When we last heard from Indianapolis based singer, songwriter, and fellow music reviewer Chris Latta, it was as the frontman for power-doom powerhouse Lavaborne, who released one of the finest albums of 2021 in Black Winged Gods. It wasn’t long after that a triumphant set at the Legions of Metal festival ensued, cementing their status as rising stars of the doom scene. While things have been relatively quiet on the Lavaborne front for a while now (I’m sure they’re carefully plotting their next move), Latta has remained busy as ever, unleashing upon us a brand new project named Cloud of Souls. Joining him for this affair is Throne of Iron founder Tucker Thomasson.
On their debut album, A Fate Decided, Cloud of Souls have concocted a lethal brew of classic black, doom, and epic metal. If you’re wondering how that possibly works, well, think Blood Fire Death era Bathory meets Saint Vitus at a Manowar concert. Now that I read that last sentence back, that probably didn’t help matters one bit. If anything, it probably further complicated the matter, so let me attempt to explain this again. Latta handles guitars, bass, and vocals (of course). Thomasson also handles guitars and drums. Put these two lifers together and you’ve got a collection of metal that’s dark, adventurous, and pummeling.
After a dirge of doom riffs in “Cloaks of Night” sets the stage, “Wings Forged From Hate” gets down to business, unleashing a blackened doom hellstorm of triumphant riffs, harsh vocals, and raw delivery. Knowing Latta best for his bellowing, clean vocals in Lavaborne, it’s exciting to hear him unleash these wicked blackened screams, and there are plenty throughout the course of this release. Perhaps no cut on here is more bleak or blackened than “Hiding From Human Eyes”, a ferocious, ripper with tinges of early 90s Darkthrone in the riffing and arrangement.
“Time for Slaughter” and “Unseen Vigil” are a one-two punch of traditional doom that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Lavaborne release. For these songs, Latta largely relies on his clean vocals and the riffs draw from the well of Pentagram and the aforementioned Saint Vitus. I’ve got nothing against a good ol’ fashioned doom metal crusher, especially ones like these that don’t fall victim to the usual marijuana laced clichés that have dominated since the 90s. And then there’s “Where Failure Dies” and the closing title track: Two suites that go full epic doom, albeit with a sinister disposition. On an album chock full of killer tunes, “Where Failure Dies” grips the hardest with its Candlemass-esque riffs and blackened spirit.
If Cloud of Souls is merely a “studio project”, it’s the strongest of its kind that I’ve heard in a long time. I hope for both Latta and Thomasson’s sake, they expand this into a full blown performing and recording band, because the creative possibilities are endless. This vessel of doomy exploration has mass crossover appeal, and could easily grab a slot at a potential Psycho Las Vegas 2024 (assuming that’s even still a thing). Until then, I’ll blast this beast on repeat, even at the risk of waking up with a corpsepaint covered face and full beard.
7 out of 10
Label: Independent
Genre: Black/Doom Metal
For fans of: Lavaborne, Saint Vitus, Bathory