Review Summary: Traditional doom metal at its most orthodox
Friends of Hell’s self-titled debut is the sort of album that pretty much reviews itself. The supergroup is named after a Witchfinder General album, features the singer of Reverend Bizarre and a former Electric Wizard bassist turned drummer among other members, and has been released on Rise Above Records. It would be foolish to expect anything but traditional doom metal at its most orthodox, but the pedigree is enough to ensure there’s more going than a mere genre exercise.
While the songs certainly fill out a checklist with steady pacing, thick riffs, and inquisitorial theming, they also bring in enough variety and hooks to stand out. The mid-tempo stomps on “Shadow of the Impaler” and “Gateless Gate” make for the album’s catchiest riff sets. There are a couple moments where the group’s influences shine a little further as “Into My Coffin” injects a little extra Mercyful Fate flair with its ominous chug and King Diamond-esque theatrics while “Evil They Call Us” plays like a slowed down version of Cathedral’s “Hopkins (The Witchfinder General).” The closing “Wallachia” also stands out as the slowest and darkest excursion.
The musicianship also accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do, delivering these snappy song structures with a solid mix of melody and grit. The guitars deliver the monolithic riffs with just enough bottomed out fuzz that lends itself to the occult atmosphere while the rhythm section is sturdy without getting too flashy. As expected with a performance from the legendary Albert Witchfinder, the versatile vocals cycle between lamenting howls, sinister snarls, and everything in between. He may not be as off-the-wall as he is on something like The Puritan or Opium Warlords, but this material likely would’ve been rendered monotonous in the hands of a more one-dimensional vocalist.
Overall, Friends of Hell’s debut is the sort of effort with a very specific target in mind that it nails with tight efficiency. The project is very much of its influences and the rather compact songwriting can make it seem rather unambitious compared to some of its members’ other projects, but this was clearly crafted as a labor of love with room to develop further in the future. It’s also nice to see a traditional doom record put so much emphasis on ear-catching riffs. This sort of thing can feel like a lost art at times, but Friends of Hell does well in keeping the Sabbath holy.
