Church of Misery - "And Then There Were None" (Album Review)

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 04/03/2016

Label: Rise Above Records

Apart from the short, blissed-out instrumental “Suicide Journey” all of the songs here stick to the same classic formula, but the songwriting is tighter than ever, with every track hitting the spot particularly “Doctor Death” with its chillingly familiar snippets of UK news coverage of Harold Shipman.  Against the odds, Church of Misery have delivered their strongest album to date. Whatever fate throws at the band next, it’s clearly only going to make them stronger.  

“And Then There Were None” CD//LP track listing:

1. The Hell Benders
2. Make Them Die Slowly
3. Doctor Death
4. River Demon
5. Confessions of an Embittered Soul
6. Suicide Journey
7. Murderfreak Blues

The Review:

The years spent obsessing over serial killers have clearly taught Church of Misery something about cheating death.  The Tokyo riff cult seemed doomed following the departure of the entire band save bassist and musical mastermind Tatsu Mikami at the end of their 2014 European tour. Apparently this was nothing but a minor setback as Mikami soon found willing recruits to his murderous cause resulting in new album “And Then There Were None”.

The fact that little has changed musically this time around is testament to the power and clarity of Mikami’s artistic vision. He hasn’t surrounded himself with stagnant session musicians though as the band’s trademark doomed-out, Sabbath-worshipping boogie sounds fresher than ever. Dave Szulkin brings a fuzzier, bluesier quality to the guitar while Earthride’s Eric Little provides the necessary, powerhouse drumming. The biggest change from previous Church of Misery releases are the vocals provided by Scott Carlson of death-metallers Repulsion. Past albums have been graced with feral, aggressive snarls, channelling the savage nature of the songs’ depraved subjects. Carlson delivers these tales of terror with an almost punk sneer, the loss of aggression adequately compensated by increased lyrical clarity. This is particularly chilling when detailing the sickening acid bath details of John George Haigh’s exploits in “Make Them Die Slowly”.

Previous Church of Misery albums have suffered from an inability to capture the raw power of their live shows and a tendency to err on the repetitive side. The fact that “And Then There Were None” was rehearsed and recorded in two weeks has given it an urgency and energy missing in the past. Apart from the short, blissed-out instrumental “Suicide Journey” all of the songs here stick to the same classic formula, but the songwriting is tighter than ever. Every track hits the spot particularly “Doctor Death” with its chillingly familiar snippets of UK news coverage of Harold Shipman and the lumbering, Sleep-tinged groove of “Murderfreak Blues”.

Against the odds, Church of Misery have delivered their strongest album to date. Whatever fate throws at the band next, it’s clearly only going to make them stronger.

“And Then There Were None” is available here

Band info: facebook

Blood Farmers - Headless Eyes (Album Review)

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 01/03/2014

Label: Resurrection Records/PATAC Records

‘Headless Eyes’ CD/LP track listing:

1). Gun Shot (06:17)

2). Headless Eyes (10:49)

3). The Creeper (04:51)

4). Thousand-Yard Stare (06:34)

5). Night of the Sorcerers (10:15)

6). The Road Leads to Nowhere (David Hess Cover)(05:59)

Bloodfarmers is:

David Szulkin | Bass, Guitars, Keyboards, Vocals

Tad Leger | Drums

Eli Brown | Vocals

Review:

A little bit Corrosion of Conformity, a little bit Black Sabbath Vol 4, and a lot of St Vitus, and Pentagram.  That’s pretty much what you'll get with Blood Farmers' album "Headless Eyes". Those of you who prefer Speed Metal, and lightning fast tunes with brain-smashing blistering guitar pyrotechnics can just stop reading now, and return to mastering that Dragonforce song on Guitar Hero.  You need not apply!!

However, if Dark Chocolate Covered Doomy Goodness and Soul Crushing Guitar Tones is your thing, stick with me.  As mentioned, the first track "Gut Shot" is a pretty standard Goo Goo Cluster of Doom Metal. This one does not make the often fatal mistake of going for ten minutes, relying mainly on one riff. The second track, the title song, "Headless Eyes" stands out much more.  Here, we have some voice in the background which must be taken from a movie or TV show. You know what I mean.
Think Iron Maidens "The Prisoner", or White Zombie. This voice continues to pop up now and then and almost comment on the mood of the song, which is clearly the best part. Headless Eyes DOES paint a nice dark and spooky portrait. 

I think what I like about this song is that it contains all the classic touches all doom bands use, the "Iommi Guitar Tones", the heavy plodding drums, and subtle vocal harmonies. Not to mention a good ripping solo. That’s something I think more Doom bands should use. It breaks up the monotony of a slow lumbering doom riff, which can be an Achilles heel.  So, two tracks in, and so far, so good.

Track Three "The Creeper" starts out with Bass Wah.  We loves Bass Wah when it's all dark and fuzzy. Oh Yes, Precious.  Soon comes the wailing solo riding over it, and some faint heavy riffs in the backdrop. A nice, almost pleasant and Stoner-ey kind of mood piece, this of course, is to set you up for that moment when the guitars and bass and drums start smashing your skull. Everybody does that.  It doesn't stay like that long, and then goes into a much more rocking melody, which while it did kind of remind me of the second half of Black Sabbath's ‘Symptom of the Universe’, also shows that Blood Farmers don't use the standard Doom Cookie Cutter when songwriting.  I appreciate that. This is a pretty nice instrumental song.

All in all, I'm gonna give this one a thumbs up. A bigger one if you are a doom fan.
It turns out; Blood Farmers have a pretty good pedigree, since forming in '89 and performed with some of the bands I've previously mentioned.  This, no doubt, has influenced their sound, which can also mean that a band can get pigeon-holed into a certain genre. A good doom band doesn't just dive into the plodding, low droning melodies and stay there for ten minutes, expecting you to pretend not to get bored after 7.  A good doom band gives you some changes in the song, or a new heavy driving riff for a few measures or a wailing solo to perk up the bleak soul-crushing landscape of the song.

Despite the increasing obsession to categorize every band into a genre, which is something I intensely dislike, I’m going to be a little hypocritical and say, "Yes. This is Doom Metal." However, in case you missed the point I've been hammering on about, Blood Farmers occasionally climb out of that labelled jar, and offer bits and pieces to make things interesting all the way through each song. I really like that. There is some impressive guitar work to be heard here, and if you dismiss this album because of the genre, you'll miss out.

Blood Farmers are a good Doom band, and in my opinion, "Headless Eyes" is a good album.  I'm hoping they come around to my neck of the woods. I think I need to see them live.

Words by: Mike Borsum

You can pick up a CD here and vinyl here

For more information:

https://bloodfarmers.wordpress.com/