AGE OF THE WOLF - Ouroboric Trances
Aural Music
If you are an aficionado on stoner rock, sludge metal and doom then you know that there's a band right now either performing it or recording in every part of the world. It's metal and it has no borders as far as appreciating a certain genre. Case in point, here we have a four piece act from Costa Rica who take things out of the traditional box in order to explore the boundaries a bit.
Of course with a name like AGE OF THE WOLF how could I pass up this one. Secondly you rarely ever get some music which hails from Central America so this was cool. The band started out back in 2015, released a self named EP a year later and now finally put out a full length. Musically the band combines the whole stoner sludge package which at certain times on this release sounds familiar. It's the rare moments when they jump out of the norm which makes this interesting.
The rare moments start with the opening track "Herald of Abyssos" which starts out with a SABBATH-ian groove. Then the psychotic screamed vocals kick in and then some stoner dude drops his bong in their lap. Fact is there's multiple vocals going on via chaotic screams, gruff vocals and slightly clean ones. As the release moves onward you get the feeling these guys have a way with atmosphere in the creation of these compositions. Instead of grooving you to the hilt or pummeling you to death. They invite you into some chaos.
Music-wise I'll admit these guys have heard their share of early era MASTODON. There's no doubt to that in their overall sound and style. Still they find ways to branch off on their own whether it's a harmonic opening bridged with a duel guitar harmony. Or even a violin invitation to begin on the instrumental cut "Witches' Gallows" which gives things a folk metal approach. All in all this seems like 2000 all over again and maybe we need that.
http://www.auralmusic.com/
https://ageofthewolf.bandcamp.com/album/ouroboric-trances
https://www.facebook.com/ageofthewolf/
