San Francisco's Doom Metal upstarts ORCHID have landed firmly within the Metal scene as one of the most consistent modern bands carrying the torch of the blueprint that BLACK SABBATH created over 40 years ago. In particular, SABBATH's first three albums are all over their latest release through Nuclear Blast Records, "The Mouths of Madness". From the song structures, the Jazz swing and the demonic Blues you cannot mistake the influence.

The band was formed back in 2007 and in that time has released three EP's and two full-length records. Their EP "Heretic" from 2012 created a great buzz in the underground. A digital only release, it wet the appetite of every doom metal fan and the excitement for their next record skyrocketed. "The Mouth Of Madness" does follow the same formula as their previous material but the band has not quite taken the jump to the next level that I was expecting.

The biggest issue I have with the record is the production. It is obvious that they are reaching for a retro feel and are heavily influenced by Rodger Bain and his early SABBATH productions. They just don't quite achieve it. The bass is mixed too loud and dominates the material. The guitar doesn't have enough gain and in parts sounds like a scratch guitar and not very powerful. They could have gotten better sounds with retro amps than what is produced here.

The songwriting is as strong as ever though. They might not reach the heights of the song "Heretic" but there is plenty here to celebrate. The swing and "Fairies Wear Boots" vibe of "Marching Dogs of War" is excellent. I don't think a band has swung like early SABBATH as ORCHID can. "Silent One" is over seven minutes and is quite the epic track. Taking right out of the "Into The Void" handbook this is the ultimate headbanger. An excellent sped up bridge that finds guitarist Mark Thomas Baker playing two leads at the same time that embodies a young Tony Iommi. The rhythm section of Nickel and Carter Kennedy shine once again on this monstrous song.

The highlight of the record is the title track, one of the best songs of ORCHID's career. The title track shows that SABBATH influences them but they aren't exactly trying to copy them. This is when the band shines the best and is at their most lethal. Vocalist Theo Mindell is the perfect cross between Ozzy and Eric Wagner of TROUBLE, who are two of the best doom metal vocalists ever. He has a special voice and as he grows and creates some of his own identity the more the band will develop.

At the end of the day that is the biggest frustration I have with "The Mouth of Madness", the band needs to realize they need to make their own mark on the doom genre. They are one of the best young bands on the scene today but when they try to copy SABBATH verbatim it isn't as memorable as when the band utilizes the influence.

Another excellent release by ORCHID but one that I hope they can learn and cultivate. If you never heard ORCHID before do yourself a favor and check them out, they are one of the leaders in today's doom genre. Few if any do it better. On their next release they need to instill the confidence that they don't need to rely so heavily on imitating SABBATH and think about hiring a top-notch modern producer to give them a fuller sound.