You Must Yield...

Wicked Inquisition - Wicked Inquisition (2015)

After seven years and two EPs, Wicked Inquisition have finally released their first LP, with an evident good use of the time spent getting to it.  Things are brought up to speed in short order by the opening track, "Black Magik Nacht", putting pummeling riffs and matching drum-beats to work with touches of '80s gusto to give it some extra juice.  A little bit of a tempo drop eases you right into "Crimson Odyssey", and the group gets a touch more open about their appreciation for powerful heavy metal as the vocals rise up more dramatically and the guitar goes a touch more symphonic with the chording.  It's this blending of styles that forms their focus for the rest of the album, with traditional staples like nuclear war ("M.A.D.") and man's inevitable doom ("In Shackles", "Death Of Man") mingling with more upbeat material ("Sun Flight" and "Tomorrow Always Knows" with its cheeky Beatles tap).
A capper comes in the form of Wicked Inquisition's self-titled track on their self-titled album (ding ding ding), which condenses the mood of the album into one thoroughly-solid last shot.  The unity of the album from start to finish stands out more with each revisit, and the group has really out-done themselves with putting together a first album they can still be proud of years later.  Check it out if you like traditional heavy metal, moreso if you like hearing it with some experimental twists.
~ Gabriel

For Fans Of;    Carnivore, Earthling, Monolith (USA), early Exciter, Pentagram

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Wicked Inquisition - M.A.D. (320 kbps)

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Ask Me No Questions...

Wicked Inquisition - Silence Thereafter (2013)

As fall sweeps across the U.S., I am looking forward to some more stoner grooves to keep me warm through the treacherous winter ahead. The first of its kind has found its way to us this week in the form of Minneapolis, Minnesota quartet Wicked Inquisition, a blues/stoner hybrid rocking a solid 4-song EP that grooves and hits hard in all the right places.

Pulling a lot of inspiration from the classic rock and metal sound of the 1970's, Wicked Inquisition impress on the well-mastered album, showing chops in a sound that is rather common today and could easily get passed up given the copious amounts of bands producing similar material. Along with clean solos and genuinely fun instrumentation, the band's frontman Nate Towle's croons stand out as the highlight of the group. Equipped with a classic vocal range akin to Black Sabbath or Dokken, Towle sings forth every word with such bravado that every syllable grabs the listener as though they are the most important words ever spoken by a man.

On opening track "The Jester's Clown," the band jumps into a pure rock sound interspersed with great riffs and fast breaks that lend openings to a plethora of solos and note delays that work on so many levels. Similar structures are seen on "Brainstorm" and "Radius Of Fear," each switching it up slightly with harder guitar rhythms and faster drumming. Instrumental "Blue Nightshade" serves as a nice mid-album track, showcasing the band's musical talents and affinity for moody, atmospheric classic rock.

If you're looking to slow it down a little lately and listen to something not so murder-inducing for those cooped-up, chilly nights, look no further.

~Joe

For Fans Of; Tesla, Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, Crippled Black Phoenix, Slo Burn

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Silence Thereafter (name your price)