Reviews
2007-09-25
Outremer can be described as a doom/stoner combo, hailing from Sweden, and this is their first MCD. None of the members are too well-known, vocalist Ola Malmström was a member of death merchants Sorcery, and guitarist Henrik Lindenmo played with fellow doomsters Forlorn, but that's about as far as it goes.
The fact these are not well known doom musicians here only makes the quality of this release more surprising. The band effortlessly combines classic doom a-la
Black Sabbath with some early
Cathedral aggression and vocals that reminded me of
Celtic Frost's Tom G. Warrior's classic delivery.
All the right ingredients are there, a really thick sound, with crushing drums and fuzz-heavy guitars, deep bass and Malmstrom's massive rasp leading the fray. If opener "Turn Into Grey" starts out in a similar fashion to a Mastodon song, it twists it's way into a sudden psychedelic-tinged doom segment before crushing back in again a minute later…
Twilight Tyrants again combines serious
Black Sabbath riffing with a
Celtic Frost feel, and the use of the word "Tyrants" certainly brings the latter to mind, but the use of some strong fuzzy wah-wah guitars and the additional nature sound effects just make this sound epic and powerful.
This is serious doom/stoner for the hardened fans, smoked and yet groovy, psychedelic to an extent and yet quite dark and depressive at times, a very fine way to start out a career in doom metal.
Alon Miasnikov
