Doom Metal, Occult Rock - these two genres appear to be growing in audience as well as bands willing to champion those dark feelings and elements to create blissful music. Hailing from New York, NY, the trio OCCULTATION started in 2010, releasing their debut album "Three & Seven" in 2012. Not knowing much about this group (as I love the mysterious initials for their names, and from promo pictures I ascertain this is a two female, one male band), I feel that these 9 tracks have a lot in common with GHOST, CANDLEMASS, and THE DEVILS BLOOD - although a touch of psychedelia comes into the haunting female vocals.

When the band decide to lock into a particular riff or chord sequence, it's often hammered home from a harmonic perspective, the drumming and bass volleying to and fro against the guitars. Check out "Laughter in the Halls of Madness" where the music cascades in waves, especially during the instrumental sections where I feel E.M. reaches into the MERCYFUL FATE bag of tricks as each part builds the tension, the excitement, the fear, the ear tingling into a tremendous crescendo. Bathing in colors of purple and black on stage, the arrangements possess these naturally ominous tones and sequences - the vocals equally evil, sharp, and yet mysterious in that Occult Rock/ Doom manner.

How can you not get swept up by the groove, harmonic vibe for "All Hallows Fire" or melancholic "Forever Hereafter" filled with devil's triumvirate guitar parts ringing clear as the drums thunder across the aural sky? OCCULTATION appeal to me because their sound as a classical vibe without becoming to engrossed in virtuosity - they let their music get deep into addictive / retro 'swing grooves' that established the foundation of the genre during the 1970's.

I would imagine this would be as enthusiastic to experience on stage as it appears in recorded form. "Silence in the Ancestral House" will be another relevant album to own if anything Doom related tickles your fancy.