WEED PRIEST - "Weed Priest"

It seems that the life of an Irish stoner doom band is one that moves along slowly at its own pace. Since their inception way back in 2008, Galway's Weed Priest have taken their time over material released and waited a whole three years before revealing their first demo. Since then the band have been honing their sound to perfection whilst mired in a fog of smoke, occult thoughts and long ago tales of witchcraft! Now in 2013 they have returned with their debut self titled studio album, six tracks of intense stoner doom riffs and melodies!

As always with me the first thing of note is the album artwork and the green and black stand out massively to my eye and give the whole release a very old school feel. On pressing play on the disc you are greeted by a cold droning tone and the dialogue from a session at a psychiatrists before a slowed down and heavy bass melody kicks in, leading effortlessly into down tuned riff-age which rises to crescendo before unloading it's weight  slowly and methodically. 

As the doom and intensity increases in come the harsh guttural howls of the vocals and finally each piece if the Weed Priest puzzle is in place and resonating with full force off of every wall and surface as 'Final Spell' casts it's magic upon it's audience.

As the crushingly heavy and immensely pleasing 'Final Spell' fades, so rises 'Erichtho' ... a track which retains the bands bass heavy feel whilst adding just a little bit more groove and funk but also never letting those heavy vibes drop for a second! Interestingly enough the echo like quality on the vocals reminds me some what of Domkyrkan favourites Serpent Omega and their track 'Smoke Ritual'... indeed the effects and mastering feel very similar to me. Equally as captivating and shrouded in mystery and layers of smoke filled haze is 'Walpurgia' whose eerie tones help Weed Priest further build their mystique and bolsters their heavy monolithic sound.

With a smooth feel  in tow it is easy to cruise along with 'Thy Kingdom Gone' as the band step up a gear once more for what is one of the stand out tracks of the album and one that leads onto the more abrasive title track 'Weed Priest'. Closing things out is 'Day Of Reckoning' which brings to an end an album that whilst not the most diverse is still an intense listening experience, slow, dark, troubling and creepy as well as drenched in old school doom charm very much along the lines of Electric Wizard. I for one will be keeping close tabs on this talented band to see what their next offering brings to the table.

8/10 - Luke Hayhurst

Weed Priest [Facebook]

Weed Priest [Bandcamp]

SEDULUS + Moghul + Caravan Of Whores + Space Witch @ Gullivers - Manchester

Once more Submerge Promotions are descending upon Gulliver's in Manchester for an all out night of Doom! Headlining the show on Friday 10th May will be...

SEDULUS

London's psychedelic Stoner Metal four piece currently have their self titled EP out now and it is available as a name your price download on their bandcamp as is previous EP 'Perseids'. Both are well worth getting a hold of a physical copy though so bear that in mind!

Sedulus [Facebook]

Sedulus [Bandcamp]

Also on the bill and currently promoting their 2012 self titled EP comes Birmingham based Sludge Doom band Moghul. 

Moghul [Bandcamp]

Moghul [Facebook]

Currently promoting their current EP entitled 'Road To Kurti'... Caravan of Whores are travelling up north  from Oxfordshire for this show to once more bring the groove and the riffs to those who crave it!

Caravan of Whores [Bandcamp]

Caravan of Whores [Facebook]

Last but not least is Space Witch from Stoke On Trent whose brand new EP 'The Alchemy Paradox' is out on 30th April!

Space Witch [Bandcamp]
Space Witch [Facebook]

If you can get down to this one and support the bands and the excellent Submerge Promotions! What better way is there to spend your Friday night?

Submerge Promotions [Facebook]

WARDENCLYFFE - Ordo Ab Chao [Demo]

I suppose it goes without saying but I am an avid music lover. I’m sure I am not alone in stating that one of the greatest moments for an Metal obsessed music connoisseur is to feast upon the first ever demo from a new band. Well that is what I have here and let me tell you it fills my heart and soul with joy to tell you it is an absolute stunner! Hailing from Sweden comes a Doom/Death Metal trio that really gets my blood pumping!  Wardenclyffe are a band to be excited about, very excited and their debut three track demo entitled ‘Ordo Ab Chao’ has the ability to bewitch and ensnare your mind within the first few moments of opening track ‘Orcadian Dream’!

