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Review: Doomsword - Resound The Horn
Doomsword
www.doomsword.it
Resound The Horn

Label: Dragonheart Records
Year released: 2002
Duration: 50:08
Tracks: 7
Genre: Doom Metal

Rating:
4.5/5


Review online: April 22, 2003
Reviewed by: Sargon the Terrible
Readers' Rating
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Rated 4.62/5 (92.35%) (34 Votes)
Review

This is a rarity, as I bought it sight unseen (or unheard). Sometimes an album just plucks at you from the webpage "buy me, buy me" even if you don’t know the first thing about the disc. From the first I heard of this CD it pinged my metal detector something fierce, so even though I never could find a soundclip anywhere I finally gave in and bought the thing. I am so glad I did. This is release number two for this extremely underground Italian doom band, and now I’m going to have to get the first one, because I love this fucking album.

Doomsword -surprise, surprise- play doom. This is very old-school stuff in the vein of old Warlord or Candlemass circa "Epicus Doomicus". "Resound the Horn" booms with crunchy, catchy guitars, strong vocals, and loooong epic songs of war, swords, and, well, doom. There are only seven cuts on this CD, but they are all past the seven minute mark, so you still get a full-length album. The songwriting here is really first rate. All seven songs are slow to midpaced, but never too slow. Doomsword do not mistake "boring" for "atmospheric" or pretend that being doomy is the same as playing insufferably slow. All these songs are really good. "Shores of Vinland", "The DoomSword" and the title track are especially tasty, but there are no fillers or clinkers here, not one. Another thing about this band: no keyboards. (I said they were old-school).

The CD package is a digipack, which by now everyone knows I’m not keen on. The cover art is really cool, looking more like a classical painting than an album cover. The lyrics are all history/Viking themed rather than fantasy-based, which is a nice change. The lyrics are pretty damn good too, waaay better than, say, Rhapsody or Iced Earth. The booklet has the lyrics printed in a cool gothic font, and for a small label this is overall a very classy package.

I had read that some people think the guitar sound is too weak on this CD, but I don’t see that at all. It could be heavier, but what couldn’t? I’ve also read complaints about the vocals, and I don’t see that either. Deathmaster is no Messiah Marcolin, but he has a strong midrange voice that stays on the note and delivers with plenty of charisma. His vocals suit the music perfectly well. If you are a doom-fan, you need this CD, as it will scratch an itch that’s been lingering since Candlemass folded. And if we were to use the Candlemass ouvre as a yardstick, then this album is almost as good as "Ancient Dreams" and "Nightfall" and as good or better than "Epicus" or "Tales of Creation". High praise, but give Doomsword a try and I think you’ll agree with me. "Resound the Horn" rules the doom roost. According to their site, they are recording their next album right now. I can hardly wait.

More about Doomsword...
Review: Doomsword (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: Let Battle Commence (reviewed by Hermer Arroyo)
Review: Let Battle Commence (reviewed by Larry Griffin)
Review: My Name Will Live On (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: The Eternal Battle (reviewed by Joseph Allen)
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