Aethyrick - Death Is Absent

Aethyrick is a black metal band from Finland, who formed in 2016.  Their latest release, “Death Is Absent,” is their fifth full-length album; they have also released two demos, two eps, and will soon release a new split album with Marras (which I will try to review at a later time).

One of the many reasons I love to review is that I get exposed to so many bands I’ve never heard before.  Aethyrick is one such band and I will definitely be going back to devour the rest of their albums.  Their music captures the raw energy of black metal but incorporated into this fury is a captivating sense of melody and sprawling songwriting.   The atmospheric parts are still very dark, the band is keen on using even the most melodic moments to drive forward that old school sound.

The songs sound familiar in context from where their influences arise but it’s also clear the band has their own sound and style.  I can definitely hear the passion for their music—these songs are all interesting and engaging.  Each one sounds different but they all fit into the greater whole.  

Production wise, it captures the abrasiveness in the riffs, drums, and vocals but it has enough dynamics to also capture the songs at their most epic points.  That’s great because the album has a lot of catchy moments. But, with all that being said, it has a certain hint of warmness to the sound that’s hard to explain. 

The band is at their best when they combine light and darkness  together in a perfect melding, such as on the opening song, “The Fire That Sires The Sun.” The band rages forth like a river with subtle keys adding an important but delicate touch to the song.  That’s really what t his album is all about too–finding ways to greet the darkness with a type of light.  After all, one cannot exist without the other, right?   Why should they be enemies and fight?  The band explores, and finds, the common ground between the two.

But just because a band, especially a blackened one, uses melody doesn’t mean the songs are jaunty or happy.  Case in point is “Beyond All Death,” which is tinged in delicious bleak sorrow.  But it’s still presented with a wide breath of epic measure, like facing something majestic yet knowing there is always the presence of danger beyond each nook and cranny.  The vocal cadence is catchy and emotional, used as an abrasive counterpoint.   After the three minute mark, the drums pour on a wonderful bouncing rhythm with clean guitar backing it up.  The screams riding on top of this wave is fantastic and the whole segment in a welcome little twist.  It’s the little details like this that make the album standout. 

The final song is “Only Junipers Grow On My Grave,” and it’s gripping from the beginning.  I love the bass in the beginning that carries the song—bass should take center stage in black metal more often!  The potent, stark drumming is like lighting streaking across the stormy skies the guitars are building up.  The atmosphere across the song is unique—it’s moody but with a refined, regal quality to it. The lead guitar is oftentimes a beautiful serenade against this mood even beauty hides a darkness.

“Death Is Absent,” is an album that hit me hard and left an impression on me.  As far as melodic black metal goes, I don’t think anything else this year will match it.  This is a smartly written album by a band who are clearly masters of their craft.  Highly recommended. 

Ingurgitating Oblivion - Ontology of Nought

 Ingurgitating Oblivion is an avant-garde extreme metal band from Germany, who formed in 2001.  Their latest opus, “Ontology of Nought,” is their third full-length album; they have also released an EP, two splits, and two demos. 

I debated for a long time if I was even going to review this latest album from Ingurgitating Oblivion. It's not that I don't like it–I do. But, for a long time, I just wasn't sure how I could find the words to speak about this album. Even for avant-garde extreme metal, this is really out there. There is so much happening within the songs that it simultaneously appeals to everyone and no one.  This is quite possibly the most difficult review I have ever tackled. 

I don't mean that in a bad way. I'm just saying that it runs so many gauntlets that it's hard to guarantee what someone will think about this album.  Obviously any music is objective but the mileage of “Ontology of Nought” will vary GREATLY depending on who is listening to it.  

Overall, they definitely have a foundation built upon experimental blackened death metal.  But it’s constantly changing, turning sharp corners, disappearing into holes, and coming out another side that didn’t give any indication of its existence in the first place.

