Harbinger of D.O.O.M.'s First Anniversary!

The Harbinger of D.O.O.M. blog turns a year old today! Actually, it was yesterday as I had made the first official post on September 19^th, 2020, but the first real post consisting of two album reviews was on September 20^th, 2020 so I decided to celebrate it today, the 20^th, for this first anniversary. I’ve really enjoyed posting album reviews, a few articles here and there, and doing interviews over the course of the past year. I’ve also received a lot of positive feedback from the community, bands, and labels, as well as lots of album submissions for review, so it’s encouraging.

Speaking of submissions; I’d like to reiterate that I’m a bit picky in the type of music I review. I’m an old fart and I don’t like overly aggressive music. The submission guidelines are on the right of this page and while my tastes are broad in terms of categories (doom/stoner/psych/metal/prog/occult/rock/etc), I absolutely will not review anything that falls under death metal, black metal, or anything with extreme vocals. That kind of music isn’t my cup of tea. At all. I’ve reviewed a few albums from time to time that were borderline on screaming/extreme vocals, but will no longer do so in the future. That being said, I welcome your submissions if they’re not in those specific subgenres of music. If you’re a new band and would like some more exposure, maybe to be interviewed/have a conversation with the Harbinger of D.O.O.M., drop me a line and we’ll see how we can set it up.

I look forward to another year with more reviews/articles/interviews and possibly a much bigger project that I’m daydreaming about for the future of the good old Harbinger. I hope you’ve found some interesting suggestions on what to listen to and have been entertained by the overall content of this blog. Hopefully I’ve helped (and will continue) to shine a spotlight on some lesser-known bands and it has allowed you, the reader/listener, to discover some great music and pick up a few records/albums along the way to support those awesome bands. Onwards and upwards as they say!

Craneium - Unknown Heights

Finland has become a veritable hotbed of talent for doom and stoner bands. A bright example of that is Craneium, a Finnish fuzz-rock quartet whose upcoming third album, Unknown Heights, is the subject of our review today.

It has become increasingly easy for bands to put out professional-sounding albums in this day and age; the means to make/produce a record being so accessible—a label is no longer necessary to release a quality product. On the flip side of that coin, there’s a plethora of new bands popping up year after year in what was already a crowded genre/market for music, that it has become progressively more difficult for bands to craft a sound/brand to stand out from the rest of the pack. Craneium have succeeded with flying colors in that respect, creating a unique sound for themselves, especially with Unknown Heights, which feels like they’ve fully come into their own with this record, their debut with label The Sign Records.

The record kicks off with “A Secret Garden”, which was also the first single off the album. It’s a hell of a catchy desert rock-infused opener, with riffs galore. “Somber Aeons” follows; reflective, melodic, spacey at times, with beautiful use of keys (organ?) to add layers to this gem of a song. “Weight to Carry”, a heavier cut, perfectly blends in with the former song, and is the longest track, running at nearly seven and a half minutes. The fourth track, or first of Side 2, depending on how you’re listening to it, is the second single, “Shine Again”. With wonderful vocal harmonies and splendid songwriting, it makes this one the most accessible song on the album and a definite highlight. “The Devil Drives”, the penultimate song, is my personal favorite. Short, punchy, it’s got some hella cool bass, and is just an altogether really fun song about what playing in an indie band for years feels like. Seriously though, that bassline slays and there’s a great guitar solo too! It will be the third single off the album. Things come to an end with the title track, “Unknown Heights”. It caps things off on a strong note, with a terrific psychedelic vibe and hints of prog rock for an all-around stellar closer for this 36-minute sonic trek.

I’ve listened to Unknown Heights over half a dozen times so far and I keep hearing new subtleties with every new listen. I liked it from the get-go, but now it has grown into one of my favorite albums of the year. It’s certainly their most accomplished record yet. If you’re not familiar with Craneium, then you should definitely remedy that and head over to YouTube to listen to their first two singles (links below). You can pre-order/pick up a copy of Unknown Heights when it will be released on October 15^th.

