ALBUM REVIEW: Sorcerer, "Lamenting of the Innocent"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 29/05/2020

Label: Metal Blade Records

“Lamenting of the Innocent” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Persecution (intro)
2. The Hammer of Witches
3. Lamenting of the Innocent
4. Institoris
5. Where Spirits Die
6. Deliverance
7. Age of the Damned
8. Condemned
9. Dance with the Devil
10. Path To Perdition
11. Hellfire (Bonus Track – only available on Digipak CD)

The Review:

Nordic doomsters Sorcerer return with their third full length album. As eagle eyed readers of the blog will know, I'm a fan of the first two records, which I reviewed glowingly. Can the band strike gold (figuratively and not in terms of sales, sadly) again?

First impressions are good- a minute long intro reveals an excellent sound and mix. First track proper, “The Hammer of Witches”, is the business- triplet pacing and a real headbanger of a track. Trad doom like this is always best when it doesn't actually stray that far from trad metal and “Lamenting of the Innocent” does not disappoint in that regard.

From the epically lengthy title track to the acoustic “Deliverance”, the album is like a lengthy trad metal album in terms of structure and content; some tracks rock hard, some up the slow and low content. It's dark and epic in equal measure. At ten tracks it is arguably a little long (and yes, there is an intro and an acoustic track in that number) as many of the songs push past the seven and eight minute mark- certainly, listening to this in full requires a serious time investment. That said, what would you rather have? More music or less music?!

Even on tracks such as “Age of the Damned”- which I would count as a little weaker than some others- there are good melodies and catchy vocal lines which lift it far above plodding status. The fact of the matter is that there is nothing bad on here and the majority of the material is good/great. The histrionics of “Dance With The Devil” would fit right onto any Tony Martin-era Sabbath album (a big compliment) and the band really finish in true grandstanding style with “Path To Perdition”; a really epic doom track.

Such is the length and scope of the album it's hard to assess it against their previous two records- the true detail of the album can only be revealed with repeated listening, I think. This is of course recommended for all fans of trad doom and particularly those who like the epic feel of the genre. It's massive and crushing.

“Lamenting of the Innocent” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Sorcerer - "The Crowning of the Fire King"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 20/10/2017

Label: Metal Blade Records

Fantastical, epic, dark, heavy and doomy are all words that describe the record appropriately. There are not too many doom bands ploughing this traditional furrow these days, but Sorcerer represent the very best of them. This is another excellent album by an excellent band

“The Crowning of The Fire King” CD//DD//LP track listing

01. Sirens
02. Ship Of Doom
03. Abandoned By The Gods
04. The Devils Incubus
05. Nattvaka
06. Crimson Cross
07. The Crowning Of The Fire King
08. Unbearable Sorrow

The Review:

Sweden's Sorcerer return, a mere two years after the excellent “In The Shadow Of The Inverted Cross”. In my review of that album, I noted the Dio-esque lyrical themes and stylings, the Sabbath weight and the epic nature of real doom. Well, I am able to report that all those elements are present and correct on “The Crowning...”

From the rolling drum intro, to the first riff, to the first vocal- everything you would want from a doom album is here. The sound is suitably epic, as are the song lengths. There is some excellent lead work in opener “Sirens” as well. With both the second and last track here clocking in at close to ten minutes, this is not a doom record for the casual doom fan- or the “doom” fan who thinks that sludge is doom. This is true doom for true doom heads- start with Sabbath, go to Saint Vitus, Pentagram, Trouble, Candlemass and The Obsessed and then... Sorcerer would be a logical next step.

The album is dramatic, textured (acoustic guitars shimmer here and there, melodies are plentiful, riffs are massive) and as heavy as lead. The likes of “Abandoned By The Gods” feature riffs that you would swear were from the hands of Iommi himself. Indeed, the solo backed by rhythmical bass is straight out of the Tony Martin era. An acoustic instrumental bridges the record and the final three tracks are as strong as the first three; the band save the title track for next to last, showing that the record is not front loaded.

Fantastical, epic, dark, heavy and doomy are all words that describe the record appropriately. There are not too many doom bands ploughing this traditional furrow these days, but Sorcerer represent the very best of them. This is another excellent album by an excellent band. Doom on.

“The Crowning of the Fire King” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

Sorcerer - ‘In The Shadow of The Inverted Cross’ (Album Review)

Album Type: Full-Length

Date Released: 24/3/2015

Label: Metal Blade Records

‘In The Shadow of The Inverted Cross’ CD//DD//LP track listing:

01. The Dark Tower of the Sorcerer
02. Sumerian Script
03. Lake of the Lost Souls
04. Exorcise the Demon
05. In the Shadow of the Inverted Cross
06. Prayers for a King
07. The Gates of Hell
08. Pagans Dance

Sorcerer is:

Anders Engberg | Vocals
Kristian Niemann | Guitars
Peter Hallgren | Guitars
Johnny Hagel | Bass
Robert Iversen | Drums

Review:

Sorcerer are something of an oddity as they were originally around the underground 25 years ago with a couple of demos. Being Swedish, I suppose they were overshadowed by the death acts of the time... Well, here they return/kick off with their first full album proper. It's epic doom of the organic variety. I was instantly reminded of Dio-era Sabbath on hearing the opener “The Dark Tower of The Sorcerer” and this feeling continued with tracks such as “Lake of The Lost Souls”. This is classic epic doom- with a 70's/80's vibe to boot. The leads are exemplary, the vocals are stellar and the band as a whole plays naturally and with conviction.

