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PLACE OF SKULLS - "WITH VISION"
WITCHCRAFT - "S/T"
YOB - "CATHARSIS"
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PLACE OF SKULLS
"WITH VISION" [ CD - Southern Lord ]
From the opening snare crack of "Last Hit", the first track on the new Place of
Skulls CD, "With Vision", it is clear that this CD lives up to the spirit of
Jimi Hendrix' words, "Ain't no game we're playin' here..."
Two words come right to the forefront - Tim Tomafuckinselli! His drumming on
"With Vision" can only be called epic. From the sweet sound of wooden drums to
the flawless delivery and striking power on display here, the result is
riveting.
Dynamics abound, and the groove is clearly present in every passage.
This brings to mind the master, John Bonham. Monster drums that sound
strikingly heavy in tone, with precise delivery and ample dynamics.
Victor Griffin has created a doom/hard rock masterpiece. "With Vision" shows a
marked improvement in almost every area from his past works. Songwriting on
this outing shows a return to darker doomier riffs than on "Nailed".
The vocals on this one, especially Victor's work, really convey a sense of emotional
depth, soul and power not felt in much of his previous work. This is heard best
in tracks like "Lost" and "The Monster."
Wino's pieces, particularly "Long Lost Grave" and "Willfully Blind", reflect the heartfelt
delivery and melodic soul that is a hallmark of all that he does. His role on this
outing seems to be more of a supportive one, thickening the wall of guitars, and throwing down a
scorching lead here and there. Really strong tandem vocals with Victor on the
opener "Last Hit" start the album off on a powerful note, but "Long Lost Grave"
may contain some of Wino's most soulful and dynamic vocals ever.
"Willfully Blind" is especially worthy of note, as it draws most strongly from
all the members'input. From the work on this song, one can clearly hear what
each individual has brought to the band, from the tone and feel of Griffin to
the lyrics of Wino and the songwriting of bassist Greg Turley.
Turley also brings some strong personality to the recording. With a fat bass tone and some
interesting higlights he proves his worth repeatedly. As one particular
example, check his bass slides in the breaks of "Last Hit", they provide a
surge of power at a critical juncture.
Sadly, Greg has since left the band to concentrate solely on his longtime unit
Countershaft. Place of Skulls fans need not worry though. His replacement, not
heard on "With Vision", is Dennis Cornelius, mastermind behind the defunct Oversoul, and
current Revelation guitarist.
Songs like "Silver Cord Breaks" and "The Monster" reflect a maturity missing
from much of todays hard rock music, especially the stonerrock set. For you
straight up doom freaks, sink your ears into "The Watchers", a piece sung by
Wino [sadly, Wino has left the band as well to concentrate solely on The
Hidden Hand -ed].
The mix on "With Vision" will pleasantly surprise heavy music freaks the world
over. Working closely again with producer/engineer Travis Wyrick and recording
at Lakeside Studios, the cd is bottom heavy, thick and full. The warm sonics
and powerful punch on this disc are incredible.
You are Roadburn readers, you want heavy. Well, this is the one folks!!!
wombat
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WITCHCRAFT
"S/T" [ CD - Rise Above Records ]
Witchcraft "S/T" should be emblazoned with a HUGE health-warning sticker, as should you, the listener
suffer from motion sickness... BE WARNED!!! As the speed with which this blissfully anachronistic heavy
rock album sucks you down, a delirious time tunnel would warp the mind of H.G Wells himself.
Fabulous Furry freak Brothers!!! Forget about bellbottom jeans man, this is flared music for
the turned on brothers and sisters, like, far freaking out! I’m not too sure how prevalent freak
flags are these days but after a few spins of Witchcraft "S/T" one feels compelled to locate
one and fly the damn thing sky high, onus on the high.
I thought I was prepared for this album from the various other reviews I had read, but like
the first dog they shot into space I was misinformed about the simplicity of the exercise! After the first
listen I was totally spun out [not an unpleasant sensation I must add].
