Gévaudan - Umbra (Album Review)

Release Date: October 13th 2023. Record Label: Meuse Music Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Umbra - Tracklisting

Umbra

Members

Adam Pirmohamed: Vocals, piano & synthesizer

Bruce Hamilton: Guitar

Andy Salt: Bass

David Himbury: Drums

Review:

Psychedelic Doom Metallers Gévaudan return with their new album Umbra and it’s a singular track running for forty three minutes in length. Blending almost every corner of the Doom Metal Spectrum such as Heavy, Traditional, Psych, Epic and Blackened Doom with Gévaudan offering a more cautious sound compared to their debut album. Umbra operates at a cool sounding mid-to-slow pace with the band putting in a menacing and muscular performance within the different levels of Doom Metal that are played here.

The vocals are mostly from the True Doom or Traditional Doom scene but Adam shows a wealth of different styles to match the mood or hidden dark depths of Umbra. The instrumental sounds are quite varied with Gévaudan playing both classic heavy metal and modern day Progressive grooves that have elements of Thrash within them.

Gévaudan do feel inspired by bands such as Candlemass, Trouble, Gates Of Slumber, YOB and even Pallbearer on this release. The music is constantly evolving at its own pace and when Gévaudan adapt and change their music to a more Post-Metal or Progressive Metal style then the whole tone and message of the album ultimately changes especially around the thirteen minutes mark where the grooves are stripped back and the band offer a more classic Doom style with Operatic flourishes.

There’s some wonderful Psychedelic guitars slowly working their way through for this part of the album that becomes more forceful as time goes by. Once the song reaches almost the halfway mark then Gévaudan return to a more aggressive and Traditionally dominant style of Doom Metal sound that leads over into sublime moments of intense guitar shredding that works amazingly well with the wonderfully epic lead vocals and the fearless 1980’s Heavy Metal attitude that abounds in major parts of the album.

The later stages of Umbra sees Gévaudan with a more free-flowing Post-Rock attitude especially with Adam’s excellent piano skills holding everything together. The last part of the album features almost every kind of guitar riff worship a METALHEAD could possibly want with dangerous levels of screeching guitars with enough power to cause actual dizzy spells.

Umbra is a dazzling and unique audio experience with Gévaudan creating a true work of art that holds all the creative aces within the Doom Metal scene. The album contains first rate production values that also shines a light to the wonderful story that Gévaudan has written for this album. 

Not many bands have covered almost every different style of the Doom Metal realm but Gévaudan have come pretty close with Umbra. This album is going to blow people’s minds. It’s simply an exquisite album from start to finish.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Gévaudan for the promo.

Umbra will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Meuse Music Records from October 13th 2023.

Links

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Wolves In Winter - The Calling Quiet (Album Review)

Release Date: February 24th 2023. Record Label: Argonauta Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

The Calling Quiet: Tracklisting

The Cord That Ends The Pain

Nemesis

Pastime For Healot

Promised Harvest

Oceans

Calling The Quiet

Members

Izak - bass

Adam - drums

Wayne – guitar

Enzo – guitar

Jake - vocals

Review

Doom Metallers Wolves In Winter could be considered a Supergroup of the UK underground Doom/Stoner Metal scene with the band made up of current and former members of Solstice, Lazarus Blackstar, Monolith Cult, Slammer and more. Wolves In Winter debut album The Calling Quiet bridges the gap between Traditional and Atmospheric Doom Metal. Inspired by the 70’s and 80’s Traditional Doom Metal scene but powered along by epic modern day sounds that bands such as YOB and Pallbearer are known for.

So you have a debut album that has that classic feeling but one that also has a contemporary modern feel with Wolves In Winter playing a more “Post-Doom” based groove with the lyrics inspired by both areas of music. There’s also traces of Ambient Rock, Post-Rock and Grunge that sees the band fully realize their bleak creative vision on the outstanding opening song The Cord That Ends The Pain. 

The song is emotionally bleak and remains ever so vital with Wolves In Winter switching between the many levels of Traditional and Atmospheric gloomy textures with a twinge of 90’s era Grunge being heard within the vocals and lyrics. There is a slight Alice In Chains and Pallbearer vision on this track with the heavy stylised DOOM based guitars that are quite progressive whilst staying true to the foundations of Traditional Doom Metal. The music is extremely melodic with Wolves In Winter proving this early on what a fantastic band they really are.

Second song Nemesis has a more classic Hard Rock/Heavy Metal approach with the music still having small traces of that hybrid sound heard within the opening track though the “TRADITIONAL” sound reigns supreme here that everything the band offers. Classic Doom Metal vocals are offered here and have a startling emotional feel and energy to them. The majority of the tracks here are on the lengthy side with Wolves in Winter perhaps showing their appreciation for the Progressive Rock/Metal along the way. The grooves are plentiful, involving and most importantly, emotionally crushing level that would make Pallbearer blush. 

