Bring out your dead...
Bring out your dead...
The pleasure when you expect and finally hear the new job of favorite artists is big when this one is good. Although now there is a little difference. This is the last album of these Finland's doomsters, since they decide to return back to the graves that trim their back covers.
Why that? There is no need for an explanation. An artist must follow his heart's needs. If they wanted to be so, that's cool. And more true, pure going adverse to today's metal scene, that is full of musical business with all the bad that follows. Believe me, honesty is a lost notion especially in mainstream metal.
So Long Suckers. Is it allegorical? From one side the extra long songs you can find here (and in the other works they have unleashed, of course) and on the other their probably short musical trip, at least with this band. Anyway ,when this CD will start playing the listener will travel somewhere else. Somewhere else...
The first one - 30 minutes long - They Used Dark Forces/Teutonic Witch makes you not understanding how this time has passed. A very enjoyable song, typical SABBATH/REVEREND BIZARRE brings to your mind the Sabbath Bloody Sabbath album. There are two songs in one, and in it's all entity is one of the most complete songs ever for them, 'cause of its diversity and the plethora of riffs. Teutonic Witch is already out as a CD single.
Let's go to Sorrow, where emotionally the listener for 15 minutes dives into the mud of his soul. Vocals, lyrics will bring you sorrow but after it's 15th minute there is a raising, an expiration through its riding-a-horse- riff a la Children Of The Grave. The whole feel reminds me of Eternal Forest and the basic primary riff is close to the first one of Snow In My Hands from MY DYING BRIDE. Great song and real, real lyrics.
The first CD ends up with Funeral Summer, one of the best songs that this trio has ever written. An old song, it was also in the Out Of Focus I compilation and in Slice Of Doom, while we had the opportunity and pleasure to listen to it at their performance in Athens, Greece. It has been given justice to this song by putting it in a full-length album. An unbelievable inspiration plus a great, great song close to SOLITUDE AETURNUS.
Second CD: opening with One Last Time, vocal harmonies and the style (for unknown reasons) brings to my memory THE DOORS; it's like a recitation. One of the most special and unique tunes of this album with a nice solo and a weird mood. Very good!!!
Kundalini Arisen is instrumental and strange too. In the end we are losing control and we are traveling in a place where HAWKWIND are kings. Caesar Forever is completely epic, dramatic and recitative. Lovely vocals, a great riff and its end there is a nice surprise. ULTRA DOOM.
End. Anywhere Out Of This World. I cannot move from my chair. Immobilized. A song full of feeling with a closure that gives me a mood of happiness and fulfillment. Again the lyrics are very good.  
As always the production etc are great. Anything sounds so physical. Bass has a leading, protagonist role, while Albert's vocals explodes your brain to the wall. Lord Vicar's guitar is so warm - 70s - but also so heavy with a real bonecrushing riffing. All solos are cool and ultra wah wah. Let's go to the strange mysterious Mr Void. The guy sometimes plays like he is in a ceremony deep in the woods where witches worship the goddess of fertility. Hypnotic tempos, a really genius playing here.
Is there any life after death? For REVEREND BIZARRE: yes. Albert is descending into the absurd (not mine, it's from the first FLESHCRAWL album!). He is sailing to darkness, misanthropy or desperation upon a ship that is known as THE PURITAN. Like a sudden appearance of tower cumulus upon a clear sky and the preparing of a storm of acid that will fall upon mankind, the first EP is for some shadows only. Perfect; and I'm waiting with full agony for the next step.
Lord Vicar continues with ORNE, releasing The Conjuration By The Fire this year. This was a big surprise. An incredible album with the help of the other members of REVEREND BIZARRE, into 70s fogs and upon fields of kraut rock. Unfortunately this album is not known (at least here in Greece) and it has not received the recognition it deserves. Lord Of The Void? He is in ORNE, but basically I don't know if he has another project or something else.
REVEREND BIZARRE were one of the best( if not THE BEST) new (old are PENTAGRAM, SOLITUDE AETURNUS, CANDLEMASS, SAINT VITUS and many others) doom bands, heavy as a tombstone. If you like BLACK SABBATH and generally doom it's a shame not knowing them. The third album, I would say goes mostly for their fans. You can start with II:Crush The Insects, In The Rectory ... or even with Harbinger Of Metal and - believe me - your escape will not be easy. I will end up by saying that their last opus is GLORIOUS and again the cover is terrific.