One of the good things about the ‘occult rock’ bandwagon had been the rise in profile of women in the slower arts. Not sure why that has happened but it’s welcome anyway as relief from the gothic waifs. New US band Demon Lung are an unapologetically heavy, slow riffing doom band in the classic mould with just that extra tab of psyche dropped into the mix. They also feature the voice of Shanda Fredericks, a lady who has seemingly taken Coven’s Jinx Dawson as a base to work her own touch into, which is kind of neat.

‘Lament Code’ opens the gate for us with the sort of ponderous, Candlemass guitar woven through the bluesy riff from Phillip Burns that promises doom and pain. The dense rhythm section of Patrick Warren and Jeremy Brenton shovel the song forwards as Shanda wails her lament a little lower in the mix and with a tone full of a distinctive, drugged out drawl that is nicely creepy. It’s a pretty cool introduction and the slightly harder, minimally more up tempo and much more catchy ‘Sour Ground’ with its drop out section of whispered voices and then much more pushed wails is superb.

Third track ‘Death Mask’ I guess is where some people may begin to have issues with the vocals: There is an atonal quality underlying them here, with a discordant twang which may irk some. I think its a bit of the old love or hate situation as personally I find that they really add to the lost, obsessed and psychedelic atmosphere of the band, kind of like watching a tripped out priestess lost in her own world reaching out through the smoke and sulphur. The closing title track, another dire warning that ‘…you will not be saved…’ is definitely one for serious doom-heads, dragging and slouching into the abyss and it crystallises that kind of slower, less skull tearing Electric Wizard touch that seeps into these songs here and there.

At four songs this clocks in at under half an hour and is a pretty good showcase at that length. It has a deft touch and a solid sound with no fat or padding and is clearly from the soul. Fair to say that Demon Lung are a welcome addition to the ranks of the doomed and I look forward to their full length debut when it comes. Pretty darned cool name too.

(7.5/10 Gizmo)

http://demonlungband.com