Rapid Fire Reviews: The Obsessed

The Obsessed has pretty much grown to legendary status at this point. Led by frontman Scott "Wino" Weinrich, the trio has now expanded into a quartet. Active since 1976, but undergoing many lineup changes, splits, reunions, delayed record releases—having their first album recorded in 1985 to only see the light of day in 1990—The Obsessed is literally obsessed with leaving an indelible mark on the doom metal landscape. The current lineup features Wino on vocals/lead guitar, Brian Costantino on drums with newcomers Chris Angleberger on bass, and Jason Taylor on rhythm guitar. Gilded Sorrow, the band’s fifth LP, will be unleashed on February 16^th via Ripple Music. Wino already has one solo album with Ripple, the excellent 2020 release Forever Gone as a chapter of Blood and Strings: The Ripple Acoustic Series.

Gilded Sorrow has been seven years in the making, a follow-up to 2017’s Sacred on Relapse Records. In my opinion, Sorrow is a stronger album than its predecessor in almost every aspect. Wino feels rejuvenated here, more so than on Sacred, which in and of itself was a comeback album for the band at the time—twenty-four years had elapsed since their previous album. Right off the bat, “Daughter of an Echo” makes a strong statement, opening the LP with a menacing, addictive riff. One of my absolute favourite tracks on here. The first single, “It’s Not OK”, is a catchy song and the dual guitars really pack a punch on this track. “Realize a Dream”, the third and current single, is solid, followed by the title track, a slower, heavier, and doomier tune. It’s all about creating a foreboding atmosphere. “Stoned Back to the Bomb Age”, the apt-titled second single, is sludgy and heavy as a mammoth. “Wellspring-Dark Sunshine” is a gloomy number with terrific guitar-play. “Jailine” is super catchy and probably the most accessible song on the album. “Yen Sleep” gets a new lease on life here, having originally appeared in 1999 on the “Incarnate” compilation of rare and unreleased tracks recorded between 1983 and 1994. I find it sounds even better in this iteration and I’ve always loved that song. “Lucky Free Nice Machine”, a one-minute instrumental, closes out the LP; it’s okay, but really doesn’t add much to the overall experience.

With Gilded Sorrow, The Obsessed delivers an album that gets better with every new spin. Its lyrical themes are aligned with the turmoil of recent times and only adds to the ominous doom metal mood of the album. Aside from their self-titled first LP, I’d say this is the best the band has ever sounded. Wino ages like a fine wine, both vocally and as a band leader. Gilded Sorrow truly is an album that was well worth the wait. Pre-order it with confidence at your earliest convenience.

Ripple Music’s Bandcamp Page for The Obsessed: https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/gilded-sorrow

The Obsessed on Bandcamp: https://theobsessed.bandcamp.com/music 

Musings: Ember Belladonna – The Grove

It’s always great when you discover an album that’s completely unexpected. About 95% of what lands in my inbox from PR firms/labels/bands goes straight to the recycle bin (extreme/black/death metal which I really don’t care for). However, every now and then, an album stands out from the pack and grabs my attention. Ember Belladonna’s upcoming The Grove debut record is such an album. It’s a folk metal record, it’s different than what’s out there, and she’s Canadian—I’m always willing to lend fellow Canucks an ear (or two). The Grove will be released on February 9^th.

