Dopelord - "Magick Rites" ...

Dopelord hails from eastern Poland. Magick Rites is released on the Polish label Can’t Tell You Records. The label started this year, and Magick Rites (available both on CD as well as on cassette) is their first release. What an awesome start for a new label! Opening track The Pentagram is an instrumental piece to get the listener in the right mood. Building up slowly, you hear the evil making its way for you, coming straight at you from the deep waters of the swamp. After all, doom, stoner, etc. stands or falls with a good riff, and this is one hell of a good riff on their opening track.

Ghost Cargo From The Bong carries on where The Pentragram left off: a deeper investigation of the unholy mix of sick riffs, (magick) herbs and horror. As stated on their bandcamp page, their main inspirations are old movies, 70s music and magical herbs. Ghost Cargo features vocals, but they are mixed fairly in the background. Magick Rites sounds like Klusek (bass), Mroku (guitar), Miodek (guitar & vocals) and Arek (drums) have been listening strictly to Black Sabbath without paying any attention to other genres. Maybe they made a musical detour to get some Electric Wizard albums, but this album shows the strength of really delving into one particular niche and perfecting the sound you love to hear. Therefore it comes as no surprise they specially thank Tony Iommi and Black Sabbath J.

 Lucifer’s Son grabs for a higher key, and the vocals are comfortably placed in the background of the warming evil riffings.

Check Lucifer’s Son here:

Unihorn is stellar too. The sound of Dopelord sometimes reminds me of a more straightforward version of Hour Of 13. Unihorn (brilliant title by the way) precedes Possessed. Possessed closes the net of doom around you and sounds pretty much like vintage Electric Wizard. Magick Holocaust is slooooow and devastating. It seems the vocals are getting better by the track, and closer Rise! Undying! works as an open invitation to listen to Magick Rites once again. Rise! Undying! lasts 11 minutes and leaves you reaching for your remote control.

The artwork of Magick Rites is pretty stunning too and made by Miodek and one Tomasz Gornicki. With a total duration of more than 50 minutes, go buy your happiness with this album. Order your copy of Magick Rites directly at Can’t Tell You Records or at their Big Cartel page for only € 8,- on CD, and even better: € 3,- on cassette. Plus, you can get the digital version of their debut album on Bandcamp for € 3,-. .......9/10.

Words: Sandrijn van den Oever

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