Sometimes music can be so addictive, but luckily you can’t overdose on metal (Or I would have perished many years ago). A new addiction of mine is the killer genre bending band Lord Almighty. They are a band that doesn’t set boundaries and really can’t be caged into one style. The band sounds like have spent decades together honing their sound, but the truth is they formed just a few years ago in 2013. The founders of the band Goose (lead guitar) and Keenan (rhythm and vocals) began writing material almost immediately which would become their debut EP released in April of 2013. They don’t waste much time as they followed up that EP pretty quickly with their newest release “Paths”.
Lord Almighty came highly recommended when I first heard about the Boston based metal band. Our friend and legendary vocalist Ben Hogg (Beaten Back to Pure, Night Magic, Birds of Prey, Hour of 13) turned me on to the band. Of course since he highly recommended them I was expecting a lot from the band, and they did not disappoint. From start to finish their newest release “Paths” dominated my ear drums. If you want to hear some amazing riffs then this is most definitely an album for you. The shredding isn’t majorly elaborate or anything, but it just mixes so well with the rest of the music that it is hauntingly beautiful. The album released on November 1st of 2015 and self produced by the band introduced me to a new band that had a style I had unknowingly been in search of. While nothing about their music is flashy its mixed so well that the spotlight equally shines on each member of the band. The album starts out with the intro track “Path 1”. It’s a warm welcome into the album. They also continue the interludes with “Path II”, “Path III”, and “Path IV” throughout the album. While I love the instrumental pieces I’m more than ready to sink my teeth into the remainder of the album. The opening track with some meat on it’s bones titled “I Embark” immediately has major appeal. The song takes you on this roller coaster ride of tempo and gives you the first sampling of Keenan’s vocals. While musically fast paced his vocals are a little slower and fit the track so well. “Atonement” really does it for me with its vicious attack of guitar riffs and drum beats. It’s almost comes across like a struggle for attention as they race back and forth from riff to beat with vocals piercing through in the gaps. It’s on songs like this that the bass lines created by Phill Gelinas can’t be underrated. It’s those thick deep tones that create the stability throughout the track and the album as whole. There really isn’t a bad song on the album, but I would say a favorite for me would have to be “The Tower”. The song has this really catchy riff going on at the beginning of the song and then thrusts into this blackened thrash sounding awesomeness. Then comes Keenan’s voice in to put the cherry on top. The guitar work in this song is just so catchy and upbeat that it’s hard to not listen to the track again right after it finishes. I would recommend this album to anyone, I don’t care what kind of metal you like. It’s highly likely you will enjoy this. The guys are already writing material for a new album and hope to have it out by the fall. It just shows that they don’t waste any time. Pick up their album it’s well worth the 10 bucks to buy it on bandcamp, get a dose of it below and you will want a copy for yourself.
Follow Lord Almighty here.