Ember Belladonna is first and foremost a classically trained flute player. So, be warned that the flute is the lead instrument on this wonderful album. If that’s not your thing, then too bad for you; you’ll be missing out on a superb record. The Grove has the feel of a concept album. It’s mostly an instrumental affair, a cinematic escape of sorts that bewitches the listener from the very first notes that are played. “Tenalach” cracks the album open, a gentle flute instrumental that serves as an intro to the proceedings. “Heart of the Grove”, the centerpiece of the record, is a gorgeous, hypnotic song featuring The Darkeyed Musician on vocals. “The Wild Hunt” is another lovely instrumental with the full band taking part; guitar, bass, and percussion. It’s quiet but slowly gets things moving. “Ruination” is a more dynamic number where the band takes center stage, with the flute at its heart. James Delbridge from the band Lycanthro handles vocal duties for this one. The title track follows, a dreamy, flute-driven melody with tuneful acoustic guitar parts. “Spirit Woman”, the first single, gives a darker edge to what was more of a mellow album up to this point. Laura Inferno from The Inferno Doll sings the lead for this track, dishing out demonic-sounding vocals. Followers of this blog know that black/melodic death metal really isn’t my cup of tea. It took a couple of listens to get used to it, but I have to admit that it works well with the thematic of the song. Anyway, I know that I’m in the minority as I’m sure 95% of you enjoy listening to extreme/black/death metal, and I’m aware that I’m just an old man shouting at the clouds. Still, I can’t help but wonder just how much better this song could’ve sounded if Ms. Inferno had sung it with her “normal” voice. Up next, “Unnamed”; the evil of the spirit woman has subsided and we’re back on the righteous path with a beautiful instrumental that sounds almost Celtic with a strong bass presence that I really dig. The curtain comes down with an instrumental version of “Heart of the Grove.” Oftentimes artists release instrumental renditions of songs and it’s a forgettable addition to an album; not so in this case. Without the vocals, we can appreciate the beauty of this dazzling song even more. It’s the perfect way to close out this marvelous ceremony.

We need more artists like Ember Belladonna. She weaves layers of melodies expertly to craft a unique-sounding gem of a record. The Grove is both captivating and entrancing. The musical arrangements are exquisite and take the listener on a journey to a distant fantasy world. Its short running time of 28 minutes only makes you want to hit the repeat button and listen to it all over again once it comes to an end. I declare The Grove to be the first must-own album of 2024!

Ember Belladonna on Bandcamp: https://emberbelladonna.bandcamp.com/album/the-grove 

Sword & Sorcery Roundup – January 2024

Time to get the year rolling with a Sword & Sorcery Roundup focusing on a bunch of cool stuff that’s either been recently published or will see the light of day within the next six months. There are plenty of amazing books, audiobooks, and comic books about to be released in the near-future in the realm of S&S. Let’s have a chronological look at it, shall we?

First, our friends over at Whetstone, the Amateur Magazine of Pulp Sword and Sorcery, released issue 8 of their fantastic S&S magazine back in December of 2023. They publish two issues a year and it’s absolutely free! Sadly, the good folks at Spiral Tower Press who publish the mag will be putting Whetstone on hold for a while, at least for the entirety of 2024. The magazine’s first issue was published in the summer of 2020. This last issue (for now) and all previous issues are still available for download on their blog. This one serves up a dozen short stories jam-packed into an 84-page PDF. The authors featured are R.M. Gulaya, J.D. Harlock, Marcos Miotti, Michael Burke, B. Harlan Crawford, K.T. Booker, Robert Webb, Mitchell Hyde, Rab Foster, Liam Q.D. Hall, Shephard McIlveen, and Jim Reddy. If you missed it, just head over to their blog and download your copy today.

Second, frequent visitors of the blog are aware of my love for Savage Realms Monthly, especially the Audible version of their awesome magazine. Almost every month, they deliver a solid book featuring three different authors who pen old school Sword & Sorcery tales in the tradition of Robert E. Howard, Karl Edward Wagner, and Lin Carter. On the audiobook side, Moose Matson plays the role of S&S Cryptkeeper of sorts, handling narrative duties with panache. There aren’t any new Audible SRM issues out per se, but I have it on good authority that there are two issues coming our way very soon. In the meantime, you can browse through the dozen audiobooks (reviewed by yours truly) that they’ve already released up to now. They also publish Kindle and print versions of the book, of course. The latest book, SRM #25, was the Holiday issue published earlier in January this year. It features the talents of Matthew X. Gomez, Mark Mellon, and Rab Foster. You can pick it up on Amazon.

