Humbaba - A Timeless Mass (2017)
When we last heard from Humbaba, it was
with their two-track debut EP back in 2014. Given how much I enjoyed
it, I was thrilled to find out that not only was the band still
kicking, but that they had put together this first full-length album (with a redesigned band logo as a bonus).
Singing with clear energy and impact,
vocalist Emre Can Serteli fits his musical element smoothly into the
tapestry of beats, riffs, and sustained tonal flourishes drawn forth
by the other three members, making for some satisfyingly deep tunes
to envelop your senses. There's also a nice wide range of styles put
to use, from the general psych doom vibes of the early tracks to the
'70s doom and Danzig-ish dark blues crooning in the title track (and
elsewhere), or the smoky rumble and haze of “Shame On You Lazy
Raymond”.
Each track gets time enough for the
band to flesh out its ideas, slip in some tasty groove passages, and
do some extra exploration, and it's fun to hear the group testing out
their ideas while staying grounded in firm foundations. The
cathedral-like grandeur of final track “Lost and Fine With It”
makes for a more-than-solid closer to the album, and on the whole, it
does an excellent job of expanding Humbaba's sound while still
pleasing those they hooked with that first EP. Definitely worth
checking out for any fans of warm (but not exactly mellow) heavy
music; let's hope that it'll be less than three years before Humbaba
unleash their next release.
~Gabriel
For Fans Of; Druglord, The Munsens,
Olde Growth, Raedon Kong, Rhino (Italy)
~
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