With a band name like Ghoulgotha, you can bet that this was a highly anticipated album, at least for me. Straight out of San Diego, this doom/death outfit has finally released a full-length LP, their second on Dark Descent Records. The Deathmass Cloak is a hard record to put into words; it’s definitely something unique—or at least the beginnings of something unique—but for me it’s not quite “there” yet.
The album’s first actual song, “Gazing into Melted Night” is a five-minute-long, halting, lurching track where the guitarists trade riffs among alternating, stammering interludes and grunting, growling vocals. The riffs pay homage to the roots of death metal while the herky-jerky song writing shows an attempt at what I can only describe as “tech-doom.” There seems to be a serious effort to honor the roots of this genre all the way to the vintage breakdowns (probably the best part of the album).
If your hair is long and you relish the chance to headbang through a breakdown, albeit a short one, you will certainly enjoy pieces of The Deathmass Cloak. But for me, the album lacks atmosphere, mood and cohesiveness. It seems like a jaunty, piecemeal songwriting style that doesn’t allow each song to reach its potential. To exaggerate matters, the recording style, handled by Horrendous guitarist Damian Herring at Subterranean Watchtower Studio, is a perfect attempt to recreate a scuzzy, doomy, death sound of the early 90’s. It sounds as if it’s straight out of the Southern California skate punk/thrash studios, which leaves you, the listener, just waiting for each song to hit its stride.
Take another song on the album, “Austere Urns.” Here, the band has another lumbering tune alternating between solo guitar riffs and stuttering grooves. Some spectacular bits of the song seem wasted, as they either aren’t carried on for long enough or are interrupted by another somewhat out-of-place riff. The guitar work seems rather maladroit when placed opposite what sounds like exceptionally crisp drumming. Then, the song ends without warning, almost as if the song composition was without beginning or ending.
Two tracks on this album best represent the potential and vision of Ghoulgotha. I would recommend “Arteries Unblest” and “Levitate Within the Curse” as an introduction. The album is certainly unique and will certainly pique the interest of many fans looking for a different, progressive take on doom metal, what with so much stoner metal flooding the scene now.
As a first proper effort, Ghoulgotha shows a ton of promise with The Deathmass Cloak. Their songwriting could use some editing, and maybe a more experienced producer could really help them find a sound that better fits their overall vision. But as far as scuzz metal potential, these guys certainly have it.
-Manny
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