Ah yes ‘Orcadian Dream’! If awards were given for the best opening moments of a release this one would be a real contender. A rumble of static and feedback greets you before eerie cold guitar tones rise slowly from the roaring fire of reberb. It is pure unadulterated Doom atmosphere at its finest and once complete leads into a slow, methodical and enthralling Death/Doom sound. With crushing intent Wardenclyffe set about their business in this opening track which tells a tale of Gomorrah, one of the cities in the Old Testament who had fire and brimstone reigned down upon it as punishment for man’s sin! Vocally Jacob Nordangard shares a striking resemblance with Nevermore singer Warrel Dane (In vocal style I mean) but it’s his lyrics that are so captivating…

“In the dreams of tomorrow lies the grief of Gomorrah, walk the path of destruction, the fall. Too few that heeds the warning, the fate for all is dawning, feel the nails got hammered through our hands”

Equally ‘Behind the Shadow of the Goat’ is fast to work its magic upon you with its quicker pace, darker connotations and its heavily occult moods! Again Wardenclyffe’s lyrical prowess is on show for all to hear and within moments you shall once more be singing along!

“Watch the flames consume the notion, walk the stairs to deep delusion, I now seek the true devotion, break the spell of the grand illusion”

As a grand finale you can’t go far wrong with the sluggish and monolithic ‘Macroshift’ which once more sees the band dragging the depths to bring forth monstrous and savage riffs, dark fearsome atmospheres and overall a tremendous sense of oppression in the form of cavernous tones! Wardenclyffe’s sound to date is of a demo band, this is not some polished and overly mastered piece of music that is to be mass produced and shrink wrapped for the masses, oh no, this is a dirty piece of Swedish Doom and the demo sound works wonders for the aura that it produces. I am certain that the time will come for Wardenclyffe to make the polished album that they deserve to make, but for now revel with me in the squalor if this filthy demo and its harrowing sound!

Luke Hayhurst [8.5/10]

Wardenclyffe [Facebook]

Interview with Simon from UK Doom lords GREENHORN!

As autumn dawned on 2012 a few good men from Dorset became one and formed the UK’s newest Doom force GREENHORN! It may have only been a short time but Greenhorn have already graced the pages and cover CD of Terrorizer and unveiled their debut EP ‘The Plague Doctors Mask’! So with such a quick and positive start I thought it was about time to delve into the bands thinking to see just how they feel about their progress so far!

Thanks for taking the time out to speak to me guys; it’s been a whirlwind first few months has it not?

It certainly has! It’s only been 6 months since our first show, where we lucky enough to support Earthtone9, but I feel like the band has come on a bit, and changed a fair amount since then.

In the space of just a few months you have released an EP, graced Terrorizer and picked up many fans both at home and abroad, has everything gone to plan or are you surprised at how well things are going so far?

I would say, we are pleasantly surprised at how things are taking off. The response since Terrorizer has been really positive and we were pretty blown away by the comments the made. That said, I do feel like we have worked hard to get ourselves out there.

Starting with your inclusion on the terrorizer CD, how did that come about?

We just emailed them a link to a track, and asked if they liked it! They did, and before we knew it, we were filling out release forms for the next issue!

Have you had much feedback from people following them hearing you on the CD?

Yeah, we have quite a lot of emails from people asking for copies of the EP and saying that they enjoyed the track they put out. I think, the fact that we have had some good feedback from them certainly hasn't harmed our cause!

You have also released your debut EP ‘The Plague Doctors Mask’. Where did the inspiration come from for this release and how did you choose the name?

The name came from an episode of “An Idiot Abroad”! Not very Doom at all! Where the guys dressed up at some ball in Vienna and Warwick Davis, wore a plague doctors mask. It kind of sparked an interest in it for me, and the more I looked into it, and that period of history, we just felt it was a name we really liked, and was a bold title, that hopefully people would remember!

My favourite track is of course ‘Witches Bridle’ which covers the North Berwick witch trials, a subject already heavily covered by bands such as Cathedral. What was it about this traditional Doom material that compelled you to go down this route?

