Release Date: March 04th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD
Embrace The Death - Tracklisting
01 - Unseen Way - 8:10
02 - Fever Stone - 7:05
03 - Embrace The Death - 7:12
04 - Unto the Dawn - 4:20
05 - Eye Of Providence - 6:59
06 - Inner Keep - 11:09
07 - Celestial Light - 3:59
Members
Preston Wilson (bass)
Charlie Romano (drums)
Edoardo Curatolo (guitar)
Joe Frothingham (guitar/vocals)
Review
Doom/Stoner/Sludge/Thrash Metallers Mother Crone return with their second album Embrace The Death which is their first album in over eleven years. The band have sharpened their THRASH metal instincts with a great style of Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal arriving to add a level of metallic clarity to their music compared to their 2015 debut album. You can hear the band taking influence from the likes of Baroness, Mastodon, Shrinebuilder and High On Fire though the band do explore other musical avenues such as
Grunge and Psychedelic Metal.
Mother Crone do rely on some classic sounding Progressive and Thrash Metal riffage to hammer home the heavy melodies throughout the album which remains constantly grounded. Though expect some Post-Doom and Classic Hard Rock delivery which fans of THIN LIZZY will adore within the early stages of the record on the opening tracks of Unseen Way and Fever Stone.
There is still a great style of modern day Sludge/Stoner Metal exploration with some Thrash Metal vocals aligning themselves to Mother Crone’s stellar Pitch Black vision that’s contained within lyrics. Embrace The Death becomes quite aggressive and superbly violent when Mother Crone starts playing a highly volatile Thrash Metal sound with a twinge of Hardcore and NOLA melodies.
The band never rests on their creative laurels as they maximize their full musical potential by drawing upon the likes of Alice In Chains and Soundgarden within the grungier aspects of the record that appears in different stages. With a Post-Doom / Post-Rock narrative suddenly appearing within the quieter and emotionally engaging melodies of the album, this allows the whole mood to be quite dramatic on tracks such Embrace The Death, Unto The Dawn and Inner Keep. However, the majority of the album relies on Mother Crone to deliver a neverending style of punishing grooves and intense soundscapes which delivers the knockout punch to ultimately lose yourself in.
This is the type of record that I wish BARONESS would make today as I’ve been so disappointed with their most recent albums but Mother Crone are their own band and it’s their willingness to experiment with different Psychedelic textures and Progressive landscapes that makes this such a thrilling experience throughout. There’s a multitude of different styles that’s being played at you but Mother Crone never forget to unleash “HELL ON EARTH” when the heavy Sludge/Stoner Metal sounds fully take complete control.
The album itself is quite stripped back with Mother Crone offering a raw aesthetic into the mix which is perhaps down to the excellent production values that captures the band in an almost “LIVE GIG” setting. The sound can be ugly in places but it adds to the overall experience of this EPIC sounding album.
Embrace The Death is everything you want to hear and fully experience from the underground Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal scene. This is an unmissable album and you should add this to your collection at the earliest opportunity. You won’t regret it!!!
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Viral Propaganda PR for the promo.
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