ARCHDRUID
Archdruid
Independent

I love Sabbath. I love riffs. Therefore, it goes without saying that there are parts of this album that I truly appreciate. The thick avalanche of riffage that erupts from the speakers for opening song “Archdruid” kicks the doors down, the thunder that evokes memories of the debut Sabbath album combined with a fuzzed riff that Electric Wizard are hunting down to reclaim gets the attention immediately. Yes, you think, this is epic stoner doom metal – nothing new for sure, and as it develops one wonders if this is just a homage to the Birmingham godfathers, such is the use of Iommi’s riffs.

And for me, that’s the problem here. The music is great, but if I want to listen to this, then I’ll get out my trusty copy of “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” or “Vol 4”. Sure, there is more to ARCHDRUID, most notably the haunting vocals of Emily Sordid Waltz which are at times compelling, and at other times dangerously out of synch and tune. Waltz’s delivery is a challenge throughout, for her inconsistent performance detracts from the solidity of her bandmates.

It’s taken over a decade for ARCHDRUID to get to this debut release, and it feels a bit mean to nitpick, given the obvious effort and time invested. Their sound is steeped in the 70s sound, and that is evident. And I have no problem with that whatsoever. Bands like Avatarium, Blues Pills and Castle Rat all place their stock in that era, and the much-missed Black Moth certainly dabbled in the era of classic rock.

The music is crashing, explosive, and fuzzed up with enough riffs to power a small town. It’s competent, with some sweet lead work and a rich, heavy rhythm section that anchors everything with a solid foundation. But the vocals are inconsistent. Tolerable on opener “Archdruid”, a song that suffers from a horrible fade out, they are desperate on “Lurking Fear”. One wonders if there is an attempt to imitate the mighty Tim Baker of Cirith Ungol – if so, it fails miserably.

“Black Riders” drops into Tolkien country for subject matter, with a sound that mirrors early Cathedral. It’s almost “Witchfinder General” in parts, apart from the vocals which are now starting to become a real issue. The use of reverb and echo doesn’t help, and overall, despite the grind of the song and a bluesy lead break, it turns into an average song.

The fact that the album is 37-minutes long is a blessing, for further exploration doesn’t ease the headache that Waltz’s vocals induce. Yes, this is only my opinion, but they grate the more you listen. There is all the emotion in delivery of the legendary Jon Mikl Thor, whose albums are so bad that they’ve attained cult status.

I’ve spent too long with the album. First listen was average, but it has swan dived since then. It’s fair to say that I became less enamoured as the album progressed. I appreciate the effort, but sometimes a spade needs to be called a spade. This isn’t a turd that needs polishing yet, but you certainly want that polish handy, just in case. Don’t waste your precious time on this – there is much better out there.

Paul Hutchings