Third, what will most likely be the biggest Sword & Sorcery anthology of 2024 is about to be published on January 26^th for the eBook versions and just in time for Valentine’s Day for its print counterpart. I’m talking about a gorgeous book titled Neither Beg Nor Yield: Stories with S&S Attitude from the fine folks at Rogue Blades Entertainment. The book is edited by Jason M. Waltz and features a stellar lineup of some of the best writers writing today. Here’s the list of scribes who contribute a total of 20 tales to the book: Eadwine Brown, Adrian Cole, Glen Cook, Steve Dilks, Chuck Dixon, Phil Emery, Steven Erikson, John R. Fultz, Steve Goble, John C. Hocking, Howard Andrew Jones, William King, Joe R. Lansdale, David C. Smith, Jeff Stewart, Keith J. Taylor, Eric Turowski, Frederick Tor & Bill Ward, Lawrence A. Weinstein, and C.L. Werner. This is a massive book at almost 500 pages in length; I’ve had the pleasure of perusing an ARC and it is a thing of beauty! It showcases a diverse crop of S&S tales and every story has its own gorgeous illustration. I can’t wait to dig into it. I’ll do a proper review of it once I get around to reading the whole thing, time-permitting, with the hectic couple of months I have ahead of me, but hopefully some time this spring. In the meantime, head over to Rogue Blades’ Website and pre-order your copy today!

Fourth, Titan Comics hit it out of the park in 2023 with their new monthly Conan comic book series. In 2024, they’re bringing back The Savage Sword of Conan in its original black-and-white magazine format. Issue #1 features a new Conan epic from John Arcudi and Max Von Fafner, the rousing return of Solomon Kane written and drawn by Patch Zircher, an electric prose story from Jim Zub, spectacular art pin-ups, and more. It will be published on February 28^th. You can pick it up at your local comic book shop or at Titan Comics’ Website.

Fifth, a new D&D novel series begins on March 5^th with the publication of Dungeons & Dragons: The Fallbacks: Bound for Ruin by Jaleigh Johnson. She’s no stranger to D&D, having penned the excellent D&D: Honor Among Thieves prequel novel The Road to Neverwinter last year. I, for one, am eager to read the adventures of this new batch of heroes. It’ll be available as a hardback, Kindle, and to my delight, as an audiobook on Audible. Head over to Amazon’s page for the book to read the synopsis and pre-order your copy today. Of course, I’ll have a review of the audiobook shortly after its release.

Sixth, Conan will also return in novel-length adventures in the highly-anticipated Conan: City of the Dead by John C. Hocking, courtesy of Titan Books. The book combines the classic Conan and the Emerald Lotus initially published in 1995, with the all-new, original Conan and the Living Plague. The latter is the long-awaited follow-up to the former, also written by Hocking. It will be published as a hardcover and on Kindle, but I’m bummed out that there doesn’t seem to be an audiobook planned for this one. What gives, Titan Books? Us folks with poor vision and eye conditions who love a good audiobook demand a release on Audible! Anyhow, the book will be published on June 18^th and you can pre-order this bad boy over at Amazon.

Seventh and last for now, fan-favourite Red Sonja comic book scribe Gail Simone returns to the title in novel form this time around. Red Sonja: Consumed is slated to be published on July 16^th through Orbit Books. This will be a massive 480-page book where Red Sonja, the iconic, fiery, she-devil with a sword, is reinvented for a new generation of readers in an action-packed epic fantasy. I’ve loved the Red Sonja character ever since I watched the Brigitte Nielsen and Arnold Schwarzenegger movie back in 1985. I’ve read some of Ms. Simone’s Red Sonja comics and enjoyed them greatly, so I look forward to going along for a ride with the red-headed warrior. The novel will be published in hardcover, Kindle, and, yes, on Audible (thank you Orbit!). You can pre-order a copy in the format of your choice over at Amazon.

There you have it, folks! Another edition of Sword & Sorcery Roundup is in the books. I hope you’ll find some S&S material to your liking here. Drop by again for more news and reviews of Sword & Sorcery stuff right here on the Harbinger of D.O.O.M. Blog. Until next time, happy reading! 

Rapid Fire Reviews: Slower

Supergroups often yield interesting albums that allow musicians to deviate from what they would usually do within their respective bands. Slower is such a supergroup. The concept is to play slower, sludged-out covers of legendary thrash metal band Slayer, hence the name Slower. Comprised of Esben Willems from Monolord on drums, Peder Bergstrand from Lowrider on bass, Amy Barrysmith from Year of the Cobra on lead vocals, and Bob Balch from Fu Manchu on guitars for the first four songs. For the final song, “South of Heaven”, we switch bassists/singers with Scott Reeder from Kyuss on bass and Laura Pleasants from Kylesa on lead vocals. The eponymous album will be released on January 26^th via boutique label Heavy Psych Sounds Records.

