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Heavy Lord - The Holy Grail (CD)

sludge doom metal, Solitude Productions, Solitude Productions
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Переиздание демо-альбома 2004 года одной из ведущих нидерландских sludge doom metal групп. Признанный любителями жанра одной из лучших работ группы, альбом был ремастирован и дополнен бонус треком, представив слушателям целый час яростного зубодробительного сладжа! Бонус-трек "Get Down There You Bitch" был записан специально для данного переиздания, и является композицией, сочинённой в сессию записи 2004, но не записанной для альбома. Более сырой, по сравнению с поздними работами группы, материал "The Holy Grail", в то же время, более яростный и бескомпромиссный. Одно неизменно для всего творчества Heavy Lord - ультра-тяжёлые рифы и сумасшедшая энергетика!

Треклист:
1 The Holy Grail 2:09
2 Dope Smoking Days 6:50
3 Magician Of Black Chaos 8:44
4 Baphomets March 7:44
5 Gods Of Doom 8:01
6 F.T.S.S. 18:48
7 Get Down There You Bitch 7:30

Артист:
Heavy Lord
Страна артиста:
Netherlands
Год альбома:
2004
Название:
The Holy Grail
Стиль:
sludge doom metal
Формат:
Compact Disk
Тип:
CD
Упаковка:
Jewel Case
Лейбл:
Solitude Productions
Кат. номер:
SP. 027-09
Год издания:
2009
Страна-производитель:
Russia
Review
Metal-Archives
7.5/10
01.08.2009


Heavy Lord is one of those bands that I’ve heard a lot about, read some raving reviews of etc, but never actually heard. So I haven’t heard either of their two fullengths, and here we have a re-release of their 2004 demo "The holy grail". It would’ve been cool to have heard their later releases, to be able to hear how they evolved from this. But I suppose it’s only natural to have a first encounter be a demo.

This was recorded in a fully analog studio, which fits their agenda perfectly. The old school influences are radiant, and it often sounds like a drugged-out 60ies hippie convention jamming out some radical rock. They declare they’ll be smoking weed until the day they die, but it’s stoner in more than one manner as it clearly transpires stoner metal as well.

Stoner isn’t a very familiar genre to me; sure I know of it and whatnot, but since I don’t listen much to any practicing band I can’t say I’m an expert on it, not even a novice. But to me this is stoner mixed in with loads (and I mean loads) of psychedelic rock, transferring into an experimental sounds that’s not adverse to breaking boundaries. They never stay firmly in one place, and as the slow, churning riffs gets accompanied with powerful drumming and harsh-as-hell vocals, to be replaced by a more rocking approach I could swear I’m hearing Nirvana in both music and vocals. Now don’t get me wrong, this surely isn’t grunge, but it has a certain flavour that’s reminiscent of said band’s earlier days; but maybe it’s just the drug influence (on the musicians behalf, not mine), I don’t know. But heavy, doom-esque stoner is mixed with experimental rock and even some southern vibes, creating quite an unusual sound to be found.

The re-release has "Get down there you bitch" as a bonus track, for which they returned to the same studio to record, giving it a (albeit slightly more powerful) fitting sound. I rarely listen to this type of music, and I generally can’t stand rock, but Heavy Lord is incredibly energetic and invigorating to listen to. It feels weird to use such a description for such a genre, but it really is captivating and indulging. Imagine Black Sabbath in bed with Electric Wizard.

Author: Phuling
Review
PAVILLON 666
7.5/10
09.07.2009

Et non chers lecteurs(trices) il n'y a pas en Hollande que des formations à 'barbies' ! J'en veux pour preuve le nouvel opus des énergumènes de Heavy Lord , qui en en quelques minutes remettent rapidement les pendules à l'heure ! Oui il existe au Pays Bas autre chose que de la soupe bon marché et autres sucreries douces que certains voudraient nous faire avaler en usurpant l'identité même du rock'n'roll.

