Old Horn Tooth - Mourning Light (Album Review)

Release Date: July 05th 2024. Record Label: London Doom Collective / Evil Noise Recordings. Formats: Cassette/CD/DD/Vinyl

Mourning Light: Tracklisting

1.Precipice

2.No Salvation

3.Mourning Light 

4.Invisible Agony

Members

Chris Jones – Guitars, Vocals

Mark Davidson - Drums, Griefcase.

Ollie Isaac – Bass

Review

Sludge/Doom/Stoner Metal collective Old Horn Tooth new album Mourning Light takes a different progressive narrative compared to their 2019 release From The Ghost Grey Depths. As the band focus more upon long-drawn Drone/Doom and down tuned instrumental passages which draws upon influences such as YOB, SLEEP and ELECTRIC WIZARD with a certain filthy and seedy Doomedelic based Stoner rhythm that made their debut release such a great record to listen to.

Mourning Light has a deep meaningful LOW & SLOW delivery with the music being built around a dominant DRUMS and BASS combo from Mark and Ollie respectively. Chris provides eerie vocals and an absolutely devastating Sludgy guitar sound that has a powerful WEEDIAN and slightly POSSESSED tone which is aggressive from the start which you can hear within the excellent opening track of Precipice.

The song follows a Progressive Doom/Stoner Metal structure throughout its epic sixteen minutes plus run-time. Old Horn Tooth combines Psychedelic textures and Sonic fueled landscapes with the whole modern day Psychedelic/Cosmic Rock energy being stripped back into a surreal and primal raging assault on the senses. Overlapping sound effects and trippy atmospherics languish silently into the background when Old Horn Tooth unleash a distorted array of extended instrumental jams and sludgy guitar solos that demand your full attention. 

Second track No Salvation continues with the Progressive based energy of the opening track with mind-blowing instrumental solos that some of the most powerful on the whole record especially when Old Horn Tooth reach moments of deafening levels of AMPLIFIER DISTORTION and different styles of REVERB and STEREO FEEDBACK. The vocals are constantly raw with an honest delivery to them with Old Horn Tooth once again showing real moments of huge originality within their music and lyrics. The song is quite emotionally draining but the track isn’t afraid to unleash HELL ON EARTH within your hearing.

I was quite surprised at how emotionally draining and brilliantly melodic this album really is. Old Horn Tooth shows a deeply caring side to their music despite the dark nature of the music itself. The next two tracks Mourning Light and Invisible Agony continue to explore the more Progressive and Riff Centric values of Old Horn Tooth’s whole creative mission which become the most impressive and outstanding parts of the record.

Third track Mourning Light is another fourteen minutes plus number with Old Horn Tooth delving into a similar Post-Doom energy as YOB and Pallbearer. The whole flow maybe seedier and down-tuned but the message is there which is down to the first-rate use of PSYCHEDELIC and AMBIENT sounds yet again. Sounds of epic FUZZED UP levels of instrumental passages become more emotionally rewarding when Chris Jones’s exquisite use of different vocal styles lead the song to an incredible finish.

However, it’s the epic final track of Invisible Agony that has allowed Mourning Light to become my favourite album of the year. This is where Old Horn Tooth impresses on all technical and creative levels with the sheer amount of different styles of Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal that appear. This track has a similar scale that can easily be matched or compared to the legendary DOPESMOKER. The use of different Ambient and Psychedelic textures against a sludge driven Post-Rock/Post-Stoner attitude allows Old Horn Torn to play the heaviest, vibrant and most exciting grooves on the entire album. 

Mourning Light may just propel Old Horn Tooth to the forefront of the Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal scene with its powerful vision and can be considered one of the most breathtaking, wholly original and defining albums of the whole year. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Sheltered Life PR for the promo.

Mourning Light will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via London Doom Collective and Limited Edition Cassette Tape from Evil Noise Recordings from Friday July 05th 2024.

Old Horn Tooth on Bandcamp | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

London Doom Collective on Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

London-based Doom Trio OLD HORN TOOTH Usher in New Album and Single MOURNING LIGHT

London-based Doom Trio OLD HORN TOOTH Usher in New Album and Single MOURNING LIGHT

Last heard slinging low slung fuzzed-out doom on their 2019 album, From The Ghost Grey Depths, this July will see the official worldwide release of Mourning Light, the brand-new studio album from London-based trio, Old Horn Tooth.

 

For any fans of the genre that have stalked the capital in recent years, chances are London Doom Collective has supplied you with ample opportunity to sample some of the finest underground bands in a live setting. Since 2020 – Ollie, Chris Jones, Mark Davidson, and Sean Durbin – have flexed their DIY muscle as friends, promoters, and three-quarter members of Old Horn Tooth to devastating effect. Now, with the band’s new album on the horizon, they finally turn their hand toward a new endeavour, releasing music on vinyl.

