Trouble is one of the best doom bands of all time, though they’ve never gotten the attention they deserved. Since this is their first release since 2007 and the first with new singer Kyle Thomas, we here at AMG felt it deserved not one, but two reviews. That’s right…DOUBLE TROUBLE!
Despite a stronger crop of records as the month of March inched along, 2013 is still not shaping up to be the best of years for metal. The dearth of ratings over 4.0 probably has something to do with my beating the “don’t overrate shit” drum loudly and repeatedly – it certainly has made me very conservative – but it’s also just that the crop of records hasn’t been super great. Still, there is ONE record that doesn’t deserve to be mentioned among the year’s more mediocre fare, and it is our Record o’ the Month for March, 2013.
“As a long time fan of American doom pioneers Pentagram, I’ve been an admirer of Victor Griffin’s playing and his bluesy, but street tough style. Sure, he borrowed a lot of his sound from Tony Iommi, but he made it his own by mixing it with the sound of Cream-era Clapton and a touch of Hendrix. When he left Pentagram, their stock dropped precipitously, and when he returned for their Last Rites opus, everything was right in the doom world again. I enjoyed most of the material from his Place of Skulls outing, so when I heard of the new Victor Griffin’s In-Graved project, I expected solid results, which this delivered, along with a few surprises.” Doomy biker rock? Does Steel Druhm need to say more? Well, he will anyway because he’s wordy!
“Its clear the whole “occult retro doom/rock” thing is here to stay, like it or not. With entities like Hour of 13, Castle, Occultation, Devil’s Blood and Ghost already throwing on the vest, hailing the 70s and generally receiving good press, you can expect newcomers to keep popping up like hippies at a grow-op. Bloody Hammers is one of those filthy, dirty hippies (saddled with a name that implies a death metal barrage).” I know what you’re all thinking. Why won’t Steel Druhm stop shoving retro doomy vest metal at us? Well, I shove because I love and here’s more vest to add to the rest!
Time for all the stuff you might have missed!! Join us as we do our yearly round-up of shit that got overlooked, underrated, misplaced and otherwise blackballed, censored or buried. Steel Druhm kicks off the festivities with a weird one from the weirdly named Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats. Do you like Ghost? How about old style doom? Well then pilgrim, you better read up!
F.A.G. lets his Down fanboyism run amok as he discusses Hurricane Katrina, drugs, the Bayou and good old fashioned metal. Long live NOLA!
More Finnish music you never heard of? Yep, and this time it’s vest metal! Seremonia brings you some doom rockin, acid ingesting, 60s influenced rock with creepy female vox and Finnish lyrics. If that patches your denim, then read on, flower child!
Explaining a group that calls themselves “Finnish psychedelic forest folk” is about as easy as completing the final course on Ninja Warrior whilst drunk on moonshine, but Steel Druhm gives it a go anyway. Assemble the trauma team!!
Are you wearing a vest? Well, since Steel Druhm feels like he’s found the Holy Grail of doom metal, you best get to the tailor and get fitted for an old timey one. Actually, better make it two because this is big!!
A progressive doom metal with a bunch of surprises? Steel Druhm likes surprises (that don’t result in him getting stabbed or shot).