Heavy Lord lui ne fait pas dans la dentelle, ni le potage populaire, et se plait à nous servir dans sa marmite tout un tas d'immondices dont l'odeur au relent putréfié ne pourra qu'enchanter les Caligulas et autres Gilles de Raie en herbe ! Car par Belzébuth il y avait bien longtemps que le Doom saupoudré de Sludge n'avait sonné aussi sale ! Certes l'artwork plutôt étrange ne donne à première vue pas vraiment envie de s'approcher de l'objet en question ! Et pourtant à y regarder de plus prêt celui ci représente à merveille le contenu de ce disque, à savoir une musique aussi grandiloquente que simple, sans fioriture inutile et surtout aussi radicale que le dessin 'douteux' de la pochette en guise d'affirmation de sa pensée !

Le doute, la curiosité s'installe et on finit en définitive par adhérer complètement aux sensations qui sont étalées là sournoisement au fil des minutes ! Une intro de basse menaçante sur 'gods of doom' par ci, une violente et massive déflagration sur 'get down there your bitch' où tout un immeuble semble s'écraser sur vous ! Et le très bon 'baphomet's march' tout en retenue, dont la rythmique collée au chant ondule tel une Succube remontant le long de vos jambes et n'aspirant qu'à l'anéantissement total de vote âme ! Le tout supporté par une production en adéquation parfaite avec le style, à savoir du gras à tout les étages, et une mise en valeur des instruments à cordes largement accordés en dessous de la ceinture ! Bien entendu et vous l'aurez compris qui dit doom dit tempos joués le métronome sur zéro, même si quelques petits sursauts de vie se font apprécier par instant, rappelant la filiation presque charnelle de Heavy Lord à des groupes plus installés comme Cathedral, Electric Wizzard ou High on fire, sans pour autant que la ressemblance soit un problème majeur …

'The holy grail' est un album plutôt honnête, sans qu'une faute de goût ne vienne gâcher le voyage initiatique au milieu de nombreuses chimères décadentes et oniriques qui vous entoureront tout au long du chemin ! Il suffira à chacun d'oser et de se laisser faire, amis(es) aventurier(es) ce nom Heavy Lord est à retenir... bon voyage.

Author: SINISTRE 13
Review
Heavy Impact
7.5/10
06.07.2009

Questa ristampa del demo del 2004 degli Heavy Lord, mi ha letteralmente sorpreso, in particolare per due punti. Primo, il lavoro di ri-masterizzazione è praticamente perfetto e non lascia spazio ai classici difetti che affligono le autoproduzioni (rumori di fondo, volumi eccessivamente alti o eccessivamente bassi). Secondo, e più importante punto: The Holy Grail è un lavoro validissimo, un lavoro che mostra una band matura, una band capace di lasciare il segno grazie alla sua miscela di stoner/doom dagli umori alcolici e dal retrogusto oppiaceo.

Sei tracks (più una bounus, registrata per l’occasione), dall’incedere pachidermico, che guardano ai 70’s e che non disdegnano divagazioni sludge e puntate nel calssico stoner rock. Se a tutto ciò si aggiunge, quella attitudine polverosa e malsana che si respira in ogni demo, il risultato è assolutamente stupefacente. Quindi, se siete pronti a perdervi nel groove malato di un pezzo come Dope Smoking Daze o nella oscura e quadrata Baphomets March, questo dico fa sicuramente al caso vostro. In particolare se amate le produzioni pregne di fascino cult. Una citazione particolare, va alla song-manifesto Gods Of Doom, che nei suoi otto minuti, incanta per aderenza agli stilemi di un genere che, per chi scrive, ha sempre dato alle stampe produzioni di alto livello, senza godere mai del dovuto tributo di consensi.

Alcol, oppio, polvere. Questa è la natura degli Heavy Lord, oggi con questa ristampa avete la possibilità di godere appieno di tali elementi.

Author: Anrea Angelino
Review
Metal District
8/10
15.09.2009

Sludge ist der böse Bruder des Dooms geworden. Wo Doom schon edel und mit majestätischer Erhabenheit die Szenerie betritt, da scheppert und klappert der Sludge einem rostigen Kahn, einem zum Sinken verdammten Seelenverkäufer modrig und ohne Hoffnung ins Bild und gewinnt gleich einige Sympathien, wenn er denn gut gemacht ist.

