Artist: Earthride
Title: Something Wicked
Type: Album
Label: Doomentia Records

Originally released mid-2010, ‘Something Wicked’ is now blessed with the vinyl and digipack treatment courtesy of the perfectly named label for this band, Doomentia. Their third release sees this band of notable musicians having an ever increasing claim to the throne to doom-rock masters. Earthride have always been rather a heavy proposition, I remember ‘Taming the Demons’ destroying some set of speakers a few years ago. In a time where doom was gaining a strong foothold in the music scene, Earthride features ex-members of Spirit Caravan and Internal Void, and Scott ‘Wino’ Weinrich actually guest appears on the title track.

Essentially, take a classic overdriven guitar tone from say 1973; mix with some booming bass lines and this is what you get. Gargantuan bellowing from the lungs of hell describe some of this vocal lines, if your ribcage could not be tamed after some of these numbers, you get a rest during the soloing where the single guitar features but the levels seem to drop. But this drop in volume is rather cleverly replaced with trippy balls out guitar jams and licks that have inspired many a 20 minute plus jam session. It is this strong arrangement that carries you off too tranquil scenes in peaceful landscapes gifting you with mind numbing isolation, as displayed during ‘Destruction Song’, it should relate any keen listener the heady carefree days. ‘Zodiac’ acoustically calms you before the ensuring tsunami of emotion rocks out with the overdrive fuzz, you don’t have to wait long, ample elements of the subtle and the heavy in your face sound never falls far from your admiration. This seasoned guitar tone is not as raucous or as distorted as that heard on say ‘The Vampire Circus’, nor their debut, but their debut album seems to be as much of an inspiration to this release than anything other than what the past masters have achieved and then some.

‘Something Wicked’ provides balls out low-end destruction with lighter cosmic moments developing reflection and self-contemplation. This is essential for fans of heavy ‘Wino’ inspired doom rock, brandishing heavy groove, bongs, and of course, early Sabbath.

http://www.doomentia.com

Paul Maddison

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