Release Date: September 25th 2026. Record Label: RidingEasy Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
KOVAc - Tracklist
1.Enemy
2.Red Sun
3.Funeral Pyre
4.Reverie
5.Worshipper
6.Ruin
7.KOVA
8.Forgiveness
9.Requiem
Members
Thomas J Lemieux - Guitars, vocals, keys, bass, additional sounds & loops
Doug Stuckey - Guitars, vocals
Quinn-George Camacho - Bass
Nick "Joose" Mcdonnell - Drums
Review
Doom/Stoner Metallers DEATHCHANT return with their most personal and reflective record to date with KOVA which is named after their late friend Davey Kova. The record contains all the great musical ingredients that made DEATHCHANT’s previous albums fully stand out. KOVA allows Deathchant to offer a more personal experience for listeners to immerse themselves with the band with emotionally changed lyrics, fast-paced melodies and deft Classic Rock touches that forces a challenging “LIGHT vs DARK” progression into the mix.
The sound has that classic TWIN GUITAR energy that reminds me of the likes of THIN LIZZY, WISHBONE ASH, BARONESS and MASTODON which the band are quite known for. With an aggressive backdrop of Psychedelic and Doom-Pop surroundings making a commanding appearance on tracks Enemy, Red Sun and Funeral Pyre which makes me reminisce when the mighty BARONESS made music as good as this within their classic RED and BLUE period.
However, DEATHCHANT stand on their own creative ground with epic POST-DOOM and PSYCH ROCK themes that manifest into epic stadium sized Sludge Rock grooves with the excellent vocals telling an emotionally rewarding story despite some of the tough bleak themes currently being played out.
DEATHCHANT experiment with Ambient, Space Rock and Cosmic chasms on this record which brings a forceful atmospheric drive whilst keeping that Classic Rock delivery with a distinctive Blues Rock and Doomed Out persuasion forming behind the scenes on tracks Funeral Pyre, Reverie and Worshipper closing the first half of the album in great fashion.
The music is unapologetically fast paced with DEATHCHANT playing some of the heaviest sounds of their career. There’s a lot of amplifier distortion and sludgy reverb appearing when you least expect this which adds a gloomy sense of realism and gritty determination into the mix.
KOVA offers the perfect balance between “LIGHT vs DARK” movements as DEATHCHANT never shy away from using their real life personal experiences into this record which makes this 100% authentic within the Heavy Rock world. The second half of the record is equally as stunning as the first half with DEATHCHANT diving right into a diverse style of Prog Rock melodies that branches out into areas of Heavy Psychedelics which transforms into a hallucinogenic style of Doom/Stoner Metal sounds with some eerie soundclips being added along the way.
Other standout tracks on the record are: Ruin, KOVA, Forgiveness and Requiem though that’s the whole second half of the album I’ve just mentioned. I should say all of the tracks are great as each other with KOVA allowing each song having their own personal story to tell whilst adding some different sounding grooves to settle the deal. The second half perhaps relies more on Post-Doom and Post-Stoner soundscapes with an uplifting Heavy Psychedelic core.
KOVA is a resounding success on every level and is DEATHCHANT’s most masterful and awe-inspiring record to date. With rich sounding and superbly realized production values, DEATHCHANT have released another sublime album that should solidify them as one of the most electrifying and grounded Doom/Stoner Metal bands currently around today.
Words by Steve Howe