This is my first exposure to the band’s music but, in my research, it seems most people are complaining about this album’s mix/production.  I, for one, think it sounds pretty damn good.  It’s just muddled enough to add extremity, even when the band is really reaching to the far field.  To me, a crystal clear production on this album would be a disservice—it isn’t clean, clear music so why would it need a bright sheen on top of it?

With five songs and a runtime of an hour and fifteen minutes, this isn’t an album that you can listen to casually—this deserves a deep time with time and much patience.   Even on a normal album with songs this long, all the details won’t be revealed until multiple listens have been played.  But this album?  I don’t know if it can be listened to enough, in that respect.  This album is so detailed, so jammed packed with details and ideas that a person could probably make a hobby out of listening to this.  

I did find appeal in these elements.  I am an imaginative person with a brain that never turns off.  Listening to something like this really got my creative juices flowing.  Despite what my brain can come up with, I live a pretty boring life.  I’m not saying I don’t like my life but it is boring.  As such, I enjoy music that can take me to places, give me experiences that just aren’t possible.  “Ontology of Nought” has certainly created such a scenario.  I’m still trying to figure out what type of world this album sends me to but it’s completely different and that must be respected.  

I will do my best to talk about each song since there are only five of them, despite their lengths.  I could write a full review for each song but I don’t have that much sanity left after running through this beast.

The album begins with “Uncreation's Whirring Loom You Ply with Crippled Fingers,” and hazy tones, dripped in the mysterious arcane that is often the feeling of the album.  The build up is slow but intense—this song drips anxiety to me.  I don’t know much about jazz but in my research, a lot of other people speak of the jazz leanings.  Is this what I’m hearing before all hell breaks around the 5 minute mark?  Jazz for hell?  It sounds fucked up and the song only gets more depraved from there. 

The drumming is maddening, almost doesn’t even seem human.  In fact, it’s hard to believe all this is only TWO PEOPLE.  I can’t wrap my head around it but the music bends me to its will anyway.  After the 8 minute mark, the song goes into an alien soundscape.  What is happening???   I better go to the next song before I get trapped here.

“Two Weave the Tapestry of Nought,” is weirdly grandiose in the beginning.  Then it feels topsy turvy; I half expected my world to turn upside down and the music to drain out of my years in some form of liquid sludge.  But very early on the song reveals that despite all their randomness, the band IS extreme metal first and foremost.  That violence, that level of uncompromising brutality, is something I held onto for a focus while trying to survive this song.   I think I found something like a rhythm somewhere in all this mess but it’s hard to focus when you have no idea what to expect from second to second.  Is there any ANY band out right now that takes this random vibe to such extremes? There is a clean portion about halfway after a clever solo but the clean notes of this band are just as psychotic as the heavier ones, just on a different plane.  

“The Blossoms of Your Tomorrow Shall Unfold in My Heart,” begins with oddly placed notes and melodic bass that I found captivating.  Will this song be normal?  No, sir.  The chaos ensues very quickly and I felt like my ears were being violated (compliment, by the way).    If the crumbling of a building could be captured and put into audio format….this might be that!  The riffs here are diabolical and I think they made me a little nauseous (another complement, by the way). Near the end clean vocals make an appearance.  Who is she?  Where did she come from?  Metallum says her name is Ava Bonam with no information beyond that.  Well, she sounds great.  Anyway, this song exhausted me and I have to leave.

Ok, I’m back and ready to speak about the last songs. “...Lest I Should Perish with Travel, Effete and Weary, as My Knees Refuse to Bear Me Thither,” is the shortest song on the album, not even 11 minutes long.  Slackers! Ava makes another appearance, her ethereal voice the only gentle element on the entire album.  This song actually unfolds in a smooth, dreamy sort of way.  But it grows darker and twists up in odd spirals as the song builds up.  Waking up from a dream and feeling like you just were put through the ringer is never fun but apparently the band decided to turn that feeling into a song. 

