There is an ongoing love affair between Stoner/Doom Metal and horror flicks from the 1960's and 1970's. It probably started with none other than BLACK SABBATH, reputedly taken from the same-named 1963 horror anthology film, and continues today with a growing horde of Metal bands following the same conceit (BURNT OFFERING, DIE MONSTER DIE, NOSFERATU, SUSPIRIA, WHITE ZOMBIE, WITCHFINDER GENERAL, to name a few). And there are bands like BLOODY HAMMERS who give more nods to Hammer Horror on any one of their albums than there are nods in a Bollywood movie. I was delighted then to see WITCHTHROAT SERPENT adorned their latest album, "Trove of Oddities at the Devil's Driveway," with an image from yet another 70's British cinematic horror anthology, "The House That Dripped Blood." I was even more delighted when I actually heard the album. "Trove of Oddities at the Devil's Driveway" is an upward and onward step in this band's sludge trodden trajectory.

For the uninitiated, WITCHTHROAT SERPENT is a Stoner/Doom foursome hailing from Toulouse, France. They have four LPs and one EP to their credit. In 2018 they had their only lineup change-bassist Lo Klav left and was replaced by Ügo Greifengeier, who also provides backing vocals. They have graced a few labels since their formation in 2011, but as of 2021 their home has been Heavy Psych Sounds. Their albums are consistently ranked highly by fans and critics across the metalverse. They are often compared to any number of sludge heavyweights like ELECTRIC WIZARD, ACID KING, and MONOLORD.

Things to love about "Trove of Oddities at the Devil's Driveway" are many. First is the song writing and recording. The songs were written from 2019 through the year of our plague, 2020, which somehow enhances the air of isolation and hauntedness. Next, each track was recorded in single live takes in analog. The sound is so authentically 1970's you'll almost want to exclusively listen to it on vinyl. So that's cool, too.

Second, thematically this is a musical anthology that gives tribute to horror movie anthologies. Well, not all the tracks, but enough of them to resonate. There's "Nosferatu's Mastery" (which needs no introduction), "The Gorgon" (1964 Hammer Horror starring Christopher Lee), and, of course, "The House That Dripped Blood" (1971 Amicus Productions staring, again, Christopher Lee).

If you want to stretch the horror ties further, track five, "Yellow Nacre," recalls an assortment of horror lore centered on yellow jewelry. You know, like "Amelia" in "Trilogy of Terror"-that necklace is gold, but still. There's also the belief that yellow pearls are a remedy against the evil effects of the moon. "Mountain Temple in Bleakness," track six, reminds me of several stories from the 1965 "Kwaidan." And mountains loop us to Lovecraft and madness.

Okay, granted that whole last paragraph is sheer speculation on my part. What isn't speculation, though, is the massiveness of this album. Every track on this album is so packed full of reverb and down-tuned fuzz, ectoplasm will seep from your woofers and blood will weep from your walls. My go-to tracks are: "Multi-dimensional Marvelous Throne," which sets up the entire album and, although it stretches to over 10 minutes, you may not want it to end; "The House that Dripped Blood" (also supported by a video); and "Mountain Temple in Bleakness" which wraps up the album.

Doom fans have been talking up WITCHTHROAT SERPENT for years now, and for good reason. They're like that barrel whiskey that gets better with age. And while their past catalogue is impressive to say the least and deserves delving into, "Trove of Oddities at the Devil's Driveway" may be their best yet.