This week’s Heavy Music HQ reviews include releases from Deep Purple, Dominum, Dragsholm, Moonspell, Mortem, Solace, The Tirith, Todomal, Troy The Band, Tsar Stangra and Witchsorrow.
The ratings are on a 5-star scale.
Deep Purple – Splat! (earMusic)
As they approach a mind-boggling 60 years as a band, Deep Purple show no signs of slowing down. Ian Gillan (vocals), Roger Glover (bass/keyboards) and Ian Paice (drums) were in the group back in the ’60s and are still going strong. Splat! is their 24th studio album.
The songs rock hard, blending melodies with proggy keyboard parts and extended instrumental sections on tracks like “The Lunatic” and “Diablo.” The album has plenty of variety, from the bluesy flair of “The Beating Of Wings” to the funky and psychedelic “Guilt Trippin.'” Produced by the legendary Bob Ezrin (KISS, Pink Floyd), Splat! finds Deep Purple staying true to their core sound while still moving in new directions all these decades later.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Dominum – Night Is Calling (Napalm)
The German band Dominum have proved that their brand of horror-tinged heavy/power metal has appeal, with 2024’s The Dead Don’t Die cracking the top 10 of the German album charts. They keep the momentum rolling with their third full-length Night Is Calling.
The album is chock full of potential singles, with track after track having catchy melodies and singalong choruses. Some of the catchiest are “Doctor Doctor” and “Night Is Calling,” which features a guest appearance from Battle Beast’s Marina La Torraca. There’s also a cover of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” metaled up and streamlined. Night Is Calling flies by with minimal filler and maximum hooks.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Dragsholm – From The Bloodlines Of Bram (HPGD)
Dragholm’s debut album From The Bloodlines Of Bram is getting a physical release from Horror Pain Gore Death Productions after being released digitally this past March. This black metal album has a mix of old and new material, as about half of these songs originate from EPs dating back to 2019 (that particular year gave us “A Kingdom In The Land Of Shadows”).
The tunes written for From The Bloodlines Of Bram in particular are relatively solid, though there are some odd stylistic choices like how “The Wandering Relic” and “A Coffin Unscathed” start the exact same way for the first 15 or so seconds. The former does make the case for itself with a wild guitar solo section that turns the song into dizzying death metal.
Rating: 3
(Dan Marsicano)
Moonspell – Far From God (Napalm)
Though it has been five years since Moonspell‘s last studio album Hermitage, there has been no shortage of material from the Portuguese gothic metal veterans. In the interim they have issued multiple EPs, a couple of live albums and a box set.
Far From God has the melancholy vibe Moonspell fans expect, along with gothic atmosphere and Fernando Ribeiro’s trademark baritone vocals. It’s an eclectic effort ranging from accessible uptempo tracks like “Cross Your Heart” to slower numbers such as “The Great Wolf In The Sky” that features strings for added depth and atmosphere. Far From God flows well, a dynamic album that shows why Moonspell are gothic royalty.
Rating: 4
(Chad Bowar)
Mortem – Mørketid (Peaceville)
The Norwegian black metal band Mortem have a long history, but a short discography. They formed in the late ’80s and released a demo before members migrated to Arcturus and other bands. They eventually reunited and released Ravnsvart followed by a re-recording of their Slow Death demo. Nearly seven years later, their second full-length Mørketid is being unleashed.
Their brand of black metal is old school with keyboards adding atmosphere to the extremity. Marius Vold (Arcturus, Thorns) has a varied vocal delivery, utilizing various pitches and intensities. The songs are generally in the five-minute range, giving them room to develop without overstaying their welcome. The exception is 7-plus minute “Skyggeand.” Mørketid doesn’t break much new musical ground, but Mortem’s performance is on point.
Rating: 3
(Chad Bowar)
Solace – Fading Falling Ruin (Magnetic Eye)
Fading Falling Ruin from the veteran New Jersey band Solace is a good doom album that has a lot going for it. The riffs are heavy and have good things going for them. There is a good focus on the groove of the band and the psychedelic vibe the band puts forth is pretty strong. The psychedelic aura recalls the likes of bands like Down. There is a moment of serenity near the middle of the album and it takes up a great portion of the listening experience.
