| Overlook The All (mCD) | 2002 | psycheDOOMelic |
The opening title track sounds just like they are going to burst into Sabbath's ‘Wheels of Confusion' but never quite do. Any band that can hold their own in the company of such a legendary track is doing pretty OK. The vocals are clean and possess that most rare quality for this style of doom rock, they stay in tune. In fact I'll go further, they are good!! How many albums have you heard ruined by vocalists who can only reach high notes by wearing their girlfriend's tight knickers? No screeching here though, and no overuse of the high note either, thankfully it's only used when it's needed.
'Life Lies Low' is a petrol soaked old moo of a song that takes me back to being a schoolboy pressing my nose up against the shop window and dreaming about the Norton Commando 750 on the other side of the glass. You can hear the individual thudding of pistons and fhutting of the exhaust. This could have been written about old British bikes, right down to leaking oil. Fantastic.
'Hands of Dust' harks back to the first track and more reference to 'Wheels of Confusion'. It is such a pleasure to hear a Doom Rock Band with a good vocalist, I feel almost over-grateful and unworthy to hear it. A lilting, swaying melody, with some really nice harmonic guitar work. A reflective song for the end of the day. Beautiful.
The MCD finishes off with 'The Wizard', confirming the Sabbath connection. What can I say about 'The Wizard' other than it has some of the worst lyrics I've ever heard outside of a Deep Purple album. "Misty morning, clouds in the sky, without warning a wizard walks by. Casting his shadow, weaving his spell, funny clothes, twinkling bell. Never talking, just keeps walking, spreading his magic". Ha! It's a bit of fun I suppose, but childish. I still remember the first time I realised just how silly Sabbath's s/t and Paranoid were, I was revising for my school exams late one night and I suddenly announced to myself "this is crap isn't it?", and I agreed. I've lightened up since then. Anyway, back to the Wall of Sleep version, it's easily comparable with the original, just as good, if not better.
1. Overlook The All
2. Life Lies Low
3. Hands Of Dust
4. The Wizard
Approx. 22 minutes
| Slow But Not Dead (CD) | 2004 | psycheDOOMelic |
Wall of Sleep has a couple of members from the now-defunct doom pioneers Mood, which began life in '94 and broke up in 2001. Before that, WOS members Sandor and Gabor were into the 80s hardcore scene before they turned on their doom light, so you know we're dealing with experienced musicians here. Wall of Sleep is altogether darker and doomier than Mood: their motto, "Slow but Not Dead," says it all. The Sleep dudes use their considerable experience to pay homage to Sabbath and their successors, while adding in heavy rock elements to create some delicious early 70s style, blues-based melodic doom. I think this new disc bests their previous EP, 'Overlook the All,' in raw energy, and like that effort is full to the brim of the confident ensemble playing for which the group is known.
They say that Hungary is a good place to get well into the spirit of doom, maybe even as good as Finland, ha ha. Or Maryland. Wall of Sleep is not shy about expressing their feelings of gloom and depression, with loads of heavy, dark riffage and even a couple of bluesy ballads. Enthusiasts of bands such as Abdullah, Pentagram, Down, Orodruin, Trouble, Pale Divine, VoodooShock, all things Wino, and most of all Place of Skulls should think of Wall of Sleep as a necessary part of their collection. PsycheDOOMelic should be congratulated and encouraged to put out more music like this. Let's doom!
1. Far Away from Sunrise
2. Sysphus' Downhill Ride
3. That's Why
4. Soil
5. The Very Same
6. 0050
7. Ornaments of Heaven
8. Inside Garden
9. I Sleep
Approx. 44 minutes
| Sun Faced Apostles (CD) | 2005 | psycheDOOMelic |
WoS is just one of those bands, that's all. If I haven't heard them for awhile and decide to spin one of their discs, I always ask myself "why the hell don't I listen to these guys more often"? I love that. 'Sun Faced Apostles' is guaranteed to provide plenty of future doom listening, since they're specialists in combining melody and heavy groove into tuneage of lasting quality. Does that description sound like a certain American doomster of renown? If it reminds you of Wino, then you won't be surprised to learn that he guests on 'From the Bottom of These Days'. The title track and 'Mother Sand and Father Stone' are particularly fine examples of their craft as well.
I've read about complaints as to the quality of their lyrics. I've got no problem with them, but I'll tell you what: If you don't like their lyrics (which are in English, despite their Magyar ethnicity) then why don't you write some brilliant doom lyrics in Hungarian, and submit them to the band for their next album? That should even things out. For the rest of you WoS-curious doomsters: if you love early Abdullah, Trouble, Doomshine, Voodoo Shock, Obsessed and most of all Place of 'Effin Skulls, then you'll want to satisfy your huge riff jones with 'Sun Faced Apostles'. It's their best yet.
1. On Pain of Birth
2. Sun Faced Apostles
3. Ship of Stake
4. Labyrinths
5. From the Bottom of These Days
6. Time of the Goblins
7. The River
8. Mother Sand and Father Stone
Approx. 47 minutes