The Warlocks
by Grant Moser
April 2008
You can get the idea of this album’s sullen outlook not only from its title, but from its song titles: “The Valley of Death,” “Moving Mountains,” “So Paranoid,” “Slip Beneath,” “Dreamless Days,” and “Death, I Hear You Walking.” Not that that’s a bad thing. The album might start off sounding like a Mazzy Star–with–droning-guitar- underwater, but by the third song it morphs into The Jesus and Mary Chain–with–fuzzed-out-guitar-underwater. It actually wakes up during “Moving Mountains,” which starts off sounding exactly like what moving a mountain would sound like (long and laborious), and evolves nicely into a churning guitar-fest at the end. With four of its eight songs clocking in at over 6:30, the Warlocks have made a good claim to be the jam band of droning, dark metal. This is not an album to buy if you’re looking to be uplifted, but it is perfect if you’re looking to descend into a murky, dark, bog-water sonic fest. It makes you feel heavy and moody, which sometimes can be quite a magical thing.