Double Shot: Devil Electric & Eye of Doom

Another double shot of quick reviews for you today. The first, Devil Electric’s Godless, released ten days ago; the second, Eye of Doom’s Curse of the Pharaoh, saw the light of day about fourteen months ago. 

I first came across Devil Electric in the summer of 2016. Their debut EP, The Gods Below, had just been released and it completely blew my mind. To me, this Australian quartet fronted by Pierina O’Brien felt like the true heirs of Black Sabbath for the 21^st century with a woman handling the duties on lead vocals. They followed it up with a self-titled record a year later and it solidified my initial opinion of them. Fast forward four years later and they give us Godless, a masterpiece of an album.

From the get-go, Devil Electric’s signature sound is omnipresent on “I Am” and you know you’re in for a great time. “All My Friends Move Like the Night” was released over a year ago as a single and what a great choice it was; one of the band’s all-time best songs. Catchy as all hell with riffs galore. “Mindset” is another catchy tune with an infectious chorus, and probably the most accessible song of the record. “Your Guess Is as Good as Mine” is a definite highlight; with lengthy instrumental portions, it’s a very immersive track. “Take the Edge Off” is the very definition of short and sweet and a runner-up for my favorite song on this record. Highly addictive; feel free to hit the repeat button! Song number 6 is the title track; a tight, pulse-pounding, guitar-driven doomy rocker. “I Will Be forgotten” slows the pace down a bit before turning into a powerful song with a dominant bassline and Sabbath vibes that are prevalent throughout. It comes to an end with what I’m feeling is my favorite cut right now, “The Cave”, a track with an ominous atmosphere which builds to a fiery crescendo. Talk about ending on a high note!

The four-year gap between Devil Electric’s last album and Godless was well worth the wait. They deliver a masterclass of what doom metal/heavy psych should sound like. O’Brien’s pipes are in rare form and the trio of musicians backing her up are a force to be reckoned with. It’s an essential album to own if doom, heavy psych or metal is your thing. This is a record you’ll find yourself spinning quite often for a very long time. Without a doubt, one of the year’s ten best albums!

Devil Electric’s Bandcamp page: https://devilelectric.bandcamp.com

I’m a proud Canadian and I’m always happy when I come across Canadian artists who make music that resonates with me. My latest discovery comes in the form of Vancouver trio Eye of Doom who released their stunning debut EP, Curse of the Pharaoh, in September of 2020. I usually don’t review albums that have been released this far back but they truly deserve your attention—and I love doing what I can to help shine the spotlight on Canuck bands as much as possible.

Curse of the Pharaoh is a concept EP of sorts and represents doom in every sense of the word. Comprised of three songs, the epic title track kicks things off in doomy glory. A fuzzy, thick, and heavy soundscape, with the perfect type of vocals to transport us to a different time and place. “The Waning” is a short instrumental with spoken words that bridges the gap on to the third and final track, “Scold’s Bridle”, a jewel of a doom song with plenty of softer moments including a beauty of a lengthy guitar solo to take us out. I hear the influence of Sleep with elements of prog and space rock.

If Curse of the Pharaoh is a taste of things to come, then Eye of Doom are a band we should definitely keep an eye (and mostly our ears) on. Themes of mysticism, astronomy, and the occult populate the sonic landscape of this terrific EP. I’m very eager to hear their next release and to witness what musical territory they’ll explore on a full-length album. I give Curse of the Pharaoh my highest possible recommendation.

Eye of Doom’s Bandcamp page: https://eyeofdoom.bandcamp.com 

IKITAN's New Cassette Release

IKITAN, one of my favorite new instrumental bands, will soon be releasing two great tracks. I had a conversation with them this summer which you can read here. Here's the official press kit for their new Taxi Driver Records cassette/digital release.

IKITAN, a heavy post-rock trio, is proud to present "Darvaza y Brinicle", its first limited-edition cassette, published by Taxi Driver Records.

The cassette will be released on Friday 3rd December 2021 and the two new songs, titled “Darvaza” and “Brinicle”, will be available on Taxi Driver’s Bandcamp page as well as on all the band’s digital stores.