Die Niederländer HEAVY LORD könnten fast Amis sein, so authentisch sludgen sie sich ins Nirvana. UR - SABBATH Riffing, raue, halb gegrollte, halbwegs gesungene Vocals, die auf den Drogenkonsum einer ganzen Armee von Unterweltbewohnern schließen lassen könnten, extrem wuchtige Beats und ein bollernder Bass sind das Grundgerüst ihrer Musik, irgendwo ist da ein Schuss doomiger Melancholie enthalten, irgendwo entspannter 70er Hardrock, irgendwo auch betörende Psychedelik und an manchen Stellen auch das Zerrbild erdigen Bluessounds. Im alles zermalmenden "Gods of DOOM" gibt es sogar etwas treibendere Passagen, die an Boogie erinnern, 70er Style. Aber die bleierne Schwere zieht den Song immer wieder zurück in die Kloake.

Bei "The holy grail" handelt es sich um das 2004er Demo der Band, neu aufgepeppt im Soundbereich mit einem siebten Stück als Bonus. Die ursprünglichen sechs Songs waren schon fast eine Stunde lang, was am 22 Minuten Monster "F.T.S.S." liegt. Überwältigend! Spielen können die Boys aus Holland, Ideen haben sie erst recht, schon damals in den Demotagen. Wobei sie von der Gründung bis zum Demo satte zwei Jahre Zeit nahmen, der erste Schliff war also schon drin.

Ihr Songwriting ist dementsprechend sehr orthodox, orientiert sich an EYE HATE GOD, ELECTRIC WIZARD, BLACK SABBATH, WARHORSE US, CATHEDRAL in der frühesten Phase, aber da sind einprägsame Songs, da ist Charisma in der völlig wrackigen Stimme und da ist dieses Gefühl von Tod und Wahnsinn, aber auch von Entgültigkeit, wie es eher einer True Doom Band der Marke REVEREND BIZARRE entströmen würde. Vergleiche sind für die Katz, möchte ich mal sagen, Vergleiche. Diese Band wird das Genre nicht innovieren, was HEAVY LORD weiter in die Doomecke bringt, denn Doom ist absolut spirituelle Musik und kann gar nicht so weit aus sich selbst heraus, wenn nicht die ursprüngliche Magie verloren gehen soll.

Eine der besten dirty Underground Sludge Doom Scheiben des letzten Jahrzehnts, möchte ich mal meinen. Auch wenn man viel, viel Geld haben muss, damit man alles kaufen kann, diese Platte hier lohnt sich.

Author: SirLordDoom
Review
ardsounds
8/10
18.06.2009

Cari navigatori di Hardsounds, eccomi pronto a darvi conto dell’ultimo regalo che l’Olanda, terra dei sogni e fucina inesauribile di musica forte e magmatica, ci ha riservato. Sto parlando della meraviglia che risponde al nome di Heavy Lord, il cui nome già mette tutto in chiaro. Un gruppo votato anima e corpo al sacro verbo del doom e che è pronto ad infestare le nostre serate con il loro sound feroce, titanico, gigantesco, tempestato di ritmi aggressivi e che se ne sbattono altamente dei compromessi. Sono assolutamente convinto che, sin dal primo ascolto delle 7 tracce che compongono questo piccolo gioiellino (6 brani originali ed una bonus track), i più esperti, ma anche i meno smaliziati, potranno fare un paragone con gli Electric Wizard e gli Sleep, ma qui siamo lontani anni luce dalla pura, semplice e scontata clonazione in quanto le doti artistiche dei nostri eroi sono assolutamente da osannare, tranne per qualche piccolissima e quasi impercettibile pecca nella struttura vocale, causata quasi sicuramente dalla produzione fortemente analogica. Sebbene questa sia una riedizione dell’originale demo auto prodotto del 2004, l’attitudine del gruppo ad infondere nei loro brani un’energia ultraterrena ed a sfornare una quantità innumerevole di riff altamente heavy è rimasta immutata. I nostri quattro cavalieri dell’apocalisse ci offrono un’ora di doom psichedelico ma al tempo stesso dannatamente ossessivo e pesante. Sin dall'opener "The Holy Grail", una vera e propria iniziazione ad un viaggio altamente allucinante, fino all’ultima traccia "F.T.S.S", l’incauto ascoltatore sarà letteralmente travolto dall’alchemica miscela di heavy doom stordente, dominato dal titanico lavoro delle mastodontiche asce del gruppo Jeff e Wes e dalla suadente melodia vocale del carismatico Steven, e psycho sludge doom da panico, scandito dalle inumane ritmiche e dai riff funerei generati dalla sezione ritmica maleficamente condotta dal basso di sua maestà Steve e dalla batteria di sua malvagità Walter. Citazione a parte merita la splendida bonus track "Get Down There You Bitch", anch’essa risalente al 2004 ma mai inserita in nessun album fino ad ora; un vero e proprio omaggio che i nostri paladini hanno voluto riservare al proprio pubblico. Per concludere posso solo dire che questo è un demo da conservare con cura e da consigliare, magari, sia a coloro che sono nostalgici delle vecchie sonorità doom psichedeliche ma anche a coloro che, non avendo mai avuto l’onore di gustare i piaceri reconditi di questo genere, abbiamo la curiosità di scoprirlo.