The musicianship is solid with a lot of attention placed on the guitars. There is a groovy feeling to the proceedings and it shows in the guitar work. The music has few flaws, but the fact that the style has been performed before and better brings down the proceedings a bit. There is still a lot to like with Fading Falling Ruin and it is shown in the vitality Solace produces.
Rating: 3.5
(Adam McAuley)
The Tirith – Quetzalcoatl (Self)
British prog rockers The Tirith have been releasing albums for about a decade, but founding members Tim Cox and Dick Cory first played together as schoolmates back in the ’70s. Quetzalcoatl is the group’s fourth album.
Their style spans a wide time period. While there are influences of old school prog rock, The Tirith inject plenty of modern styles and a pristine production, giving it a timeless vibe. Progressive forays abound, but they are incorporated around melodies and hooks, which helps make the songs more memorable. A track or two could probably have been cut to bring the running time under an hour, but Quetzalcoatl is still engaging.
Rating: 3
(Chad Bowar)
Todomal – Graveyards Of Joy (Season of Mist)
A title like Graveyards Of Joy is a sad sentiment, and while Todomal have plenty of that to share, there’s a hopeful determination that comes from despair. These emotions jump in and out of their atmospheric doom metal, with opener “Mare Ignis” resolute in the line “No hope is lost” until the mood shifts to “I failed to see the lie/It’s when you kneel to soar the sky/The pain we feel/Will lead me to my grave” on the next song, “Lucid Nightmare.”
Desolation looks good on Todomal, though they don’t fall victim to this temptation at all times. The acoustic folk behind “Misericordiah” and “For Mercy” could be sung to a captivated group around a campfire. Keyboards and orchestration sweep through the closing title track, bringing Graveyards Of Joy to a place of acceptance that has taken them three albums to get to.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Troy The Band – (Des) (Self)
The London group Troy The Band took a different approach on their sophomore full-length (Des). After their vocalist left, they decided to use a variety of singers, including Ana-Maria Terr Bordei, who is now a permanent member.
There was already plenty of variety in Troy The Band’s sound, blending stoner/doom, shoegaze and metal. Utilizing a plethora of male and female singers adds even more diversity to the proceedings. Elephant Tree’s Peter Holland sings on a couple of tracks, mostly notably the fuzzy “Journey’s End,” which also features Kay Elizabeth (Black Orchids) and Caine Hemmingway (Believe In Nothing). Bordei delivers a versatile performance on the heavy and doomy “Adoration Of Ill Luck,” and it will be interesting to hear her on an entire record.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Tsar Stangra – Химните на разрушените светове
(Hymns of the Broken Worlds) (Self)
Originally formed in 2007 by frontman Stanislav Stefanovski in Quebec, it morphed into Tsar Stangra in 2016 with the release of their first album Celestial Forger in 2017. Now almost a decade later they are back with their sophomore release Химните на разрушените светове (Hymns of the Broken Worlds), a harmonious blend of Bulgarian folk traditions and American black metal
At its roots, Tsar Stangra seek to tell the story of Bulgaria’s history and mythology through the style of modern black metal with a symphonic twist, like with “Han Asparuh” that tells the story of the first Bulgarian Empire which was formed in 681AD and “Zemni strazhi,” a song about the Kukeri, figures tasked with driving evil spirits away. Outside of the story telling elements, there is an air of mysticism that blankets the album like in “Zavrashtaneto na rodniya bog.”
Rating: 3.5
(Dalton Husher)
Witchsorrow – The Devil And All His Works (Church Road)
Though it’s been eight years between albums for Witchsorrow, their doom metal remains timeless on The Devil And All His Works. The organ-drenched introduction to opener “Omnia Finiuntur,” complete with ominous church bells, is exactly how to start a record like this. Witchsorrow settle into their music like a warm blanket, comfortable and dependable.
The up-tempo “Hades Chains” and “In Triumph We Rot!!!” are a style the band have been adding into their last few releases. Their positioning on The Devil And All His Works keeps the listener in a state between lumbering head banging and frazzled moshing. The long break between records hasn’t changed much for Witchsorrow, as their music remains steadfast in all things doom.
Rating: 4
(Dan Marsicano)
