Obsessions of the Vile

Alright, what we got here is some good ol’ Hammer Horror style doom done with a grimey American twist. Knoxvilles’ own Sign of the Sorcerer got down to business on their full length debut with five tracks of viscous riffs and angry drug sludge. Though clearly aping the groundwork laid down by Electric Wizard and such, the boys in Sign manage to have some fun with the style while keeping it raw to the bone. And while on the surface this album seems to contain the usual tropes there is a pervading sense of menace throughout the disc that feels oddly genuine. Much like the feeling of owning some banned exploitation flick, the disc gives off a serious aura of dreadful fun that beckons repeated study.

If they seem lacking in originality they more than make up for it with grim enthusiasm and genuine grooves. The power trio format lends itself well to jam based songs that don’t really meander too much and these barbarians bash them out with primitive enthusiasm. SotS typically operates at a single tempo, a slo-mo swinging stomp a la Holy Mountain but they really know how to make it work. Less rigid and with heavy shuffling, the strong sense of swing is one of my favorite things about this album. “Necropsychodelia” is a fine opening statement with a lively opening wah riff that sounds like a stray cat spraying fuzz all over the carpet before permanently descending into a lumberingly slow burnout and a twisted solo around the five and half minute mark. Riffs are the main deal on “Obsessions of the Vile” and these guys have an overabundance of Church of Misery-esque evil sounding pentatonic runs. The guitar and bass are extra thick and the two instruments occupy almost the same level of volume and distortion as each other creating a pretty solid wall of sound for only two string players. The drums and cymbals are pretty massive as well but strangely enough all the instruments (vocals aside) seem to share an equal amount of space even though they all take up a ton of room. The somewhat buried vocals of guitarist Sky Brookes make me think of a lower pitched KR Starrs with a hint of a Southern accent. The two men both have a similarly eerie recitation of the things they see in the dark world around them.

There is a certain sameness to all five tracks which some may deride but I think provides a unifying concept which goes hand in hand with the underground filmic atmosphere. Plus if a band can come up with this many good riffs in the same mold I'd feel compelled to use all of them too. The recording quality itself is another plus striking a good balance between raw, DIY fuzziness and surprising clarity, enhancing the vintage appeal. The fact the band opted to record live in the studio gives them a further edge of spontaneity and realism you don’t always hear in albums this recent. It helps that these guys also sound like they have been playing together for a while, being both tight and loose in all the right places. I also like how seamlessly the film samples and riffs intertwine and blend together, their divergent sound qualities blending quite well. “Meth Queen” is for sure an album highlight with that menacing up/down riffing as addictive as the songs namesake.

Brevity is another strength this album holds with the whole thing clocking in at just under 27 minutes. An album this short and sweet begs for repeated listening which is just what this disc has gotten from me. I wish more stoner and doom bands would favor this approach as sometimes less is more and in the wrong hands an hour long album can turn off all but the most dedicated listeners. I also dig that trashy album cover; the colors are bright and weird and that worn out vinyl ring is a nice touch. Really cool album from a really cool band that I’d like to hear more from. It’d be nice to hear a little variation in future material but without losing any of their fuzz or street level sensibility.