When people say doom I immediately think of big granite riffs wide enough to parade elephants on, while
this CD has far more in common with the loose-knit progressive vibe-outs of heavier 70’s hemp
rockers, Tull, Wishbone Ash, Uriah Heep rather than Iommi's deathblues. It’s folksier and laidback rather
than bombastic, and the music is far more spacious and ambient with none of the fearful roar of
bands like Las Cruces or Warhorse etc.
The general consensus which is impossible not to share are the fan-boy Pentagram shadings on this
album, as the songs that do lumber off into the darker woods of proto-doom are indelibly branded
by the spectre of Bobby Liebling, right down to Magnus Pelander’s eerie evocation of
Lieblings’ ghoulish crooning. One track that does pack some authentic doom tonnage
is "Her Sisters They Were Weak" [stone cold classic mate].
Is this album any good though? Yes it is, very, very good but it is not an immediate listen, like many of
the gatefold albums of the 1970’s it needs to be appreciated in it’s entirety with several attentive
sittings, eventually Witchcraft’s spooky ganja grooves settle on you like lysergic
moss, and the cumulative hit is elegiac, potent and all rock.
In some households this album is bound to cause much confusion as should a parent from the Woodstock
era walk past their child’s bedroom room and get a righteous hit of Witchcraft "S/T" they are liable to have a
kaleidoscopic flashback, and then furiously question the release date of this album, as 2004 is clearly a
fraudulent claim.
Rise Above records have contrived a successful way to market a long forgotten progressive doom
rock band whose dusty master tapes have only recently been unearthed and released in their
warm, fuzzily beguiling, analogue glory. Witchcraft are not a retro rock act, they are a living, breathing
sonic immersion tank, one that you can submerge yourself in and bliss out in at your leisure.
Album highlights are: "Her Sisters They Were Weak’, flute’s and millstone heavy guitars intermingle
to create a gloriously heady doom-laden anthem. Other memorable tracks include:
"Witchcraft", "The Snake", "What I Am", "No Angel or Demon" and "You Bury Your Head."
Tune in, turn up and bong out [If you will excuse the crass pun this truly is a bewitching album].
jason
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YOB
"CATHARSIS" [ CD - Abstract Sounds Ltd ]
YOB are a band that combines equal amounts of space of power, songwriting and jam ability. Stylistically
they fall into a category of new school power doom, but with some old school metal thrown in
and even a touch of psychedelia. Think "Jerusalem" meets a less grungy sounding "Come My Fanatics" with an
early Melvins gait to it.
As for the vocals, lead singer Mike Sheidt sounds like Lori Crover channeling the voice of Stephen
Pearcy [Ratt]. If that vocal description sounds slightly frightening to you, rest assured
that it is a cool voice [if perhaps an acquired taste] and it is entirely refreshing to
hear a vocalist that can actually sing.
There are moments of guttural 'cookie monster' doom vox mixed in, and these work really well
when contrasted with the higher pitched singing.
YOB's greatest strength is their reverence for space and the way they parlay that into
an unhurried songwriting style that is slow and deliberate, and [most importantly] has something
to say. This is a group that builds their songs from the ground up. One chord appears, is
repeated, is joined by another chord and another until slowly it builds into a riff
which eventually evolves into a song.
The songs are then adorned and fleshed out with the contrasting vocal style and some mid- to
uptempo parts. Each of the three very long tracks [7, 18 and 23 minutes] exhibits some of the
constantly evolving progressions that characterize good psychedelic music as well.
"Catharsis" is a well-crafted, well recorded, great sounding record that place YOB as part of
an emerging U.S. doom movement that includes Orodruin, The Lair of the Minotaur and The Mighty Nimbus
as well as veterans like Penance, Negative Reaction and While Heaven Wept.
This is a really solid debut record that demands your attention."
drew
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