilded Sorrow

5.Stoned Back to the Bomb Age 

6.Wellspring - Dark Sunshine

7.Jailine

8.Yen Sleep

9.Lucky Free Nice Machine


Members


Scott "Wino" Weinrich – lead guitar, lead vocals (1980–present)

Brian Costantino – drums, backing vocals (2016–present)

Chris Angleberger – bass (2022–present)

Jason Taylor – rhythm guitar (2022–present)


Review


Gilded Sorrow is the first album from Doom Metal legends The Obsessed in seven years and the band have teamed up with iconic Hard Rock label Ripple Music for this release and it’s perhaps the most perfect match you can have within the Doom/Stoner Metal scene. There’s been a few lineup changes since their 2017 release Stranger Things with Chris Angleberger and Jason Taylor joining on Bass and Rhythm Guitar respectively.


Wino is in fine rebellious form throughout Gilded Sorrow and he takes aim at almost every aspect of modern day American life and adds troubling moments from his own life on this album. This is a different sounding The Obsessed compared to their previous album. As this album is more concise with a classic Punk Rock edge which we haven’t heard since the band’s earliest days. However, the classic Doom and Stoner Metal swagger is still there within each of the individual tracks with WIno’s trademark spiky and hard edged lyrics embracing the OUTLAW and OUTSIDER lifestyle that Wino has lived within his entire lifetime and over the last five decades of music.


The music here is delivered with aggressive confidence and with a more melodic attitude. The record even sees The Obsessed venture into Progressive and Psychedelic waters with certain parts of the album. Though, the record is at its best when Wino takes aim at modern day culture and offers his own frank and forthright views which prove too controversial for some to hear. However, Wino has never been afraid to shy away from making his feelings and views known throughout his legendary career.


Standout tracks on the album are: Daughter Of An Echo, It’s Not OK, Gilded Sorrow, Stoned Back To The Bomb Age and Wellspring - Dark Sunshine. As these tracks are the most hard hitting on the album and even sees The Obsessed playing sounds we’ve never heard from them before. You can expect to hear Distorted Sounds, Psych Doom and moments of Drone which The Obsessed blend into long drawn out Post-Doom/Post-Stoner jams on Gilded Sorrow and Stoned Back To The Bomb Age.


The Obsessed are the original purveyors of Streetwise Doom or Street Level Doom and they prove once again they’re the masters of this style of Doom Metal with that thrilling Heavy Metal quality that most bands cannot match. There’s a sly dark sense of humour that appears within the lyrics which makes the music sound more real.


Gilded Sorrow has the potential to be one of the most important and distinctive Doom Metal albums to be released this year or any that year for that matter. This is another classic release from The Obsessed and this will no doubt be regarded as one of their albums to date. Add this album to your collection as soon as possible. End Of.


Words by Steve Howe 


Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.


Gilded Sorrow will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Ripple Music from Friday 16th February 2024.


THE OBSESSED links

Bandcamp - Facebook - Instagram - Spotify