Early Moods have quickly become the premiere doom band of the ’20s for good reason. Their seamless blend of Sabbathian grooves and Pentagram-esque darkness has put them a cut above most purveyors of the genre. Both musically and visually, they capture the aura of doom metal before it became a full blown scene, owing debts to the glory days of the ’70s and ’80s, while still managing to create something new and memorable. Their self titled debut quickly became a favorite of 2022, proving to this jaded curmudgeon that maybe doom metal has something left to offer after all.
Not even 5 years into their recording career and Early Moods have A LOT left to offer, as proven by their second and latest album, A Sinner’s Past. This sophomore effort isn’t so much an expansion upon the foundation laid down by their debut, but rather a continuation. There is a part of me that feels the slightest bit disappointed this, internally hoping for some evolutionary leap à la Black Sabbath to Paranoid. That said, the riffs still rule, the production is unabashedly retro, and the overall atmosphere is that of truly inescapable doom, which is more than one can ask for.
The vast majority of A Sinner’s Past recalls that of Pentagram amidst their ’80s rebirth (admittedly, the first of a few rebirths for America’s answer to Sabbath). Cuts like “Blood Offerings”, “Walpurgis”, and “Soul Sorcery” boast those blood curdling riffs and wicked lyrics that manage to hit my sweet spot every time. Even lead vocalist Albert Alcaraz’s vocal delivery and tone on this album sounds closer to Bobby Liebling than it did on Early Moods’ debut. Perhaps singing “Forever My Queen” every night with Lucifer’s Johanna Andersson helped steer the ship in this direction? Whatever the case may be, it’s a welcome trait considering we haven’t gotten a new Pentagram album in *checks calendar* 9 years.
At their most ambitious, Early Moods do attempt something resembling a ’70s-esque spin on epic doom with lengthier cuts like “Unhinged Spirit” and “Hell’s Odyssey”. On these trad doom suites, the guitars do the talking. The dynamic duo of Eddie Andrade and Oscar Hernandez take us on an unpredictable journey with no shortage of twists and turns via psychedelic leads and lumbering riffs. The best way I can describe these songs are as if the Candlemass approach was executed with a Sabbath aura, which is pretty damn cool if you ask me.
Whatever direction Early Moods takes from here is really unimportant. This is a band who, regardless of online opinion, are fired up and ready to take on the heavy metal world, and it shows. Hell, they’ve already gained a fan in Joey Diaz, which means it’ll only be a matter of time before we hear Joe Rogan ask Elon Musk, “Have you ever heard of Early Moods?”, or better yet, “Have you ever tried DMT while listening to Early Moods?” Until then, A Sinner’s Past promises big things for these sinners’ future.
7 out of 10
Label: RidingEasy Records
Genre: Doom Metal
For fans of: Pentagram, Black Sabbath, Witchfinder General