Third song Pasttime For Helots opens with a Post-Rock instrumental sound that has a 70’s Prog Rock flow before slowly moving back into the Traditional Doom arena. The song does take time to fully hit its creative stride but it’s good to see a different side to the band with a more self-reflective style of music. The lyrics feel quite spiritual with Wolves In Winter playing some epic guitars along the way with a trippy Post-Doom/Post-Rock narrative that gives away to a more distorted and fractured sound along the way. 

The second half of the album sees Wolves In Winter focus more on the Atmospheric Doom creative side a little bit more but there’s still enough Traditional Heavy Sounds to keep the “purists” emotionally involved and invested on the album especially on the stunning fourth track Promised Harvest. With that song featuring a more “AGGRESSIVE” blend of tone, melody and catchy addictive hooks with flawless vocals that ultimately seal the deal.

Wolves In Winter wrap up things with the final two tracks Oceans and Calling The Quiet that perhaps features the heaviest parts of the album though still being equally melodic when the time calls for it.

The band worked with CONAN alumni Chris Fielding for this album and that shows on this album with first rate production values across the board. Kudos to famed Italian underground label Argonauta Records for releasing this album. Another great thing working in the albums favour why it sounds so great from start to finish.

The Calling Quiet is a richly observed and emotionally driven album that allows Wolves In Winter to release one of the potential Doom Metal Albums Of The Year. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Grand Sounds PR for the promo.

The Calling Quiet will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Argonauta Records from February 24th 2023.

Links

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Lord Mountain - The Oath (Album Review)

Release Date: January 20th 2023. Record Label: King Volume Records/Kozmik Artifactz. Formats: DD/Vinyl

The Oath: Tracklistin

1.Well of Fates 05:22

2.The Giant 05:51

3.Beyond the Frozen Sea 00:50

4.The Last Crossing 04:37

5.Chasm of Time 03:20

6.The Sacrifice 04:41

7.Serpent Temple 05:53

8.The Oath 05:31

Members

Jesse Swanson - Guitars and Vocals

Sean Serrano - Guitars

Andy Chism - Bass

Pat Moore - Drums

Review

I don’t feature Traditional Doom Metal bands enough on the blog. I maybe more of a modern day Doom Metal fun but I do love to hear some Traditional Doom Metal from time to time. So I was mighty impressed by Doom Metallers Lord Mountain debut album The Oath. An album that fuses classic 70’s and 80’s Doom Metal, Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. Throw in a healthy obsession with 80's based Fantasy and Adventure folklore then Lord Mountain has the recipe for Doom Metal success.

Using similar themes and sounds from bands such as Black Sabbath, Pentagram, Saint Vitus and Pagan Altar. The Mountain shine throughout the album with their music that is quite powerful with the band showing a fine talent of writing highly melodic music that has classic “OLD SCHOOL” feeling down to a fine art. 

Opening song Well Of Fates is quite fantastical with the lyrics and Jesse’s vocal delivery used for this track. The song has an aggressive fast-paced nature with the gloomy 80’s Hard Rock feeling. The instrumental work does change to a slower style of music that Black Sabbath excelled at. Maybe, a bit too out there for some with the fantasy elements fully taking over the dynamic of the song and perhaps the whole album. There’s a lot of cool extended riffs and guitar jams on this track with Lord Mountain being true to their creative selves.

Second song The Giant is another epic journey into the Traditional Doom Metal world with a slight Classic Heavy Metal mentality heard within the epic grooves. Everything else is pure Fantasy Doom Metal with Jesse’s vocals having a slight DIO quality to them. The instrumental work is excellent and rightfully intense in all the right places when Lord Mountain goes slightly off the range to play some excellent and OTT guitar solos . Shades of Psychedelic Rock appear here and there which allows this to be one of the standout tracks on the album. 

Third song Beyond The Frozen Sea is a fifty second musical interlude with a gloomy instrumental solitary guitar that has a world weary and solitary feeling to it.

Lord Mountain gets back to business with the fourth track The Last Crossing which has a more contemporary feeling with the lyrics compared to the other tracks on the album. The music is swift and straight to the point with Lord Mountain excelling yet again merging the different strands of 70’s and 80’s Doom Metal for a more classic style of Hard Rock/Metal. 

The Oath has a sublime style of nostalgia on the album which shines through the most on the second half of the album on tracks such as Chasm Of Time, The Sacrifice and the stunning title track The Oath. The grooves are LOUD, POWERFUL and PLENTIFUL with Lord Mountain having a hell of time bringing a more modern feeling to certain parts of the album which is perhaps down to the superb production values that The Oath ultimately contains.

Lord Mountain has delivered the goods with The Oath and this ends up being one of the best Traditional Doom Metal albums I’ve come across in a long time. 

This is a fantastic ride from start to finish that is brimming with outstanding creative ideas that is helped along by awesome grooves along the way.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Todd at King Volume Records for the promo.

The Oath is available to buy now on DD/Vinyl via King Volume Records (USA) and Kozmik Artifactz

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp