Salt of the Earth - The Purity of Oblivion
The purity that this Chicagoan three-piece truly strives for isn't necessarily the Purity of Oblivion, but rather the purity of traditional doom metal. On this four song demo, the order of the day is crushing, slug-crawl metal the likes of which are drenched in dirty, raw sewage. All of it is crushing, heavy-handed material; despite this brutality and general grimness, the band also utilizes passages of moody stoner rock theatrics, all hazy notes and buzzing menace. The end result is just under forty minutes of sludge so thick and full of depth it might just burst some eardrums, which in my opinion is just how the heavy of heavies should be done....pure, untainted doom.
"Purity of Oblivion" revs the engine with a tank of a tune. Muscular bass lines provide a churning maelstrom which spouts bitter power chords and blazing guitar solos. The band's lazy, confident strides of sheer brutality are much like a mudslide coming down a mountain with devastating intentions....it's going to be dirty, and it's going to be bad. "Not of this Earth" is probably my favorite "normal" track here (more on that later), what with the awesome stoner rock intro and pummeling dirge riffing worthy of the almighty Sleep. "The Gods and the Dead" has a riff that will instantly latch onto your psyche, staying with you for weeks. Trust me when I say this one is a wicked hellspawn of righteous fury. The crowning jewel of the demo is without any doubt the centerpiece which is "Under the Influence of the Moon." "Moon" is what I would call an "epic" rather than "normal" cut, it's prolonged beatdown of about fourteen minutes far outlasting everything else on the disc. So powerful are the seismic tremors induced here, you'll wonder if the world is collapsing down around you. What makes this song such a joy for me is it's unrelenting sense of impending destruction; never once does it waver from its almost absurdly slow tempo, but you know the climax isn't going to be pretty no matter how long it takes to crash down on your harried skull.
With doom going in ever branching directions and offshoots, here is the oldschool variant carried into the present day. If nothing sounds more appealing to you than heavy, distorted, and prehistoric riffing, steady, splashing drums, and thick, rolling bass, this one is for you. Long live the true doom! Strongly recommended.Tracklisting
1. The Purity of Oblivion
2. Not of this Earth
3. The Gods and the Dead
4. Under the Influence of the Moon
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