Sorcerer is a Swedish epic doom band from Stockholm, which was founded in 1988, disbanded in 1992 and re-formed in 2010. I've been following the band since the release of 2015's In the Shadow of the Inverted Cross which was followed by the even better 2017's The Crowning Of The Fire King.
The quintet returns in 2020 with Lamenting of the Innocent and two new members: Bassist Justin Biggs and former drummer Richard Evensand. They join guitarists Kristian Niemann and Peter Hallgren and vocalist Anders Engberg. The band approached the writing process of this new album as a collaborative effort As a consequence we get epic doom in line with previous albums, but also with flavors of prog, classic heavy metal and hard rock. Among the new experiments I'd highlight "Dance with the Devil" featuring a choir and spoken words and the title track with growls. The beautiful track "Deliverance" sees the album's only guest appearances, Johan Langquist of Candlemass and renowned Swedish cellist Svante Henryson. It's a clear example of the sound expansion and exploration the guys were looking for. The duet with the two singers is jaw-dropping.
Despite the experimentation and influences, Lamenting of the Innocent is still a big homage to Sabbath and Candlemass. That's obviously not a bad thing specially when the song writing delivers and the musicianship is topnotch. The two guitar players really excelled on this disk. The fantastic fat big riffs follow Tony Iommi's school but deliver the goods on their on merits (e.g. "Dance with the Devil"). The guitar solos would make some guitar heroes blush. "Path to Perdition" had me mistaken for a Mamlsteen Magnum Opus era song. Not only due to the fantastic guitar work but also the use of keys and overall feeling. The single "The Hammer of Witches" gives that strong Master Of Reality vibe ("Children Of The Grave", anyone?) and while very good, the chorus seems a bit out of place.
Another not surprising highlight of this album are the vocals. Vocalist Anders proves again, without being over the top, that he is one of the best in this genre. His powerful voice resonates perfectly with the great catchy melodies and big epic choruses. The almost 9-min title track is an absolute masterpiece, a true masterclass of epic doom. The emotions in his voice and the anthemic ending reminds me of Rainbow's "Stargazer". The powerful and catchy "Institoris" is pure Candlemass. Leif Edling is certainly proud of his disciples. The vocal melodies are just irresistible-sing-along-goose-bumping machines.
The production is decent and creates a big sound with heavy guitars and pounding drums. But it could be a bit more dynamic with more bass on the mix. Not really a big problem. My only real criticism is that the album is a bit too long, I'd have made it 8 songs, opening with the title track and putting "Where Spirits Die" (which didn't work for me as it breaks the flow of the album) as bonus track. And even "Condemned" doesn't add much and feels as a filler as well.
Sorcere's Lamenting of the Innocent features all the elements I'd expect from an Epic Doom album. Big epic choruses, catchy melodies, heavy riffs, strong vocals and great musicianship. If you put aside the fact that there's nothing really new about it, you will give yourself a treat.
SCORE: 81/100
Genre: Doom Metal
Released by Metal Blade Records on May 29th, 2020
Follow BeMetalaways Spotify Playlist with upcoming metal releases
Rating System*
99 - 100 Perfect
94 - 98 Excellent
87 - 93 Great
82 - 86 Very Good
77 - 81 Good
66 - 76 Mixed
58 - 65 Bad
* slightly adapted on May 24th, 2020 due to statistical review
wordcount = 557
No comments:
Post a Comment