ALBUM REVIEW: The Obsessed - "Sacred"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 07/04/2017

Label: Relapse Records

Quite simply, I can't find anything on this album I don't like. The best comeback of the year, without a doubt. This record will be turning up in many year end lists, without a doubt. It could even be the best album by The Obsessed, but only time will tell on that one. I can't recommend this highly enough.

“Sacred” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1.Sodden Jackal

2.Punk Crusher

3.Sacred

4.Haywire

5.Perseverance of Futility

6.It's Only Money

7.Cold Blood

8.Stranger Things

9.Razor Wire 03:32

10.My Daughter My Sons

11.Be the Night

12.Interlude

13.On So Long (Bonus Track)

14.Crossroader (Bonus Track)

The Review:

The Obsessed, or at least Wino and side men (ever changing), return after a twenty three year hiatus from releasing albums. While Saint Vitus is not Wino's band, so are discounted here, of all Wino's bands- the ones he runs- The Obsessedenjoy the greatest reputation. The rep is deserved. Their self titled, “Lunar Womb” and “The Church Within” are all classics in their own right.

To be fair, Spirit Caravan was a great band, The Hidden Hand was a great band, Wino's solo electric and acoustic records... all great! “Sacred”, though, has something more. From the moment I pressed play, I was hooked. This is a record that I find very hard to fault. The production is great; thick guitar, lots of low end, punchy drums, great mix. The songs are even better.

Kicking off with the re-recording of “Sodden Jackal” is a solid move; it sets out where the band is at these days and it also makes it clear that business as usual has resumed. It's still a powerful and creepy track after all these years. Wino's on great form vocally too. Henry Rollins once described The Obsessed as being the sound of  someone getting really angry, really slowly. Indeed.

The rest of the record simply thunders by and keeps song lengths taught and toned. Those who have looked out for advance tracks will know “Punk Crusher” already. It's a great Motorhead-esque blast of  rock 'n' roll. The title track is trippier in sound and scope than you might expect and nods back, as much of the album does, to 60's/70's psychedelic rock as well as Black Sabbath. The record has some crossover with Victor Griffin/Place of Skulls/Pentagram; it's doom, but doom rock as opposed to metal a lot of the time. This sensibility makes “Sacred” a very listenable album indeed. It is never heavy for heavy's sake. The song writing shines through.

There are punkier moments on offer such as “Haywire”, too. It's a trait that Wino shares with his compatriots in Saint Vitus; no one tempo runs through the album and there is more variety than you might expect. The grooves come thick and slow on “Perseverance of Futility”, with nice organ and percussion flourishes along with the drums and guitars. There are other quirks on the record too, Wino and the since departed Sherman trade lines to great effect on Thin Lizzy's “It's Only Money” and makes the song into an event (kind of like how “Step Down” sits as a curio on “Bomber” by Motorhead). As a big fan of Thin Lizzy, it's great to hear this turn up mid album on a record by a band who (on paper) are quite different.

The instrumental “Cold Blood” proves that Wino can riff with the absolute best of them (Iommi, Griffin et al) and it is a real stand out and left field highlight of the record. The solos are really good, too. There is more bluesy doom/rock to be had on “Stranger Things”, which uses a weird acoustic guitar figure to open and close and has some very strong riff passages and vocals. Another of the preview tracks, “Razor Wire”, is absolutely badass and an album highlight for me. When Wino sings “I'd rather get high, than pay the rent” I absolutely believe him. “My Daughter My Sons” is a track which is in some ways closer to Wino's acoustic output, both in lyrical content and laid back vibe.

By the time we get to “Be The Night”, dripping with biker attitude and some inspired soloing, the album proper is nearly over. I have not heard an album which clips by like this in a long while. Sweet is the sound of expectation being met, that's for sure.

There are two bonus tracks on offer here, “On So Long” is over nine minutes of doomy goodness, while “Crossroader” is a very catchy nod to Steppenwolf/Hendrix era rock. Quite simply, I can't find anything on this album I don't like. The best comeback of the year, without a doubt. This record will be turning up in many year end lists, without a doubt. It could even be the best album by The Obsessed, but only time will tell on that one. I can't recommend this highly enough.

