It’s hard to believe its been over two years since I’ve attended Legions of Metal. A two day fest celebrating all things true and traditional, both 2020 and 2021’s editions fell casualty to the ongoing plague. However, things are looking up. Knowing damn well that making us wait until May 2022 for the festival was too cruel, the organizers have put together a mini edition of the fest, set for later this month. As I scanned the lineup from top to bottom, I couldn’t help but notice a name I was unfamiliar with: Lavaborne. Before I could take it upon myself to become better acquainted with this band, a promo for their debut full length, Black Winged Gods, arrived in my inbox. Between their inclusion on the Legions lineup and self description of “epic power doom”, I knew I had to check this out.
Indeed, Black Winged Gods fulfills its promise of being “epic power doom”. It’s an album of doom, presented in various non-doom forms and fashions. “The Heathen Church” is for all purposes a traditional metal song, but with doom riffs as opposed to the usual Priest/Maiden fare. The deep, bellowing vocals of frontman Chris Latta sit comfortably alongside the thundering riffs and rhythms, creating a devastating effect that not only adds a layer of heaviness, but emphasizes the power throughout. Cuts like “Flesh, Blood & Bone”, “The Serpent Seed”, and “Master of Medusa” are full speed USPM assaults, carrying on in the grand tradition of Jag Panzer and Omen if they had listened to more Sabbath.
Speaking of Sabbath, many of the riffs throughout recall the grim and gothic tendencies of Iommi circa Mob Rules. Such comparison may seem like a copout, considering the album singlehandedly invented the “power doom” category 40 years ago, but Lavaborne’s interpretation of these elements come off more as reinvention than rehash. They maintain the basic traits without blatantly aping what already is. And while there’s no shortage of love for Dio era Sabbath on here, the 70s hard rock grooves of “The Great Reward” scream “COCAINE!” (Vol. 4 forever).
Rounding it all out is a healthy dose of epic arrangement and progressive nuance à la Manilla Road. This is heard on “Mortal Pride”, “The Final Mystery”, and the instrumental showcase, “Black Winged Gods”. The guitar duo of Brandon Signorino and Freddie Rodriguez cannot be praised enough. Not only can they bring the hammer of heavy down, but they also have an outstanding ability of crafting melodic leads, as heard on the title track. This may take the cake for the finest instrumental of the year.
I don’t think I’ve been this moved by a doom record since Smoulder dropped Times of Obscene Evil and Wild Daring in 2019. Granted, I hardly listen to new doom metal as is. Lavaborne have raised the bar so high that you could smoke all the weed in the world and still not touch it. Let this review serve as praise to them and as a warning to the next bearded, plaid wearing, hipster Sabbath clones who clog my inbox. If your riffs aren’t THIS epic, you’re better off approaching BrooklynVegan.
8 out of 10
Label: Wise Blood Records
Genre: Epic Doom Metal
For fans of: Manilla Road, Smoulder, Candlemass