Band:	Dread Sovereign
Album:	For Doom The Bell Tolls
Style:	Doom metal
Release date:	March 03, 2017
A review by:	Windrider

01. For Doom The Bell Tolls
02. Twelve Bells Toll In Salem
03. This World Is Doomed
04. Draped In Sepulchral Fog
05. The Spines Of Saturn
06. Live Like An Angel, Die Like A Devil [Venom cover]

According to what most people say the world is doomed. In 2017 more than ever before. I usually don't care what others say but if my year will be full of doom I'm definitely looking forward to it, so let's start the party with Dread Sovereign and their second effort For Whom Doom The Bell Tolls.

The title, however, is misleading, as we do find less of Metallica influence and more Black Sabbath and AC/DC. If we leave out the cover and the two ambient tracks there are three new original ones, each telling a different story. The overall mood is oppressive and heavy, with eerie harmonies in-between dragging rhythms, here and there complimented by nature and bell sounds. Going right into the opening song "Twelve Bells Toll In Salem" with a typical Tony Iommi riff, one likes to double-check it's not a copycat of "End Of The Beginning". Shortly after that, the best features on the whole record set in for the first time, namely the story-telling, moody vocals and the melodic guitars that strengthen the overall sound and fill in gaps that make other doom metal albums too repetitive. However it does get a bit weird when vocalist Nemtheanga seemingly tries to summon Satan and calls him so often that you would expect Brian Johnson coming from the next corner every moment.

"This World Is Whomed Doomed" then speeds up things a bit and features groovy rhythms and even better guitar work, only to be topped by my personal favourite track "The Spines Of Saturn". I won't lose words on the cover track because that's a typical love-it-or-hate-it thing, while I enjoy it some true Venom fans would disagree for sure.

Sadly there is one big negative point on this album, which is the overall sound and production. While vocals and bass perfectly shine through the mix, the guitars are often hidden somewhere deeper and play an inconsistent role throughout the playing time. The drum sound is especially weird, the bass drum kicks rather hard while cymbals sometimes seem to disappear or produce an unnatural tone. When all instruments play together the dynamical range dramatically decreases making a mash of the whole sound, which probably indicates a way too strong use of compressors during the mix or master.

Nevertheless, Dread Sovereign deliver a very solid album and set up a nice atmosphere to drag the listener in. Negative points are the production and the somewhat short playing time of original material, as I would have loved to listen to more of the same. The huge positive is the refreshing use of melodic guitars and groovy rhythms, which is the reason why For Whom Doom The Bell Tolls will be on my playing list for a bit longer.