Well, shit. Italy might just be my new favorite country for groovy, doom metal. BLACK SPELL, HANDS OF ORLAC, and WARCOE all hail from the wicked boot, not to mention BLACK RAINBOWS, but that’s Stoner and I’m not sure Greece is ready to hand over their crown just yet. But let’s talk WARCOE. This trio has been on my radar since 2022 when they released their debut full length, “The Giant’s Dream.” On December 15, 2023 another blip popped up like Godzilla trudging through the Mediterranean on its way to Pesaro, Italy, apparently lured by the Doom-laden riffs of WARCOE’s sophomore album, “A Place of Demons.”

“A Place for Demons” is eight tracks of Doom bliss with a good dose of sludge done up in an analog cauldron. While you won’t find anything terribly innovative, the song writing and execution is solid, staying well within prescribed Doom color palate—black, grey, and pitch. The trio is tight as ever with Carlo and Francesco providing plenty of landscape for Stefano to explore. And explore he does, from stolid, distorted riffs to an entire acoustic track, “Rune Dweller,” to striking solos throughout. He also delivers clean vocals very adjacent to the nasal, monotone styling so many Doom bands use but distinctive enough not to call an Ozzy foul.

The tracks are mostly north of four minutes, affording the band plenty of landscape, while short enough not to get ponderous. Standout tracks include “Pyramid of Despair” which slows to near crawl when it corners and runs quick and mean on the straights; “Leaves” for a 70-second exquisite solo; “Wounds Too Deep to Heal” with Carlo weaponizing the bass; and the nine-minute “Buio” (trans: Dark) which gets knee-deep in the sludge while Francesco dances around the fire.

A quick mention on the cover art: I love that WARCOE is sticking to their black and white motif. The design for “A Place for Demons” is especially salient with a carnifex demon emerging from the mouth of hell to devour the world. And finally, I have to acknowledge the ever-reliable combo of Helter Skelter Productions and Regain Records who are bringing us more and more solid acts.

“A Place for Demons” doesn’t set a new standard for Doom but it also doesn’t break any rules. This is just good ol’ Doom come out to play—Groovy without being Stoner, Doom without being glacial. WARCOE brings it.