Richard HolmesSpelljammer – Ancient of Days (RidingEasy Records)
Genre: Doom Metal
There’s more than a hint of US icons Sleep to Ancient of Days –like Matt Pike and co. Spelljammer play gargantuan, Iommian riffs through a psychedelic haze, shifting from trance-inducing, repetitive soundscapes to amp-blowing freak outs with ease. And by God, this outfit can certainly deliver some titanic doom, with songs like The Pathfinder proving that the Swedes know their craft inside and out.
New drummer Jonatan Rimsbo also makes his presence felt here, infusing some much needed groove into songs like Meadow – put simply, he knows how to bring this music to life, following the lead of Sleep’s Chris Hakius or former Electric Wizard sticksman Mark Greening.
However, there’s a sense of over-familiarity to Ancient of Days, a gnawing feeling that you might be better of listening to Sleep’s Holy Mountain or Electric Wizard’s Dopethrone instead. There’s a magic ingredient missing somewhere… Spelljammer need to find it to reach the next level.
RUSHONROCK RATED: 6/10 Jam session