The tape contains the two singles on side A, and “Twenty-Twenty Live at Forte Geremia” on side B, which was released digitally and as a video in June 2021.

Only 30 copies of the cassette will be available, and each one comes with a digital download of the two singles… and a BIC pen.

The two songs will also be premiered on 666MRDoom’s YouTube channel on Thursday 2nd December 2021.

Listen to “Darvaza” and Pre-order the limited-edition cassette “Darvaza y Brinicle” (limited-edition: 30 copies) here.

“With a lot of new riffs under the belt since the release of “Twenty-Twenty”, and having had the opportunity to share “Live at Forte Geremia” with the world, it was the right time to publish some new music.

We’ve been rehearsing a lot as a consequence of the prolonged state of emergency in Italy, and “Darvaza” and “Brinicle” are the first products of this increased musical productivity in IKITAN’s headquarters”, says the band.

Unusual natural phenomena and weird facts have always been fascinating for IKITAN; the name of the band itself represents the alleged Aztec god of the sound of the stones, as depicted in the cover of “Twenty-Twenty”.

The Darvaza is in Turkmenistan whilst the Brinicle occurs in the Antarctic Ocean.

“Darvaza (“Door to Hell”, an artificially-created crater that’s been burning since the 70es) and Brinicle (a finger-of-death ice stalactite that kills everything it encounters in the water) represent two different yet complementary sides of our nature, devastating and powerful but ethereal and dream-like at the same time”, says IKITAN.

The idea of releasing the two singles as a cassette comes from Massimo Perasso, owner of Taxi Driver Records, an independent music label based in Genoa and born in 2009.

“We’re very happy to partner with Maso, a true legend in Genoa when it comes to heavy music, stoner and all types of interesting and cool projects, and his label Taxi Driver Records. We’ve always been fans of the label and its releases, and to be among some of Genoa’s (and beyond) best acts makes us very proud”, concludes IKITAN.

IKITAN was formed in Genoa, Italy, in 2019. The band’s self-released debut “Twenty-Twenty” is a one-track instrumental EP lasting 20 minutes and 20 seconds, and it was published on 20th November 2020. The EP was well-received globally by the press and fans alike.

As it was impossible to play live due to the pandemic, IKITAN recorded its first live video, “Twenty-Twenty Live at Forte Geremia”, in March 2021. It was recorded on top of an old military fort (819 m asl) and it captures the band playing “Twenty-Twenty” live for the first time, in a dramatic scenery between sea and mountains, and with no audience. The video of the concert, a tribute to generator parties, is available on YouTube.

The artwork for both “Twenty-Twenty” and “Darvaza y Brinicle” is crafted by Luca Marcenaro.

Save the date! "Darvaza y Brinicle" will be published on 3rd December 2021 in a limited-edition cassette by Taxi Driver Records and it will be available on the label’s Bandcamp.

Listen to “Darvaza” and Pre-order the limited-edition cassette “Darvaza y Brinicle” (limited-edition: 30 copies) here.

“Twenty-Twenty Live at Forte Geremia” is available on IKITAN’s Bandcamp as a name-your-price digital download as well as a live video on YouTube.

IKITAN’s debut EP “Twenty-Twenty” is available as a limited-edition (200 copies) digipack with a free poster and sticker as well as a digital download on Bandcamp.

Find IKITAN on:

Bandcamp - Facebook - YouTube - Instagram - Twitter - Spotify

https://linktr.ee/ikitan

IKITAN:

Luca Nash Nasciuti: guitar

Frik Et: bass

Enrico Meloni: drums and cowbell

“Darvaza y Brinicle” was recorded at IKITAN’s Studios in October 2021.

“Twenty-Twenty Live at Forte Geremia” was recorded at Forte Geremia on 7th March 2021.

A Double Shot of Reviews: Altareth and Doctor Smoke

It’s been a minute since I last reviewed an album on the blog. Apologies for that. Real life has been insanely hectic for your friendly Harbinger of D.O.O.M. these last six weeks and apart from the occasional article and interview, I haven’t had time to properly dedicate my time to doing track by track rundowns of some of the past few weeks of releases. The year is winding down and it continues to be chock-full of stellar releases and album of the year contenders. I’ll do something different for the next couple of reviews; instead of lengthier reviews focusing on a single album, I’ll give you a double shot of shorter reviews for albums that really blew my mind. So, here we go!

