DAYGLO MOURNING - Dead Star review

 

DAYGLO MOURNING - Dead Star

Black Doomba Records

Just to be honest here (hey I'm as honest as the day is long) when I saw this release was by a stoner rock band I had my misgivings. Personally I'm fairly stoned out when it comes to this sub-genre of doom. I've been thinking that for a dozen years now aka: since the last time it had a revival that lasted a bit. Since then I'll hear at least twenty stoner rock band releases a year for review purposes. Usually one will standout from the generic crowd and really be fuckin cool. This one here is a standout.

DAYGLO MOURNING is a three piece act from Atlanta, Georgia. They've been around for just a couple of years, 2017 to be exact. So far they have one self titled full length album plus a split EP they did with another Atlanta doom band, BLUDY GYRES. Both of those releases came out in 2018. Now as far as this one goes let me just say yeah this band has a grasp of the stoner rock basics. In other words yes they know the fundamentals of SABBATH's Master of Reality heavy groove. 

What stands out is how they inject some amazing early 70's hard rock/blues guitar soloing. To me that's so fuckin cool to hear since I grew up with that stuff. And if you hit the wah wah pedal you win me the fuck over. Something else interesting is that the riffs used here sound familiar but in a good way. It's like yeah I heard that one before but I really like how you do it as well. The vocals are not your standard fair as well. At times there's this evil low toned singing as well as some deep baritone. 

While I was listening to this I kept thinking this is not a band trying to expand the boundaries of a worn thin genre. Instead they incorporate ideas which are part of the genre's not so SABBATH influences which is basic 70's hard rock. Very cool album here and hopefully, if things in the touring world get back to normal this year, maybe they'll come up my way for a show.

https://www.blackdoombarecords.co/

LISTEN HERE:

https://dayglomourning2.bandcamp.com/album/dead-star-2

CULT OF SORROW - Invocation of the Lucifer review

CULT OF SORROW - Invocation of the Lucifer

Black Doomba Records




So whenever I here a doom band who go beyond the SABBATH-ian influence and just shoot for homage I think of a Canadian band called DAYGLO ABORTIONS. Many years ago that band did a cool song called "(Acting Like) Black Sabbath". You can check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrNUlRutnhY



Now with that said yeah CULT OF SORROW are heavily influenced by the early days of the SAB-4. In their case it's a good thing. On this their sophomore full length, the Cincinnati, Ohio four piece display a song writing craft which is widely infectious. The grooves, riffs and vocals all invoke the doom and gloom of old. And yet even with the obvious influence it does come across as fresh as opposed to some other acts who simply run through the numbers. All in all it's an amazing release. 


https://cultofsorrow.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/cultofsorrow

VARIOUS ARTISTS - Doombanomicon review

VARIOUS ARTISTS - Doombanomicon

Black Doomba Records



So who doesn't want a cool doom metal double LP compilation that's gonna be limited to 300 copies? Ah yeah I know what you're thinking, single genre compilations tend to be boring. A good comp needs variety. So I can say that yeah this one has plenty of that. Secondly it needs familiarity to make you comfortable. The sound cannot be so experimental that it drives you to the off button. And finally the artist talent needs to be consistent. Remember label samplers which would have the top tier artists paired with lower tier acts? Not on here, this is even handed.


Doombanomicon consists of thirteen act all adding one track a piece. I've heard some of these acts like DOOMSTRESS, STONEMAN, WITCHCROSS, BLUDY GYRES, ORDER OF THE OWL and COFFIN TORTURE. The other acts all do good as well especially the label founder's TOMMT STEWART'S DYERWULF. 


https://blackdoombarecords.bandcamp.com/

https://blackdoombarecords.bandcamp.com/album/doombanomicon

DAYGLO MOURNING / BLUDY GYRES - Rope Enough For Two split review

DAYGLO MOURNING / BLUDY GYRES - Rope Enough For Two split

Black Doomba Records




Here we have two doom metal bands from Atlanta, Georgia. One of whom I know about and the other totally brand new. Let's start with the one I know about and that's BLUDY GYRES. This band is known to me in a way because it features guitarist Chris Abbamonte and bassist/vocalist Tommy Stewart both of whom were in HALLOWS EVE. 


A quick story for ya. I've got a friend who is the biggest HALLOW'S EVE fan around. He even booked a show here with them years ago. In the past every time I was partying over at his house, he'd get a little drunk and then put on History of Terror box set. Then he'd flash the cover at me and say "This is True Metal".


So a few years ago I learned about another Tommy Stewart side project called Tommy Stewart's Dyerwulf. So I sent my friend a link to a single from them. He checked it out, didn't like it and then sent me back a link to the song "Death & Insanity" followed by the words "True Metal".


BLUDY GYRES contribution to this split here is a remastered version of a previously released song by them, “Behold! Your World Now Burns”. The cut is a seventeen and a half minute opus of SABBATH-ian pleasures, 70's era KING CRIMSON and psych. It's a weird cut starting off but after listening to it a few times you get the idea that BLUDY GYRES is and will be a band to watch in the future. 


On the other side of the coin we have a three piece stoner/sludge act, DAYGLO MOURNING, who supply three cuts of raw, simple but thunderous fuckin doom. The only problem I have with their contribution is that the caustic vocals, which are a breath of fresh air, are low in the mix. Then again when the fuckin beast from 20,000 fathoms is marching down mainstreet, crushing cars and eating people it's hard to hear vocals.


This split is a great representation of two cool sounding bands who don't follow trends. One's pushing the rage while the other touches on contemplation. Both are great at what they do.


https://blackdoombarecords.bandcamp.com/

https://dayglomourning1.bandcamp.com/releases