 

“Putting out a record ourselves through London Doom Collective is our own personal statement of independence,” explains bassist, Ollie Isaac. “It’s a testament to the power of the underground and a direct connection with the scene, people and international doom community that has supported, guided and helped us grow.”

 

Often drawing comparisons to the likes of Conan and Monolord, Old Horn Tooth are a stirring colossus that offer up hypnotic, megaton grooves of slow heavy riffage in thrall to the cosmos. As Outlaws of the Sun describe, “You can’t but help being swept by the sheer heaviness and excitement of it all.”

 

New single and the title track for Mourning Light is a perfect case in point. Serving as an epic fifteen-minute jaunt into the sinister undertones of doom it’s the centrepiece to a startling collection of new songs. All of which navigate the complexities of grief and the resilience of the human spirit.

 

Old Horn Tooth · Mourning Light

“This particular song explores the bittersweet memories and hidden sadness accompanying loss, while also offering glimpses of potential hope in the ‘mourning light’. Through its journey from bleak despair to the final acceptance, it encapsulates a shared sorrow and solace in vulnerability.”

 

Due for release on 5th July 2024, Mourning Light can be pre-ordered via London Doom Collective here. The album will also be accompanied by the release of a limited-edition tape from Norway’s Evil Noise Recordings (here) and an exclusive beer in collaboration with Black Iris Brewery (here).

 

Old Horn Tooth

 

Chris Jones – Guitars, Vocals

Mark Davidson - Drums, Griefcase.

Ollie Isaac – Bass

 

Live Dates

 

24th May – Ashford (w/Clouds Taste Satanic)

31st May – Winchester (w/Dead Witches)

24th August – Cambridge (w/The Grey)

25th August – Cosmic Vibration Fest, Sheffield

28th September – Riffolution Fest, Manchester

16th November – Tonehenge, Kent

 

Track Listing

 

1. Precipice

2. No Salvation

3. Mourning Light [Listen]

4. Invisible Agony

 

Artist: Old Horn Tooth

Title: Mourning Light

Label: London Doom Collective

Format: Vinyl/CD/Digital

Release Date: 05/07/2024

 

Socials

 

Old Horn Tooth on Bandcamp | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

London Doom Collective on Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Thanks to Richard at Sheltered Life PR for all of the info.

Old Horn Tooth - From The Ghost Grey Depths (EP Review)

Release date: June 29th 2019. Label: Self Released. Format: Cassette/DD

From The Ghost Grey Depths – Tracklisting

1.She Is Risen 13:02

2.Follow The Demon 13:12

3.Old Horn Tooth 12:34

4.Grief 11:34

Members

Chris - Guitar/Vocals

Ollie - Bass

Mark - Drums/Griefcase

Review

From The Ghost Grey Depths is the new EP from UK band – Old Horn Tooth. This EP offers 50 minutes of heavy down-tuned Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal with a cool distorted feel to it. The band are not afraid to add elements of Drone Metal when the mood calls for it.

Old Horn Tooth have called in the big guns for this release as they recorded this EP with Sam Thredder of SLABDRAGGER fame and he knows a thing or two about HOW LOUD Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal music should be.

Old Horn Tooth present 4 fantastic sounding tracks that draw influence from bands such as Sleep, CONAN and COUGH but with a filthier and progressive sound. The guitars are down-tuned and the vocals from Chris feel inspired by Ozzy Osbourne in places especially on the epic opening song – She Is Risen.

Old Horn Tooth live upto their DOOM METAL PERSONA with absolute confidence and they’re not afraid to play a more daring and violent sound on the other songs contained on the EP. Follow The Demon and Old Horn Tooth are the best parts of the EP as the band become more confident with their highly atmospheric surroundings and when the band start playing a more psychedelic blend of Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal then you can’t but help being swept by the sheer heaviness and excitement of it all.

With all of the songs running past the 12 minute mark, you’re going to need patience with this EP. As the band play at their own pace and by their own rules.

The only downside to this EP is the final song – GRIEF. As it’s a full on Drone/Doom Metal assault with the band playing music you would expect to hear from SUNN 0))). The song is superbly put together but the glitch based noises and experimental sounds maybe too much for some. I did enjoy the final moments as the song becomes increasingly dark and more distant as time passes by.

Apart from that minor complaint, Old Horn Tooth have released a superbly entertaining EP and I do want to hear more from these guys in the future.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp