Yatra: Death Ritual

The writers for the popular television show Seinfeld had a policy of “no hugs and no lessons� for every show. The point was to create something new, something that defied audience expectations. It worked. Even though Yatra isn’t trying to out-Seinfeld Seinfeld, they also have a significant policy: “no love or politics.� This isn’t music for those hoping to have their politics confirmed or challenged or to figure out just how kvlt they really are. This is music for those who want their doom riffy, tight, heavy, and powerful. I can’t say that Yatra is reinventing doom metal but I can say they are doing something better. They are giving fans a musical gift of doom metal so good you’ll want more of it. Even better, the lyrics draw on both horror and fantasy narratives to develop their ideas. Their interest Lovecraft was enough to pique my curiosity, but I am also a sucker for things inspired by Tolkein.

If you aren’t familiar with Yatra, that may be because they’ve only been playing together for a short time. They started after Dana Helmuth’s other band Blood Raven broke up. Helmuth (guitar / vocals) joined up with Maria Geisbert (bass) and Mike Tull (drums) to create something dark, heavy, and sludgy. They wrote this album while staying in a cottage in the woods, the kind with an outhouse and outdoor shower. With results this good, maybe we should all head up to the mountains for some guitar practice. This is the doom album to beat for 2019. Check out “Snakes in the Temple,� “Hour of the Dragon,� and “Sacred Flower.�

Track Listing:
1. Hour of the Dragon
2. Black Moon
3. Sacred Flower
4. Snakes in the Temple
5. Smoke is Rising
6. Four Directions
7. Mighty Arrows
8. Sailing On

Added: February 9th 2019
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 1913
Language: english

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