There are times that you get a pleasant surprise. When I received the promo packet for the “Cycles” album of WICKED MARAYA it also contained some music by a band I had never heard of, 137. So, I started listening and liked what I was hearing. So, with a smile on face I asked my editor if he would like me to review this as well. He immediately said yes, so here we are. And as I have no former knowledge, I have lifted the following is from the Bio that came with the music: 137 is and always will be the biggest mistake of Keith Baughman's life. In 1996, 137 formed in the remote woodlands of northern Michigan. The band's journey was not without its challenges, prompting them to pack up and move to the bustling city of Rochester. Since the band's conception, Baughman has been the unwavering force, the one confident member churning out some of the heaviest doom metal sludge simmering in the underground. Fact is that it is Metal that 137 is giving us, but in particular Stoner/Doom Metal. In their lifetime the band only was bale to produce some demos, and they have been put together on this compilation album called “Prey To Your Deception”.

What surprises me most of all when listening to “Prey To Your Deception” is the fact that 137 never had the luxury or pleasure of being signed to any label. To me that is like the very definition of a grave injustice. Not only does 137 have a bloody addictive sound musically, Keith Baughman also has the kind of voice that only enhances the feeling of desperation that radiates from this Stoner/Doom Metal ensemble, making the listening sessions before reviewing this album into a very pleasant exercise. And even though I’m only listening to demos, the sound quality on them is at least equal and sometimes even superior to a lot of those that have been released as so-called official studio albums. This only proves that 137 was doing something right. Even more important, the classification of songs ranges from the good up and until the outstanding areas. Every damn tuner is really good. So, kudos to Heaven And Hell Records for having the guts/insight/pleasure of releasing “Prey To Your Deception”. It has put the band 137 and the Stoner/Doom Metal they play very firmly on my radar. I have a feeling it’s going to stay there for a while longer.