Ten days ago, Sweden’s doom quintet Altareth released their fantastic full-length debut album, Blood, on Magnetic Eye Records. Make no mistake though, this band has been around for at least seven years. They seem to have changed directions musically as they veer more towards classic doom/metal with heavy psych and occult references on this release as opposed to the more classic rock sound they had on their excellent demo track “Deconstruction” back in 2015. Blood opens slow and very heavy with its title track, full of fuzz and sludge. The catchy “Satan Hole” follows, a great cut and easily the most accessible of the album. If I had to pick favorites, it’d be the absolutely epic “Eternal Sleep” and the ominous “Moon”, with its great guitar riffs and solos. “High Priest” is certainly the most Sabbath-sounding song here, with singer Strömberg channeling both Ozzy and Trouble’s recently deceased frontman Eric Wagner at times. The seventh and final track, “Empty”, closes out the album at a lengthy 9 minutes.

Blood is everything a classic doom lover could desire. Think Black Sabbath meets Sleep with a dose of Windhand. It’s heavy, menacing, and leaves a lasting impact on the listener after the record is done spinning. I give it my highest possible recommendation.

Altareth’s Bandcamp page: https://altareth.bandcamp.com

Magnetic Eye Records’ Bandcamp page: https://magneticeyerecords.bandcamp.com 

Another release that completely slipped away from me in terms of review is Doctor Smoke’s phenomenal sophomore album, Dreamers and the Dead. This one came out at the beginning of September, and one thing led to another and it fell through the cracks for a review. Time to redeem that omission for this album that I can’t stop spinning.

Seven years went by between the Ohio quartet’s debut, The Witching Hour, and Dreamers and the Dead. The band has now signed with the mighty Ripple Music and these boys don’t know the meaning of the expression “sophomore slump”. This record is a barn-burner from beginning to end. It’s reminiscent of the glory days of ‘80s heavy metal and big arena rock anthems, giving the album a feeling of instant familiarity. “Reborn into Darkness” opens this 10-song rock fest with its infectious riffs and rhythms. If we move to the third and fourth tracks, “Waking Dreams” and “Out of Time”, two songs filled with fiery guitars and terrific vocals from Matt Tluchowski (who sometimes sounds like a more melodic Dave Mustaine). “What Lies Beyond” is a sleeper song; the more you hear it, the more it becomes an earworm that’ll have you singing along. The title track might very well be my favorite song on the record but the jury is still out on that one; honestly, we’re spoiled with ten outstanding tracks here! “The Rope” is fun, fast and furious, followed by the final cut, “This Hallowed Ground”, a darker song and in my opinion one of the very best in an album brimming with rock gems. 

Dreamers and the Dead is exactly what the doom doctor ordered! A perfect blend of heavy metal and hard rock with some blues on the side, channeling the heydays of the hair metal era and putting a modern spin on it. Doctor Smoke’s mixture of killer guitars, vocals that are a thing of beauty, and a fun atmosphere throughout, what more could you ask for? We have ourselves a definite album of the year candidate here, folks!

Doctor Smoke’s Bandcamp page: https://doctorsmoke.bandcamp.com

Ripple Music’s Bandcamp page for Doctor Smoke: https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/dreamers-and-the-dead

A Conversation with Z-Cocoon

It’s time for another chat with a band. This time it’s with great pleasure that we strike up a conversation with Montreal-based solo artist Z-Cocoon, masterminded by multi-instrumentalist Marc Zolla. Being Canadian, more specifically a Montreal-based music blog, the Harbinger of D.O.O.M. loves to shine the spotlight on Canuck bands and when it happens to be homegrown talent, it’s even more of a treat.

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: Congrats on the release of your excellent Dark EP earlier this year and the new single “X-Ray Eyes”. Is this the first single off a new upcoming album or a stand-alone track? What can we expect in the near future from Z-Cocoon?

Z-Cocoon: Hey Alan, Thank you!

