The
heavy/doom metal sub-label of Northern
Silence, Eyes Like Snow, is responsible
for the reissue of the first EP of
The Lamb of Thoth. Originally published
as a vinyl 10" EP by Miscatonic
Foundation, the new version of "Cauldron
of Witchery" has two additional
live tracks, making thus the final
product very attractive. The Lamb
of Thoth is a trio with traditional
doom metal orientation. As they come
from the misty area of Yorkshire
they have developed concerns on occultism,
which are reflected boldly on their
imagery and their lyrics. So aware
readers will suspect that The Lamb
of Thoth are inspired by Pentagram,
Pagan Altar, Cathedral, Cirith Ungol
and Reverend Bizarre. The three main
tracks (with the cover included)
show a varied approach to doom metal,
which is enriched with heavy rock
and epic metal elements. The solid
hard-rocking riffs of the self-titled
track are combined with the slow
and suffering rhythms of "Sunshine",
which is by all means a great track,
while the cover to a classic heavy
metal track like "Frost and
Fire" is decent. However the
two live tracks do not sound equally
interesting -in terms of compositions-
as the studio ones and probably recorded
in the studio they will sound better
and reveal hidden virtues.
The first signs of the band are
heartening, but a few things need
improvement, such as the vocals,
which sometimes sound plain and shallow.
I think that The Overtly Melancholic
Lord Strange should emphasize on
the theatrical aspect of his vocal
performance (for example the Scottish
accent of "r"),
which could leverage their sound. The
production, as well as the artwork,
is fairly good and appropriate for
a doom metal act. As said before, the
first signs are positive, but more
is needed in order to be able to extract
solid conclusions about the potential
of the band. The Lamb of Thoth are
currently recording their first album
entitled "Omens, Portents and
Dooms" and hopefully very soon
we will have this chance. Fans of occult
doom metal are more than encouraged
to purchase this release, especially
if they manage to dig the die hard
edition (with patch, t-shirt and certificate). |
