Wounded Kings, The – The Shadow over Atlantis
English doom always has a certain trait that makes it easy to identify and The Wounded Kings are no exception. “The Shadow over Atlantis” floats in a realm of lo-fi doom that embraces both stoner and metal qualities for a well rounded ride into the horizon on overextended jams that drift with tasteful solo work and dreamlike pitch vocals. This recording has a very muddy vibe, while possessing a loud tube amp sound to it which piles on the heaviness where sluggish tempos crawl over bloated power chord progressions. You’ve heard the formula a million times, but it somehow works well in this context. George Birch’s vocals break up the monotony with his unique singing style that is soulful and mournful in a clean sung delivery. This style is the perfect vehicle to further drive that depression deeper in after being implanted by the overall crawl of this material and the inclusion of analog synth/moog/organ melodies that strengthen the compositions. This certainly isn’t the most exciting doom CD I’ve ever bared witness to, but there is a definite underground charm and excellent attention to detail within the songs themselves that keeps me coming back when I’m in that lethargic mindset for tasteful and atmospheric amplification.
I Hate
Worm Gear 