Cpt. Kronos - The Invocation (album review)

I first heard of Cpt. Kronos on youtube thanks to the prolific uploader 666MrDoom when he posted the band's initial offering "Queen of the Night".  The song must have been mere hours old and already by that point it was obvious that he had found one of the next great doom bands.  The song "Queen of the Night" had a good doom riff with solid backing and was built from a blues foundation.  The cover art struck the right note to put the listener in that doom state of mind and the band imbibed the Black Sabbath ale without getting stumblebum drunk on it.  A fortnight or so later the full 'The Invocation' EP was made available on their bandcamp page.

Good as the 'lead single' was, it in no way prepares the listener for the ensuing performance on the rest of the disc.  Key moments of distinction are the opening riff and middle breakdown of "A Criminal Mind" and the explosive drumming of Matti found towards the end of "State of Emptiness".  One might consider "Queen of the Night" to be the bare-bones, stripped-down version of the band.

Opening track "The Invocation" takes the listener through the stages and styles found throughout the rest of the disc.  It starts with a slow blues workout that shows signs of popping off in any number of directions.  Eventually, the pace is doubled and the band headtrips their way through a fairly straightforward uptempo rock number.  This is not a bad thing.  When the band wants to they can be play straight rock and they can also scorch with the best of them.  As mentioned above, "Queen of the Night" is no frills blues doom with an instantly recognizable, terrific riff.  One that should eventually go down as one of the major highlights of the year.

"A Criminal Mind" takes a galloping riff with an uptempo beat and goes for a spin through some epic fields of atmospheric blues.  The middle breakdown that plays through to the end of the cut is highlighted by the deep and resonant bass work of Joni.  "State of Emptiness" is a strutting beast of organ and fuzz with a well-paced and infectious chorus.

Cpt. Kronos bite from the forbidden fruit of doom, caramelized in blues and metal.  There's a lot here in the songwriting and tonal qualities of the instruments that is akin to Pink Floyd's 'A Saucerful of Secrets'.  'The Invocation' is a solid first release from a new band that shows a ridiculous amount of promise.  Very recently the band played their first show and if they keep at it, they could be a mainstay of the Finnish doom halls for years to come.

Highlights include: "Queen of the Night" and "A Criminal Mind"

Rating: 4.5/5

Total Run Time: 20:28

From: Helsinki, Finland

Genre: Doom, Stoner, Blues

Reminds me of: Bloody Hammers; Lord of the Grave, Pink Floyd (A Saucerful of Secrets), The Wandering Midget

Release Date: December 31, 2012

Suggested listening activity for fellow non-stoners: At a clearing in the woods, disturb the cairn and reap the consequences ...