Dopethrone - Demonsmoke

Its been a hell of a few months for Canadian Doom and Sludge and here is another CD to add to the ever growing list of killer Canadian releases. "Dopethrone" in March 2008 as a completely D.I.Y. project but quickly formed into a fully fledged band, the band members are Vincent on guitar and vocals, Thomas on drums and Vyk playing bass guitar. With a name like "Dopethrone", they don't win any points for originally and the music itself is very much in the vein of Bongzilla, Weedeater and Sleep but there is a big difference. Where as Bongzilla battered your brains out with long repetitive riffing, Dopethrone actually keep the songs pretty short and have a almost catchy appeal. Obviously the band are a pack of weed-worshiping maniacs and like Bongzilla, they use a few spoken word samples to drive that point home but its the riffs, the great sound and concise song arrangement that make this such a great release. From the opening title track "Demonsmoke" with the spoken word sample about a woman buying some "Colombian", you pretty much know what you are in for but don't ride them off as just another rip-off stoner band because they have the riffs and more. The riffing has a hazy, old school groove that is more 70's than the likes of the other bands i previously mentioned. There is where the catchy element comes in, yes the sound is fat and heavy but there is a instant hook that comes with every track on here.

"Wizard's Sleeve" changes between big stoner grooves and some almost blue-grass style picking and the start/stop arrangement is very effective and pulverizing. "Spirit Ruiner" is filled with more thick grooves and more spoken word samples and the vocals are spewed forth in a typical Mike "Muleboy" Makela style but vocalist Vincent delivers it with a touch more demonic malice. Track four "Abraxas" is the odd tune of the bunch, a great tune in its own right but it sounds a little different from the rest of the album. "Psychic Vampire" and "Blood Boiler" are two of the best tracks on the album, the former is actually the longest track on the album at 5 minutes. It might sound funny but i find to listen to songs so short these days seeing as most Doom/Sludge bands do tend to drag things out as long as possible. This hurts the album a little in my opinion because a good riff deserves to be played over and over again, sometimes on this album you feel ripped off by the fact that songs end too quickly. "Power Violence Forever" strikes as being the weakest track on Demonsmoke but its in and out in just a couple of minutes. The album ends with "Legalize Murder", more thick heavy grooves are in abundance and its a fine way to finish what is a really short album that is more like a ep than a full length album.

Rating this album is difficult, its not original at all but still it kills with great grooves and a excellent production. The songs are great but at the same time seem too short and a little un-finished, the vocals are awesome but they have been done many times before. It would be so easy to say fuck it and give this a 10 but that wouldn't be too accurate in judging the album as a whole. Having made that observation, it must be said that if riffs make a album then this is one of the best albums released this year. Seeing as this band is fairly new, they have a incredible amount of potential to be a monster within the Stoner Doom Sludge scene if they can established a sound more of their own. Load your bong and give them a listen. 8.5/10

www.myspace.com/dopethronemafia