Author: Donato "dannyozzy1972" Tripoli
Review
Kronos Mortus
9/10
27.09.2009

A hollandiai négyesfogat – Jeff (gitár), Steven (ének, basszusgitár), Walter a.k.a. 808 (dob) és Wes Lee (gitár, vokál) – 2004-ben megjelent demóját adta ki újrakeverve, és egy bónuszdallal a Solitude prod. legénysége az idén. Eddig két anyag jelent meg tőlük, 2006-ban a „From Cosmos To Chaos”, majd egy évre rá a „Chained To The World” CD. A súlyos doom metalt játszó srácok zenéjébe füleltem bele.
A címadó The Holy Grail monumentális alapjai nyitják meg a korongot. A füstös, vastag hangzású dal súlyos, lassan hömpölygő ütemei kegyetlenül szabdalják át a horizont fénylő csillagait. Magába zuhanó verze, lehangolt hangszerek, instrumentális világ… ez a bevezető összessége.
A Dope Smoking Daze folyamatos lüktetése egyetlen hangba tömörülve zúg egyfolytában – kegyetlen riffek, lassú, de dinamikus játék, sötéten villódzó kavalkád. A doom-ra jellemző módon nem nagyon lépnek túl bizonyos tempón, ami persze ehhez a zenéhez elengedhetetlen is. Stoner jegyek ugyanígy felvillannak, mintegy „színesítve” a már meglévő alapokat.
A Magician Of Black Chaos karcos hangjai kizúgnak egy ideig, majd halál lassú tempóban zörög tovább a gitár, míg csak el nem ér egy kissé gyorsabb tempóvilágig, amire szép lassan beszáll mindegyik hangszer. Persze nem kell azt hinni, hogy brutális gyorsasággal zúz le minket ez a szám, mert bizony itt is elég jól megkomponált, változatos témavilágra figyelhetünk fel. A tipikus alapok kissé megvariálva bukkannak elő, és mosnak el az útjukból mindent. Az ének heves és lassú egyszerre – ahogy kell.
A Baphomets March dobbal indít, majd beszállnak a reszelős gitárok, a maguk ultranehéz hangulatával. Itt bizony kőkemény darálás lát napvilágot, súlyos témák váltakoznak az aszfaltszürke égbolt alatt, a szerkezet tipikus felépítése mégsem a megszokott jegyeket hordozza csak magában, hanem kellőképp előadott stabil egységet, egyedi ízvilágot is. A basszusgitár búgó-bongó hangjai lüktetnek végig, megborzongatva az idegeket.
A Gods Of Doom folytatja az eddig megszokott utat, bár kissé dallamos hangvételű basszusgitár téma indít, amely elég hosszan maga viszi csak az alapot. A koszos hangzású darab süt a hidegtől, és karakteres hangulatával elvisz minket egy másik tájra. Egyszerre beteg és nyitott ez a világkép, amelyet a zene teremt és temet egyszerre. Katartikus robbanások és visszaverődések tarkítják ezt a valóságot.
Az F.T.S.S. más hangokat képez, – a rituálisan sikoltozó gitárhangok zöreje után beékelődik a monoton fém hangja, a majd’ 19 perces szám egyszerűen képezi a szerkezetét, mégis van a felépítésben valami száraz szadizmus, valami önkontroll nélküli látkép, egy lebegő hangjegy formájában. Erős kompozíció, lassú kordonnal, egy sodrás, ami inkább visszafelé folyik.
A bónusz dal a Get Down There You Bitch címet viseli. Kissé más világ köszön ránk, mind hangzásában, mind a zenei részt tekintve – koszos, de tisztább megszólalás, az ének inkább egy dervis őrületére hasonlít a legelején, mintsem az eddig megszokottra, a zene pedig gyors tempóval és némileg tört ritmussal kápráztat el. Persze ez sem marad meg végig, – visszatérünk a lassan vánszorgó folyam medrébe, és megszokott hangok között vergődünk a sziklákon keresztül a zuhatag felé. Félelem, gátlástalan előretörés, minden kiüresedett vágy ebbe kapaszkodik. Nihilizmus. A stílus rajongóinak mindenképp ajánlom ezt a funeral doom/doom/stoner keverék zenét, de más is nyugodtan belehallgathat.