 “Sacred” is available here

Band info: Facebook || Bandcamp

“11 is one Louder”: Iron Void part II. Guitarist Steve Wilson chooses his Top 5 Trad. Doom Albums

As we may have mentioned before, Iron Voidare one the UK's leading exponents of traditional doom: doom with singing, doom with riffs, doom with... songs?! A few weeks back Iron Voidbassist, Jonathan “Sealey” Seale chose his top five trad doom records in the first of a two article feature.  Today we present part two of this double header with Iron Void, guitarist/vocalist, Steven Wilson choosing his own top five trad doom albums, so turn the dial all the way to up because “11 is one louder”

Black Sabbath– “Black Sabbath”

The album that started it all! As soon as you hear the rain and thunder with the church bell tolling in the distance, you know you're in something heavy. It could be argued that they've done better albums since, but the first one captures the sinister essence of Black Sabbath while keeping the blues and jazz part of their sound. Songs from this and the “Paranoid” album were the first Sabbath riffs I learned to play, and I learned a lot about how the drums, guitar and bass can work together. Each instrument is really clearly defined and easy to make out. I don't always agree with everything Ozzy Osbourne says, but I think he could be right about this being his best vocal performance on record. This is a simpler sounding band, but just as heavy as their later albums. This record sounds good at any volume level. It's heavy and powerful, loud and relaxing and melodic if you turn it down.

Cathedral – “The Carnival Bizarre”

“Hopkins – The Witchfinder General”is a very cheesy song, and I'm sure we're all sick of it now. It did get me into Cathedraland made me check out their albums though, so it served its purpose in that respect. I think this was the first or second Cathedral album I ever heard. It's the first one without Adam Lehan (Gaz Jennings plays all the guitar on it) and that seems to give it a different character. Gaz was able to do whatever he wanted and it seems to be a bit more focused for it. It's the perfect mix of heavy doom metal and psychedelia. I don't know if Lee Dorian's vocals have aged that well, but it really opened my eyes to simple songwriting and how much you could do with a couple of riffs. It's worth mentioning that the track 'Utopian Blaster' features a guest solo by none other than Tony Iommi himself! It's worth checking out just for that fact alone. I've still got the double 10” vinyl somewhere in my collection and it's not likely to be sold any time soon!

Iron Man – “Generation Void”

Like the other albums on my list, “Generation Void” is mainly made up of simple riffs and well timed vocals, backed up by a tight rhythm section. That's all you need to be honest! Al Morris III comes up with riffs to rival even Black Sabbath on this album. I heard it years ago but I only bought a copy on CD about ten years ago. It just always seems to have been there. Someone must have taped it for me at some point because I remember listening to it a lot. This is probably the first 'Maryland doom' band that I heard, and the simple song writing mixed with melodic vocals have stayed with me into my songwriting for Iron Void. The riffs from 'Final Resting Place'(from “Spell of Ruin”) are directly inspired by Al Morris' guitar playing style.

Spirit Caravan– “Jug Fulla Sun”

After Iron Man, Spirit Caravan are the next logical step forward. I met up with Murray (who I would later find out was in year Zero) and a mate of his a couple of times with the intention of starting a band. It never came to be, but one of them suggested I listen to this record. I remember thinking the name sounded daft, but it stuck in my memory. I think I bought the “Dreamwheel” EP before this, but this was the first full album of Wino's music that I ever got hold of. From here, I moved on to Saint Vitus and The Obsessed, as well as The Hidden Hand, Place of Skulls, you name it. I couldn't believe that I'd never heard of Wino before 1999/2000. I knew about Iron Man but I'd never heard any Pentagram, Saint Vitusor anything like that. I really like simple riffs and powerful clean vocals, and Wino is the master of that! His influence can be heard in everything we've done so far, especially my approach to playing guitar and singing at the same time when playing live. He's not really doing anything unique, but the way he plays really struck a chord with me. Having Gary Isom and Dave Sherman as the rhythm section couldn't have done any harm either! Spirit Caravan's music taught me that it's OK to write simple songs on purpose. They were a master class in how to put together a power trio.

Pagan Altar – “Judgement of the Dead”

Another band that I didn't get to hear until I got online. I think I first heard this album around 2003 or 2004, when it was out on CD as “Volume 1”. I got the vinyl reissue entitled “Judgement of the Dead” a few years later, and it was worth every penny. Their music is a mix of NWOBHM, classic rock and what we would now call Doom Metal. Simple heavy rock arrangements with bluesy guitar but dark, sinister and honest vocals and lyrics. This is their debut album, and it's a bit rough production-wise. I tend to like these the best though, because it's the first incarnation of a band. Everything is new and the enthusiasm is still there. Pagan Altar reformed with a new drummer and bass player a few years ago after a resurgence of interest in the band. We were lucky enough to gig with them a few times and it was a pleasure to see and hear them play live, even though Terry was obviously a lot older than he looked on the album cover! He is sorely missed and unfortunately there are still a lot of doom and metal fans out there who have no idea who he was or what the band might have sounded like. 

Iron Void plays “Hammer of Doom” fest this Saturday.  Check the poster below for more details. 

Band info: bandcamp || facebook