It felt like our most “doom” song to date, and yeah, we aren't alone in covering it, but for me it is something i find fascinating. The song is based on the life of Agnes Simpson, who was wrongfully (obviously!) branded as a Witch and accused of treason. She was forced into a confession and we all know how it ended. Witches bridle is actually the name of one of the instruments they used to torture “witches” by forking their mouths open, holding their tongues down and so obviously they would confess just to try and find some relief.

I find this period of history so compelling, and when you think about it,. People, can be very barbaric, cruel creatures.

In your time as a band have you come across and bands that you’d consider friends? Bands that you’d share a stage with whenever possible?

Yeah I think so. I would name check fellow Dorset bruisers In The Hills, Dead Trails, and both the guys (and girl!) in Caravan Of Whores and Witchsorrow have been really cool with us.

What music were you all listening too as teenagers? Which bands popped your Metal cherry so to speak?

Shit, so many different bands! Probably nothing like what we listen too now! All the obvious NWOBHM bands, Nirvana, Biffy, even some punk rock. The good stuff, none of this New Found Glory drivel. That shit,offends me. Music for people, who don’t like music!

Which bands would you say directly influence Greenhorns sound?

The two bands that we mentioned to start with would have been Mastadon, and Iron Monkey. We LOVE Electric Wizard. I would say EW are more an inspiration, than an influence, as we aren't conventional Doom in the same way they are.

Finally can you tell me what’s next for Greenhorn?  Do you have any tour plans or another release planned perhaps? What can we expect?

As if you didn't know! There are some big plans, for next year. I think its fair to say, we are planning a tour, but we will keep quiet for now on who else might be coming out with us! Needless to say, I think it will be pretty special.

We have been in touch with a few promoters, and should have some good shows soon, but for now I think we a re keen to write and get a follow up to the EP out as soon  as we can.

There are a few other little surprises bubbling away under the surface, but were keeping that to our selves for now!

Be sure to check out Greenhorn and their 'The Plague Doctors Mask' EP at the bands Facebook page!

Greenhorn [Facebook]

NEWS: Serpent Omega/Greenhorn/Iron Hearse Releases Available & New Serpent Omega Live Vid!

For those of you not already in the know there is something special out there right now waiting for you to listen too it. I am of course talking about something filthy and aggressive from the nation of Sweden, the self titled debut album of one SERPENT OMEGA!

Released through English label Mordgrimm on vinyl only and sporting the superb artwork you can see above, this album features seven murky, dark and grueling tracks of dirty Sludge Doom with some Black Metal influence thrown in for good measure! This album will make you lose your mind so make sure you get a copy of the record, and if you don't have a record player, Get One! Or just buy the MP3's, you won't regret it! 

Serpent Omega [Bandcamp]

Serpent Omega [Website]

Serpent Omega [Facebook]

Not only that but from their show last week with Finnish band Hooded Menace is a video taken by one of the fans on hand to witness their crushing set...

SERPENT OMEGA Live @ Debaser!

If you don't believe me about just how good this album is have a listen to one of the tracks off of the album...  'Smoke Ritual'

In other news UK Doom outfit GREENHORN also have a new release out that is well worthy of your time and attention! 'The Plague Doctors Mask' EP features three excellent tracks the best of which 'Witches Bridle' harnesses the best elements of Doom Metal and evokes the memory of the witch hunts during the time of Cromwell.

Greenhorn [Facebook]

Not only that but Greenhorn have featured on the Terrorizer CD so make sure you get a copy of that!

Last but by no means least there is a cracking new album out now from UK Doom Lords IRON HEARSE! Entitled 'Get In The Hearse' this is eight tracks of catchy old school Doom, Hard Rock and great tunes! Eight tracks of utter riff worship! Be sure to get your hands on a copy, you won't regret it! 

Iron Hearse [Bandcamp]

Iron Hearse [Facebook]

Once again if you don't believe me have a listen for yourself!

UNDERSMILE + Ishmael + Grimpen Mire + Bastard Of The Skies

Once more from Submerge Promotions comes another night of Doom!

Headlining at Gulliver's in Manchester on Saturday 1st June will be Oxfordshire based Drone/Sludge four piece UNDERSMILE whose new split release with their own alter ego Coma Wall 'Wood & Wire' is out now!!

