I have to admit that my first taste of Brimstone Coven was care of their 2015 belter ‘Black Magic’ (see Ave Noctum passim for my review), but that was enough for me to pick up their prior work, and also purchase their 2018 follow up ‘What Was and What Shall Be’, so when the offer came from my esteemed editor, and administrator of this site, to review this new release from these West Virginian sonic wizards, I leapt at the chance, well, as much as a leap as my knackered old knees will allow.
If you’ve not caught Brimstone Coven before, ‘The Woes of a Mortal Earth’ is as fine a place as any to get your first taste of the band as it encapsulates that sound that has become their trademark. ‘Inferno’ kicks off the album with laid back riffs and the rhythmic beats of a cowbell that sound like they’d been found on some long-lost tape unearthed from a recording studio that had been put in a time capsule from 1969. It is when the vocals join the mix that the band truly come to life, the impeccable harmonies of guitarist Corey Roth and bassist Andrew D’Cagna lifting the sound to a whole new level. ‘When The World Is Gone’ follows with a slower heavier proto-metal riff, somewhat akin to a more than usually laid back Budgie, albeit again it is the vocals that give the track its unique sound. I’ll be honest, when I first heard the band, I did wonder if it was some sort of studio trickery but that suggestion was quickly quashed by an acquaintance who is a sound engineer with an inside track who assured me it was the real deal, and the incredibly polished yet simple sound of the band is a result of musical talent, rather than electronic wizardry at the mixing desk.
The songs meander gently one into the other, ‘Live With A Ghost’ having some Iommiesque riff work to back up the occult tale of the song, whilst ‘The Darker Half’ picks up the pace with a foot tapping stomp, whilst all the whilst holding onto a classic occult rock sound. I can only imagine that the shelves of the band members are lined with well-loved and well played vinyl care of the likes of Coven, Black Widow, and Blue Oyster Cult. After the Prog tinged ‘Secrets of the Earth’, the album closes with ‘Song of Whippoorwill’ and it is time for Brimstone Coven to pour on the doom with the longest and heaviest track of the album, the drum beats of Dave Trik slowing to a near funereal pace, reflecting perfectly the darker lyrics that seem to draw on HP Lovecraft’s magical fear of the titular bird, a creature that is variously believed to be a harbinger of death or capturer of departing souls.
It is not an insult to say that the songs seemed to blend one into the other, rather it is a comment on the class of each track, with their looping riffs and remarkable hypnotic vocal harmonies that lull the listener into a near trance like state. Frankly, sometimes the lyrics seemed very much secondary to the vocal delivery, and I imagine if Brimstone Coven had been singing from the set up manual for an IBM Fortran machine from 1963 it would have still sounded damn good. This is an act that is high on my list of wanting to see live, if only to see if they can recreate the same magic away from the studio, something I have no doubt they can from their lo-fi recording style, and the quality of ‘The Woes of a Mortal Earth’ only reinforces that desire. Here’s hoping once this current health crisis blows over that will happen. Until then, support the underground scene, support the band, and buy their product.
(8.5/10 Spenny)
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