Band: Eremit
Album: Desert of Ghouls
Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
Genre: Doom/Sludge
I remember my thoughts when I first listened to Carrier Of Weight all the way through. I was thinking, "damn, that is some of the heaviest shit I've heard in a long time." While German band Eremit doesn't shy away from a long song (see "Cocoon Of Soul" at 33 minutes), they manage to fit a lot of diversity and craftsmanship within each track.
Upcoming Desert of Ghouls has shorter tracks than Carrier Of Weight, but the shortest is still reaching towards the nine minute mark. The sound is somewhat more refined and a lot catchier, for better or worse. The crunchy guitar tone is still there, though not as pronounced as on C.o.W. While I don't think the mixing changes will deter old fans from enjoying the new record, it's still a note that I had.
Eremit kick things off with "Beheading the Innumerous." A simple hypnotic riff urges you downward into the mind-melting sonic landscape, and when vocalist/guitarist Moritz rings in with his growls you're washed away with the tide of sludge that has been crafted. The band switches between a slow trudge to a mid pace stride through the song, managing to keep the same destructive momentum the whole time.
"City of Râsh-il-nûm" starts off on a very ponderous pace, with haunting effects on the guitars and Marco lightly touching the skins to keep the movement going forwards. The hypnotic feeling never wavers as they trudge onward through the song, building up towards a release that is epic in proportion. Towards the third part of the song, Eremit take the pace even faster with furious effect, hitting the listener with a slab of sludge ridden doom of monstrous size.
Desert of Ghouls sees Eremit honing in on what they excel in, and from this reviewers stance is their strongest material to date.
I'm giving Desert of Ghouls a 9/10