Saturday 29 August 2015

Lamprey - III (Album Review)


Release date: July 25th 2015. Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

III: Tracklisting

1.Iron Awake 01:36
2.Harpies 07:35
3.Golden Mean 05:59
4.Nokken 02:57
5.Lament of the Deathworm 06:03
6.Gaea 05:27

Band Members:

Spencer Norman
Justin Brown
Blaine Burnham

Review:

Why did I have to be late to the party in checking out Lamprey. The Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal mob who have just released what appears to be their final album with III. As Lamprey have sadly called it a day. But what an album to release as your last album. As III is a heavy slab of epic riffs and gigantic noises to match.

Opening track – Iron Awake – is a 90 second blast of intense Sludge Rock riffs played at a fast pace. Lamprey played with two bassists and that is evident right here are the music is fucking loud!!! - You can hear the heavy pounding bass lines being played all around you. That's just the tip of the iceberg as the rest of the album becomes even louder as time goes by.

Second track – Harpies – is where you start to feel the pain and intensity of Lamprey's music. If you dig the early heavier sounds of CONAN and SLOMATICS then wait until you experience the heavy bass dual attack of Lamprey with great drumming to match. The vocals drift in and out at different times of the song. Though it's the heavy down-tuned riffs that is the main attraction here. And Lamprey have tons of great riffs to punish you with.

Third track – Golden Mean – is perhaps the more doomier affair on the album with traces of drone based noises and vocals appearing at the start before Lamprey bring the pain with more down-tuned riffs to slay you with. The album sounds superb from start to finish which isn't surprising since Adam Pike mixed, engineered and mastered this album. Golden Mean simply crushes everything around it as Lamprey bring the thunder as the dual bass guitars unleash a torrent of doom and gloom sludge metal riffs.

Fourth track – Nokken – has shades of Scott Kelly's solo work especially with the vocals and droned out noises which creates an unsettling three minutes for the listener to lose themselves in. This shows another side to Lamprey's music as it's haunting and even beautiful to listen to.

Fifth track - Lament of the Deathworm – is perhaps my fave song on the album as it merges the sounds from Nokken with the heavier style of droned out Sludge/Stoner Metal riffs from the earlier songs. It's a slow-paced affair but wait until Lamprey bring the noise as hell breaks loose. The vocals are superb as you can feel the pain coming from lead vocalist Blaine.

And now we come to the final song that Lamprey will ever release. - Gaea. It's all come down to this final round of heavy pounding epic doom/sludge/stoner metal down-tempo and low-tuned carnage for you to survive from. Lamprey are taking no prisoners on this song. Just listen and embrace the noise for one final time. Once it's finished, press play and experience this heavy as hell amazing album over and over again. It's what Lamprey truly deserve....

III is a brilliant album. No doubt. Check it out for yourself as it's available on BandCamp Buy Now.

Words by Steve Howe

Links: