Though Black Sabbath certainly started the whole doom thing way back in the early 1970's, the torch has been carried on for over three decades by bands such as Pentagram, Saint Vitus, Candlemass, Solitude Aeternus, and Cathedral, among many others. Pentagram and Saint Vitus are certainly the elder statesman of this bunch, and who would have thought that both bands would release remarkable comebacks in recent years with Pentagram's Last Rites and now Saint Vitus with their brand new CD Lillie: F-65. For the Vitus, it's their first release since 1995's Die Healing.
If you've been dying for some heavy riffing from Dave Chandler and the unmistakable voice of Wino, then you've come to the right place as both are in fine form here on Lillie: F-65, the title of which is a reference to a popular depressant that was used in the '70's. Though the album as a whole is rather short, there are a few real standout tracks here, like the fuzz-saw "Let Them Fall", the feedback drenched doom of "The Bleeding Ground", the rampaging rocker "Blessed Night", and the crawling death march that is "The Waste of Time". The band approaches funeral doom on "Dependence", a near 8-minute dirge of massive proportions featuring Chandler's grinding, chainsaw riffing and Wino's evil wails, plus some wonderful wah-wah freak out guitar solos. "Vertigo" and "Withdrawal" are your two semi-throwaway tracks here, the latter being 3-minutes of feedback and whammy bar noises from Chandler that is cool for a listen or two but then wears out its welcome.
At barely 35 minutes, Lillie: F-65 plays almost like an EP, but it's a great example of simple, crushing doom created by one of the real legends of the genre. Welcome back guys!
Track Listing
1. Let Them Fall
2. The Bleeding Ground
3. Vertigo
4. Blessed Night
5. The Waste of Time
6. Dependence
7. Withdrawal
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