“The Barren Earth Oozes Blood, and Shakes and Moans, to Drink Her Children's Gore,” might be the best song title this year.  This one begins more immediately than the other four because it explodes after one second. But then it pulls back and dances around clean rhythms. Then it goes back into world ending death metal.  This song pulls and pushes from one end of the extreme to the other.  It feels like being put into a blender, turned into gooey paste, frozen into cubes, and then put into a shaker.  

Ultimately, I enjoyed my time with “Ontology of Nought” even though I wasn’t sure what I was listening to—and I’m still not sure.  I like music that steps outside the box and tries for something different. Ingurgitating Oblivion have written an album that exists in a world that never had the box.  But regardless of whether you like it or hate it, it is without a doubt an interesting listen that deserves to be experienced at least once.

Mother Of Graves - The Periapt Of Absence

Mother Of Graves is a melodic death/doom band from Indianapolis, Indiana who formed in 2019.  “The Periapt of Absence,” is their second full-length album; they have also released an EP.

Mother Of Graves’ previous album, “Where Shadows Adorn,” was a fantastic album that found itself among the best of the year 2022.  I can firmly say that “The Periapt of Absence,” is even better and will also find its place on many year end lists.  

Instead of falling into a sophomore slump, the band has managed to craft an album that both hones their sound while expanding it.  The songs are the heaviest they have done yet they are also their most dynamic.  This album is exactly how a band should follow up a well received debut!

The album is, of course, heavy as a coffin filled with lead.  For all their melodic and atmospheric leanings, they are still much darker and more intense than so many other bands out there who do the same style.  It’s an interesting combination; the songs are so goddamn bleak but catchy, engaging, and I could not get them out of my head (although I didn’t want them to leave anyway). 

The production isn’t quite as loud this time around and I think it helps their sound; dark but subtle in ways that allows the details of their music to be explored without anything being overbearing. This album can be enjoyed on a piecemeal basis but works just as well as a straight play through; its 8 song, 45 minute runtime is the perfect length.

The guitars are sweltering but, of course, offer plenty of melodic moments as well.  They are oftentimes, as is the album as a whole, Gothic as well so even at their most intense, everything still has a sort of refined artistry to it.  They might be under the death metal umbrella, but they aren’t the type of band that only wants to push through and be done.  These songs have been carefully crafted and each one takes its time introducing its often subtle layers. 

There is a lot of breathing room in the songs, too.  Although none of them are overly long, they aren’t short either.  The structures are built in a way to let the songs unfurl in a very natural way, offering a lot of room for each instrument to cast its own shadow and add their vision to the songs.

The album opens with “Gallows,” and it immediately intertwines doom, melody, and a powerful rhythm section.  It’s very moving and emotional, in a way that only doom metal can offer.  The band settles into a groove when the vocals kick in; Brandon gives a huge performance here, and the album as a whole, that further cements the fact he is one of the best vocalists in modern doom.  His growls/screams are just simply perfect.

Around the halfway mark, clean tones thrive among liminal spaces as the song takes a deeply introspective route that is, in its own way, just as intense as the minutes that lead up to it.  It builds back up smoothly, in large part because of the bass guitar.  

“A Scarlet Threnody,” has become one of my favorite songs in the final half of the year.  Everything about it is perfect.  The gentle and lush ambient tones present a thoughtful intro as the instruments swirl together.  The floodgates open at the 2:40 mark, death doom flowing out, casting its shadows out over the song’s world.  It’s slow, low, and exactly what I want in a doom song.  The ending is beautiful, a brief section of clean tones before ending in death/doom.  

The title track offers a lot of layers, elements stacking on top of each other, always building towards a great whole.  I love the drumming across the song as well, it's interesting and makes sense at every turn. There isn’t one instrument on the song that takes center stage–each of them meld in expertly.  It’s a wall of sound with a beat.

