Apotheosis is the new album from blackened doom act Temple of the Fuzz Witch, which hails from Detroit, Michigan, in the US. Finding their home on Ripple Music, Temple of the Fuzz Witch ticks off a couple of boxes for most heavy metal fans...the music is damn heavy, there are loads of big, fat, doomy riffs, the drums are crushing, and there are a blend of hellish screams, mid-ranged melodic vocals, plenty of atmosphere, and no shortage of intensity. Right from the outset, "A Call to Prey" knocks the listener over the head with some evil black metal-styled harsh vocals, but the riffs are straight out of doom-laden hell. That continues on the massive "Wight", and you start to hear how the production is perfect for the type of music these guys are doing. The monstrous guitar sounds here are earth-shattering. "Nephilim" sees some moodier Alice in Chains vocals mixed in with the screams, while "Bow Down" brings out the wah-wah pedal for some delicious Black Sabbath/Soundgarden/Alice in Chains-styled guitar mayhem supported by soaring melodic vocals and a touch of the harsh. It's one of my favorites here and will get you headbanging in no time. "Sanguine" drops a touch of psych into their brand of evil doom, while both "Cursed" and "Raze" are just no-nonsense bangers, the riffs again so tremendously massive you can hardly take a breath. More psychedelic overtones collide with funeral doom and black metal on "Apostate" (one creepy ass song!), and the closing dirge "Ashes" winds up being one of the faster-paced tracks on the album, the vocals dripping with menace and the riffs pummeling.
Perhaps slightly more extreme than what we normally hear on Ripple, Apotheosis is a tremendous, kick-ass release from Temple of the Fuzz Witch, which scratches that itch for both doom and black metal nicely. I, for one, can't wait to hear what they come up with for us next.
Track Listing
1. A Call to Prey
2. Wight
3. Nephilim
4. Bow Down
5. Sanguine
6. Cursed
7. Raze
8. Apostate
9. Ashes
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