Friday, April 30, 2010

Second Book of Sentences REVIEWS

Council of Tanith demo CD 2009

It is impossible not to mention Black Sabbath when talking about Doom Metal, nor the likes of Candlemass or Saint Vitus and Pentagram.  That now-infamous thanks list that graced the inner sleeve of the first Cathedral album has done its job well in the intervening years, bringing to wider attention such greats as Trouble and Witchfinder General and spawning newer generations of Doom bands, most noteworthy in this context Reverend Bizarre, who I am reminded of quite strongly, not in the music department but in the vocals of Anthony "Crow" McGee.  He has a distinctive style but the atmosphere he portrays with his vocal delivery brings this Finnish band to mind most often, to me anyway.
Council of Tanith are a five-piece from Dublin and the band was formed in 2007 with the aim of laying waste the world with funereal sounds (at least I hope that that was the intention!) and I have seen them play live once in 2009 where they impressed not a little with their great set.  It was my first exposure to Council of Tanith and the experience has stayed with me to this day.  They released a two-track promo in 2008 and this untitled demo in 2009.
The three songs on this demo range from very good to really great so to hear more from this band would be very welcome indeed.  Fat, chunky guitars and a very live drum sound do wonders for the heavy chugging riffs that compel the listener's head to jerk forwards and backwards repeatedly.  In other words: the sound and the riffs lend themselves to compulsive headbanging!  And with that, the mission of any group calling itself Metal (or whatever sub-genre thereof) is done.  If you like a live-sounding and in-your-face band with heavy and at times emotional songs combined with vocals that remind a little bit of Albert Witchfinder with musical nods to Black Sabbath, Trouble, Pentagram and Cathedral, then this could very well be the thing you have been looking for.  Oh, and the last two bars of the last song sound uncannily like early Autopsy.

The CD is no longer available so it can be downloaded for which you can go here.


counciloftanith@gmail.com

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