One look at their album cover for From The Clutches of Oblivion and I knew I had to press play faster than you can say doom.
The art was done by just what it looks it was done by: a tattoo artist, one named Nico “Hazard Inks” Romero. I’m already sold so all I could do was take a deep breath and see if the music matched my enthusiasm as so often it does not.
I’ve been trying to get to this review for over a week so in the that time I have now listened to this album several times so I guess you could say I wasn’t disappointed. Take a listen as I try to guide you through the dark and gloomy path it makes.
The opening track, Doppleganger, begins with a groove filled sludgey doom riff that sounds familiar if you listen to this type of music but it hits a sweet spot right from the get go. Then the vocals kick in or perhaps I should say gravel throated growls that remind me of John Tardy of Obituary which I mean with all respect as an Obituary fan of many years. A line like, “Slick with horror sweat” has this horror writer very much on the hook as Doppleganger is just filled with a sludgey groove that has me bobbin my head along and looking forward to the rest of the album.
Indoctrinate The Priestess starts out with a bass line which not enough bands do because I truly love it. Where Doppleganger is more of a groovy sludge track, Indoctrinate The Priestess is a full on doom tune but maintaining a slight stoner groove to it. Again as a writer of horrorific things the chorus filled with the repeated, “Gore, Gore, Gore, Gore” just has me fully hanging on Bysanthian Neckbeard’s meat hook waiting for Leatherface or some other baddie to come in with a chainsaw to finish me off. If the album ended here I’d die happy at least but there’s still more.
Then the heavy factor which is already high to this point gets dialled up another notch or two as Plant of Doom begins with a fat bass line accompanied by heavy handed skin thumping before settling into one damn fine stoner groove. Leatherface didn’t come in to take a chainsaw to me, he came in with a bong to ease the pain. “This doom, it comes for us all” sums it up absolutely perfectly then the tempo kicks up a few notches but still grooves like a mother. I don’t know what the guys in Byzanthian Neckbeard are smoking but I have the distinct feeling I wouldn’t be able to handle it.
The Ganch is the shortest song on the album but feels much longer as the doom groove is just heavy as hell. Ganch means to kill by impaling on stakes or hooks and I guess they mean hooks here because I am beyond hooked on this band by this point. The Ganch fades out to Hive Mind Overlord which tones down the doom slightly with more of a stoner type groove that just hooks you in even further. The chorus pretty much says it all, “Our form/Demonic to your eyes/We are/Gods to mankind/Hive mind, Overlord!” Yes, with only one song to go I am definitely a slave to the groove.
The album closer, The Cyberdwarf, is a full on doom ride of epic proportions feeling much longer than it’s seven minute run time or in other words, you don’t want it to ever end. The hallmark of a great doom tune is just riding the riff and The Cyberdwarf does it perfectly as if Sleep have come back to write one last tune. The entirety of the lyrics are four simple lines, “Riddles with amnesia/In this devastated wasteland/I seek the terrible truth/I seek The Cyberdwarf.” The doom groove is just amazing and you don’t want it to ever end but it has to at some point and sadly it does. Don’t cry all you have to do is hit play once again as I have many times now.
I was beyond impressed with Byzanthian Neckbeard and all I hope is they stay together and make more beautiful doom because From The Clutches Of Oblivion is fantastic and seems far too short with only 6 awesome tracks. The songs do not sound exactly alike which is a pitfall many doom bands or any band really tend to fall into. I look forward to many more years of awesome metal coming from these guys and hopefully I’ve gotten a few more fans hooked too. Take a listen if you haven’t already, if you’re into doom and sludge these guys are young but batting a thousand so far.
Words: Feind Gottes (editor, Thy Demons Be Scribblin)
Links for Byzanthian Neckbeard:
Bandcamp
Label: unsigned
Engineered & Mixed by James Le Huray
Recorded at Tardis