Smoulder is one of my favorite bands of recent years. The Canadian epic metal legion won me over with their debut demo, The Sword Woman (2018). Their debut full length, Times of Obscene Evil and Wild Daring, was my favorite album of 2019 behind fellow countrymen Traveler’s self titled release. I listened to Times so much that I became greedy. Among the futile Facebook pleas of “Come to Brazil!”, I commented, “When will we get new music from Smoulder?” The answer is now with the arrival of Dream Quest Ends.
Dream Quest Ends serves as half new EP and half compilation. The first two songs, the title track and “Warrior Witch of Hel”, were written during the sessions for Times. My only question is why were these left off? Both tracks are on par with the majesty of Times. Frontwoman Sarah Ann Kitteringham’s vocal and lyrical prowess is on full display. Fantasy writer Michael Moorcock is a massive influence. It’s amazing to hear how Kitteringham interprets his Multiverse to create her own metal lore.
The title track is a mid paced doom epic with crushing riffs and unique melodies. It segues into a gentle middle section before ending in the same triumphant spirit it began with. If “Dream Quest Ends” is a mid paced doom epic, then “Warrior Witch of Hel” is a full blown dirge. Its plodding riff comes straight out of Iommi’s playbook. Think one of the doomier moments off Mob Rules (1981) like “The Sign of the Southern Cross” or “Falling Off the Edge of the World”. Ironically, last fall I had a debate with guitarist Collin Wolf over which album was better: Heaven and Hell or Mob Rules. Wolf chose Mob Rules. I can’t help but assume he had the album in mind when writing this riff.
Following these two originals is an ambitious cover of Manilla Road’s “Cage of Mirrors”. I’ve always felt there are bands that should and shouldn’t be covered. Van Halen? Lynyrd Skynyrd? Motörhead? Go for it. It doesn’t matter how much you suck! If you cover these bands, you’re bound to get the bar rocking on a Friday night. Then there are the bands that are sacred ground. I’m talking bands like The Beatles…and Black Sabbath…and Manilla Road. I attended last year’s Legions of Metal festival where Smoulder debuted their cover of this classic epic. I must admit that as much as I love this band, even I was skeptical. Well 9 minutes later, I was covered head to toe in goosebumps. Smoulder took “Cage of Mirrors” and made it their own without ruining the essence of the original. The same approach was taken on this studio version. That, my friends, is how a cover should be done.
The last three songs, “The Sword Woman”, “Voyage of the Sunchaser”, and “The Queen is Gone”, all appeared on the 2018 The Sword Woman demo. These songs ruled two years ago. They still do now. It’s nice to have them on here for my vinyl pleasure as I missed out on the initial 7 inch demo. Furthermore, these songs serve as a marker of how much Smoulder has grown. They were epic from the get-go. Now they’re an unstoppable horde of heroic glory. May these masters of arcane metal long prosper and continue to proudly wield the “Bastard Steel”
8 out of 10
Label: Cruz del Sur Music
Genre: Epic Doom Metal
For fans of: Manilla Road, Eternal Champion, Dio era Black Sabbath