ORIGINAL LINK TO ARTICLE IN THIRD EYE CINEMA
When “on her black wings” came on, it was quite a shock. Here I was, expecting some subpar Danzig cover, and got something different entirely.
Picture Jeff Walker vocals (perhaps a little deeper toned and whispery, but definitely in that tonality) over a chugging riff that could almost belong to Carcass, but with a dry and mids heavy Danzig guitar tone, with almost demo quality lead fills throughout. The actual solo does smack heavily of John “Christ” Knoll.
So how do you classify this, black n’ roll? The band themselves lean on Venom’s Black Metal (though “more amber in colour, and it gets you drunk”!), but this is hardly the USBM biker band thing where they swipe in equal measures from early Bathory, Venom and Motorhead. No, this is slower, more bluesy and pretty damn cool in their self assurance and willingness to step out and make their own way.
Yeah, I’m hearing a lot of early Danzig in the sound, but it’s hardly a xerox, more like married to blackthrash or sludgy blackened doom like Goatlord…just bluesier, more consonant, of more appeal to fans of 90’s acts like Non-Fiction (another band who kept things low and slow with that same nasty mids-driven guitar tone).
And then comes “carved in stone”, all Young brothers riffing with backing gang chants ripped straight from Bon Scott era AC/DC (complete with a “TNT” oy! oy!, yet). How about the traditional doom riffing of “daemon in a bottle”? …yeah, weird stuff when married to these whisper-snarled vox, but right up our alley.
If you dig any of the bands or styles aforementioned, you’ll probably enjoy the hell out of this one. Just crack open a Fosters, throw a shrimp on the barbie and watch out for rabbits. This particular vegemite sandwich goes down pretty damn sweet.