Druid Lord - Hymns for the Wicked

Druid Lord
Hymns for the Wicked
2010 Horror Pain Gore Death Productions
I guess sometimes you've got musical ideas that don't fit in your regular band. Equinox members Pete Slate and Tony Blakk have come up with a whole new project by the name of Druid Lord. Like a lot of other newer bands that have come along as of late, Druid Lord seem to be focused on two things: doomy death metal and 1970s era horror movies. The obvious comparisons to bands such as Hooded Menace, Acid Witch, or even Skeletal Spectre and Tombstones can be made, but Druid Lord do not have what I would term the "Razorback Records sound." They avoid the general campy aspects of Tombstones and have a decidedly "American" sound that sets them apart from the likes of Hooded Menace. Tony Blakk does a good job on vocals, but I somehow keep thinking that they should really look into hiring Kam Lee. Kam and Tony have a somewhat similar style, but Kam has a lot more dynamics to his voice. Musically, Hooded Menace have said that they're like a death metal version of Candlemass. If that's true, then Druid Lord are the death metal Saint Vitus. They somehow make each song seem longer than it really is, drawing out every riff as much as they can and squeezing every last drop of venomous doom from it that they are able to. If you like the idea of death metal mixed with doom, have found that funeral doom bores the living hell out of you, and you've heard enough Celtic Frost / Winter type bands, then this could be what you're looking for.