After a successful demo, here's the debut album from Idaho's UZALA, released on vynil via At War With False Noised rds (same label as Fellwoods "Wulfram") and on tape format via Witch Sermon... Far from being young hypsters that jumped in the Female-Doom trend wagon, the quatuor confirms here a very interesting identity. First, the style of the band is an original mix of Traditionnal Doom influences and some other various hard rock and Metal acts from the 70's and 80's, from Deep Purple and Blue Cheer to Bathory and Celtic Frost !!! Second, even if Darcy is the main vocalist (and she does it damn fucking well, in the delightful vein of Sharie from TWK), her man Chad Remains also sings on two songs...
This coincides with two different kind of atmospheres and tempos : while most of the songs (understand when she sings) are slow and mesmerizing with fuzzy guitars, bonecrushing rythmic and a general bleak mood, "fracture" and "wardrums" sung by Chad are filthy pieces full of Frostian riffage, there's a kind of savage fuzziness in the laden that is totally amazing. Even if this could surprise at the first listening, I think this can be complementary... don't you like it when a Doom band plays one or two rawer and faster songs on stage (often covers)? yezzz, so why not on album ?!
The production could sound a bit lame at first but it's also here that the band marks its territory, I think it's a false impression, indeed UZALA seems to constantly evolute in a very obscure and foggy sphere, just like if a nebulous and mystical veil was protecting them, this differs from the masses and is in fact a positively distinctive force
"the reaping", "cataract" (unfortunately for vynil lovers, this one just appears on the tape and digital formats) and the beautiful cover of Diamanda Gallas "gloomy sunday" are my highlights of this great debut, but there's absolutely no fillers here, prooving that UZALA is really a band to count on from right now... You also have to know that several split eps are planed this year with Pallbearer, Mala Suerte and Bongripper, and also that the band will tour the West Coast of the States (several dates will include Fellwoods, awesome line-up !), so watch out for more infos on their FB page...
No comments:
Post a Comment