The songs are long and often feature grandiose hooks and riffs. If you have any interest in Dio, Sabbath with Dio (early or later incarnation), Rainbow's “Rising”, or any kind of doom that is based in fantasy rather than street themes, then this is essential listening. It's dark, fantastical and supremely well executed. A track by track run down simply is not necessary, because the description above tells you all you need to know. Classic doom, in every sense of the word.

Words by: Richard Maw

‘In The Shadow of The Inverted Cross’ is available now

For more information:

Like: facebook.com/sorcererdoom
Official: sorcererdoom.com

The Sludgelord News: Daily Digest

Your rundown of the top sludge news stories of the day …

BEHEMOTH - H.P. Lovecraft and his followers wrote of an ancient tome called The Necronomicon, written by a mad Arab. The book was bound in human flesh and was said to contain spells that could destroy the world. Not to be outdone, Metal Blade Records will publish an authorized 490-page biography of Polish black metal legends BEHEMOTH.

The hardcover volume, Behemoth: The Devil’s Conquistadors is written by Łukasz Dunaj and focuses on the band’s music and their rise in the metal world and within their native land. The book will be released February 24, 2015.

The band is currently on tour in North America. You can catch them at the following dates:

1/29/2015 House Of Blues - Houston, TX
1/30/2015 Mohawk - Austin, TX
1/31/2015 House Of Blues - Dallas, TX
2/02/2015 Sunshine Theater - Albuquerque, NM
2/03/2015 The Summit Music Hall - Denver, CO
2/05/2015 The Complex - Salt Lake City, UT
2/06/2015 House Of Blues - Las Vegas, NV
2/07/2015 The Observatory - Santa Ana, CA
2/08/2015 The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA
2/10/2015 El Corazon - Seattle, WA
2/11/2015 Comodore Ballroom - Vancouver, BC
2/13/2015 Union Hall - Edmonton, AB
2/14/2015 MacEwan Hall - Calgary, AB
2/16/2015 The Garric - Winnipeg, MB
2/17/2015 Mill City Nights - Minneapolis, MN
2/18/2015 Orpheum Theater - Madison, WI
2/20/2015 House Of Blues -Chicago, IL
2/21/2015 Egyptian Room - Indianapolis, IN
2/22/2015 House Of Blues - Cleveland, OH
2/23/2015 St. Andrews Hall - Detroit, MI
2/24/2015 The Phoenix - Toronto, ON
2/25/2015 Metropolis - Montreal, QC
2/27/2015 House of Blues - Boston, MA
2/28/2015 Webster Hall - New York, NY
3/01/2015 Theater Of The Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
3/02/2015 The Fillmore - Silver Spring, MD
3/03/2015 The Fillmore - Charlotte, NC
3/05/2015 Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
3/06/2015 Janus Landing - Tampa, FL
3/07/2015 Revolution - Ft. Lauderdale, FL

http://www.metalblade.com/behemoth
http://www.facebook.com/behemoth
http://www.twitter.com/BehemothBand
http://www.youtube.com/Behemothofficial

Source:

Earsplit PR

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SORCERER - Exactly one month later, on March 24, Metal Blade will release the label debut of newly signed epic doom band SORCERER. The Swedish veterans have been working on new material since their re-formation in 2010, ‘In the Shadow of the Inverted Cross’ is the fruit of those labors.

"[We] are proud to have signed with the legendary metal label Metal Blade, home of many bands that has inspired us to start making music,” the band said in a press release. “With the new album In the Shadow of the Inverted Cross we hope to continue where we ended many years ago. It is all the fans that have supported us through the years that has inspired us to do this album and we really looking forward to meet you all on gigs and festivals soon!"

Although the band originally formed in 1988 and have released numerous demos and compilations, ‘In the Shadow of the Inverted Cross’ will be the band’s first official album. It will be released on CD, vinyl and digitally. Pre-orders will be taken at this location. You can also watch the music video for “The Dark Tower of the Sorcerer” at the same location.

Track Listing:
1. The Dark Tower of the Sorcerer
2. Sumerian Script
3. Lake of the Lost Souls
4. Excorcise the Demon
5. In the Shadow of the Inverted Cross
6. Prayers for a King
7. The Gates of Hell
8. Pagans Dance

SORCERER is:
Anders Engberg - vocals
Kristian Niemann - guitars
Peter Hallgren - guitars
Johnny Hagel - bass
Robert Iversen - drums

For More Info Visit:
https://www.facebook.com/sorcererdoom
http://www.sorcererdoom.com/

Source:

Freeman Promotions

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TAKEN BY THE SUN - Chicago post-metal doom quintet TAKEN BY THE SUN will release their debut album February 24 independantly on bandcamp. The band originally formed in 2011 and released a 5-song demo back in 2013. They take their cues from bands like Neurosis, Isis, Pelican, Rosetta, Mouth of the Architect, Red Sparrowes and The Ocean “without replicating them” a press release said.

The band has made the closing track, “Ornaflux” available to stream and download with the pre-order of the album. If it’s any indication of what the rest of the album will sound like, the band is in no fear of sounding like anybody else.

You will find the album and the pre-order at this location.

http://www.facebook.com/takenbythesun
http://www.takenbythesunchicago.bandcamp.com

Source:

Earsplit PR

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And now you’re all caught up in the world of sludge.