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A pleasant surprise for Stoner/Heavy Metal fans cross the globe.-
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| The Resurrection Sorrow: The Scorpion Savior Sessions |
Heavy Metal, Stoner Metal
Self-released
June 28th, 2011
- Pale Kiss (Endless Storm) - 3:29
- Scorpion Savior - 4:20
- Burning Halo - 3:51
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| Review Information |
Release length: 11:41
Review posted on July 1st, 2011
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| | Overall Score: 9/10 |
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| Discography |
Discography covers all information available up to day of review and is updated if future albums are reviewed. |
| Full-Length(s): |
Hour of the Wolf (2009)
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| EP(s): |
The Scorpion Savior Sessions (2011)
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| Review |
The Resurrection Sorrow is a Heavy Metal meets Stoner Metal act the ahils from New York City, New York. The group issued their debut full-length effort independently under the Midnight Dreams label, and due to this not many fans of Metal happen to know of their existence. For 2011, the group has gone back into the studio and recorded a follow-up release, a three song EP entitled The Scorpion Savior Sessions, which is finding a huge push from the group through using PR companies to spread the word. This is a smart move by the band, especially given the material on this EP, and the fact that fans of the Stoner Metal style will fall in love with this abusive, abrasive effort.
This release clocks in at judge under twelve minutes, but for that entire time the listener will be transported between vintage Heavy Metal influence Stoner Metal, and abrasive straight forward Stoner Metal that has a bit of a Sludge vibe to it. The production of this recording actually comes off pretty clean and professional for an independent recording, which is something you don't really find too often. The instruments are all at the proper levels so that everything is present, and their presence is felt. The bass takes a pretty strong role on these tracks and makes the whole sound come off deeper and a little more abrasive at times, while the guitars themselves can really set up the proper atmosphere of the songs, whether it's the traditional old-school Heavy Metal approach of "Pale Kiss (Endless Storm)" that transports listeners back to the early eighties, or the harsh, sinister Stoner Metal track that feels muddied by a Sludge approach that adds a bludgeoning vibe to much of the track. The drumming itself does a great job as well, luring the listener in and out of hypnotic states to go along with the standard Stoner Metal riffs found through this recording.
The only problem that pops up is that the closing track, "Burning Halo", actually finds the band's audio being altered. The music feels a little more muffled and further in the background. The bass seems a little louder, and the guitar solo sounds right, but the drumming also feels muffled with the double bass kicks. It's a little odd to hear, especially with how loud the vocals come off with this song compared to the previous two. This doesn't mean it's a bad song though, as this track successfully blends together the atmospheres and styles set in the previous two tracks, though some stronger Heavy Metal moments do appear now and then, such as with the many shorter guitar solos that appear throughout the recording. Of course the vocals, while loud, are still impressive and show a good deal of range, especially on this track. While the effort is strong in each track to maintain the proper musical atmosphere, such as an energetic performance on "Pale Kiss (Endless Storm)" and a more traditional Sludge Metal style on "Scorpion Savior", this track blends both approaches together, and even includes some whispered vocals and spoken word segments near the end that perfectly match the slower Stoner Metal sound they perform over. However, the gripe here is that with "Burning Halo", the layered vocal approach winds up failing pretty bad and sounds like two identical vocalists singing off time from one another instead of enriching the vocals.
But, with those issues aside, The Scorpion Savior Sessions is a fantastic release from this band. It showcases three strong tracks from a band that clearly has a grip on the sound they want to play, and they execute it to near perfection. The songs are addicting and often hypnotizing or abrasive, and just show off a great deal of promise from the group. While they will more then likely continue to grow, this band clearly is ready to break out into the Metal world, and this EP proves fans and bands of the style should be on notice. If you're looking for solid Stoner Metal with some Heavy Metal and even Sludge interference, then this EP, as well as The Resurrection Sorrow, are both well worth your time to check out.
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