Doomsayer
Hydrophonic Records
I will admit there are plenty of stoner/doom bands out there that all sound the same. A million bands all fighting to be either Electric Wizard or Sleep. Sorry folks but no one is going to top that heap. I guess it's something to aspire to but let's be honest, if you're going to get even close to that kind of notoriety, acclaim or influence you're going to have to spin the genre in a different way. It just so happens that I know such a band. The Scimitar are in a league all their own. With Darryl Shepard, (Guitar/Vocals), David Gein (Bass), of Black Pyramid and Brian Banfield, (Drums), of Blood Stone Sacrifice how could they not be?
A little more low down and rock-centric than Black Pyramid, The Scimitar take what BP were becoming with Adversarial, trim it down to the essentials and kick it in the crotch with Doomsayer. Kicking off with "The Taker" Shepard's howling at just under a minute into the song gives you a glimpse of what you're in for. It's not the atonal screaming of most metal but it's got way more force. The riff sounds like it could have been a B-Side from Adeversarial, but with Gein's bass more present you get added melody to mix in with the
extra filth that litters Shepard's guitar. "World Unreal" comes in with another mid tempo lumbering riff but after about a minute the pace turns into more of a gallop with Banfield's steady thud and crack leading the charge. Shepard trades in the howl for a something more melodic but no less commanding. The song continues on at a pretty good clip despite the changes in momentum between verse, chorus, bridges andsolos. The final 2 minutes consist of 5 changes in the timing of the groove and every one is spot on. The precision and wealth of sound coming from the rhythm section gives Shepard so much room to maneuver that he's never forced to add extra guitar tracks under his solos. He's never out there on a wire without a net and even though he may not need one, having one makes his solo's that much better. "Babylon" is one of 3 instrumental tracks on the album. The fastest song on the record, it has more in common with early High on Fire than it does with Sleep. Punctuated by caustic wah pedal work, this is 3 and a half minutes of sonic battering ram. The next 2 songs are probably not on the top of the list of things you expect from a stoner/doom band; a Motorhead cover, (done at the proper speed), and an acoustic interlude. "Metropolis" is done with great reverence for the original song but without ever trying to ape Motorhead's sound. "Attrition" is an all acoustic guitar piece that is done with far more purpose than most. It doesn't feel like filler, it kicks off side 2 of the record and really feels like it's pulling you in for what's to come.
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| The Scimitar @ Ralph's - Worcester, MA "Eye of the Stoned Goat" Festival - May 2014 Photo by Meghan Killimade |
The final 2 tunes on Doomsayer are the longest and "Void Traveler" is probably my favorite. The vocals are what pull me in the most. The verses are probably the most melodic on the album, the bits before the chorus sound almost robotic with the layers and the choruses push the howls from earlier in the album even further into the extreme. While Shepard is showcasing his vocal range, Banfield is doing his best fills and tom work on the record. The mix of swing and burl in his beats on "Void Traveler" is some of the best in the genre. After cycling through verse and chorus a couple times there is quieter bit where Gein takes the reigns and shows his ability to carry a song melodically while Shepard lets some laid back strumming carry a few spacey effects over the top. Everyone get's their time in the front on "Void Traveler" without any of it ever seeming forced and I think that is mark of great and collaborative songwriting.
Doomsayer ends with the 8 and a half minute instrumental "Crucifer". There is enough low end in this song to shake most stereos to the ground. All the riffs are still distinguishable but just uglier and dirtier. Yes the centerpiece of the tune is a triumphant blast of a guitar solo but the slow rolling thunder before it and the underworld thrash that follows it is what makes the song. Never droning and with a clear but unpredictable linear path, "Crucifer" is a great end cap to an awesome record.
New Holland Brewing
Dragon's Milk
Dragon's Milk
Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout
11% ABV
Burly
beer for a burly record. Black as night and flavor as big as the
mythical creature in it's name, at 11% Dragon's milk is a force to be
reconned with. The nose has a ton of vanilla, which isn't uncommon for
barrel aged beers. The roasted malts give a lot of coffee flavors up
front and the alcohol gives a bit of sour cherry flavor to the swallow.
This tastes like one of the best desserts you've ever had melted down
and fermented. Do yourself a favor and let this beer warm up. As with
most dark beers, Dragon's Milk is better a bit warmer. You'll get dark
chocolate flavors that become more evident. The finish also becomes
nuttier as it warms. Lastly, the bourbon flavors start to creep in and
that's the kicker. For an 11% stout the body of the beer is suprisingly
light. If you are into stout this is a don't miss. It will make you love
barrell aged beers if you don't already.
Rat Queens
Vol. 1: Sass and Sorcery
Writer: Kurtis J. Wiebe
Image Publishing Company
The dialogue reads like modern
conversation set in a fantasy novel and instead of some muscle-headed
barbarian or a wordy little hobbit you get to see it through the eyes of
4 completely empowered and self aware women. The fact that the male
author of this book nailed 4 incredibly different, interesting and
believable, (in the context of the world he created), female characters
speaks volumes for the man's ability as well as the strong women he no
doubt surrounds himself with in real life. Lets face it, most female
comic characters, (especially those written by men), were and still are
either cheap imitations of their male counterparts, damsels in distress
or overly sexualized caricatures of heroes. The 4 Rat Queens are none of
those things. The entire storyline is just as balanced as the
characters. The differences in personality keep the dialogue from
getting stale and it doesn't get into any truly obtuse hipster-speak.
Even though the characters are meant to be hip and feisty young ladies
Wiebe never tries too hard to get them to appear that way. The only piece
of plot that really stuck in my craw was the rune stone that doubled as
a medieval cell phone. It only shows up once for like a page so I can
forgive it but that was the one page that threw me out of my suspension
of disbelief. For the most part though the mix of modern day thinking
and language is intertwined brilliantly in with the fantasy backdrop. The
battles are also very well choreographed. The team actually "run plays"
when fighting a giant troll and there is plenty of blood to go around.
Hannah casts spells spells and Dee plays magical field medic while Betty
stabs people in the back and Violet slashes them in the front. Straight
ahead 4 person D&D battle scenarios, executed brilliantly. So throw
on some stoner metal crack a beer and read this, you will not regret it
