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Pilgrim - Misery Wizard review



Reviewer:
5.8

13 users:
6.46
Band: Pilgrim
Album: Misery Wizard
Release date: February 2012


01. Astaroth
02. Misery Wizard
03. Quest Download
04. Masters Of The Sky
05. Adventurer
06. Forsaken Man

...And now for something totally not different...At all. A lot of people have a hard time digging doom metal, that's fair, it's not for everyone. The lack of speed and ferocious intensity contradicts many of the reasons people love metal. Then there's bands like this. Good lord, you must really have to be a pretty huge doom metal purest to find this anything but an unremarkable bore-fest.

It's traditional doom brought down to a speed somewhere between "glacier" and "old-lady-in-her-station-wagon-on-the-freeway". Problem? Not at all...well, not in and of itself. Misery Wizard is just an album that seems to drag right from the start, and not in any tangible direction, mind you. This really sounds like a band put together by people who love doom metal, and like the idea of playing in a doom metal band, but really don't know how to do it right. There's a way to utilize the down tempo to build atmosphere, deliver great riffs at a pace where they can be savoured, or even use it for anticipation purposes to build up to something. Misery Wizard does none of those. Utterly forgettable riffs, no build up, no atmosphere, and no real feeling of any kind. The vocals give off the impression that they're trying to build some kind of massive sense of despair, but frankly they're just as lacking in identity as the guitars. Even the best riffs on the album (see the latter half of "Quest") fail to leave any lasting impression, and are another one of those things that just momentarily seem decent based on the contrast with the rest of the album.

Doom metal has been getting pretty popular lately, perhaps not in a mass-appeal sort of way, but the genre is making itself known to more people out there all the time, and it's being welcomed with open arms. Perhaps it's the mystique surrounding this genre that black metal had years ago, but people seem hesitant to put certain bands down at the risk of seeming like an ignorant n00b next to more learned people. Well folks, boring music is boring music, Pilgrim are no exception. Nothing atrocious, just boring.





Written on 07.02.2012 by Former EIC. Now just a reviewer guy.


Comments

Comments: 17   Visited by: 153 users
07.02.2012 - 13:34
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Wow you're off on this one
(yours is the first review I have come across from the 20 or so I read that scores it under 7.5)

Here is wmy thoughts on the album:
"Traditional doom featured on Metal Blade? Not something you would actually expect. But who cares? Now this sort of doom will finally get some attention from the larger part of the metal populace and not only from the small core of doom fanatics.

Opener 'Astaroth' hits home in the best tradition of Reverend Bizarre, the starting and main riff could easily have been thought up by the demised Finns. A versed doom listener now knows that he/she can go to the nearest record store in a straight line to purchase 'Misery Wizard' by USA's Pilgrim. Six songs of quality doom that reminds one of Reverend Bizarre, Lord Vicar and Procession is what the listener gets served up, even though Pilgrim doesn't quite reach the level of those three bands, yet. IN order for that to happen more variation and discernebility of the songs is needed. It isn't quite there, yet. If the band works on this for their next album I am sure we will be treated to a brilliant album.

What remains now is a very good doom album by a band that clearly has the talent to grow into a real monster but will currently only appeal to doom fans. I am really curious as to how this band will evolve.


Rating: 79/100 "
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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08.02.2012 - 01:00
Doc G.
Full Grown Hoser
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 07.02.2012 at 13:34

Six songs of quality doom that reminds one of Reverend Bizarre, Lord Vicar and Procession is what the listener gets served up, even though Pilgrim doesn't quite reach the level of those three bands, yet. IN order for that to happen more any variation and discernebility whatsoever of the songs is needed.

Fixed.

It's derivative on top of being unremarkable.
----
"I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck."
- George Carlin
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08.02.2012 - 01:27
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by Doc G. on 08.02.2012 at 01:00

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 07.02.2012 at 13:34

Six songs of quality doom that reminds one of Reverend Bizarre, Lord Vicar and Procession is what the listener gets served up, even though Pilgrim doesn't quite reach the level of those three bands, yet. IN order for that to happen more any variation and discernebility whatsoever of the songs is needed.

Fixed.

It's derivative on top of being unremarkable.


There is actually quite a bit of variation, albeit very subtle
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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08.02.2012 - 15:01
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
The track available sounds like yawnsville. Boring, pick-up-and-rip-off bedroom doom that's the doom equivalent of a Darkclone. I doubt I'll look into the band further ( especially given Marcel's propensity for liking crap like this, I'll stick my faith in the reviewer ;] ). If that's as good as it gets it deserves no more than a 6.
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08.02.2012 - 16:49
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Good to see there are people who don't recognize good doom when it comes across their path Leeaves room to watch a band at gigs
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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08.02.2012 - 17:02
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
If good doom also includes talentless hacks who lift a few riffs from their favourite doom bands and play them with very average ability then this must indeed be excellent doom ;]
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08.02.2012 - 20:36
Doc G.
Full Grown Hoser
Written by Guest on 08.02.2012 at 17:02

If good doom also includes talentless hacks who lift a few riffs from their favourite doom bands and play them with very average ability then this must indeed be excellent doom ;]

Silly Joe, you should know by now, basic standards of quality (or lack thereof) don't apply to doom.
----
"I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck."
- George Carlin
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08.02.2012 - 20:42
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by Doc G. on 08.02.2012 at 20:36

Written by Guest on 08.02.2012 at 17:02

If good doom also includes talentless hacks who lift a few riffs from their favourite doom bands and play them with very average ability then this must indeed be excellent doom ;]

Silly Joe, you should know by now, basic standards of quality (or lack thereof) don't apply to doom.


