NAEVUS has taken some odd turns in their career. They started as a Death Metal trio in 1991 but changed their sound as they progressed through four years of demos. And it wasn’t down to line-up changes—they’ve had the same line up since 1995. Then after the release of their debut full-length in 1998 they broke up in 1999. Thirteen years later in 2012 they reunited and released their sophomore full-length, Heavy Burden. Nine years following that they’re set to release their third album, aptly named Back Home, via Dying Victims Productions.

The fact that we don’t have more NAEVUS in our collections is a bit baffling, although they did release a 32-track compilation of demos and unreleased tracks in 2009. The thing is this band is so damned good it hurts to think about what might have been. But then again, maybe they’re so good precisely because of the long absences. Who knows. Either way, they’re here now and Back Home is pretty damned amazing.

Back Home is track after track plainly jaw-dropping awe. Between the massive Stoner Doom riffs of Grosshans and Groebel to the clean, melodic vocals of Groebel to the unrelenting rhythm of Heimerdinger and Straub to the compelling song structures, the album just keeps sending you to the repeat button.  

Standout tracks are hard to isolate because they’re all so good, but I’ll go with “The Dead Don’t Sleep.” The riffage is brutal, bested only by the searing lead solo. “Under a Different Sky” which felt like a mix of TROUBLE and KHEMMIS if you can imagine that. And “Master of Shiver” for the haunting bass and the wicked solo.

I wasn't expecting such a heavy, Doom-laden, dark album as this when I looked at the cover by Roland Scriver. I mean there’s a whole other band called Naevus which does neofolk. I thought it was that band. Big relief and surprise when the album progressed passed the acoustic intro. Back Home is a helluva album by a helluva a band. A must-have for Stoner Doom fans.