I cannot mention if the new single is off an album or stand-alone track but let’s just say it’s a stand-alone track for now and there will be more. A lot more music is coming and a lot more recording. I have my recording setup in the basement right now with all my mics and gear. I can pretty much record when I want and send it to get it mixed and mastered. My live drummer Brandon Benwell will be joining with me in studio for some new tracks coming up. Stay tuned for that!

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: You started off as Pink Cocoon to later be renamed as Z-Cocoon. What motivated the name change and is there a story behind the “cocoon” moniker?

Z-Cocoon: I got tired of the name Pink Cocoon and wanted something more catchy, shorter and closer to rapper/blues artist/solo artist name (I’m not a rapper, but I take influence from the solo aspect from rappers).  Examples: T-Rex, T-Bone Walker, BB King, ZZ Top, J. Cole, ASAP Rocky, G-Eazy, MF Doom, Eazy-E…

Z-Cocoon sounds better. Z stands for my last name Zolla. Cocoon is something that constantly evolves and changes over time. It is also caterpillar that metamorphs into a butterfly ha, ha. I always like the word cocoon. There used to be a pink colour vibe before to the past marketing/ social media and it’s a colour you don’t see often in hard rock/ heavy metal. Although that name is a thing of the past, Z-Cocoon is here to stay. The new music doesn’t really sound like the past recordings. My vocals are higher and more crisp. Z-Cocoon matches what I’m going for now.

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: You recently took part in a series of outdoor performances at a skatepark in Montreal. What was the experience like? What material did you play/cover that wasn’t original compositions?

Z-Cocoon: Yes, we did! We played under the bridge in Plateau area near Van Horne Skatepark. Show was great. We did two shows there back to back at the bridge spot and a third one at another spot in Verdun. Brandon Benwell on drums and John Burton on bass. Experience was great! There’s no rules when you’re playing outdoors. There’s no venue rental cost, no limit to how loud you can be, play as long as you want, BYOB and you don’t have to play in front of plexiglass like most bars now ha, ha. Although, it’s getting too cold outside for outdoor shows right now.

We covered “Purple Haze” by Hendrix, “Snowblind” by Black Sabbath, “Pride and Joy” by Stevie Ray Vaughan, “Forever my Queen” by Pentagram. Rest of the set was all originals.

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: You’re a multi-instrumentalist and you’ve crafted a very unique sound for yourself; reminiscent of ‘90s alternative music with a Jimi Hendrix/Stevie Ray Vaughan edge with a modern twist. What are your primary influences and when did you develop an affinity for playing more than one instrument?

Z-Cocoon: My influences are always changing but the main influences that always stay are: Stevie Ray Vaughan, Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Marino, Led Zeppelin, Johnny Winter, Rory Gallagher, Blue Cheer, The Beatles, Nirvana, Electric Wizard, Alice in Chains and a lot of rap/pop like Mobb Deep, Nas, Logic, G-Eazy, The Neighbourhood, Lana Del Rey, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole. I like the vocal production and rhythm section sound of pop/rap music, except I don’t use autotune or programmed beats.

Newer rock influences would be Royal Blood, Reignwolf, Tyler Bryant and The Shakedown, Philip Sayce, Lance Lopez and more! Too many artists to mention.

Thank you for recognizing the unique sound. I’m trying ha, ha.

My first instrument was guitar since elementary school. Then I switched to drums and drums was main instrument. I played drums in a band called Mooch and got back into playing guitar while I was playing drums live to the point where I wanted to start my own project. I played bass a lot for myself and was very influenced by Cliff Burton/Death from Above 1979. I had the idea to perform everything solo in the studio back in 2016 Alienation EP – Pink Cocoon.

Slightly influenced by Prince, Dave Grohl, Mac De Marco, Tame Impala. Their music genre isn’t a direct influence but the idea of doing it solo was “if they can do it, I can do it. End of story”. You have to know you’re able to do it TIGHT before doing it all solo. It’s very different from recording live with a band in studio.

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: One last question and I’ll let you get back to doing your thing. “X-Ray Eyes” was the first song that you fully recorded in your home studio; will this be your new home base in terms of recording future songs/albums? Do you have any plans to lease out your studio to other local bands and possibly assist them in recording music?

