WINDHAND – Soma
- Posted on 12-09-2013
Virginia psychedelic doom metal band Windhand releases their second full length album "Soma". A 6 song, 77 minute record with the final two tracks "Cassrock" and "Boleskine" taking up 45 minutes alone, this is not the type of album you want to engage in if you are in a hurry. Certain songs have a weird Nirvana meets Cathedral vibe like "Woodbine" where vocalist Dorthia Cottrell moans in a turbulent manner with the lumbering , feedback riddled riffing and steady, snail’s pace rhythm section- while "Evergreen" offers a sparse acoustic arrangement as the lyrics fade in and out in a drug induced haze.
"Soma" is depressing, morose, and focused on all things psychedelic/ doom related- to the point of drawn out insanity. "Boleskine" contains numerous movements of ringing out feedback, wind chills, and massive sonic heaviness that over the course of its 31:18 left me riddled with a headache. Windhand rings appealing to those tied with the doom movement- or the infinitely patient.
I sat with this album for weeks hoping something would click. Windhand instead goes off on small jams that don’t really go anywhere. Maybe the youth of the world will dig this more than I do, and that’s fine. "Soma" to these ears is psychedelic doom metal with amps cranked to ten and determined to get the police involved because of their relentless, pissed off, low-tuned feedback nature. Meander away without me though.