The final song is “Like Darkness To A Dying Flame,” and it is one of the best songs the band has done so far.  The build up is fantastic—it’s slow but there is a certain energy of anticipation.  It pays off when the drums come in,  hitting hard and pushing the song forward.  Keys blanket the background, accenting the riffs that drop around the 1:30 mark.  The music alternates between riffs, varying tempos, and Gothic textures that swim inside darkly melodic waters. As the song moves towards the halfway mark, the drum and bass take over–a very well done passage!  The band pulls back for a minute, offering a slightly laid back approach that grows back into oppressive death/doom. 

“The Periapt Of Absence,” is an album from a band that has a lot of confidence and the abilities to back that confidence up.  It’s a serious, mature effort that just goes to show how potent the doom genre can be and why we all love it.  This is the next logical step for Mother Of Graves, their best release yet, and it cements their overall style while setting them up for the future.

Ghosheart Nebula - Blackshift

Ghostheart Nebula is a doom metal band from Italy, who formed in 2017.  “Blackshift” is their second full-length album; they have also released an EP.

I reviewed their debut full-length, “Ascension,” for Metal Temple and proclaimed it “the best album their label has released.”  Does their second album match that quality or did they fall victim to sophomore slump?

They didn’t match the quality of their debut…they have surpassed it!  The bands self styled “cosmic doom” takes everything that made their previous release so great and pushes it past boundaries while still remaining true to their core sound.  Interestingly enough, the album picks up exactly where “Ascension” left off so, in many ways, it’s also a companion piece. 

“Blackshift” is a doom album that has all the hallmarks of the genre but introduces even more atmosphere, blackened elements, post, drone,  and a psychedelic/spacey worlds their music grows and thrives inside. 

I want to praise the decision to introduce Lucia Amelia Emmanueli as a part of the band on this second album.  She did guest vocals on the previous one but she is used so much more now—and she definitely helps push their sound to the next level.  Her emotive, ethereal voice is powerful, haunting, and another incredible detail for their songs to present. 

Of course, this is doom metal, so it explores darker themes.  According to their press release, the album explores concepts such as “sunyata,” the Indian philosophical concept for emptiness.  It also features cosmic themes, reflection on human feelings and even takes a scientific route in exploring quantum entanglement theories.  

That’s a lot of introspective topics but they fit into the band’s ghostly brand of cosmic doom and they present it with deep, dark tones.  Once again referring to their PR sheet, “Blackshift” is another reality going down into the deepness of the blackest voidness.  Heavy stuff, heavy music.

The cinematic approach of their music, and their ability to build anticipation, is captured on the intro song, “VdB 141 IC 1805.”   It’s a short but sweet instrumental of ambient noises and electrical fuzz that leads into “Sunya.”

The opening riffs are sad yet layered with atmospheric edges and hints of melody that stick in the mind long after the song has moved on to other areas of darkness.  The vocals alternate between death growls and harrowing screams, capturing the essence of the song’s overall mood.   Lucia’s own vocals are the perfect counterbalance to Maurizio’s own—they make an incredible duo!

I love how the guitars are as adept at casting out actual riffs as they are in taking a liminal, expansive approach when needed.  It’s all integrated very well and plays out smoothly, despite the dark subject matter and music.   With this song, the band has truly embraced what and who they are. 

One of the highlights of the album is “Naught, I” and it is one of their best songs so far.  That opening scream is impressive as are the darkened waves of bleak sundering the guitars and bass cast out.  This song is both violent and epic, using melody at just the perfect moments to heighten the song to a tower presence. 

The drums hit pretty hard, brutal but also intricate and help keep the song grounded even when it’s stretched out among the stars.  The song transforms into a blackened doom segment, offering the true power of the genre just before the halfway mark. From here, the cosmic elements of the band are on full display—it’s bleak, it’s endtime, but it is also strangely beautiful. 

The final half of the song is held together by spoken word and melodic bass—very cool effects, especially with the subtle keys in the background.  The band returns to their blackened post doom to finish out the song in a grand display of death in outer space.