Undersmile [Facebook]

Travelling up from Plymouth and acting as main support will be those dark and aggressive beings of Sludge Doom band ISHMAEL who released their debut album 'Hell Is Empty And All The Devils Are Here' last year!

Ishmael [Facebook]

Fellow UK Sludge Doom act GRIMPEN MIRE are also on the bill and are currently promoting their brand new album 'A Plague Upon Your Houses'.

Grimpen Mire [Facebook]

Last but not least is the superbly named BASTARD OF THE SKIES whose 2012 album 'Tarnation' is a really cracking release!

Bastard Of The Skies [Facebook]

I hope you'll all join me at this one as it's going to destroy all!!

Event Page [Facebook]

IRON HEARSE - 'Get In The Hearse'

As voted for by your the Domkyrkan readers tonight s review shall be UK Doom lords IRON HEARSE, so here goes...

From the Doom Metal heartland that is Swindon... Yeah... comes a whose career can be summed up in two halves as it were, both culminating in a full length album release. Forming in 2001 Iron Hearse set about their business by releasing three demo's in consecutive years. 2002 saw their debut demo 'A Slow & Heavy Ride' (Incidentally a song on this album) whilst 2003 saw the band return with their second and self titled demo whilst 2004 witnessed their 'Ruins of Doom' demo. In 2005 the band stepped things a gear with the 'Peddle The Metal' EP before finally in 2006 they stepped up to the plate and released their debut and self titled full length studio album!

In terms of releases the band then hit a dry spell and a gap of four long whole years would open up before them like a void before finally in 2010 they returned with their 'Lunar Funeral' Ep quickly followed in the same year by a split release with American Doom Metal tyrants Leather Nun. Rather than stick to their early days mantra of one release a year Iron Hearse would wait until 2012 before offering up a live DVD from Doomsday IV but in terms of actual new material the band waiting, for this...

2013 has sen the return of Iron Hearse in a big way, that being the release of their sophomore studio album entitled 'Get In The Hearse' through Snake Mountain Records. 

Opening with the short and to the point 'Wolf Clergy' Iron Hearse get straight down to business and even include a cowbell count in, what more could you want? What you get is straight up old school Doom Metal with no thrills just riffs, lots of down tuned groove drenched riffs and clean/sleazy vocals that let you hear what the band are singing about.

"You'd better hope you find you're way back home, before the wolf clergy devour your bones, those silver bullets are just out of reach, don't ever listen to them preach"

For me this is a smack in the face of those of a religious persuasion and in particular those behind the pulpit feeding their clergy lies on a weekly basis! 

Next up is the previously mentioned 'A Slow & Heavy Ride' which was once used as a demo name although not a song on said demo. Increasing the groove and the down tuned majesty this track glides along effortlessly and is a true example of the goodness of the riff! Lyrics such as "Nobody Else Is By Your Side, It's A Slow & Heavy Ride" and "This World Can Be Dark & This World Can Be Cold, It Feels Like You've Got No Soul" take little explaining but channel into something that many of us feel on a day to day basis!

Changing things up a little bit yet again is 'Vessels of Astaroth' which incorporates a touch of the psychedelic into the mixture but tempered by some wonderful heavy Doom riffs that crash into you with real might! 'Hydra's Children' as you can hear in the video above is more straight up Doom in style and a tremendous feast of riffs, fast throbbing bass play and guitar solos that melt into the fabric of the album whilst 'Aint No New Thing' screams of a Heavy Metal influence as once more Iron Hearse just cruise on by, almost on an auto-pilot of hard riffs and catchy tunes! 

More solos follow during 'Orion's Sword' and combined with the perpetual beat and the fact that the band put emphasis and great tunes rather than ultra technical ability, you'll be tapping your feet and nodding your head throughout! Slower and more intensely heavy and doomed out is 'Black Sermon' which releases more solid fat riffs into the atmosphere and trundles along nicely at it's own pace before the albums finale 'The Ultimate Atomic Man' which leaves you on a crazy high of fast stoner like riff-age and hypnotically catchy tunes!

So remember... this aint no new thing, it's just all about the riffs!

[8/10 - Luke Hayhurst]

Iron Hearse [Facebook]

Iron Hearse [Bandcamp]