The approach used by Sludge/Doom Metal bands can be unbearable for many fans. It's due the dirty and nasty approach that some think that's essential for the genre (in reality, such paradigm is an illusion created by many). You can play nasty and distorted, but in a form that the fans can understand. And although with a long way to go, the North American quartet WHEN THE DEADBOLT BREAKS shows that the band is on the right path on "As Hope Valley Burns: Eulogy".

Although the quartet is still attached to the model of 'in love for filth' that the greater part of the bands of their genre show, they're trying something different. Even with noisy distorted and nasty instrumental parts tempered screamed vocals, they are trying some grooves with clean vocals and with an understandable appeal, and have a deeper melodic sense as well. So it can be said that they're trying something different, what is really a very good feature. The production, as expected, created a greasy and nasty sonority, reminding a lot what was done in the early days of Metal, when BLACK SABBATH had poor resources to record their first albums. But as told above, they're trying to sound in a way that anyone can understand what's being played, what is a very good point.

They use long songs, what can bore the fans in some moments, what mean that they can cut their songs in a shorter way on the next time. But their value is proven on songs as "I Live in the Dirt" (the melodic beginning with clean voices give a wrong idea, then a storm of crude guitar riffs takes over), the 'sabbathic' energy of "Cleanse the Death" and "Gods Eyes" (both songs presents a solid work from bass guitar and drums), the deeper melodic appeal of "Forever in the Fire", and their version for THE DOOR's "Not to Touch the Earth" show how they're trying to find their own way to make things.

WHEN THE DEADBOLT BREAKS is really a good band as shown on the songs of "As Hope Valley Burns: Eulogy". But they can do better, if they are courageous enough to broke some paradigms of the genre.