Sunday 20 December 2015

OPIUM LORD - 'The Calendrical Cycle: Eye of Earth' review


OPIUM LORD - 'The Calendrical Cycle: Eye of Earth' review


"So Stourbridge doom fiends OPIUM LORD are back with their debut album and follow up to their two track 'Prologue: The Healer'', and right from the opener 'Challenger', we're plunged into the dark and murky depths of crushing riffs, grimey bass, unsettlingly eerie delayed lead guitar, and pounding drums, conjuring comparisons to stuff like MORBID ANGEL or even a doomier ZAO or FALL OF EFRAFA. Vocals are still pretty varied, ranging from harsh, throaty, lizardy screams, to deeper, guttural roars and shouts, spitting out some pretty hellish lyricism. The local Temple of Boom has done a fab job on the recording and mixing, because this is as heavy as anything, and thanks to Dave Mitson's mastering it sounds punishingly huge. Favourite tune for me besides 'Challenger' would have to be 'Crystals' for the great chord progressions, but this is really consistent stuff across the seven tracks, with perpetually colossal riffs, unsettling leads, crushing drum work, and harrowing vocals throughout the predominantly sludgey rhythms. Awesome work, highly recommended for those that like their music crafted in the blackest of forges in the deepest of pits. Beautiful photographic artwork too."

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