CRYPT SERMON - Out Of The Garden
April 8, 2015, 9 years ago
(Dark Descent)
There's just no way the word "garden" can sound heavy, but maybe it makes sense that Philadelphia's Crypt Sermon evoke the nursery instead of the sewer, because even though they're on Dark Descent, this is way more Trouble than it is Thantifaxath. Slower doom cuts like "Will Of The Ancient Call" crawl, but the vocals soar, giving this a trad/classic doom feel, not at all sludgey and oppressive, while a song like "Heavy Riders" picks up the tempo, almost bringing to mind, again, Trouble but this time at their Def American boogie-rockin' peak.
Not as grand or great, of course, but Crypt Sermon certainly have a special majesty to their delivery that most bands that try this sound lack. It comes through in the totally confident playing and the great vocal delivery, which is usually the stumbling point for bands doing this classic doom sound. It's borderline, though: a song like "The Master's Bouquet" (seriously, cool it with the floral motif!) threatens to make you inch the volume down just a bit when the crooning is front and centre. But, for the most part, nope, turn it up, and turn it up loud: this is not just great doom, but great metal, the sounds enclosed traditional and respectful and heavy in all the right ways (put on the title track, feel the power).