--------------------
ENGLISH VERSION:
This band from the Netherlands consists of four members: Jeff (guitar), Steven (vocals, bass), Walter a.k.a. 808 (drums) and Wes Lee (guitar, vocals). Their label, Solitude Productions has released a mix of their 2004 demo, with a bonus track. Before this, they published two CDs, ’From Cosmos To Chaos’ in 2006, and ’Chained To The World’ a year later. I took a listening to the deep doom metal played by these guys.
The title of the first track is The Holy Grail, just like the title of the album. It has a monumental base frame as it opens the album. The smoky, thick sounding song is a deep one, its slowly billowing beats darken the shining stars on the horizon. A lonesome verse, deeply pitched instruments, instrumental world… this is how the album starts.
The constant impulse of Dope Smoking Daze is like just one sound as it rumbles – powerful riffs, slow but dynamic play, a complex, darkly fluctiating world. The tempo doesn’t exceed a certain level, as it’s needed, since it’s doom metal. We can notice some stoner features, making their music a bit more colourful. The harsh sounds of ’A Magician Of Black Chaos’ can be heard for a while, before the guitar starts to rustle in a deadly slow tempo. Then the tempo changes to a relatively faster world, and step by step, all instruments start to play. We shouldn’t expect a brutal fast song, rather a well composed, various range of themes. They changed a bit the typical doom frames, as they flood everything in their way. The vocals are passionate and slow at the same time, as it should be.
Baphomets March starts with the drums, then the wiggling guitars enter with their super burdensome atmosphere. We can hear rock hard whirling there, while deep and heavy themes change and change. The typical-like construction is not that schematic: it’s a duly stable entity, but it also has a unique taste. The buzzing, rumbling sound of the bass guitar has its impulse from start to end, threatening our nerves. Gods Of Doom continues the previously set atmosphere, though the opening bass theme is a bit melodic, which operates as the base of the song for a long while. The harsh sounding song is stone cold, and with its characteristic atmosphere, we can find ourselves in a distant land. This world is sick and open at the same time, revealed and buried as well by the music. Cathartic explosions and its echoes colour this world.
F.T.S.S. has a different sound – ritual guitar screams with the monotonous sound of metal. This song is almost 19 minutes long, and despite it has a simple construction, I can feel a raw sadism in it, a revelation without self-control, as a note floats in the air. A strong and slow composition, a drifting song, which rather flows backwards.
The bonus track is titled Get Down There You Bitch. A different world unfolds, both musically and atmospherically. Though the sounding is harsh, it’s much cleaner, and the vocals are a bit crazy related to the other songs. The beat is a bit staccato-like, the music is fast. But not till the end, through the end, we return back to the slowly flowing stream atmosphere, taking us with its notes to the waterfall. Fear, unlimited progression, empty desires, fading illusions. Nihilism. If you like this genre, I can strongly recommend this funeral doom/doom/stoner music, but others might like it, too.