Although I certainly and obviously appreciate the band’s style, it’s also nice to have a more straightforward song.  The title track is that song; it still retains the album’s elements and is certainly atmospheric in its own way but it’s more to the point.  I like how the beginning is an exciting build up, the middle is filled with liminal space, and the ending is insane.  It’s another example of just how well the band can bring to life all their ideas.

The final song, “Orphan of Light,” opens with crushing riffs and frightening death growls.  This song is a monster, slowly taking its time with its inevitable approach. Lucia gets time to shine around the halfway mark and gives a sterling performance. She’s backed by the drums, which are imaginative and complimentary of the song. 

With “Blackshift,” Ghostheart Nebula have upped the game for themselves, doom, and any style of music that is atmospheric or boundary crossing.  Although nothing is official yet, I have been trying to form a “best of” list for 2024 in my head.  “Blackshift” just came and changed the game with this late year stunner.  

Undeath - More Insane

Undeath is one of the best modern death metal bands in the scene right now. The Rochester, New York based band formed in 2018 and released their debut demo the following year. I discovered them with their full-length debut “Lesions of Different Kind” and have been a fan ever since.

I love when a band consistently gets better with each release—Undeath is definitely showing improvement album after album.  They aren't reinventing the wheel but they are making it bigger, better and more…wheelier. .

The point is that everything that makes Undeath good is now making them great as they simultaneously tighten and expand their sound.

They mix it up and wear their influences right on the sleeve but they don't sound like anyone but themselves. 

“More Insane” can be technical, groovy, and even thrashy. They slide in and out of styles so seamlessly that instead of sounding disjointed and aimless, it sounds catchy and focused.

The production is immense….it really captured the pushing essence of the album’s heaviest moments but makes the more vibrant areas of the songs stick out.

The drums and bass have a real heft to them, laying the framework that helps form this rich, deep sounds that brings out the band's ferocity rather than play against it.

The albums opening song, “Dead From Beyond,” is more than enough to convince Even the most discerning metal head. The guitar work drifts in and out between thrashy riffs and intricate notes. The growls and screams are monstrous but the expert mix keeps it all even...every element is powerful but not overpowering each other. 

The halfway mark features the drums going for broke—vicious but razor sharp. The bass and guitars duel it out for speed, carrying the vocals along with them.

“Brandish The Blade” is one of the best songs on the album and one of the best they have ever written. The main rhythm is a pile driving barn burner And gets more and more biting as it moves along, especially when the drums grab the end of it and slap it around. 

When the title of the song is growled right before a snarling “Go!” And the breakdown hits…goddam magical!

“Sutured For War” is held together by clever drumming, highlighting the best parts of the song. About a quarter of the way from the end, the tempo transitions to slow tempo before throwing in a melodic bridge. Very memorable!

The vocal pacing of “Bounty Hunter” is fantastic, leading to slow, intense moments during the chorus and again after the halfway point. This is a short but uncompromising song that shows cases the band at some of their heaviest moments.

The final song, “Bones Clattering In The Cave” is another one of their best songs. The riffs are pure evil—absolutely incredible tone, even in the faster moments. Around the halfway mark the band really brings it: the true power of an unstoppable death metal band is something to behold. 

"More Insane” is more of everything that made Undeath's well established fanbase grow so large.  This is their best album so far and even fans that haven't jumped on this undead bus will want a ride. 

The Crown - Crown of Thorns

 The Crown is a metal institution. There isn't any discussion about that to be had. Even you don't like them (what THE HELL is wrong with you?), their energy, power, and influence cannot be denied.

Formed in 1990 (as Crown of Thorns before being basically forced to change their name), the band has been bringing exhilarating death thrash from the underground for over three decades. That's not nothing nor is it an easy feat. They haven't always had it easy either, calling it quits at least once that I know of. But they persevered and here they are again with their 11th full-length album (12th if you count “Crowned Unholy,” the re-release/re-recording of “Crowned In Terror”).

