ninehertz

It’s nice to hear an occult-influenced doom record that isn’t so in thrall to Electric Wizard that it thinks sounding like a sub-par version of the Dorset necromancers is the limiting extent the genre has to offer. Sedated achieve this and show there’s more to occult doom, that originality is possible, and they avoid that other tired trope of the sub-genre by never lazily falling into schlock Hammer Horror reverence.

And lo and behold, by creating something of their own, the output benefits and O Ritual dos Sádicos is a highly enjoyable record as a direct result. It isn’t perfect – the loose and raw approach (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing in doom) does buckle here and there and the vocals, generally cool with a distinct individual vibe, strain on occasion. But these are easy to let fly past and forget as the spirit of the album catches you.

Those occult doom vibes are detectable before you even press play, from the artwork, song and album titles and their stated influences, and the inevitable does come to pass. The big riff running through opener Sleeping Corpses works wonders, doom but not exactly as expected prior, with an almost sludge predatory threat rather than full on assault.

Elsewhere you find foreboding tone overhanging and casting black clouds, occasional stoner punk drive adjusting the pace, even forays into psychedelic doom haze as it disappears into thick walls of smoke. Later on, I’m drawn to comparisons to the great Eagle Twin, and it closes with a ghostly almost gothic number.

This has made a really strong impression, a band delving into a close walled sub-genre that is usually afraid to do anything new and then ignoring those restrictive rules and created some elbow room in an overcrowded sound. They’re not even doing anything particularly surprising; those additional elements are merely from different corners of doom. But regardless, proving there’s still room for originality in occult doom should stand them in good stead.