What do you get when you combine the styles of Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Wishbone Ash, and early Scorpions? Probably something very close to Baltimore's Alms, whose debut album for Shadow Kingdom Records is a molten stew of classic hard rock & doom metal sounds that is sure to rattle your speakers and scintillate your senses. Featuring the talents of Bob Sweeney (guitar, vocals), Jess Kamen (keyboards, vocals), Andrew Harris (bass), Derrick Hans (drums), and Danny McDonald (guitar), Alms have an ominous, powerful presentation that's slightly more doom laden than contemporaries Lucifer but just as enjoyable. Kamen & Sweeney share the vocals, and usually either one or the other takes the spotlight but more often than not they are both singing side by side to glorious effect. Just listen to the duo wowing with their dual attack on the snarling "The Roll", complete with heavy riffs and creepy organ, or the rampaging opener "Dead Water", which is just delightful with its dark, doom laden tones. "For Shame" has more of a bluesy, classic rock vibe, a tune that will certainly appeal to Graveyard fans, the vocals haunting and the interplay between the guitar & organ bringing that classic Purple/Heep vibe out in full force. "The Offering" pounds with mean intent, guitar & organ again battling for supremacy and the vocals soaring, while "Deuces Low" gallops along like a long lost gem from Purple's Fireball album, stinging guitar solos flying all about the mix and some great ensemble playing from the whole band. Hammond organ leads in the ominous closer "Hollowed", a slow, doomy number, ethereal vocals floating over massive riffing and rumbling rhythms...great stuff.
Clocking in at right about 35 minutes, Act One doesn't overstay its welcome but leaves you clamoring for more. Alms have delivered one of the more impressive debuts here in 2018, a fantastic combination of doom and bluesy hard rock. Nicely done!!
See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!
Track Listing
01 DEAD WATER 7:09
02 THE TOLL 4:53
03 FOR SHAME 6:22
04 THE OFFERING 5:37
05 DEUCES LOW 4:41
06 HOLLOWED 5:09
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