As everyone knows, the entire country is a source for Metal acts since the days AC/DC started to take the world by assault with its music. It means that since the 70s, the country is a fertile land for Metal and Rock and Roll, and the city of Perth (the capital of Western Australia) seems to be a cultural cauldron for many musical tendencies into Rock and Roll. But the city has a bastard son named KING ZOG, here to brutalize your ears and souls with “Second Dawn”, the band’s second full-length. Derek Mattin has hired to work as producer and to do the mixing and mastering, having Benny Ward on the recording (along with Alex Arpino) and sound engineering, and they conceived and created a rough and storming sonority, brutal and organic, filthy and charming that allows the band to express its musical ideas on their peak.

The works of Dominic Sohor (cover art) and Caris Bingemann (artwork) takes things far into a psychedelic insight. The word ‘brutal’ used above can cause confusion: the quartet isn’t working on extreme Metal genres, but is fusing on a cauldron 70% of Old School Doom Metal (the ‘sabbathic’ feeling is truly clear to the ears) with 30% of Stoner Rock elements (many psychedelic elements can be heard on the mix of their songs). It means that their music is slow, intense and heavy, bitter as Hell and that can unleash seismic shocks into the fans’ ears. It’s melodic and bitter, but heavily storming and catchy as well.

“Scelestic Dusk” is an instrumental prelude for the Doom Metal apocalypse imposed by “Rat King” (the references to the old Witch of Birmingham are clear in many moments, especially on the melodic tunes of the vocals that resembles Ozzy in some moments), “Hollow Man Blues” (the oppressive rhythms of bass guitar and drums are amazing), “Creep On”, “Madagascar Tree” (the guitars are amazing on the contrasts, as bass guitar as well), “Brute Beast”, “Aruna, Sunmonger” and “Second Dawn” (a long and maelstromic Doom Metal song filled with contrasts). It’s to erode bones and break necks!

“Second Coming” is an album that every Doom Metal fan must hear, because the name of KING ZOG probably will be on their list of favorite bands.