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PILGRIM – MISERY WIZARD (8)
‘Misery Wizard’ is the first full-length release from Rhode Island doomsters, Pilgrim. The three-piece bring their own brand of doom to the table - fantasy inspired, largely down-tempo and punishing, with more hair than you can shake a gnarled staff at.
At an hour long but with only six  tracks, it’s obvious that ‘Misery Wizard’ is going to be a formidable listen. Opener ‘Astaroth’ proves this, encompassing Pilgrim's sound nicely. The pace is picked up in places and the tone is given an unmistakably American twist; an almost Southern rock flavour hijacks ‘Quest’ to great effect and makes things a little more entertaining. Vocalist The Wizard provides a powerful mix of rough and clean vocals, at times sounding eerily like Ozzy back in Sabbath’s hey day. ‘Adventurer’ stands apart from the rest of the album with a galloping pace and guitar solo, almost sounding like a different band; a pleasant break in the slow, bludgeoning heaviness of previous tracks. Then it’s back to form with the massive album closer ‘Forsaken Man’ which carries the listener along in a sea of mystical melancholy.
With their debut release, Pilgrim have carved out their own little niche in the smoke and shadow-filled world of doom and will no doubt recruit more dark followers to the cause.
Reviewed by Chantelle Taylor
Misery Wizard is out 30th January on Metal Blade Records
You’ll like this if… you like tripping out to some Electric Wizard and wishing you’d kept your Magic cards. |
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