Author: Lemezismertetők
Review
Live 4 Metal

The Dutch four piece have followed up 2008s Chained To The World with another belter of an album. Heavy is still a particularly pertinent word in the description of the band, as this offering growls deeply in the pit of your stomach from the instrumental opener and title track. Never a mention of ‘Aquatic bints distributing swords not being a system of government’ or ‘Knights who say NEE’ before we move into Dope Smoking Daze. Vocals join here, almost as eclectically as python inviting us to ‘Tie your brain to a stone’. However, the odd vocal aside, this track sets the standard for the album and your sub woofer should by now be causing the concrete between bricks to revert to a liquid form in
an attempt to escape. The vocal range is limited in the same way that Lemmy has a limited range, no screaming or screeching, but if you like it, and I do, there are no complaints on that front. Magician Of Black Chaos wrings its opening from my speakers, just concentrate on the drums for the first couple of minutes, not to the exclusion of everything else, but just because you really should. As the vocals open, each word seems to be reluctantly sung, conjuring an image of a man in a black hood extracting them with the use of glowing coals. The pace does pick up when a tempo change is implemented about three quarters of the way into the song, a subtle ploy by someone whose mother was a hamster and whose father smelled of elderberry's. Baphomets March omits the long instrumental opening to introduce a bit of variation to this area. The vocals do display a bit more range here and there is even the odd patch of an upbeat tempo, however the overall deep and heavy principles are enforced by a brilliant and iconic bass. The same bass begins Gods Of Doom, a substantial intro before the rest of the band join and bring their own talents to bear. In patches the pace picks up, and just for a few bars here and there the tempo rises, but mainly the overriding principles remain. In these days of short tracks to please the MTV generation, F.T.S.S.will really piss someone off with its almost prog endurance of nearly nineteen minutes. But bear with it, grab each element, the guitar being let loose at around the two minute mark is a particular favourite. The bonus track Get Down There You Bitch could be described as experimental in the opening phase as an almost punkish sound emits, but it is thankfully brief before normality [heaviness of the type known only to the shoulders of Atlas] returns. And whilst throughout the album I still find some of the vocals indecipherable, I’m sure there is no lethal rabbit anywhere, and no cardboard cut outs, just genuine substantial usage of big, roughly hewn stone blocks as Heavy Lord produce a musical equivalent of Arthur's Camelot.
As I leave now to clean Sir Robins armour of stains, let us agree that later, whilst I check the internet to establish the airspeed of an African Swallow, you will check out this excellent band at www.myspace.com/heavylord
Review
Brutalism
5/5
08.11.2009

The Holy Grail by Dutch Doomster's Heavy Lord is a re-release of their first demo basically extended to a full length album with the inclusion of a bonus track "Get Down There You Bitch". Its a real shame that this band is still flying under the radar for most people who are into the whole Stoner Doom genre, its bizarre because they are one of the best exponents of Raw, Dirty Sludged out Doom Metal. The old school influences shine through in the analog recorded dope smoke haze and one listen will tell you they are hardly re-inventing anything within the genre but they are so powerful, the riffs so pulverizing that originality is not a issue that will concerned anyone. Vocals are hoarse and tortured, changing between gravely bellowing and agonized screams and this serves its purpose adequately to create a claustrophobic feeling, and as such the sound is better than average for a what is essentially a demo recording. There is bursts of aggression among the mostly dirge based Stoner Doom and they even manage to squeeze in some Psychedelic touches here and there. Highlights include "Magician Of Black Chaos" which is crushing in its intensity and "Dope Smoking Daze" that has one of the coolest clean then aggressive vocal sections you will ever hear. At times it gets a little repetitive but when they do it in such a trance-like manner like this you cant help but getting suck into the groove. This is obviously a drug-influenced album with lyrics like "Enter the dreamland/Joint in hand and pass it on/And then you’ll roll another one" ( Dope Smoking Daze). I think you can understand where this band is coming from. Another highlight is the eight-minute "Gods Of Doom" begins with a two-minute slow build before bringing everything crashing down on the listener's head in a Sleep like barrage of a riff.The re-release has "Get down there you bitch" as a bonus track, for which they returned to the same studio to record, giving it a better quality sound and its a great tune. Heavy Lord are a energetic and invigorating band to listen to and even though this has all the qualities of a demo recording, it still is good enough to melt eardrums. If you never bothered to check this band out, now is the time.

Author: ed
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