Blackened Doom

Pisswitch ~ St. Barthelemy’s Temple, Split (Babylon Doom Cult Records 2021)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , ,

A split that takes the concept literally with bands that operate on opposite ends of the spectrum: Pisswitch and St. Barthelemy’s Temple.

Two bands of mystery come together to release a tantalizing split. Not much is known about either one. St. Barthelemy’s Temple is a black metal band from France that describes its sound as being reminiscent of Eyehategod. Meanwhile, according to the press release, Pisswitch has no web presence whatsoever and is peopled by “leading figures from today’s raw black metal scene.” OK then. Anonymous it is.

Each band contributes three long tracks. The music on each side is very different.

Pisswitch offers up tortured, raw doom with spare, hissing black metal vocals that languish in the abyss and guitars that seem to be sounding a warning at the gates of hell. Slow, immiserating, hopeless. It is beautifully dark music.

The music from St. Barthelemy’s Temple for the split, compared to Pisswitch, might be described as more traditionally black metal. The first track is heavy on the doom side, while the second picks up the speed and sponsors the percussion and vocals that are familiar to dedicated black metal fans in the first half of the song. The finish is an excellent blackened doom enterprise.

While these bands do sound very different, their music works well together on this split. They both create doom and black metal music, each one leaning in an opposite direction. They complement each other. Recommended.

The split is available this Friday, July 9th, from Babylon Doom Cult Records. Try the link below. You can watch/listen to a teaser trailer on YouTube as well by following the St. Barthelemy’s Temple Facebook link.

Links.

St. Barthelemy’s Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/St-Barthelemys-Temple-108916979189279/

Babylon Doom Cult Records, https://www.babylondoomcultrecords.com/product/pisswitch-st-barthelemys-temple-pisswitch-the-cold-mouth-of-the-earth-lp/

Babylon Doom Cult Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/babylondoomcultrecords

Pisswitch ~ St. Barthelemy’s Temple, Split (Babylon Doom Cult Records 2021)

Eremit, Bearer Of Many Names (Transcending Obscurity 2021)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , , , ,

German Doom Metal trio Eremit offer their second full-length album, Bearer Of Many Names, to the multitudes.

Eremit’s first album, Carrier of Weight, came out in 2018 and it started something big. It had three songs, the short one being eleven minutes long and the long one covering thirty three minutes. Even for a doom band, this is epic-length work and in conveys a commitment to concept and idea that would become a hallmark of the band’s approach. The line-up is Marco Baecker (drums), Pascal Sommer (guitar), and Moritz Fabian (vocals and guitar).

Desert Of Ghouls is an EP that was released last year – two songs, twenty minutes – and it was a welcome transitional release for the new album. It is not necessary to listen to the earlier releases to become immersed in the latest one, but I do recommended it because there is an arc here from the beginning to the now and beyond. Like Carrier Of Weight, there are three tracks on Bearer Of Many Names.

“Enshrined in Indissoluble Chains and Enlightened Darkness” (29:22) opens with six quiet minutes of uneasiness then explodes suddenly with a Black-Metal-esque eruption to show you the trepidation was in order. The doom approach is slow and fatally heavy, punctuated by the tectonic shifts in the percussion, guitar, and voice.

“Secret Powers Entrenched in an Ancient Artefact” (18:36) is a bit more funereal to my ear than the first track and “Unmapped Territories of Clans without Names” (18:27) is the eeriest, pressing against the edges of ethereal and ritual music. Everything about the music on this album is absolutely mesmerizing. Listening to any track by itself is a welcome a welcome journey. Even so, listening to all three in order is worthwhile enhancement.

I have been following Eremit through its brief career and I have enjoyed the first two releases. The new one is the best so far and it sets a higher standard for Doom Metal in this vein. Highly recommended.

Bearer Of Many Names is out now from Transcending Obscurity, one of the very best heavy labels around – if you are into variants, bundles, and merch, they always deliver. Look over the links below and dive in.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://eremitdoom.bandcamp.com/

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/EremitDoom/

Eremit store, http://eremit.limitedrun.com/

Transcending Obscurity, https://transcendingobscurity.aisamerch.com/

Eremit, Bearer Of Many Names (Transcending Obscurity 2021)