I knew there was something wrong when I came home from work the other night. Why was the postman still in front of my apartment building at 6PM? Why was he clutching his lower back and cursing my front door? The Ripple return address on the package on my doorstep couldn’t have anything to do with it, could it? I pushed the exhausted mailman aside and tried to lift the package but could not. I got a neighbor to help me lift the small yellow mailer into my pad. The cats ran away in fright and the baby started wailing. I couldn’t believe that the postage was almost $3000. What the hell was in this thing? My wife said she smelled something horrible. I grabbed a cleaver and opened carefully. Three advance CD’s came crashing to the floor. I checked the paperwork – Electric Earth Records. That explained everything. Electric Earth only puts out the heaviest shit imaginable.
Elder - s/t
The self titled CD from Elder was the first to crawl over to the system and commit stereocide. Elder are three confused youngsters from “North & South” Massachusetts according to their no frills Myspace page. Their hometowns must be so minuscule and hideously dull that they’re too embarrassed to call them by name. They list their influences as “obvious.” That means Sleep, Electric Wizard and all things that was spawned from the splooge of Black Sabbath. For these kids to be so heavy and so well versed in doom at such a young age makes me think that someone at school has access to some really good hydroponics. 6 songs of negativity and depression are delivered in 42 minutes. “White Walls,” “Hexe,” and “Riddle Of Steel (parts I & II)” are all Sleep derived stompers while “Ghost Head” is like an early Fu Manchu slow ride. Doom metal fans will love this record. It was created by them for them.
Ocean Chief - Den Forste
Ocean Chief’s album Den Forste begins like something straight off the first Trouble album but the vocals are darker and angrier than the sub-Ozzy wail of Eric Wagner. Ocean Chief have a strong Electric Wizard influence but without the horror movie samples. 3 songs crawl by in 37 minutes. This vinyl only release has the title track and “Tomrum” on side 1. All of side 2 is comprised of “Sang.” This one plods along nicely and then most of the guitar drops out around the 4 minute mark for some synth drones. The guitars come back in a few minutes later to do battle with the evil keys. This goes on for awhile until the bass dominates the sound and then eventually the song drifts away. Any virgins should run away as fast as possible if they come in contact with this record near an altar of any sort.
Black Pyramid - s/t
Compared to the other 2 bands, Black Pyramid are virtual speed merchants. Their brand of doom metal has a more of a Black Sabbath and Pentagram influence with some nice arrangements that bring to mind the first Iron Maiden album. Black Pyramid hail from Northampon, Massachusetts – one of the smelliest places on the east coast because almost everyone wears that heinous patchouli oil. It must be lonely for these guys in a college town full of hippies and microbrew snobs. There’s 9 songs on the CD but 10 on the 3 sided LP (just like Johnny Winter’s 2nd Winter!). One song is all acoustic guitar - I wasn’t sure that was allowed on metal albums anymore.
All three of these releases are winners. Black Pyramid offer the most variety while Ocean Chief and Elder are more monochromatic. Depress your friends and throw all 3 of them on a playlist on your ipod for an overdose of doom.
I need to drink some clean water and get some sunshine after listening to these three.
--Woody
Electric Earth Records
http://www.electric-earth.com/
Elder –
http://www.myspace.com/beholdtheelder
Elder CD from All That Is Heavy –
http://www.allthatisheavy.com/info.asp?item_num=ATH-5666
Ocean Chief
http://www.myspace.com/oceanchief
LP only from All That Is Heavy -
http://www.allthatisheavy.com/info.asp?item_num=ATH-6387
Black Pyramid
http://www.myspace.com/blackpyramidkills
Black Pyramid CD from All That Is Heavy –
http://www.allthatisheavy.com/info.asp?item_num=ATH-6066
Elder - s/tThe self titled CD from Elder was the first to crawl over to the system and commit stereocide. Elder are three confused youngsters from “North & South” Massachusetts according to their no frills Myspace page. Their hometowns must be so minuscule and hideously dull that they’re too embarrassed to call them by name. They list their influences as “obvious.” That means Sleep, Electric Wizard and all things that was spawned from the splooge of Black Sabbath. For these kids to be so heavy and so well versed in doom at such a young age makes me think that someone at school has access to some really good hydroponics. 6 songs of negativity and depression are delivered in 42 minutes. “White Walls,” “Hexe,” and “Riddle Of Steel (parts I & II)” are all Sleep derived stompers while “Ghost Head” is like an early Fu Manchu slow ride. Doom metal fans will love this record. It was created by them for them.
Ocean Chief - Den ForsteOcean Chief’s album Den Forste begins like something straight off the first Trouble album but the vocals are darker and angrier than the sub-Ozzy wail of Eric Wagner. Ocean Chief have a strong Electric Wizard influence but without the horror movie samples. 3 songs crawl by in 37 minutes. This vinyl only release has the title track and “Tomrum” on side 1. All of side 2 is comprised of “Sang.” This one plods along nicely and then most of the guitar drops out around the 4 minute mark for some synth drones. The guitars come back in a few minutes later to do battle with the evil keys. This goes on for awhile until the bass dominates the sound and then eventually the song drifts away. Any virgins should run away as fast as possible if they come in contact with this record near an altar of any sort.
Black Pyramid - s/tCompared to the other 2 bands, Black Pyramid are virtual speed merchants. Their brand of doom metal has a more of a Black Sabbath and Pentagram influence with some nice arrangements that bring to mind the first Iron Maiden album. Black Pyramid hail from Northampon, Massachusetts – one of the smelliest places on the east coast because almost everyone wears that heinous patchouli oil. It must be lonely for these guys in a college town full of hippies and microbrew snobs. There’s 9 songs on the CD but 10 on the 3 sided LP (just like Johnny Winter’s 2nd Winter!). One song is all acoustic guitar - I wasn’t sure that was allowed on metal albums anymore.
All three of these releases are winners. Black Pyramid offer the most variety while Ocean Chief and Elder are more monochromatic. Depress your friends and throw all 3 of them on a playlist on your ipod for an overdose of doom.
I need to drink some clean water and get some sunshine after listening to these three.
--Woody
Electric Earth Records
http://www.electric-earth.com/
Elder –
http://www.myspace.com/beholdtheelder
Elder CD from All That Is Heavy –
http://www.allthatisheavy.com/info.asp?item_num=ATH-5666
Ocean Chief
http://www.myspace.com/oceanchief
LP only from All That Is Heavy -
http://www.allthatisheavy.com/info.asp?item_num=ATH-6387
Black Pyramid
http://www.myspace.com/blackpyramidkills
Black Pyramid CD from All That Is Heavy –
http://www.allthatisheavy.com/info.asp?item_num=ATH-6066
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