Rating: 7.3

Country: Spain

Release Date: 2006

Track list:
1. Born Old And Tired
2. Reign Of Thorns
3. Satan’s Whores
4. King Of Winds
5. Sabbath’s Witching Hour
6. Perpetual Light
7. Great Coven
8. Funeral Of Souls
9. Mourning Of A New Born
10. Viaticum
11. Veil Of Tears

Great Coven - Viaticum

Tas- Drums
Jondix- Guitar
Keryen- Bass
Ivan- Vocals

I'm still a little ambivalent towards this one after 6 listens…it's not ‘'bad'' by any stretch, but it's also not quite as stellar as I've been led to believe by a number of highly respectable sources. I'm not entirely sure if I'd say that it provokes a lukewarm reaction, as certain tracks on the record really are quite monumental, and suggest that the record is anything but average, but the titanic length of the record, as well as the slightly tiresome nature of several numbers here do provoke tedium and ennui for me.

The order of the day here is sorrowful, ponderous epic doom with relatively straightforward and honest arrangements, something that has been likened by several folks as a cross between vintage Candlemass and Celtic Frost. I must interject here and assert that while I can certainly stomach a comparison to Candlemass, the approach here is far more bare and less dynamic than the indubitable monarchs of epic doom, and reminds me more of Nemesis' 'Day Of Retribution' or “Goodnight” on the first Candlemass demo. Celtic Frost comparisons, too, are SLIGHTLY tenuous. I suspect this parallel has been drawn because of the simplistic bludgeon of much of the riffing here, and I must concede that there are some rather BLATANT Frost moments on show here (more on this below), but again, I remain convinced that the band glean the bulk of their inspiration from four primary sources- Black Sabbath, early Cathedral, Count Raven and Nemesis/ the more straightforward Candlemass material.

This CD is, of course, another project in I Hate Records' ongoing efforts to unearth and resuscitate ancient relics of TRUE STEEL for public consumption. Previously available as a CD-R from the band, the record has been given the plush I Hate treatment, and I really do LOVE the green theme/mosaic of the layout, it gives the band a cryptic, esoteric identity that is not quite as evident in the music. Musically, I would suggest that similarities exist between this band, Finland's Spiritus Mortis (the closest contemporary equivalent stylistically) and perhaps Sweden's World Below (pre-LP material). I do think this record blows either of those bands out of the water in terms of quality, but there is the same focus on Leif Edling ice-floe drift and pummeling, in-the-pocket musicianship, driven by occult lyrical content, Messiah-esque vocals and simplistic yet propulsive percussion.

To the band's credit, much thought has been placed into the concept and the intent of the band, and the occult vibes of the band's visual presentation manifests itself concretely in the esoteric music. This really is how doom should sound- monolithic, evil, cryptic and foreboding. The execution may not always be consistent, but at the very least, these Spaniards very much have their darkened hearts in the right place, and it's a bit of a shame that they disbanded before elaborating further upon the ideas here (I am of the opinion that the post- Great Coven band, Eight Hands For Kali, is substantially different in approach, and a good deal more exotic-sounding). One gets the sense that there is genuine conviction and integrity in the band's nefarious staunch anti-Christ/pro-witchcraft stance, and in a scene inundated with post- Reverend Bizarre horror posturing, this ingénue can only be commended.

One can only wish that the music was as consistent as the band's sincerity. I can't help but be rubbed the wrong way by the vocals here- they're not inherently horrible in any sense of the word, but they do tend to be rather monochromatic and unimaginative at times, something that has also been the downfall of Vesa Lampi (Spiritus Mortis) and yes, Messiah Marcolin (assault me all you want, while a fantastic singer otherwise, Messiah's overt reliance on vibrato has always been a weak link in Candlemass). Droning, primitive vocal lines are preferred over more enthused vocal melodies are employed here, and I do wish that there was a tad more personality to the forlorn sounding vocals, as they certainly would have saved some of the limper moments contained here. Drumming is appropriately rudimentary, and the plodding ponderousness is accented well by a suitably natural drum sound. Tempos, meanwhile, reflect the enormous sonic debt that Great Coven owe to 'Forest Of Equilibrium', which remains the ARCHETYPE of morose, magical, sludge-ridden post- Celtic Frost doom.

The band's affection for that serpentine slab of drudgery is prominently flaunted throughout the record, and I for one would suggest that the parallels that exist between 'Viaticum' and 'Forest Of Equilibrium' are just as notable, if not much more so, as any arrears owed to Sorcerer, Nemesis and Candlemass. There is the same sparse, primordial approach to songwriting, the Tom-G-Warrior -masquerading-as-Tony-Iommi riffing on “Satan's Whores” (the most blatant example here, I would say, the vocal delivery on the chorus even mimics Lee Dorrian's, I think!), “Sabbath's Witching Hour”, “Viaticum” all echo and emanate the unmistakable influence of grand magus Gaz Jennings, while “King Of Winds” borrows liberally from Sabbath's eponymous anthem for inspiration. The finest tracks on the record, really, don't arrive until 2/3 through the album, when “Great Coven” comes seeping out the speakers with all the insidious, graveyard-roaming morbidity of “Black Messiah” Nemesis. A warped hook section, complete with atonal guitar and bass interplay, is interrupted via convincing G Warrior-esque “UGH!”s, great stuff. 02:30 through, we're greeted with perhaps a dynamism that was heretofore reserved by an inhibited band- GREAT 'Morbid Tales' riffing to be had here, folks, I only wish this bridge riff lingered for a while longer. The second finest track on the record, “Funeral Of Souls”, positively BURSTS out the gates with seizing gusto, a barreling, pulsating, muscular number that comes closest to mirroring the epic scope and bombastic dynamism of 'Nightfall' Candlemass. A real winner here, with a fantastic main riff and a great solo, though again, I wish the vocals were up to the task- the fellow sounds somewhat lethargic in comparison to the fiery fervency of the track.

Pretty good, then, but not quite as impressive as I had previously hoped. Some of the riffing can get SLIGHTLY redundant, and the band's inability to inject a tad more color to some of the more droning, single-minded passages of the record is somewhat detrimental in the larger scheme of things, but considering the fact that this is indeed their first demo, it is undoubtedly a formidable outing. The strong numbers on this very much make it worth further investigation, especially if you hold 'Forest Of Equilibrium', 'Destruction Of The Void' and 'Day Of Retribution' in high regard. 'Viaticum' perhaps will not find new admirers among those of you who already have an aversion to slothful, crawling occult doom (I suggest you look into Eight Hands For Kali, who synthesize this elephantine, lumbering sludge with an extremely original Tibetan concept/instrumentation and a more progressive outlook), but for enthusiasts of the style there is a good deal of material to savor on this full-length. Flawed, but good.

May 19th, 2006