DOPELORD is a stoner/doom metal quartet originating from Poland that formed in 2010 drawing their musical inspirations from vintage movies, seventies music and magical herbs creating their self-described sound as “horror, occultism and drugs”. “Songs for Satan” is their fifth full-length studio album released back in July of 2023 and apparently a key player in the Polish stoner scene. This is the first album I have reviewed from a Polish band and I admit this is the first I have heard of them. So, as I dig into this album, I’ve sprinkled holy water over the turntable, turned on all the lights and have a priest on speed dial just in case we need an exorcism.

I sure hope Satan likes bird sounds because that what the “Intro” delivers with a distant single squawking crow that carries on for over two very annoying minutes. Track two “Night of the Witch” opens with a heavy pulsating riff lingering over the meaty drum backbeat as the devilish vocals take over with fuzzy and distorted blackened ambiance. The same, repeating mundane tempo carries on throughout the entire song for 7:20 and just hangs there like a looming dark storm cloud. ”The Chosen One” steps up to the plate with a nice, gritty fuzz pedal guitar solo opening up providing a chunky bite of doom as the vocals take it up a notch delivering an appealing early OZZY OSBOURNE sound and feel, better mixed and more developed than the predecessor. “Evil Spell” starts out with a nice occult vibe and approach with a more turned down melody and returning to harsh vocals that feel like we’re headed to the Gallows Pole for a visit with the hangman. The song does, however, drag on before finally giving way to a decent, brief guitar solo. All I will say about the skin crawling sound on “Worms” is that I think Satan came into the studio, grabbed the microphone and put down his own vocal tracks, time to get that priest over here. Okay, who switched albums on me, the ending track “Return to the Night of the Witch” is a playful synthesizer dominated instrumental that brings this trip to hell to a very confused ending.

Well, alrighty then, that was a very interesting ride. I totally understand DOPELORD is stoner/doom laden rock, heavy on the doom, I was expecting a little more of an early BLACK SABBATH sound, not the long, lingering Satanic ritual that dominated most of “Songs for Satan”. There were a handful of meaty and heavy riffs paced with some balanced reverb all aided by a nice drum foundation throughout, but overall, the songs just lacked any distinctiveness or persona despite the mesmerizing cover artwork.