Las Cruces: Cosmic Tears

What a great find this has turned out to be. The band is Las Cruces, hailing from Texas, forming all the way back in 1994. In 1998 they released Ringmaster and from what I have read, it was something of a revelation in the doom metal genre. My interest was certainly piqued to delve into the resurgence of the band and dig into their new album tiled Cosmic Tears, the band’s fourth album to date.

For those of you into all things doom, the riff is of utmost importance and the first track could be an exercise in how to write a great instrumental doom track. “Altar Of The Seven Sorrows� is an hypnotic adventure in doom land, slow and transfixing, the riffs will make their way into you’re your head and refuse to leave. The drumming is pretty good too. The title track (I‘m sure a direct reference to their drummer Paul DeLeon) takes psychedelic and doom, weaving a tapestry of moodiness, especially the mellow instrumental break where the psychedelic guitar work is sublime. “Stay� begins with a quiet bass intro before the guitar riffs scratch and claw and the lead vocals soar with grit and passion. This is one of the best vocal performances on the disc, almost Dio-esque in scope. A foundation of distorted guitar and mysterious-occult lyrics make “Wizard From The North� another mind altering listen, and in the heavy “Reverend Trask�, the riffs chug with a sustained fury that further adds to the band’s dramatic sound.

That’s the first five tracks, there are still five more to go with not a dud in the bunch. With about sixty minutes of music to digest, there is more than enough bang for your buck. I suggest you get yourself a copy as fast as you can.

A Ripple Music release.

The players:
George Trevino (rhythm guitars)
Paul Deleon (drums and percussion)
Jimmy Bell (bass guitar)
Jason Kane (lead vocals)
Mando Tovar (lead guitars)

On a sad note, the band’s drummer Paul DeLeon passed way in 2021, hitting the band hard. This album is dedicated to him.

Track Listing:
1. Altar Of The Seven Sorrows (3:53)
2. Cosmic Tears (7:47)
3. Stay (5:23)
4. Wizard From The North (4:33)
5. Reverend Trask (5:41)
6. Egypt (7:29)
7. Holy Hell (6:30)
8. Terminal Drift (5:10)
9. Relentless (8:04)
10. Behind The Veil (5:22)

Added: January 3rd 2023
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band @ Bandcamp
Hits: 1226
Language: english

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