KRYPTOGRAF is a doom metal band from Norway, who formed in 2019.  "The Eldorado Spell," is their second full length album.  The band's sound is definitely steeped in the old ways—anyone who isn't familiar with their old school doom approach would think this is some lost album from the late 60's/early 70's.  So, as such, their sound isn't original at all but I also admire their commitment to their influences and the style they obviously love so much.

The band's sound definitely has a stoner feel to it, as well as psychedelic elements plus even a folk vibe here and there.  It is a decent mix and it is all wrapped up in a package of big riffs and catchy song arrangements. The vocals are what you would expect but I appreciate they don't go the route of bands of a similar style and smother them in distorted echoes.

"Asphodel," opens the album with riffs ready at the get go.  It is obvious the band is perhaps too stuck in the past-the guitars definitely need more bite.  With that being said, the riffs are great slabs of doom, even if they should weight 100lbs instead of the 40lbs they come off as.  The vocals glide along smoothly with the music and I liked the slower pace of the song, especially the chorus. The bass is a standout, as it is for the album's duration.  The guitar in the song's middle portion is smokey and leads into a folk rock inspired section that sounds pretty slick to me.

Up next is perhaps my favorite song on the album, "Cosmic Suicide."  There is more urgency in the song's overall vibe too.  The riffs that lead up to the chorus cast a wide net with a mid paced groove but it is that chorus that makes the song so great.  It is so catchy and that it was stuck in my head for days.  This is the most straight forward song on the album but it still manages to capture the vibe well enough even though the other songs aren't quite the ear worm this one is.

Both "Lucifer's Hand," and "Creeping Willow" hit heavier than the other tracks but aren't quite as interesting as the two songs before them.  The vocal effects on "Lucifer's Hand," certainly edges the song closer to a darker feel, especially the final half of the song where the riffs are at their meatiest. "Creeping Willow," gears up for an energetic start that never really gets there.  Although heavier, it does feel like it was meant to be more than what is presented.  Still, it is a solid song and the bass especially slaps.  The guitar solo near the end caps the song off nicely and lets the band cut lose a bit.

"Across The Creek," brings back their folk influence but the track is basically just filler and doesn't seem to serve any real purpose.  The title track builds up with a psychedelic intro, with the guitars making their mark a little over a minute in.  This one is more trippy than the other songs, as evident at the movement between 2:40 and 3:30. All the fuzz in the world is thrown at "The Spiral," and the song is mountainous and a nice change of pace after the more stoned out title track.  The middle portion is surprisingly busy and the vocal harmonies work well with the galloping riffs behind them. Afterwards, the band digs deep with dirty riffs and a hard groove.  This song definitely picks the album back up in a big way.

"When The Witches," is a good but odd track, due to the strange acid trip that happens in the middle of the song, sandwiched between heavier pieces.  As a whole I think it works and it isn't out of place for the style, plus I like how the song ends with big vocals and riffs for a bombastic counterpoint. "Wormwood," is another throwaway interlude that offers nothing to the album other than an inconvenience to the final track, "The Well," which is the second best song on the album after "Cosmic Suicide."

The final track wastes little time getting to the point, with a rocking intro that gives way to hazy vocal lines and atmosphere—this song is a true melding of the styles that are presented on the album.  And that chorus is massive, another ear worm that crawled in and didn't leave. It might not be perfect or original but the KRYPTOGRAF's "The Eldorado Spell," is a well written old school doom album that pays homage to the gods of old while rocking your face off.