SMOULDER
Violent Creed Of Vengeance
(Cruz Del Sur Music)
42:20min

Canada, home of the Metal band SMOULDER… the band with a damn good name. An image of burning slowly with smoke but without flame. Such a powerful idea. And such a powerful band. Sarah Ann (vocals), Shon Vincent (guitars), Collin Wolf (guitars), Kevin Hester (drums) and Adam Blake (bass), with their second album “Violent Creed Of Vengeance”, have created a solid sound of Epic Metal that, while not necessarily offering anything new, does offer something good. And isn’t that all we really want? The first track under the same title as the album introduces some simple yet charging riffs while Sarah’s vocals sway and filter through in a confident and amorphous way. It’s a hint of yet to come throughout. ‘The Talisman And The Blade’ continues with the chugging guitars that radiate with ever-changing sounds as the drums are chameleons, running side by side in whichever direction they need to go. The third track ‘Midnight In The Mirror World’ is grand, monumental and vast in its temerity. It’s a mid-tempo romp that staggers and melds into a world of wonder. You could crank this up while plundering through an epic fantasy RPG and it’d fit perfectly. ‘Path Of Witchery’ in its swirling guitars are the half breed of epic ’80s Metal and AMORPHIS in its early days. Then there’s ‘Victims Of Fate’, a fantasy-based tale that takes you on a journey through your mind. ‘Spellforger’ is pure classic Metal riffs as the vocals are HEART and MAIDEN mixed into one. Lastly is ‘Dragonslayer’s Doom’, another throwback style to the glory days of everything we love about Metal. SMOULDER delivers a solid second album with “Violent Creed Of Vengeance” that satisfies in every aspect. Is it bringing anything new to the table? No. Does it need to? Not at all. Just enjoy the journey it’ll take you on for 42 minutes. For more SMOULDER information, check out www.facebook.com/smoulderdoom, www.facebook.com/cruzdelsurmusic

David Simonton

David Simonton

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