Half expecting either a crushing doom or a melodic death metal album here with Ye Are Gods, I have to say I was dumbstruck when finding out this new CD from Sabbath Assembly, a band led by Jamie Myers (Hammers of Misfortune and Wolves in the Throne Room) and Dave Nuss , is basically a collection of pastoral hymns dripping with folk leanings and '60s psychedelia. For the most part, there's no 'metal' here whatsoever, other than the occasional riff that bursts out of the ebbing melancholia ("Bless Our Lord and Master"), and much of Ye Are Gods just meanders along not creating much of a stir. The lyrical imagery here is all based on the guiding principle of the Process Church of the Final Judgement, so expect lots of topics centering around Christianity and Satanism. Myers sounds excellent throughout, and it's great to finally hear her taking the full spotlight on something, but it's hard to really grab on to much of this material, either due to the heavy religious conotations or the constantly laid back arrangements. Those into psychedelic folk music might like a tune such as "Christ, You Bring the End", which has some spooky vocals and great acoustic guitar work, and "And the Clarion Calls" could be the long lost child of a marriage between Jefferson Airplane and Renaissance, but despite the fact that there are some 'nice' tunes here, for metalheads or those wanting some spice in their psychedelic rock, too much of Ye Are Gods just seems stuck in first gear. It's worth a listen, and is certainly an oddity as far as releases go here in 2012, but other than that there's not much else.
Track Listing
1. Let Us All Give Praise and Validation
2. We Come From the One
3. Bless Our Lord and Master
4. We Give Our Lives
5. Exit
6. Christ, You Bring the End
7. And the Clarion Calls
8. In the Time of Abaddon II
9. Transcendence
10. The Love of the Gods
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