Watchman - The End Of All Flesh (Album Review)

Release Date: June 11th 2022. Record Label: Self Released. Format: DD/Vinyl

The End Of All Flesh - Tracklisting

1.Pour Out The Vials 05:56

2.Fire and Brimstone 04:24

3.Death is Coming 05:37

4.Divided Kingdom 04:52

5.Righteous Indignation 05:07

6.The Smoke 05:39

7.The End of All Flesh 05:10

Members

Roy Waterford - Everything

Review

Cosmic Doomed Out Stoner Metal One Man Band Watchman is back for another round of dystopian set grooves that takes what came before it to gloomier pastures. Watchman’s 2021 debut release Doom Of Babylon showed a love and appreciation for bands such as YOB, Sleep and Black Sabbath. This time round Watchman brings a more distorted and sludgier sound that has an Electric Wizard groove within it's DNA.

Opening song Pour Out The Vials is a dark style of Cosmic Doom/Stoner Metal where the AMPLIFIER sound has been UPPED TO ELEVEN compared to Roy’s acclaimed debut album under the Watchman banner. Heavy distorted DIRTY FUZZY SOUNDS gives way to Psychedelic Levels of Seedy Noise based Doom/Drone Metal with a twisted atmosphere running amok. The song still remains wholly original and you can only drift into the Pitch-Black Desert Rock vibe towards the later stages of the song. Gloom And Doom fully takes over when the sludgy guitars appear at the end of the song.

Second song Fire And Brimstone carries on the gloomy psychedelic sounds with that seedy distorted atmosphere taking its time to fully form into heavier outbursts of aggression. The heavy down-tuned and DIY based guitars have a “Post-Whatever” modern style that echoes sounds from both the Doom Metal and Stoner Metal underground. The vocals have their own distinctive vibe and Roy has a twisted storyteller persona on this song and perhaps the whole album.

Watchman carry on their bleak vision on the next couple songs such as: Death Is Coming and Divided Kingdom. Perhaps the more experimental parts of the album with Watchman experimenting with distorted sounds and ambient textures seeing the guitars playing extended jams. This part of the album does have a bleak AMERICANA vibe dictating most of the action. 

The final three songs of the album carry on the far-out bleak mysticism of the earlier stages of the record with Righteous Indignation and The End Of All Flesh being the standout tracks of the album. The songs do have wonderfully modern distorted gloomy appeal especially when Watchman mixes both the standard guitar vibes and longer extended sludgy jams.

The End Of All Flesh is another wicked slice of Doom based entertainment from Watchman. Expect The Unexpected with Watchman as they delve even further into their WEEDIAN psyche with a bleak cosmic flavour that’s simply irresistible.

DOOM ON!!! 

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Instagram | BandCamp

Watchman - Doom Of Babylon (Album Review)

 

Release Date: June 04th 2021. Record Label: The Swamp Records & Wet Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Doom Of Babylon - Tracklisting

1.Behold a Pale Horse 06:03

2.Bowls of Wrath 05:59

3.Doom of Babylon 05:15

4.The Second Death 04:11

5.Wormwood 04:50

6.Come and See 04:31

7.lood, Fire, and Pillars of Smoke 05:22

8.Pestilence 06:13

Members

Roy Waterfard - Everything

Review

Watchman made an impression with myself earlier this year when he released his debut EP Behold A Pale Horse. Watchman plays Psychedelic Doom/Stoner Metal with a huge AMERICANA influence shining through. Watchman is back with his debut full length album Doom Of Babylon.  The 3 songs that appeared on Behold A Pale Horse are on this record and the songs fit in surprisingly well with the new songs that Watchman has created here.

The full result is an album with a more mysterious and apocalyptic edge. The album is bleak, dense and cautiously gloomy in all the right places. The AMERICANA edge really works so much better in a Doom/Stoner Metal setting than compared to a heavier style of music. This is the soundtrack of the scorched earth or scorched desert coming to life.

