***This Post Originated On The Obelisk***
doomstress (Photo by thepassionoftherice)
Texas four-piece Doomstress make their full-length debut with Sleep Among the Dead on May 10 through DHU Records (LP) and Ripple Music (CD), and if it feels like it’s been an extra-long wait for the album’s arrival, that’s probably a result of all the touring the band has done since getting together in 2016. To the best of my recollection they haven’t gone out for two months at a time or anything like that, but there’s been a steady chipping away at various Stateside regions that’s kept momentum well on their side as they’ve issued engaging-if-frustratingly-not-an-LP releases like 2017’s The Second Rite (discussed here) and 2016’s Supernatural Kvlt Sounds (discussed here) EPs, and along with slots at fests like Descendants of Crom and Maryland Doom Fest, SXSW and others, they’ve done a lot of the kind of preliminary work that would go into supporting a record before even having the record to support. Sleep Among the Dead, obviously, flips that scenario, and arrives not late but right on time with seven tracks and 41 minutes of right on Lone Star doom rock that shows the band’s foundations in acts like Well of Souls and Project Armageddon in its early riffing on “Bitter Plea” or “Burning Lotus” and uses that uptempo initial thrust to launch a more varied exploration of mood and impact. As their lineup has solidified with bassist/vocalist Doomstress Alexis, guitarists Brandon Johnson and Matt Taylor, and drummer Tomasz Scull (Sparrowmilk, ex-Venomin James), the band has clearly grown more confident in their approach, as can be heard in the tempo drawback of “Dreaming Spider,” which follows the opening one-two punch and begins to introduce the breadth of the album’s full scope.
So be it. Band has worked. Band has album. Great. When it
comes to what distinguishes Doomstress from the multitudes who also might fit
that generalized description, one doesn’t have to look far. The guitar work on
“Bitter Plea” and even more on “Burning Lotus” might take a listen or two to
sink in, but ultimately serves as the heart of Sleep Among the Dead, and in
kind with Alexis‘ voice — itself more assured and melodic than it’s yet been on
a recording and a vital instrument doomstress sleep among the dead put to
welcome use here — the guitars drive the songs forward. That’s not to take away
from Scull‘s drumming or Alexis‘ bass work, obviously, but there’s a
willingness to engage with heavy metal in the melodic sensibility that is
purely Texan throughout, and it’s introduced early, but manifests even in the
later leads of centerpiece “Your God is Blind” and the righteously grandiose
hook of “Bones and Rust,” even as the title line is delivered at the end in
harmonized layers that should be taken by the band as a blueprint for future
intent — I don’t usually say shit like that, but it works really well and is
not an idea to be left alone. This amalgam of doom, heavy rock and metal isn’t
necessarily revolutionary, but it’s more than enough to give Sleep Among the
Dead an identity of its own and leave the lasting impression of being what the
EPs and steady touring were building toward — the album itself something of a
payoff, never mind the chugging apex in the 7:53 penultimate cut “Apathetic
Existence,” with a Sabbath-via-C.O.C. swing brought to bear after a doomly
opening worthy of reminder that Doomstress‘ home state once produced Solitude
Aeturnus.
As “Bitter Plea” and “Burning Lotus” set Sleep Among the Dead forth with uptempo thrust and a fervent rocking vibe, “Apathetic Existence” and the subsequent closing title-track bring the record down, way down, to its darker finish. There’s still plenty of guitar theatrics, and the chug in both songs ties them together effectively, but Doomstress leave little question about their intent that the record should push further into the ground as it goes, perhaps living up to its title in its realization through the listening process. That atmosphere is a further example of the real takeaway from Sleep Among the Dead as a whole, which is that Doomstress are not screwing around. Their level of craft, in terms of construction of this material and its execution, is well beyond the “first record” expectation of a band getting their feet wet or figuring out their sound. Doomstress are past that, and they took the hard way around, honing their approach on tour. That’s admirable, but the record would still need to stand up on its own, and so it’s doubly fortunate that Sleep Among the Dead does precisely that, answering the anticipation of its landing with a collection that’s dramatic without pretense, showy without indulgence and that despite the simmering performances throughout, still puts the songs first. Will Doomstress go on to outclass it? Maybe. They’ll have their work cut out for them in that regard, but that hasn’t stopped them yet. What’s more important for the time being is that Doomstress set themselves up for a big moment of arrival with their full-length debut, and Sleep Among the Dead lives up to that and then some.
My pleasure today to host the premiere of “Burning Lotus.” Please dig in on the player below.
And enjoy: Doomstress Alexis on “Burning Lotus”:
“This was a rad one to work out in the studio, Tomasz really crushed it with that drum pattern and how it builds into the verse when the vocals kick in! It’s just a ripper of a track and top it all off with killer solos by Matt and special guest solo by Kent Stump of Wo Fat.”
Order Link: https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/sleep-among-the-dead
Order Link: https://darkhedonisticunionrecords.bigcartel.com/product/doomstress-sleep-among-the-dead
Doomstress is: Doomstress Alexis – Bass/Vocals Brandon Johnson – Guitar Matt Taylor – Guitar Tomasz Scull – Drums
Doomstress website Doomstress on Bandcamp Doomstress webstore Doomstress on Thee Facebooks Doomstress on Instagram DHU Records webstore DHU Records on Thee Facebooks Ripple Music on Thee Facebooks Ripple Music on Bandcamp
