II

I remember one time hearing that this band was splitting up. I can't find this on the net, but I remember talking to a friend who told me about this interview where Andy (guitars/vocals) was saying that he was pretty much done with everything and he had no reason whatsoever to think that there will be any more Black Pyramid music/shows ever again. I was very familiar with their debut at the time and it still comes up in the shuffle once in a while. I really liked their heavy approach and thought their themes and arrangements were a lot of fun. I was pretty much bummed out about the news. A few months later I read somewhere that someone REPLACED Andy and a new album was coming out soon. But how? So soon? What is this gonna sound like? It turns out it's still Andy, he left after the album was recorded.

So I did a little research and found an interview with Clay Neely (drummer, who also recorded their debut). Apparently, Andy pretty much got bored and decided to move on to something else, going on a campaign to discredit his former bandmates. He quit the band and retired from music. Hearing that news before the album came out made me skeptical, but what I discovered with this album made me a much bigger Black Pyramid fan than I ever was.

It's still the heavy, vocally-driven songs from Black Pyramid, yet is taken to another level. The themes, lyrics, and arrangements throughout the album are just flawless. Certain songs like "Into the Dawn" and "Dreams of the Dead" are absolute epics, others are just so rhythm-driven and so thoughtfully put together it really makes you marvel at what these guys are able to accomplish right before the dramatic departure of a key band member. They incorporate that doomy/mid-tempo melodic sound perfectly, the riffs are very intricate and original, and the vocal patterns and the execution are just masterful and fitting for this kind of music. Andy's vocal range/style sounds better than it did on their first full length, his singing just really stands out here.

This album is instantly memorable, meaning after the first couple of listens you always end up picking up the melodies, the riffs, the rhythms, and mostly the singing. The songs do not get old and the more you listen to them the more you like them. Not to say that this album takes time to grow on you, because I certainly loved it since the first listen, but the songs have an infinite longevity. I listen to this a whole lot more than any other doom album in the last couple of months. It definitely stands out as one of the most prolific records of its genre and year. I have seen Black Pyramid recently, and while it's a shame that their front man had to leave in such consequences, Darryl Shepard has done a great job in quickly taking over. His performances are beyond great and the newer songs are sounding excellent so far. Look up "thrashiest"s channel on youtube for recent footage of the band live.