Bongripper - Satan worshipping Doom [Universal Tongue/Feretro Records - 2010]“Satan Worshipping Doom" is the sixth album from Chicago based instrumental doom band Bongripper. The album conists of four tracks, and just under an hour worth of dramatic and varied dark doom matter that weaves in elements of black metal, post rock and all manner atmospheric metal craft. The four tracks on offer here last between just under the twelve minute mark, to just over the sixteen minute mark a piece. Each track here is fairly varied and shifting in it’s feel- the opener “Hail” moves from groovy and sludge mid-paced to chugging doom, through to pained cymbal heavy head banging meaty doom riff dwells. The second track “Satan” opens with shimmering black metal meets post rock sheen before breaking out into clamouring yet well produced black metal riffing. As the track goes on we touch down into: faster doom chugs, trash meets doom riff down ‘n’ dirtiness, and mean/ dark slower doom riff-outs. Track number three “Worship” begins with cymbal battered, mid-pace and demonic sounding doom riffing. Before kicking-up a gear into more prime evil and slightly groove bound meets slower death metal evilness. Later on the track drifts into a wall of mid-paced chugging doom that has this great psychedelic rock lead guitar fizzing and calling over the top, and this lead work has an almost middle eastern tinged to it. The last track “Doom” starts out with a very slow, nasty and spread out doom chug that’s barely moving; in between each riff chug are these great meaty feed back sustains. As the track progresses the band add on this great buzzing and circling sheen of atmospheric feed-back fog to the slowly building doom riff- which becomes tighter and more airless as it progressers. Towards the end of the track the buzzing and circling guitar textures become more shrill, evil and intense as the track builds to a great crescendo. All told this is very enjoyable, often memorable and atmospheric doom record that mangers to vary and shift through most varieties of doom you can think of. So if you enjoy your doom mixed in pace and darkly embellished with other metallic genre traces then “Satan Worshipping Doom" is certainly for you. Roger Batty
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