Watchman plays everything on this album and his vocals are top-notch from start to finish. The record draws you in with it’s many different styles and you can hear influences from bands such as KYUSS, Black Sabbath, EARTH and Across Tundras. Though, I may have mentioned that in my review of Behold A Pale Horse. Though Watchman ventures into heavier areas of Doom/Stoner Metal, I was surprised when I heard Electric Wizard levels of distorted guitars and even SLEEP style sonic based riffs.

There is a “DRONE” quality to this album that allows Watchman his full Doom/Stoner Metal potential. The lyrics can be quite surreal and you expect that for an album such as this. Roy Waterford, the creative mastermind behind the album brings an “outlaw” style of storytelling with his music being the most important weapon in his musical arsenal.

Doom Of Babylon doesn’t have the usual style of “Doom/Stoner Metal” riffs but long drawn DRONE based grooves that adds a level of intelligence to this album. The Psychedelic sounds and elements of the album really standout and make this record a trippy and surrealist journey at times especially on songs such as: Behold A Pale Horse, Bowls Of Wrath, Doom Of Babylon (where Roy is definitely channelling his inner Ozzy Osbourne), Wormwood and Pestilence. 

The sound on the album is impressive with Roy also pulling recording duties as well. There’s a vintage and almost “tinny” quality to the record but it works and allows Doom Of Babylon to offer both a classic Doom Metal vibe and a modern Drone/Stoner Metal experience.

Watchman has delivered the goods with Doom Of Babylon and if you’re on the lookout for a darker and daring style of Psychedelic Doom/Stoner Metal then this is the album for you. Expect The Unexpected with this record and you’ll soon be under the magical gloomy spell of WATCHMAN.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Doom Of Babylon is available to buy on CD from The Swamp Records and Vinyl from Wet Records

Links:

Instagram | BandCamp

WATCHMAN - Behold A Pale Horse (EP Review)

Release date: December 28th 2020. Label: Self Released. Format: DD

Behold A Pale Horse – Tracklisting

1.Bowls of Wrath 06:01
2.Wormwood 04:53
3.The Second Death 04:10

Members

WATCHMAN - Everything

Review

Watchman is a one-man Apocalyptic Doom Metal Unit from the Midwest, USA. They’ve just released their new EP – Behold A Pale Horse.

More info about this cool project is below:

Watchman is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist, producer, and audio engineer Roy Waterford. Drawing inspiration from Black Sabbath, Electric Wizard, and Sleep among others, his debut album “Doom of Babylon” is a product of the artists’ bluesy, psychedelic rock influences channelled into eight heavy doom metal tracks.

Behold A Pale Horse is a great introduction to the dark and mysterious world of Watchman. The EP is blends Psychedelic Doom and Stoner Rock/Metal with an almost Americana Folk/Outlaw way of life inspiring the gloomy theme of the record and some of the lyrics that Roy Waterford has written here.

The Doom/Stoner Metal parts of the EP is very modern but it’s the vocals that makes everything standout with opening song Bowls Of Wrath making a mighty fine impression. The music and instrumental work is first rate with Roy showing his love and appreciation for bands such as Black Sabbath. The dark lyrical content lives upto the DOOM METAL aspect of the EP. The thunderous and heavy guitars are played at a great pace. If you dig the Americana Doom of ACROSS TUNDRAS then Watchman will speak volumes to you.

The other two songs on the EP – Wormwood and The Second Death – continue with the gloomy Americana presence that inhabits Watchman’s dark world. The swirling Psychedelic rhythms never outstay their welcome and bring a classic 70;s Prog Rock touch especially on the standout track – Wormwood.

With WATCHMAN promising a full length album called Doom Of Babylon to be released in Summer 2021 then this solo project could be a name to look out for in 2021. Behold A Pale Horse is a fantastical and dark ride that seriously impressed myself from the very first listen though it’s only become a much better release with repeated listens. 

Behold A Pale Horse is a stunning debut release and I’ll be waiting patiently until the debut full length album is released. As I feel that Roy has barely scratched the surface with WATCHMAN and there will be a bigger and far-out adventure for us all to fully devour and experience.

Words by Steve Howe

Links:

Instagram | BandCamp