Z-Cocoon: Yes, “X-Ray Eyes” was indeed the first song I fully recorded in my home studio and then sent out for a mix and master.

Exactly as you said. This will be my home base for future recordings. All the gear is professional quality gear. It’s possibly the greatest thing for any artist to have your own studio. I can get creative and try anything without a time limit.

Yes, I can record other bands and artists although I’m not exactly advertising my studio. My drummer Brandon Benwell will be recording some drums with me in the studio on some new recordings. I still work my regular job as a carpenter, so I don’t need my studio to record other bands as an income, although I won’t refuse recording other artists.

Maybe it’ll be a fulltime recording studio one day, who knows?

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: Thank you for your time and for answering my questions. I’m excited to hear what the future has in store for Z-Cocoon!

Z-Cocoon: No probs! Thank you for the interview! To everyone that read this interview! Follow Harbinger of Doom and follow Z-Cocoon on all social media! Spread the word!

Follow Z-Cocoon:

Z-Cocoon on Bandcamp

Z-Cocoon on Facebook

Z-Cocoon on Twitter

Z-Cocoon on YouTube

Z-Cocoon on Instagram

It's Bandcamp Friday!!!

It’s Bandcamp Friday once again! This special day where Bandcamp waives its revenue share and all the money goes directly to the artists and labels is here. I like to take this opportunity to give you music lovers some buying suggestions and tell you what are my personal picks of the week and get a little traffic on the blog by the same token. So, here they are, from your friendly Harbinger of D.O.O.M.

First off, what is undoubtedly my pick of the week (an album review will follow sometime this week), is Altareth’s debut record, Blood. A stunning sludgey/occult/doom album on Magnetic Eye Records. Think Black Sabbath meets Sleep with a dose of Windhand. You can pick it up on Bandcamp here. 

Second, not a week goes by without a great release from the mighty Ripple Music it seems, and this week is no different. The Salem, Massachusetts natives Mother Iron Horse are back with their sophomore release, Under the Blood Moon, and it’s a scorcher of an album! If occult, mean, and heavy is your thing, then this is the record for you, right here on Bandcamp.

Third, a lengthy compilation running over three hours in length from the prolific maestro WEEDIAN is out this week focusing on Denmark and it’s a fantastic way to discover new doom/stoner/metal talent from that great Nordic country. And it’s a “Name Your Price” release so you have no excuse not to check out Trip to Denmark right here.

Fourth, we go to a band I recently found out about and which has blown my socks off: Spacelord from Buffalo, New York. They give us a cosmic blast of stoner rock on their third full length album, False Dawn. Not to be missed, right this way.

And last but not least, if you’re looking for a single track from what will probably be an awesome album out in early 2022, we have the all-powerful New York band Titanosaur with their spanking new “Conspiracy” single which you can get here. If you’re into Sabbath, Motorhead and/or Monster Magnet, they’ve got you covered.

That’s it for this #BandcampFriday, folks. I hope you give your ears the gift of great music while supporting those hard-working bands and that your weekend is a memorable one. Until next time, happy listening! 

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! The best Holiday of the year is upon us once again! There’re a bunch of cool music releases to help get you in the mood this year. So, let’s celebrate All Hallows Eve with witches and werewolves, ghosts and goblins, as we crank the volume up to 11!

First off, just released last week, VAZUM’s excellent Unrated V. It’s a remix album of sorts, an electronic/industrial version of their October 2020 album, Rated V. As much as I enjoyed Rated V, I have to say that I found Unrated V to be a much more polished, superior album. The Deathgaze duo of Zach Pliska and Emily Sturm has really come into their own over the past year. This is their second album this year, following the release of V+ back in June, which ranks in my top three albums of 2021 thus far. I had a lengthy conversation with the Detroit duo back in June, which you can read here, if you’d like to know more about them. As far as Unrated V is concerned, it’s a glorious 77-minute opus consisting of 12 tracks; the first 6 songs with vocals and the latter 6 are instrumentals. Some of the highlights include “Jester”, “Lycanthrope”, and “Wytch Lych”. This album will be perfect for your Halloween party! And you know what’s even better? It’s a “Name Your Price” release on Bandcamp. So, head over there and show them some love, you’ll be glad you did.

