Band : Sanctus Bellum
Album Title : Return To Dust
Label : Self Release
Distributor : /
Release Date : 2010
Review : CD

Sanctus Bellum are a US band who play a style of doom/stoner metal that takes on a bluesy feel with their music. The band exists in the same heavy rock’n’groove territory as Trouble, Alabama Thunderpussy or Orange Goblin and plunders forth in the mode of a straightforward Sleep. No fluffy intros or laid-back interludes, just solid monolithic guitar licks and strange good vocals somewhere situated in between Lou Gorra (Halfway To Gone), Erik Larson and Al Cisneros (Om) that are equally seductive, wailing, disturbing and stabbing  Most of the tracks (“Curwen”, “White cat” and "Shoggoth’s ascent’) are mid-tempo numbers with jangling guitar parts with bursts of frantic energy while others “Dagon’s Bride” and “The reddening west”” rock out pretty well and keep the catchy factor going. “Shoggot’s ascent”, “God’s own warrior” and my fave “Dagon’s bride” are sort of doom metal with melodic feeling, though these tracks do boast some 70’s rock/blues inspired cracking guitar solos by Jan  Kimmel and Maurice Eggenschweiler. Like I said, I’d connect it with work by Trouble, Black Sabbath and Orange Goblin or even a touch of Soundgarden but of course most groups in the genre could probably have little traces compared to either of those groups as well. Not only that, but their songs are well constructed and the quality of the recording is good as well, giving the release a raw, but fresh sound even though it's self released.

If I had a complaint about this album it would be that it is over too quickly with only 34 minutes, which is a shame.

88/100

Cosmicmasseur.