Bongbongbeerwizards – Albong

New EP from the Wizards of Dortmund. The packaging promises Doom Metal, the trailer reveals a wall of droning sounds and seemingly Dadaistic visuals (recalling Hugo Ball’s costume for his performance of the poem Caravan from 1916) – a refreshing view for a scene, which nowadays identifies itself through occult “rituals”, bones and such outfits. BongBongBeerWizards, however, use outlandish, shapeless bodies.

Another question comes to mind after watching the trailer and studying the track list: Do BBBW now attempt a more serious approach to writing music? Whereas their debut Bong Hit Wonders was pickled with praises of a renown beer brand and an artwork featuring nuns smoking the devil’s salad, the appearance of Albong promises serious doom metal, while maintaining their corporate identity.

Melothrone opens the EP and presents signature doom metal featuring massive guitars and booming bass lines. The previously throat sung vocals are now resemble bands like Conan – a mental image of a prophet chanting his prophecy from the top of the mountain down into the valley as bass-heavy soundwaves bend the tree tops.

In the short intermezzo Journey, the band offers softer tunes, reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s better days. The association to an illuminated day at the sea is highlighted with unambiguous nature recordings, inspired by Reib Asnah’s work on his solo release pyrosis.

Meathead, on the other hand, throws the listeners into the gloomy valley of the trip. Attentive listeners will recognize the intro. Deep-sounding devastation emerges and proceeds inexorably and in the usual head-nodding manner, the trip becomes ecstatic.

Album closer Summoning conjures the end of the ride. Sound and arrangement hit their peak as the track continually develops. There is nothing missing here: Intro with chants, check. Deep bass guitar riffs to push you away, check. Well-placed guitar licks, check. The rest of this multifaceted and well-arranged track is for you to discover. Additionally, the album credits reveal a final, special delicacy, reserved for the very end.

Albong joins a string of excellent Doom Metal releases of recent years and does not have to shy away from comparisons to Ghold’s Stoic or Conan’s Monnos. With a runtime of just under 30 minutes, Albong offers enough entertainment to indulge in one’s consumption. Tip: Lights off, music loud, eyes shut.

This is a guest review by L. of Brache and beculted. Be sure to give his work a listen. You can find his previous posts for the Vortex here.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.