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BRIMSTONE COVEN
II

Self-released (2013)
Rating: 8/10

Now I don’t wanna sound daft, but it seems that any contemporary band with the word “Coven” or “Wizard” in their name nearly always turns out to be doom metal. It’s not a bad thing of course, especially if the music sits right, but the influence of Black Sabbath is most certainly going to last forever, and with these US doom metal merchants we have another slab of bluesy yet weighty rock carved straight from the heart of darkness.

Doom metal is having a bit of resurgence mainly due to the effects of “occult rock” and Sabbath’s continuation with their recent 13 (2013) opus. Even so, the genre is getting bogged down by rather formulaic acts who seem to occupy three spots on the spectrum.

Firstly, we have the fuzzed out stoner bands who drive me nuts with their gluey treatments. Then there are those who belong in Satan’s corner, obsessed with 50s and 60s B-movie psych outs and costume drama. And finally, there’s acts such as Brimstone Coven, who seem to occupy a place slightly more sparse and simple, but still as effective.

This Wheeling, West Virginia-based combo opt for bluesy riffs that are naturally forged from Sabbath’s fire but all the while residing in that dark corner once cluttered by Pentagram, Witchfinder General, Count Raven, and a whole host of 70s swaggering, whisky-drinking warlords of the glum. So what I’m saying is that retro rock continues, and in this case it’s not too bad.

As the title suggest, II is Brimstone Coven’s second offering, and follows 2012’s self-titled debut. The album boasts 10 numbers, all of which take influence from a bit of Led Zeppelin, a bit of Deep Purple, and that general 70s rock vibe which should sit well with today’s metal audience that seems for the most part to consist of hipster dudes who enjoy getting high on folky psych-drenched anthems built on big riffs.

This opus shouldn’t disappoint because it’s big in all departments, mainly due to the fact we have Corey Roth’s deep churning riffs which sound as if they’ve been born out of a vast arena from that golden era of stadium rock. But in general the sound of this quartet is one that is smooth, especially in the vocals of “Big John” Williams.

The opening track is an effective tumble of Dan Hercules’ fluent percussion and an almost stark yet oaken riff caressed by cosmic lyrical annotations. I’m thinking partly Masters Of Reality too; just in the blues-soaked yet boogie nature with ‘Behold, The Anunnaki’ and its mystical tumble hinting at folky psych and prog rock.

The album offers so much that it becomes a veritable feast of flavours. Instant favourites for me include the Black Sabbath-esque rumble of ‘The Grave’, the rolling thunder of ‘The Séance’, the gothic, church organ throb of ‘Hades Hymn’, and the truly lumbering giant of a closer ‘The Folly Of Faust’.

With this opus, Brimstone Coven have cemented their place in doom metal folklore by creating a rather breezy album which is gimmick free, yet high on riffage ’n’ roll.

Neil Arnold

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