Despite an apparent reluctance to classify herself as a white witch Gwyn Strang, vocalist for Cleveland Doom / Post quintet Frayle, identifies as a spiritual being in touch with strong forces, and debut album 1692 (Aqualamb Records/Lay Bare Recordings) comes with a rather plush book explaining ancient magick among other things. It’s a daring opening gambit, complete with album title surely referring to the Salem witch trials, but does the accompanying music live up to this?
Ask a proud American to identify the EoB and they’ll gaze, either wistfully or with revolution in mind, toward a grand old building not far from Pennsylvania Avenue. 2018, however, has given birth to another EoB – the Evolution of Boom, a kind of cultural reworking of the Low-End chords which brought all manner of sounds into the realm of enjoyment for the average music listener.Continue reading
Formed in 2012 in Portland, Oregon, doomsters Holy Grove follow-up their 2016 debut Holy Grove (Heavy Psych Sounds) with the rather imaginatively titled Holy Grove II (Ripple Music). Thankfully, the music contained on this weighty slab of metal is far more inventive than its moniker, as the band delivers five mighty tracks of absorbing progressive Cosmic Doom.Continue reading