Craneium’s Bandcamp page: https://craneiumband.bandcamp.com/album/unknown-heights

Video for “A Secret Garden” on YouTube

Video for “Shine Again” on YouTube 

Iron Maiden - Senjutsu

Iron Maiden is a band that needs no introduction by now. Nonetheless, I’m going to give you a bit of context on how I got into them. I first discovered Iron Maiden through their “Can I Play with Madness” video on MuchMusic (Canada’s equivalent of MTV) at the tender age of 13 in the spring of 1988. I bought the Seventh Son of a Seventh Son album on tape with my allowance and from that point on, I was hooked. For the record, my favourite Maiden album is 1986’s Somewhere in Time. I’ve seen them three times in concert, twice with Bruce Dickinson on lead vocals and once with Blaze Bayley on vocals (an underrated singer in my opinion).

Senjutsu, which loosely translated means “tactics and strategy”, is Maiden’s 17^th studio album, following 2015’s Book of Souls, which was also a double-album. I wasn’t a big fan of the latter, and to me, Senjutsu brings back a reinvigorated version of the band I grew up idolizing. It continues the evolution of a band that has nothing left to prove, but delivers the goods aplenty, giving us less arena anthems but more progressive-leaning songs, which to this aging rock fan, is right up my alley. I won’t go into too much detail about critiquing each song, instead I’ll give more of the feeling I get from each track. I must point out that this is only one of two albums I bought on CD this year (the other being KISS’s excellent Off the Soundboard live album earlier this summer). Digital MP3 albums have been the way to go for me for quite some time (I don’t do Spotify; I prefer to own my music rather than stream it). Nor do I own a record player and I pretty much stopped buying CDs around 2015. I only purchase CDs when it’s a band I adore and/or for special album releases. Senjutsu more than qualifies in that respect.

The album was released on Friday, September 3^rd, and I received it on my doorstep on Saturday, September 4^th at 4:30 PM. Since it clocks in at close to an hour and 22 minutes long, I’ve only had time to listen to it twice, but I think it’s enough to give you my impressions of it. I listened to it once on the speakers of my sound system, and once more with headphones to fully appreciate all the musical nuances the album has to offer. Something must be said about the very cool packaging the album comes in. There are various versions of it, all pretty awesome, whether you pick it up on CD, vinyl or get the ultra-deluxe set. I must admit that I miss artist Derek Riggs’ gorgeous album covers from the ‘80s though; he brought Eddie to life like no one else can.

The first cut of Disc 1, the title track, opens things quite heavily, with pounding drums and all, and is an amazing song. It’s followed up by what was the second single off the album, “Stratego”, a track that features the band’s trademark galloping guitars and bass sound. It’s one of the very best songs on the album. Next up is the first single, “The Writing on the Wall”, with its blues-tinged guitars; a song I’ve grown to love over multiple listens. Number 4 is more of a prog-sounding song titled “Lost in a Lost World”, and happens to be one of the highlights of the album in my opinion. Track 5 is “Days of Future Past”, the shortest song on the album, with a 4:04 running time, and it’s another gem of a song. Disc 1 closes with “The Time Machine”, one of my favourites, with a great riff, reminiscent of something off of Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. Disc 2 begins with “Darkest Hour”, a slower, darker song that is nothing short of fantastic. Then we delve into the last three tracks, a trilogy of Steve Harris-penned epic songs. I’m a big fan of long, epic-length songs a la “Rime of the Ancient Mariner”, and to me this set of songs is phenomenal. They all feature lengthy instrumental parts with terrific guitar solos and pounding basslines. The first of those three being “Death of the Celts”, reminiscent of “The Clansman”. It’s followed by the centerpiece and longest cut of the album, running at 12:39, the standout of the three, per this listener’s ears: “The Parchment”. Things come to an end on a bit of a gloomy note with “Hell on Earth”, which I find to be a perfect closer for this masterful album. 

Iron Maiden have been at it for 45 years and show no sign of slowing down. This entry in their catalogue is certainly mellower than a lot of their albums, but it suits them perfectly. Dickinson’s voice is in fine form and so is the rest of the sextet. I believe this is their best album since 2000’s Brave New World. It shows why this band is still relevant today and its output is just as diverse and strong as back when they were in their prime. A thread of melancholy runs throughout the album, making it fit rather well in these melancholic times we live in. I give it my highest possible recommendation, whether you’re a Maiden fan or not. It’s easily one of the best albums of 2021.

Iron Maiden’s Official Senjutsu page: https://666.ironmaiden.com/collections/senjutsu