For the second consecutive week, I have material from a Canadian band. That band is the quintet known as SMOULDER, formed in 2013. The band has only released their first full length album, the well-received "Times of Obscene Evil and Wild Daring" back in 2019. Barely a year after that release, the band unleashes a 6-track EP, "Dream Quest Ends" - which is our material at hand.

Now, if you have been following our site and taking notice of the writers, you might notice that Power Metal and Black Metal are my main interests. As you might imagine, that's like venturing the blessed realm of Valinor and diving straight down to the deepest dungeons of Angband, or more awkwardly, singing jolly anthems about unicorns and dragons only to be followed up by blurry worship songs where the only word you can understand is "SATAAANN!" There are times though, when I am longing for the "old" sound of Traditional Heavy Metal and the menacing atmosphere of Epic Doom. Fortunately enough, I happened to stumble upon this EP we have, for their sound is the combination of two! For recent years, VISIGOTH has been the wielder of that Traditional Heavy Metal sound. Apparently, these Canadians are just around the corner, waiting to be noticed.

Now, imagine SAXON cross-breeding with SOLITUDE AETERNUS (acquiring the vast majority of its characteristics from the latter) on a modern production, and you get what SMOULDER is about. The title track already fulfils that comparison with its sharp and exceptionally heavy riffs. It is mainly the perfectly balanced guitar work that puts the epic touch on the song. It is mixed in a way that it flexes its muscles without completely stealing the show, which you wouldn't like to do if you have Sarah Ann's singing. But during solos, they make sure to emphasize that they are, in fact, in control of everything. The drums, on the other hand, are content to be a constant and consistent provider of rumbling thunder in the background (rightfully so). It is also worth noticing that the bass is loud in the song, which works really well in creating a really heavy atmosphere.

The other newly composed song is "Warrior Witch of Hell." That title alone is doom as fuck, but of course, the correct (and only!) way to verify that is to listen to the song. And surprise, it is indeed doom as fuck. It's almost like the title track in terms of production, only that it possesses more speed, and is considerably more dynamic. In this song, Sarah brings her diverse repertoire utilizing both her highs and lows in very seamless transitions. I also like the way the song managed to keep me guessing what happens next for its entire six minutes of play time. There are also plenty of guitar solos in the song, which is a thing of enchantment.

Also included in the EP is a very neat cover of MANILLA ROAD's "Cage of Mirrors," a homage to the late legend Mark Shelton, who passed away in 2018. And I guarantee you: this cover is damn hot! There is not a fragment of the complex song that is sacrificed, and they did it in a flawless fashion as if the song was actually theirs! The performance is simply so natural, especially Sarah's singing and Kevin's drumming. Wherever Mark Shelton is right now, I'm sure he is proud.

The three remaining songs are cuts from their 2018 demo "Sword Woman." These three tracks show why they have quickly ascended into the scene, as if out of nowhere. The track "Voyage of the Sunchaser" is a magnificently designed hybrid of Traditional Heavy Metal and Epic Doom - and this time, it's their Heavy Metal side up. It has a fast tempo, infectious verses, epic solos, and a very assertive bass sound. You'll have to remember that this is a demo version - so just imagine how tremendous the final product would be when they sharpened its blades further. Fortunately, we wouldn't really have to rely on our imagination because the song is included in their 2019 release "Times of Obscene Evil and Wild Daring." Meanwhile, in the final track "The Queen is Gone," they swing back again to their doom side and delivered a masterful performance, a song that explains why their 2019 release was recognized by multiple bodies as one of the best releases among the barrage of high quality albums released last year.

This EP, as mentioned by the band, "may conclude the end of the first chapter of SMOULDER's career" (hence, the title). But certainly, this may also serve as the light which will guide them on the right paths to take in the upcoming years. The EP has glimpses of their debut full-length that serves as a hint to those who haven't heard it yet (like me) and contains three songs that gives newcomers a fair reason to keep an eye on them. I do not know this band at all - and like I said, I only happened to stumble upon this EP of theirs in our "to review" materials. And because of that, they are now in my radar. This EP will be released on the 13^th of March via Cruz Del Sur Music. With an EP like this, we can assume that a high-quality full-length is coming next.