Chapter 0

Chapter Zero is the debut album by Italian band Stoner Kebab, Although it isn't as doomy and is lighter than its successors, it is still pretty heavy.

Nowadays, doom metal isn't the most original genres around. Many Electric Wizard and Sleep clones rule the doom world, but somehow Stoner Kebab manage to go in a different direction and is very original compared to other bands of the scene. Along with ear pummeling, distorted riffs, and popping bass lines, the band added many psychedelic and progressive elements to their music that add some diversity to their sound, which is a VERY rare thing among bands of this genre. Every song in this album is a different experience- while Cop Song and Ghost Track are very psychedelic, Saint George and Stoner Kebab flirt with groove metal.

As said before, the riffs that dominate the album very diverse and progressive- there are Witchfinder General, Pantera and Black Sabbath, with even hints of Pink Floyd and Dream Theater. Another thing worth mentioning is the solos that are featured in the album- although there are a few of them, they are very professional and vary their style from song to song- Ghost Track sound like it came straight out of Dopesmoker, while Amazing Aurikaria infuses some very Tony Iommi/Eddie Van Halen passages and a tapping section. The vocals are distorted in a very Electric Wizard way, and sound almost like they were sung by this band's lead vocalist.

The production emphasizes the guitar and bass, but made the drums sound a bit distant- which is a pity because they set the album's pace and are very professional- being one of the album's highlights. Overall, this album is a really great and provides a very fun listen. Recommended,