I want to come right out and admit it: I chose to review Bevar Sea because they are a band from India (Bangalore to be exact). Not because I want to be hip or cool by talking about a band from India. It’s not even a nod to my undying love for Indian cuisine. It’s because listening to music from bands in other parts of the world gives us, the listeners, a great idea about how music is spreading, blending and interacting globally. Further, bands that aren’t in America, Canada, Norway, Finland, the UK and other major metal outlets tend to combine sounds in a way that is 100% unique. Invoke the Bizarre is a doom album. A stoner doom album even. But it’s also got a bit of Samhain and just a touch of post-hardcore similar to Fugazi and the like.

There is a clear leaning towards the Western sounds of doom. Tracks like “Bury Me in NOLA” are a dead giveaway. Not only because New Orleans happens to be in the United States but because the D.C. style gang vocals and the tremolo guitars are a combination of two eras of American music. And the tremolo style of guitar playing was widely popularized in the East (particularly India and Japan) in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s.

The vocals are aggressive. Much more aggressive than you would expect for stoner doom with classic leanings. Not entirely screamed and not entirely growled, the vocals are a combination of spoken word shouts and naturally over-driven vocal chords giving the lyrics more than just a hint of anger. The pacing is consistent. The way stoner music should be—casually bobbing through the ocean with no clear direction or rush.

“Sleeping Pool” is the longest track at just over ten minutes. It’s also one of the most successful. Driven by angry vocals, the track perfectly highlights what gets Bevar Sea such international attention. Sadly, the following track “Where There’s Smoke (There’s a Pyre)” is an example of what doesn’t work. While the track opens beautifully, the flow, so critical to the success of a doom album, is entirely broken. Much of the writing appears to be filler with excessive use of the ride cymbal and grunge-like guitar riffs.

There is plenty to be interested in across Invoke the Bizarre. While Bevar Sea may not fulfill the promise of its title, there are some interesting blends of music and genres. There is also flashes of excellent guitar playing. In fact, the album may be more successful if the highlight of the band, the guitars, was more heavily showcased. As it is, the band is still finding itself, growing and looking for a more consistent approach to their music. Perhaps the listening experience would be more successful without the label of stoner doom orbiting the band with ferocity. Maybe, if Bevar Sea could breathe, and lean on experimentation more, Invoke the Bizarre could have done exactly that.

– Manny-O-War

Invoke the Bizarre is available 10.31.2015 via the band themselves. For more information on the Bevar Sea head over to their Facebook page.