There is more than enough quality herr, but somehow you fail to hear it. Weird that a gazillion other people do hear the quality in it Not original, true, but then again what is nowadays? Bad, absolutely not. Monotonous, to a certain extent. Vocalist pretty decent. Band has loads of potential, especially considering band members vary in age from 19 until very early 20.
Take a band as Dantesco now there is a lack of quality.
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

Loading...
08.02.2012 - 20:51
Doc G.
Full Grown Hoser
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 08.02.2012 at 20:42

There is more than enough quality herr, but somehow you fail to hear it. Weird that a gazillion other people do hear the quality in it Not original, true, but then again what is nowadays? Bad, absolutely not. Monotonous, to a certain extent. Vocalist pretty decent. Band has loads of potential, especially considering band members vary in age from 19 until very early 20.
Take a band as Dantesco now there is a lack of quality.

I'll agree on one point; the band has potential. I wouldn't call them talentless, but the whole thing just sounds completely unoriginal, and extremely, extremely monotonous.
----
"I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck."
- George Carlin
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08.02.2012 - 20:54
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by Doc G. on 08.02.2012 at 20:51

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 08.02.2012 at 20:42

There is more than enough quality herr, but somehow you fail to hear it. Weird that a gazillion other people do hear the quality in it Not original, true, but then again what is nowadays? Bad, absolutely not. Monotonous, to a certain extent. Vocalist pretty decent. Band has loads of potential, especially considering band members vary in age from 19 until very early 20.
Take a band as Dantesco now there is a lack of quality.

I'll agree on one point; the band has potential. I wouldn't call them talentless, but the whole thing just sounds completely unoriginal, and extremely, extremely monotonous.


to your ears a bit monotunous I agree, completely unoriginal, nope. If that's the case then tell me who are they copying?
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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09.02.2012 - 00:29
Doc G.
Full Grown Hoser
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 08.02.2012 at 20:54

to your ears a bit monotunous I agree, completely unoriginal, nope. If that's the case then tell me who are they copying?

Well, naturally I'm not that learned in doom, but I hear bits of old stuff like St Vitus. I guess it's not so much that it seems like they're strictly ripping off anyone specifically, but it just strikes me as horribly uncreative and generic.
----
"I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck."
- George Carlin
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09.02.2012 - 00:36
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by Doc G. on 09.02.2012 at 00:29

, but it just strikes me as horribly uncreative and generic.


Welcome to the wonderful world of 99% of all metal
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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09.02.2012 - 05:20
Lokaeda
Account deleted
I enjoyed the first track of the album (which you can hear on their bandcamp) and am looking forward to the rest of the album but it might just be because I have a permaboner for Reverend Bizarre, Lord Vicar, Wizard Smoke,...
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09.02.2012 - 05:43
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by Guest on 09.02.2012 at 05:20

I enjoyed the first track of the album (which you can hear on their bandcamp) and am looking forward to the rest of the album but it might just be because I have a permaboner for Reverend Bizarre, Lord Vicar, Wizard Smoke,...


Interesting, I didn't hear any stoner like Wizard Smoke in it at all. The other two I totally agree but I would also add Procession and Rev Biz and LV of course not so weird cause they both have the same guitar sound due to Kimi Karkki/Peter Vicar
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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09.02.2012 - 06:37
R'Vannith
ghedengi
If it is that bad it would be a shame, I really like that album cover.
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09.02.2012 - 11:58
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by R'Vannith on 09.02.2012 at 06:37

If it is that bad it would be a shame


It's not, trust me
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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09.02.2012 - 12:55
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by Doc G. on 09.02.2012 at 00:29

Well, naturally I'm not that learned in doom, but I hear bits of old stuff like St Vitus. I guess it's not so much that it seems like they're strictly ripping off anyone specifically, but it just strikes me as horribly uncreative and generic.

That's the worst thing with bands like this, they aren't ripping off anyone specifically, they're ripping off entire swathes of doom bands, many of which were already hugely derivative. There's some serious nth-generation clone-age going on here; they really do embody the most stereotypical and predictable type of sound (even the theme use of "Wizard" is overdone: album/song title, band member moniker). You could randomly place a proverbial pin on the map of trad-doom and you'd probably pick a band that this band has lifted the style of riff from, only they've executed it in a particularly poor manner. Totally valueless and unoriginal in its current form, even though doom fanboys will always find excuses to push this kind of thing through there's no logical reason whatsoever to give this kind of music more than a 5 or 6 (at least from a professional point of view, I can understand enjoying this from a personal standpoint but a lot of people confuse personal enjoyment with artistic validity). Anyone with any sense of the doom scene with a bit of perspective (certainly don't need to be unnecessarily learned for music as simple and old fashioned as this) can see this is nothing more than museum material, though the doom scene does seem to be oddly resistant to critical awareness most of the time so frankly it's good to see an accurate review that's more in line with other reviews of black, death and thrash and what have you (after all, Darkclones and generic death and thrash get pissed all over, why never the doom equivalents?), rather than just keeping it all in the family and treating it as good simply because it reminds you of old bands. Of course for that reason music like this will never really be bad because it's so closely based off other great bands; it's just another very average clone of them.
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