Vampire Circus

Dave Sherman and his band Earthride first got started a while back with "Taming of the Demons" an album that showed there was more to Sherman than his Spirit Caravan fame. In the realm of doom metal, Earthride represents the style that is crushingly heavy yet slow, kind of like a two ton slug wallowing in a pool of industrial sludge.

To some, such doom metal is rather revolting especially considering there are no operatic vocals or cerebral experiences like you'd expect out a more traditional band. If you check into Earthride expecting something on the line of Candlemass of the Gates of Slumber, I tell you now that isn't what you're going to get. This runs more in tow with what Crowbar has done over the years, as in sludge drenched Black Sabbath worship. The key difference between the two is the rhythm, there is enough low end on this album to rattle the fillings in your teeth.

Dave Sherman isn't exactly an impressive vocalist, but given the type of doom metal going on here, you wouldn't want one. Instead, Sherman is definitely taking on Lemmy Kilmister influence, his gruff vocals are almost identical to those of the Motorhead frontman. The music here is definitely slower than Motorhead, and on most occasions even heavier.

There isn't a whole lot of variation in the songs, though some do break out of that usual slow pace for faster territory. Keep in mind here that "faster" does not equal something like speed metal, but instead plops more into mid-tempo or slightly faster. Songs in this vein are the fist-pumping "God's Own Medicine," "For Wrath and Ruin," and also "In the World I Live." These songs remain in the same sludge/doom tendency as everything here, they just move more at an accelerated speed than the other tracks.

Of an interesting note is an expansion of sound found on this album. There is an organ present on songs "Swamp Witch" and "Dirtnap." This doesn't impact the heaviness, necessarily or even make the song sound awkward. Instead, it adds a dark edge to the music, one that accompanies Sherman's ever so depressing and hopeless lyrics. If such lyrics bother you, do know that this album is full of them. I personally like them, as they fit the tone of the menancing yet bleak abyss of hope that the music represents.

Whether you're drinkin' a cold one to "For Wrath and Ruin" or enjoying the odd yet welcome dirge of the title track, "Vampire Circus" is a good album for any fan who loves that heavy ass brand of doom metal. Some of the songs are a bit overlong and repeat themselves, the way "Deception" did on "Taming of the Demons," but this is no slouch of an album. If you do decide to check it out, just learn to have fun with it, don't expect anything flashy or epic. This is meant for those who like their doom metal relentless, catchy, and heavy enough to simulate being run over by an Abrams tank.