This is the third release from traditional doom band King Heavy featuring Luce Vee, singer of Hooded Priest and ex-Procession bassist Daniel Saa, based out of Chile. There’s a mix of Trouble and Reverend Bizarre as the PR material suggests, although apart from the odd riff, I am struggling to discover the traditional heavy metal that is also spoke about them.
The opening track ‘Guardian Demon’ begins to entice you more once you become a-custom to the vocal style, there’s some haunting sounds, similar to Albert Witchfinder’s style, which I believe is where they are trying to go with on this release, including their musical stance too. As you delve into longer duration tracks and tracks like ‘Cult of the Cloven Hoof’, you hear the quality come through, but it did take me a few listens to get this. Then I am afraid they take you on a journey that never ends, the release becomes part of your soul, very clever! The other track that stands out is the self-obsessed ‘Doom Shall Rise’. Well, it certainly does. This wanders through the bleak isolated feel of your mind, before raging into a heavy as hell doom anthem rising much more than you typical behemoth languishing the release to over 43 minutes in six tracks.
This release certainly becomes stronger with time; your effort is rewarded and is comparable to some of the most traditionalist doom warriors known throughout the scene from times gone by. It’s a tough market to reside within; King Heavy will be just fine. Whilst ‘Guardian Demons’ is not the pinnacle of doom, it is a very strong representation when it transcends into with a couple of particular highlights as mentioned earlier.
(7.5/10 Paul Maddison)
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