American band SABBATH ASSEMBLY certainly aren't ones to rest on their laurels, and are back with their fourth full-length album "Sabbath Assembly", just over a year after its predecessor "Qauternity". With a sound lying somewhere between Occult Rock and Psychedelic Rock, mixed in with a generous dose of Doom influences, SABBATH ASSEMBLY surprised me with the quality of their music.

The album starts off with "Risen From Below", which has a very dirty bass line that joins the roiling drums to create a counter to the mesmerising vocal style and swirling guitar riffs used. Interestingly, Johnny's bass work comes very much in the fore of SABBATH ASSEMBLY's music, which makes a nice change from all those bands where the bass track so often disappears into the ether. This combined with Jamie's powerful and captivating voice results in unique textures that make the album that much more fascinating. Weird and hallucinogenic experiments with the melody add an odd twist that actually works very well in making the music even more charismatic. Then there are songs like "Only You" which takes the pace down a notch, giving the album a more melancholic and less trippy aspect. Then there's the searing beauty of the very melodic strains of "Sharp Edge of the Earth", a song that is almost agonising in its exquisiteness, before giving the listener some reprieve by merging into a more galloping melody. One thing that really stands out is SABBATH ASSEMBLY's versatility: "Sabbath Assembly" seems to have a little bit of everything, keeping the album fresh and interesting from start to finish, although it does tend to be more psychedelic in the earlier portions, becoming more and more melodic towards the end. Ending off the album with "Shadows of Emptiness", very minimalistic instrumental work allows the vocals to really take flight. Whilst impressive, this did however seem somewhat lacklustre in comparison to the rest of the album, although did well in gently bringing the listener back down to earth.

Overall, "Sabbath Assembly" is a strong release that really does well in weaving together a myriad of different soundscapes. The recording and production quality of the album is also good, leading to a crisp, clear, and polished final sound. If you're into Psychedelic Rock and have never heard of SABBATH ASSEMBLY before, I can only highly recommend checking out this album.