Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 03/20/2001
Church of Misery may very well be the undisputed (and unchallenged) kings of Japanese
stoner/
doom. But that's not just because they're competition is so limited. These disciples of sludge earned plenty of credibility with their first two releases,
Taste the Pain and
Church of Misery, so it wasn't a surprise when
Yoshiaki Negisi (vocals),
Tomohiro Nishimura (guitars),
Tatsu Mikami (bass), and
Junji Narita (drums) dropped the supremely heavy EP
Master of Brutality. Recordings that feature music this slow and thick rely completely on the groove capacity of the musicians involved. The riffs simply
must be charged with an essence that's difficult to describe but immediately recognizable to aficionados of
stoner/
doom. When done right, a certain timelessness comes into affect. It's as if
metal never wandered so far away from its simplistic,
psychedelic roots -- as if this wasn't just another subgenre in what has become an incredibly segmented form. There's plenty of said magic and ability on
Master of Brutality, as each of the five original tracks (that just as with prior
Church of Misery releases are each based on different serial killers) pound mercilessly through repetitive, yet sublime
stoner figures. There are no high or low spots, no weak tracks to be avoided, or embarrassing experiments. On this 2001
Southern Lord release there are just six (including one
Blue Öyster Cult cover) relentless, sonic clubbings. Any serious fan of low and slow
metal has a hole in their collection until they acquire
Master of Brutality.
~Vincent Jeffries, All Music Guide
;)
Cart 0 items
Listen