Next up is a fantastic compilation curated by expert doom/stoner rock maestro, WEEDIAN. Simply titled Halloween 2021, it features 19 kick-ass songs from a who’s who of today’s best doom/metal/stoner/heavy rock bands. Among those featured and some of my favorite cuts include Beastmaker’s trippy “Colors of the Dark”, HAZEMAZE’s awesome cover of Sabbath’s “Electric Funeral”, and Dead Scrolls’ brutal “The Satanic Mill”. And guess what? It’s another “Name Your Price” release on Bandcamp! Get your copy here.

If you’re a fan of ‘80s horror movies like I am, then they are a staple of the Halloween season. Many great songs have stemmed from that golden era of horror flicks, including a mostly forgotten band by the name of Fastway who sang the title track to 1986’s “Trick or Treat”. Ripple Music’s Doctor Smoke have decided to cover the song for the occasion and it’s an absolute gem! You can buy the track on Bandcamp for a dollar right here.

Last but not least, no stranger to Halloween festivities, Sister Midnight, a band who has made a name for itself over the past few years covering classic horror movie songs/themes are back just in time for Halloween! They do a terrific rendition of Bruno Nicolai’s “Sabba”, an instrumental piece from the classic 1972 Giallo “All the Colours of the Dark”. You can snatch it for $0.72 on their Bandcamp page.

I hope you’ll find these musical suggestions to your liking and that they’ll make your Halloween a little spookier. Enjoy the music, the booze, the parties, and the candy! Stay safe, and have a frightful Halloween! 

Holy Death Trio - Introducing...

Holy Death Trio’s first album was unleashed a couple of weeks ago. Simply titled Introducing…, it is part of Ripple Music’s special projects overseen by the great Rob “Blasko” Nicholson. Earlier this year, Blasko, well-known bassist and frequent player with Ozzy, Rob Zombie, and Zakk Wylde, to name a few, signed on to join the ranks of the mighty heavy rock label Ripple Music. He’s now in charge of signing new artists and is the executive producer for Holy Death Trio’s debut record. From what I gather, they were one of the first bands signed as part of this collaboration between Blasko and Ripple.

The Austin, Texas trio sure knows how to party and Introducing… serves as good proof of that. Part stoner, part rock n’ roll, with a pinch of blues, this album rocks from beginning to end. No filler. Right down to business without a moment wasted. From the get-go, “White Betty” kicks things off into high gear. A high energy track that sets the tone for the album. Is she Black Betty’s cousin, by any chance? “Bad Vibrations” is next; what a cool song this is! Who needs good vibrations when you can get bad vibrations! I get a Bon Scott vibe from the singer throughout the album. In fact, Holy Death Trio remind me a lot of AC/DC; not so much in their sound, although I can hear it resonate here and there, but more in the type of attitude and balls to the wall approach they have. AC/DC’s Highway to Hell and Back in Black are staple records that you put on to signal the weekend has arrived. They kick ass from top to bottom. Holy Death Trio deliver the same formula and pack a punch from the first riff to the last chord. But I digress. Back to the review: “Bad Vibrations” segues into “Black Wave”, as if it were part 2 of the same song. Great stuff! “Get Down” has a riff that will make you bob your head. Rock n’ roll, baby! Next up, “The Killer” has an opening riff that feels eerily reminiscent of a classic rock song, but I can’t put my finger on what it is. “Fishsticks” follows, and don’t let the title fool you; this song has some bark! One of the highlights of the album with a terrific guitar solo. They saved the best for last (in my humble opinion) with “Witchdoctor”, a very atmospheric psychedelic/doomy track.

Channeling AC/DC’s party energy, fusing echoes of Hendrix and Sabbath, Holy Death Trio has crafted a stunning debut with Introducing… If you like old school rock n’ roll with a stoner twist, look no further. This brisk (maybe a little too brisk at a 33-minute runtime) record will get your weekend started on a strong note.

Holy Death Trio’s Bandcamp page: https://holydeathtrio.bandcamp.com/music

Ripple Music’s Bandcamp page for Holy Death Trio: https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/introducing

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