By: Richard Maw
“Dead
End” CD//DD//LP track listing:
The Review:
One
of the most exciting and original doom bands to emerge in the last few years, R.I.P.
Have really knocked it out of the park on this one. The intro is more akin to a
Wu-Tang Clan
album and when the track “Judgement
Night” kicks in... it's obvious that the band mean business. “Dead
End” is their best album yet. Why? Read on...
Their
debut, “In The Wind”, was cool- great artwork, some good songs and
excellent song titles. Their sophomore, “Street Reaper”, is a record I have
played a fair bit over the last couple of years- it had a grimy street vibe,
encapsulated by the front cover photo. Very cool, very American- and quite
different thematically to most doom out there. “Dead End” is a meaner and
nastier proposition than both.
Whether
this is in the doom sphere is very much open to debate. The opening few tracks
here are pretty fast and furious. There is precedent for this in the genre (Hallows Victim!)
but it's pretty unusual. This sounds as much like frantic street punk or even
proto-metal as it does like doom. “One
Foot In The Grave” is pacey and full of attitude- it's fantastic in the
same way The
Stooges were.
There
is a cowbell on “Death Is Coming”
(bonus points achieved) to match a seriously killer vibe. The fact is, this is
cool- it's not wizards and warriors, it's retro films and black leather- worn
in a climate that is really too hot for it. The record is focused without being
samey (thus outstripping the debut) and varies tempos to good effect. This
never creeps into endless two chord drudgery at a snail's pace, instead opting
for mid tempo or faster most of the way. It's a master stroke as that sets the
band apart from 90% of the 'doom' competition immediately.
Importantly,
there are good hooks here; the title track is really catchy and you'll find
yourself singing the chorus to yourself, along with a few of the other tracks.
Naturally, there is a creepy instrumental in the form of “Buried Alive” to match the excellent “Streets of Death” intro and then the album signs off in some style
with two tracks blasting out from the crypt.
The
riffs on “Out of Time” and elsewhere
are straightforward and all the better for it. There is as much of the MC5
as there is Saint
Vitus, but, crucially, the band is its own entity. In an ocean of Sabbath/Vitus/TGOS/Electric
Wizard clones, R.I.P. don't really sound like any of them-
even if there are aspects of any band mentioned in this review to be found. By
the time they sign off with “Dead Of The
Night”, you should be convinced. This is different, pretty daring and
definitely one of best albums of the year in the doom/stoner sphere. Come to the dark side. You won’t regret it.
“Dead
End”
is available HERE