Whether you’re a Slayer fan or not is irrelevant to enjoy this LP. If you like Slayer, you’ll get a bigger kick out of it, but it’s not required as the band gives the songs a new lease on life with these reinterpretations. For my part, I’m not the biggest Slayer fan, but I absolutely love their Seasons in the Abyss LP, so since three of the five songs covered here are from that album, I really dug them. The album kicks off with a thick and heavy, epic rendition of “War Ensemble” featuring a driving riff and terrific guitar solos. “The Antichrist” has a Sabbathian vibe and a darker edge to it. Amy’s vocals are perfect for this song. Speaking of Amy Barrysmith; I can’t wait for a new LP/EP from Year of the Dragon. If you’re not familiar with that duo, seek them out—they are powerful purveyors of doom metal. On to “Blood Red”, which may just be the catchiest track on here. Slower delivers “Dead Skin Mask” in a haunting fashion with its hypnotic evil riff. The final track happens to be my favourite, sung by Laura Pleasants, whom I wasn’t familiar with. It’s got a dangerous riff paired with a killer overall musical atmosphere. A great song to close this record.

Slower’s Slower is a superb collection of reimagined Slayer classics. The five-track, 39-minute album delivers on its promise of sludgier, heavier versions of Slayer tunes. It’s an awesome project and one can only hope we’ll see more from this group of musicians. Fans and non-fans of Slayer will appreciate this offering as long as they’re into doom, heavy psych, heavy metal or any similar music genre. Slower is a fantastic way to start the new year. More please!

Slower on Bandcamp: https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/slower-slower 

Short Story Time: The Chilling Hour

Happy New Year! It's the first Saturday of the year, so it's time for a FREE short story! This is one of my personal favourites, starring Nick Kubrick, one of my fave characters that I've created. Nick is a horror DJ who investigates and debunks supernatural myths in his spare time in the foggy city of Bitternest, Louisiana. He would go on to star in his own novel, Nocturnal Offerings, a few years later. Originally published in 2008 in the 9 of Swords e-zine and reprinted in my first collection, The Bitternest Chronicles, in 2010, I give you "The Chilling Hour." You can download the free PDF right here.

In case you missed the previous entries in Short Story Time, you can download them at the links below. Enjoy and drop me a line to let me know what you think of them!

“The Errand” is a tale about a man who goes through the woods of Bitternest to run an errand and will see the course of his life altered forever.

“Hershell’s Motel” is a strange tale about an unusual motel where, you guessed it, bizarre things happen.

“The Rattling Man” is a coming of age Halloween tale. Do you believe in the bogeyman? Do you believe in the Rattling Man? Find out who or what he is!

“Crimson Nightmares” is my take on the “Halloween” movie series. Written and initially published digitally back in 2011, this 106-page novella picks up 33 years after the events of the second "Halloween" film from 1981, the night when Michael Myers terrorized Laurie Strode (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) and the residents of Haddonfield, Illinois. It follows little Lindsey Wallace, the little girl Laurie Strode babysat in the first “Halloween” (1978) film, who is all grown-up now and bears the scars of that terrible night to this day. She has moved to my fictitious town of Bitternest, Louisiana to get away from her past and has been leading a quiet life, that is until something inside Michael Myers snaps and he comes looking for her on Halloween. Add to that a killer clown with an agenda of his own and it’s a Halloween you won’t soon forget. It’ll be a showdown for the ages when Michael Myers comes to the eerie city of Bitternest.

“The Bypassed Mind”, a romantic suspense/fantasy story with some hypnosis thrown in for good measure that was directly inspired by the late, great Richard Matheson's novel Bid Time Return also adapted as the film "Somewhere in Time".

“Breaking and Entering”, the story of a man who enters people’s homes just for kicks, never stealing anything, just to see what goes on behind close doors. One day he’ll stumble upon something that will change his life forever…

“Scapegoat”, a tale about the Curse of the Cubs, the love of baseball, some time travel, and a whole lot of nostalgia. Even if you're not into baseball, this fantasy tale filled with mystery is sure to entertain you.

Last but not least, fans of Conan and Dungeons & Dragons can also download a PDF of the first two tales of the ongoing adventures of my Sword & Sorcery character AMOK right here.