Band:	Old One
Album:	Old One
Style:	Doom metal, Stoner metal
Release date:	February 13, 2009
Guest review by:	Blackcrowe

01. Warning
02. Doomed
03. Born Too Late (#4)
04. Enoch
05. Witching Hour

Old One is a psychedelic doom/stoner duo from Morehead, Kentucky. Their self-titled debut album, Old One, released in 2009, has since gained a cult following for its haunting retro sound and lyrics that mix Hebrew mythology with themes of despair, possession, witchcraft, and the works of H.P. Lovecraft. Released independently, this album is a 58-minute journey through long, dark tracks filled with slow, heavy riffs and a gloomy, eerie atmosphere; Mike Cooper, handling drums, keyboards, and vocals, and Brandon Howard on bass together create a raw, heavy sound.

It is possible that the record is based on the part of H.P. Lovecraft's mythology about the Great Old Ones, a group of unique, malicious beings of great power in the fictional cosmology. They reside in various locations on Earth and once presided over the planet as gods and rulers. Appropriately, Old One's structure feels like an ancient ritual, full of long jams and a vintage vibe that draws the listener in. The album opens with the intro "Warning", a chilling soundscape that seems to whisper from another world, preparing the listener for what's to come.

"Doomed", the first track, appears like a ghostly figure - a heavy, hypnotic dirge with distorted bass, looping like Iron Butterfly's "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" mixed with the strange echoes of The Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows". The drums beat in the style of Mitch Mitchell of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, while the vocals chant, "All that I want is already gone..." for six minutes, pulling the listener into a trance. The song then falls into a slow, doom-filled melody, with the vocals returning a sad cry before fading into a dark, quiet whisper.

"Born Too Late (#4)" follows, keeping the same ghostly feeling as "Doomed", but with twists that change the riff and lyrics into something darker. Strange feedback breaks in, maybe from a keyboard or a bass too distorted to sound real. The longest track, "Enoch", is a mystic journey filled with low, rumbling tones and brief moments of a ghostly Hammond organ. The lyrics are mysterious, whispering about ancient Hebrew mysticism: "And within those ruins, I found peace, serenity, all around." The last track, "Witching Hour", is the most puzzling - 16 minutes of diving into the unknown, exploring Lovecraft's world: "Found strnage doors by mathematics / Paths to doom in Keziah's room / Through contorted twilight landscapes / Azathoth, Azathoth..." The rough, garage-style atmosphere remains, with the addition of a talk box that gives it an unsettling, otherworldly feeling.

Old One's album isn't perfect: the rough production and raw, garage can feel amateurish. But this flaw also gives it a unique, eerie quality that sticks with you after the last note fades. Despite its rough edges, the album is captivating. The cover art – showing a half-naked woman in a moment that feels like something from a B-grade horror film or a forgotten vampire story – adds to its strange charm. There is some mystery surrounding the band: they have no interviews available and their online presence has fallen off, so it is hard to know the full story of this album. It could have been meant as a soundtrack or it might be unfinished music. The uncertainty only makes it more intriguing, and over time, this strange release has become a collector’s item.