The unholy cacophony unleashed by Saúl Do Caixão and Andy Lippoldt, collectively known as Atomic Cries, is the accompanying death knell belched forth from the mouth of hell as Death gallops onward into the realm of man. The band’s latest 7” single, ‘Suspended Between the Mouth of God and the Fist of Man’, stays true in overall mood, texture, and execution to the impressive 4-song demo, ‘For Those Who Came Before Us’, that was released earlier in the year. The duo proclaims that they “play primitive doom metal exclusively” which is right on the mark. Atomic Cries’ primitive doom metal, which also has an apocalyptic, ritual altar feel to it, fits in among other adepts who also dabble in lo-fi, primeval doom such as early Ice Dragon, Tentacle, Uzala or even Saint Vitus.
“False Prophecies”, the A-side of ‘Suspended Between the Mouth of God and the Fist of Man’, opens ominously amidst shapeless, rough-hewn distortion and drums before ultimately coalescing into a sinister doom riff accompanied by the booming, layered vocals of Saúl Do Caixão. The entire track pulses with a life of its own as the listener is eased into a slow descent of inescapable doom. While “False Prophecies” has no real twists and turns as far as tempo goes, the subtle effects on Saúl’s vocals and the addition of piercing lead guitar toward the latter half of the track add depth and character to this doleful tune. The B-side, “The Athiest”, fades in to a repeated pattern of simple, yet abrasive notes that escalates in intensity before dissolving into an all-engulfing wave of distortion. When the dust finally settles Lippoldt lets a few bass notes ring out before Do Caixão follows closely with his guitar crunch and Atomic Cries plunge into their second ritualistic slow-burn. While “The Atheist” isn’t as initially gratifying as the A-side, the tune ultimately devolves into a satisfying organ outro that makes the journey worth it.
The lo-fi, no frills approach of Atomic Cries’ self-proclaimed “primitive doom” is a welcome addition to the canon of traditional doom metal. ‘Suspended Between the Mouth of God and the Fist of Man’ picks up where the demo, ‘For Those Who Came Before Us’, left off and continues the band’s exploration of down tempo, funereal textured doom. There may be those who won’t appreciate the raw, demo quality of ‘Suspended Between the Mouth of God and the Fist of Man’ but you can’t please everyone. It’ll be interesting to see how this band develops in the future and if they will be able to diversify their sound in all of its simplicity. Get both ‘Suspended Between the Mouth of God and the Fist of Man’ and their demo through the band’s bandcamp page. The 7” single is to be released January 2013 through Finland’s Svart records.
Words: Steve Miller
