Richard HolmesMammoth Weed Wizard Bastard – Y Proffwyd Dwyll (New Heavy Sounds)
Genre: Doom Metal
Their name may be tongue and cheek, but this Welsh quartet are a serious proposition – especially if you enjoy inhaling a lungful or two of psychedelic doom of an evening.
Produced by Conan’s Chris Fielding – a go to guy for the Brit underground at the moment – Y Proffwyd Dwyll is a fine second opus from MWWB, and one which should speed their path to larger stages.
The band have a firm grasp of doom dynamics and an innate understanding of how to pull crushing Sabbathian riffery into the cosmic void (Osirian, for instance, has an almost sci-fi feel to it), Yet it’s the way in which Jessica Bell’s ethereal vocals float above her bandmate’s hypnotic, low end pulse that truly mark MWWB as something different. This ain’t hokey occult rock or sludge by numbers, rather a brave – and at times beautiful – trip into exciting new realms. Testudo is the perfect realisation of this act’s musical vision; a journey into doom’s outer reaches, powered by a relentless groove that could turn planets into dust.
A magical piece of work, Y Proffwyd Dwyll is a worthy addition to the UK’s burgeoning canon of 21st century doom.
RUSHONROCK RATED: 8.5/10 Herbal Medicine