Desolation

The Colorado Doomsters are back and they have brought their A game with them. I am a bit late to the game with them as I first heard “Above the Water” from 'Hunted' only this January and instantly got hooked to their sound. It has been a while since I’ve heard a doom metal band with a fresh sound that has captured my attention immediately. I will be doing reviews on their previous albums later as well. They have a massive tone that meshes well with Phil’s soaring cleans and Ben’s harsh vocals.

One cannot overstate the quality of musicianship in this band. Everything flows in this album and misses not one step from beginning to end. The songs absolutely crush you with the riffs and then the feelings of desolation and loss are piled on top. Phil’s voice just synergizes with the lyrics and guitar work as he really can pull out emotion, much like a lonely wolf howling his lament in the night. His voice has really improved since the debut and has found his zone within the music. Their sound has changed a bit since the sophomore with their leaning away from traditional doom metal. They describe themselves as doomed heavy metal but to me, I still see them as doom metal.

It’s hard to pick a favorite but three of the best I think are “Isolation,” “The Seer,” and “From Ruin.” While you can definitely hear their influences, they are far from aping their sounds like so many other bands have done. You can hear the epic doom sounds of Candlemass, but you can also hear some Thin Lizzy with the harmonies and of course a bit of the extreme metal influences. Each song sounds different with various tempos and dynamics. “Isolation”s driven tempo and melancholic lyrics are exemplary of Khemmis’ sound along with “From Ruin” and its slow but crushing riffs. Heavy riffs are nicely paired with harmonized guitar parts, very reminiscent of a slowed down Thin Lizzy.

“From Ruin” is the epic closer and it will take you through a journey of well crafted parts and vocals that somehow both lift you up but still fill you with sadness. It’s slow but the pace picks up to change things up a bit. If Khemmis keeps this style up they really might be one of the best doom bands of last few years. There’s a lot of competition out there with bands like Pallbearer and Crypt Sermon, but I definitely think with this release Khemmis has put themselves out there at the forefront of doom metal.