Speaking of “Crowned In Terror,” that was my introduction to the band…I bought it on a whim after seeing an ad for it in Metal Edge. I had never heard their music before but the cover art looked cool and I was already a fan of Tompa, who provided vocals on the album. I was 18 and blown away once I pushed play on my cd player. I'm now 41 and blown away with “Crown of Thorns,” now that I have pushed play on my mp3 phone app.

The Crown has been with me a long time and, although I certainly like some albums more than others, I don't think they ever released a bad album. And now, over 20 years since I first discovered them, I think they have released one of their best albums.  In fact, “Crown of Thorns,” is their best album since 2003’s “Possessed 13.”

There are a couple notable things about the album.  It is the first album from the band to not feature founding member Magnus Olsfelt.  When his departure was first announced, I was worried how things would proceed.  No offense to him but it, obviously, went better than I could have imagined.  Secondly, another original member returns:  guitarist Marcus Sunesson.  He and Marko Tervonen pick up where they left off…..one of the best guitar duos is back and all his right with this world. 

The whole band sounds so reinvigorated and the album has a fresh, dynamic sound.  The band rips it up like they haven’t done in years.  Two new members, drummer Mikael Norén and bassist Mattias Rasmussen, go a long way in providing this newfound fire.  Both of them bring the band to the next level.  

Hell, even the album artwork from Giannis Nakos’ helped forge the new found.  His work includes a bridge from the band’s  hometown, looping the band’s history back to where everything started.  The band was inspired by the art and focused on creating music that most complimented the piece.

The album begins with “I Hunt With The Devil,” one of the best opening songs I’ve heard in years.  It’s fast, furious, mean and lean—the band focuses on bringing back their hellish, old school sound.  It fucking RIPS.  Johan sounds amazing—this dude doesn’t age.  Despite it’s boundless rage, there is a certain atmosphere presented that makes the song sound magical and exciting.  The chorus is killer, too.  Near the end, the band throws in their always haunting and arcane version of melody.  

“Martyrian,” opens surprisingly sorrowful before the clean guitars transform into a biting melody, propelled by the death thrash the band has crafted so well.  The drums are fantastic—so focused yet you can tell he had a blast doing them.  Fast, crisp, clean but robust and vibrant.  The low end is marvelous, boosting the song to intense levels the band hasn’t visited in a long time.  The lead guitar throws in some melody here and there—the band’s grasp on making their brutal death thrash has always been balanced with a keen sense of melody and never has it made more sense than on this album.

“Howling At The Warfield,” is another highlight.  The vocal cadence, the rhythm in the lyrics is catchy as hell but I love how much the drums compliment the whole song.  It has a few slower parts here and there, expertly intertwined for maximum effect and flow. The last minute or so of the song is full-stop The Crown doing what they do best.

The next song, “The Night Is Now,” is one I keep jamming over and over.  The drumming in the beginning helps set the stage, and the buildup as the other instruments arrive is impressive.  Once again, the drum and vocal rhythm steals the show but check out that groove at the 2:40 mark.  Aaaaaaaaaaaaaarg, it’s so good. 

“The Agitator,” is old school extreme thrash at its finest….the guitars sound like they are about to come loose, crash and burn.  It’s reckless abandon to the extreme and, of course, the bass makes it sound all the better.  This is 1 minute and 50 seconds of devastation. 

The final song is “The Storm That Comes,” and from the opening riff to the last second, it is a gripping song that doesn’t let go.  In my humble opinion, this is one of the best songs the band has ever written.  Everything comes together here, a culmination of not only the album but of the band’s impressive career.  The chorus is insane but the song manages to get even better after the 4 minute mark. 

The Crown has been part of my life for a long time now and I’m pleased to no end that this far into their career, they have released an album this good.   If you’re a fan, you’ll love it instantly.  Even if you have given up on them for whatever reason, this will pull you back in.  “Crown of Thorns,” is a keeper.  

Eight Foot Manchild - Do Spirits Return?

