The 90s were a time of reinvention for doom metal. 20+ years after accidentally becoming metal’s first subgenre, its subsequent hybridization with death metal (i.e. Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride) and stoner rock (i.e. Sleep, Electric Wizard) would define the sonic landscape of the decade and beyond. There were also those on the traditional doom front who felt deviating from the course of Sabbath was blasphemy, such as Cathedral, Iron Man, and the subject of today’s review, Count Raven. Originally formed in 1987 under the name Stormwarning, Count Raven quickly took the underground by storm with their uncanny take on Sabbathian doom. In a time when Sabbath couldn’t decide whether or not they wanted to bury the hatchet with Dio and Ozzy had long abandoned the sound for greener pastures, those with a love of all things slow and heavy welcomed Count Raven with open arms.
Fast forward a couple odd decades later and Count Raven remains one of the most revered, yet enigmatic acts in doom metal. Seldom do they convene to create new music, but when they do, it’s an event of monumental proportions. At the current rate, new Count Raven albums arrive roughly every 12 to 13 years. Their latest album, The Sixth Storm, is their first since 2009’s Mammons Storm, which was their first since 1996’s Lord of Confusion. See the point I’m trying to make?
From the opening tremors of “Blood Pope”, Count Raven reminds us that although they’ve long been absent, they haven’t lost any of their charm. This retro doom rocker varies between 70s swagger and mesmerizing psychedelia, with the last couple minutes being a blatant nod to Black Sabbath’s namesake track, evil riffs, church bells, and all. “The Curse” continues the slow, menacing Sabbath mood, recalling the likes of “Hand of Doom” and “Electric Funeral”. The sinister lyrics and Ozzy-esque vocals of singer/guitarist/songwriter/sole founding member Dan Fondelius add an extra layer of darkness.
As The Sixth Storm continues to unfold before the listener’s ears, Count Raven showcases their influences ranging from Black Sabbath to Black Sabbath, but do so in the same compelling, adventurous manner they have done from the beginning. They cut away the lazy stoner tropes of every other half-assed Sabbath worship band, double down on the doom, and expand upon it. For example, “The Ending” boasts a cryptically haunting atmosphere and wouldn’t sound out of place on a 70s horror soundtrack. “The Giver and the Taker” oozes with hard rock groove reminiscent of early 90s Trouble. And the epic 11+ minute “Oden” is for all purposes my introduction to “folk doom”, combining the heaviness of Sabbath with the musicianship of Wishbone Ash.
If I were a full fledged doom fanatic, The Sixth Storm would probably be my “album of the year”. Not only does it contain everything you’d want to hear in a Count Raven album, but everything you’d want to hear in a Black Sabbath album as well. Perhaps if Rick Rubin had played selections from Count Raven’s catalog for Osbourne, Iommi, and Butler, 13 would have turned out differently.
7 out of 10
Label: I Hate Records
Genre: Doom Metal
For fans of: Black Sabbath, Cathedral, Trouble