Doomsower - Earth Demo ...

Doomsower have a new drummer and bass player which in turn has given them a new sound, still doomish of course but there is a vitality to this new demo titled 'Earth' that I don't think was there before. The main criticism people had of earlier Doomsower recordings was the production but that issue is not present on this demo. The sound is wonderfully clear, nice and fuzzy; the way doom should be. Vocals are kept to a good level in the mix this time around too so all is good and right in the world of Doomsower. The doom titans from Portland are a hard-working bunch with an impressive amount of live shows under their belts and all that playing is starting to pay off in a big way. It is always a pleasure for me watching a band develop and progress and Doomsower are progressing faster than most in terms of songwriting, musicianship, and performance.

The first track on this three track demo, 'El Camino Real' is a fuzzy doom overdose. If compared to earlier works from the band, it is a step-up in tempo. It is still slow but there is more emphasis on sludgy grooves and stoner-metal fuzz and this all makes this track very assessable for the average listener. The main word here is FUZZ; the bass is now a driving force in the band with great infectious, distorted bass lines. They are also more psychedelic than ever before. I used to put them in the epic, viking doom category but now they seem to be heading in a more stonerish, psyche-doom direction and it seems to be paying off. Not that there was anything wrong with their style before but these new tracks have a more infectious appeal and therefore seem more memorable. 'El Camino Real' is a nice, cruising track that is slow without being a painful plod but not too fast either, keeping it within the realms of traditional doom but there is more surprises in store from Doomsower.

'Meteor' doesn't sound like anything the band has ever done before. It is a spacey, psychedelic, mellow yet heavy track and dare I say it, there is a touch of 70's retro, psyche-rock in there as well. Trippy riffage from guitarist Justin blends with some mind-bending bass-lines and it is recorded over the top of some spoken word samples that give it a other-worldly vibe. It is surprising un-doomy to my ears as it is more of a hypnotic, psychedelic track. Keep in mind the band is called Doomsower so this is quite an interesting twist in their songwriting. If this track takes you by surprise, the next one will really have you scratching your nodding heads. Titled 'Stone Pussy,' this has the band going up-beat and seriously rocking in a stoner-metal kind of a way. An incredible catchy riff, a mid-tempo beat, and what....is that a cowbell I hear!!! The opening stomping groove doesn't last for long before it shifts into a slower, psychedelic gear once again.

I don't know if the band has been on a 70's rock kick lately but it sounds like it. Whatever the reason, it is working. 'Stone Pussy' is the highlight of the demo for me personally. It is a well-balanced track with a nice mix of slow, mesmerizing psychedelia and mid-tempo catchy grooves. It also features the best lead I have ever heard from Justin, the leads are scorching, wailing, and exciting. Doomsower still fit within the doom genre but they have turned a corner and are heading somewhere else if this is anything to go by. As much as I love their earlier works, this is just too damn catchy to ignore. Head to bandcamp and take a listen...........9/10.




Doomsower @ Bandcamp
Doomsower @ Myspace