Well, now for something completely different! Before this release, I didn't know anything about the Massachusetts based Eight Foot Manchild. But someone in the band sent me the promo for this album, their fifth EP "Do Spirits Return?" and described it as “doombrass” so I figured why the hell not give it a chance? I love doom and, believe it or not, I was in concert/marching band during my middle and high school years (I played trombone). 

Of course, I sucked so much ass that I gargled my own balls. However, this band does….whatever the opposite of gargling balls is. 

Although sax certainly isn't a stranger to doom (or metal, in general), I can't say I know a lot of bands that also incorporate trombone and tuba into the mix. At the very least, I never would have imagined all these instruments would be in a doom metal band. And a damn good one at that.

The foundation of the band itself is straight up doom: heavy riffs, expressive vocals, and a powerful foundation.  The atmosphere isn't depressing or sad (this isn't funeral doom) but it's certainly dark, laced with moody evilness among horrific tales.

But this isn't doom AND brass. Much like the band stated, this is doombrass! One style couldn't not exist without the other–take away either the doom or the brass and the songs are only half of their ultimate potential. No, this is a TRUE mixture. This is a symbiotic relationship between sounds that shouldn't work together but do.

The production is great. It's just misty enough to provide the hazy fog of unseen horror lurking within. And it's just vibrant enough to capture every instrument. Trust me, every detail across these five songs deserves to be heard. 

Since it's only five songs with about 20 minutes runtime, I will say a little about each one. But I feel my words can't really do something like this justice. Head on over the bandcamp link at the end and jam out. That's the best way to experience this new, unique sound. 

The song is “Monsters Reign” and, like any good first song, it sets the stage for the rest of the album.  If you like this song, it’s a safe bet you’ll enjoy the other four songs.  If not….well, there is zero chance you won’t like it as long as you keep an open mind.  It’s just too damn clever, catchy, engaging, and entertaining.  Of course, those descriptions apply to the EP as a whole as well. 

Despite the inclusion of brass, they don’t feel shoehorned into the songs.  Likewise, the doom elements don’t seem to be added for the hell of it.  Every instrument has its place. I think it’s really awesome the tuba acts as the bass—it’s magnificent and supplies a low end as heavy as any bass guitar.

The vocals are fun—clean with boundless energy but just rough enough when needed. Near the end, the entire band grooves and bangs it out.  I never thought I would say that about any brass instrument but here we are.  

“Tanas Root,” is an immediate song that settles into a big groove early on.  The vocal cadence is huge but matched by the instruments, which feel like doom falling down a rabbit hole, smacking the ground, bursting apart, and reforming into a new beast altogether. 

The sax is an instrument I normally can’t stand—definitely my most hated instrument of all time.  But it sounds great on this song, and the album too of course.  That’s a testament to the band to take something I hate and make it put a smile on my face.

“Circle of Salt,” is a short but MASSIVE song.  The beginning seems fathomless and sinister—if someone asked me to give them an example of what this band sounds like, I’d probably choose this song.  

The (sort of) title track, “Spirits Return,” is another prime example of what this band is capable of and it seems like a companion piece of “Circle of Salt,” which makes sense because that song leads right into this one.  The vocals are occult and ancient—definite horror vibes here!  The drums hit hard, perfectly accenting the groove of the vocals.  I love the ending part, with the liminal spaces hanging between the thump of the tuba and chanting vocals. 

The final song, “The Good Death,” is a trip to the other side you’ll want to take several times.  The brass instruments are theatrical and bombastic, driving their own rhythm to push the song into a powerful vocal performance.  The tempo increases just after the halfway mark—whimsical yet deadly!

Eight Foot Manchild is a band that I never thought I would hear playing music that I never thought would exist.  The best thing is, it’s more than just novelty—this is some seriously great music…doom, brass, or otherwise.  Doom metal needs this, even if it may not be ready for it.  I hope they put out a full-length soon, ready or not here they come!