Seamount - Sacrifice

You can't have too much Phil Swanson in your life, right ? This dude must be on a wonder-drug to keep up with all these bands he is involved with. Currently his résumé consists of (Hour of 13, Vestal Claret, Upwards of Endtime, Briton Rites, Earthlord, Blastmat, Loathe, KYD, Damnation (USA), Lepus, Atlantean Kodex, Nightbitch and this band Seamount. The band has produced 3 albums now in 3 years and they keep on getting better with every release but this new one titled "Sacrifice" might just be their moment of true doom-rock glory.  After the first two great albums "NTODRM" which stands for "new torch of doom rock music" (2008) and "Light II Truth" (2009), they quickly bounce back with another installment on the "Church Within Records label". There is also no doubt that this album is a further progression on the earlier "Light II Truth" recording but most striking is how the quality-level of song-writing has risen as these songs are so well-written and the playing is nothing short of perfection. Phil Swanson's vocals have also reached its peak and yes he still has that Ozzy-ish vocal sound but he seems to be developing something that is uniquely his own on every new recording he does. "Sacrifice" is awash with soul, feeling and taste especially in the exceptional guitar work of Tim Schmidt and Andy Kummer that seems to be taking on a more 70's hard-rock edge on this album. Also the great album art by legendary fantasy artist Boris Vallejo is eye-catching, Boris has provided album art for Ozzy Osbourne in the past, if you are wondering where have you seen his work before. The album kicks off a stunning opening cut titled "The Ancient" that has riffs that chill with a haunting vibe.

It is played in the classic trad-doom tradition with strong melodies and correct me if I am wrong but do the twin-guitars sound like Thin Lizzy on this track ? It is a strong way to start the album and it is irresistible in the way it is heavy and relaxing at the same time. "Ocean I Call You" is up next which is more melodic and Phil's vocals are very solid on this track. Harmonies blend with doomy riffs and the atmospheric light and shade within its arrangement is very effective at creating a hypnotic mood. "The Mountains Will Know My Name" is darker with some of the most Sabbathian kind of riffing to be found on the album, again Swanson's vocal sound is a perfect fit and three tracks into the album you get the feeling you are hearing something truly magical. "Standing in the Rain" is more straight-forward with wonderfully catchy riffing and a mid-tempo groove, it also has more infectious melody lines. Moving onto "40000 Fathoms" and the album hits a peak and stays there, the emotional content and the incredibly warm sound has me completely mesmerized by this point. The outstanding guitar-work on the beginning of "40000 Fathoms" is worth the price of admission alone. "Stardust" marks the halfway point in the album and it could get any better at this stage. The song mixes doom-riffs with layers of 70's rock energetic guitar worship, this is the kind of material to give you goosebumps in the way a Sabbath or Purple did the first time you heard them. "Gettin Through" is truly the air-guitar number on the album, this song was leaked on the Internet some time ago so you may know it already.

It has Seamount sounding a little more like a mid-90's Stoner Rock band but there is still enough of the 70's proto-doom element in there to keep the purists happy. The title track "Sacrifice" is the next one to come bursting through the gates and its sound is of the same formula of the preceding track, straight to the point and above all kick ass. "Path to Legend" and "Only Death Shall Do Us Part" finish up the album in a classic style with more blending of doom-metal and mid-tempo old-schooled heavy-metal. Even if it sounds a little generic in parts, the perfectionism these songs display are second to none. "Sacrifice" is one of the albums of 2010, no question. The mixture of melancholy, the gloom and doom with mid-tempo scorchers is hard to resist and the doom-rock purists will love this album. It is also one for the old-school heavy-metal fan but also 70's hard rock fans with a passion for strong melodies. I searched high and low for a weak point to this album and I came up empty and that is rare coming from me. I have always been a fan of this band but with this album, they have now become one of my favorites. If you want to compare this with Phil Swanson's other pieces of work of late, then this is my opinion the best thing he has ever done.

1. The Ancient
2. Ocean, I Call You
3. The Mountains Will Know My Name
4. Standing In The Rain
5. 40,000 Fathoms
6. Stardust
7. Gettin Through
8. Sacrifice
9. Path To Legend
10. Only Death Shall Do Us Part
Church Within Records
Reviewer: Ed
Nov 17, 2010

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