Labels: Game Two
Review by: Alex Deller
A record that screams ‘retro’ (or perhaps ‘rip off’…) from every conceivable angle, from the title to the hideous devil baby gracing the cover (lifted straight from Sabbath’s ‘Born Again’ LP!) to the covers each band plays and, of course, the sounds of the bands themselves.
First up we have Japan’s Church of Misery, showing us all that the international language of rock n’ roll truly knows no boundaries as they rock out in a straight up, eight-minute song kinda way, dirgy riffs eventually breaking into faster parts, droning vocals and an ass-kickingly gnarly Vitus cover (‘War Is Our Destiny’). Sure, it’s nothing to warrant a ritual sacrifice, but it’s solid, lead-heavy and goddamn easy to lose yourself in, despite the worrisome serial killer fixation.
So onto Sheavy.
If you have any inkling about the ol’ stoner / doom / sludge / whatever game then you’ll know full well that it’s an integral part of the game to pledge your allegiance to Black Sabbath’s dark throne. Sheavy, some might say, take this ‘homage’ a bridge too far, incorporating not just Iommi-aping riffs but the full Ozzy caterwaul to boot, replete with strangled nasal twang and inability to hold a note. Then there’s a bookish rendition of ‘War Pigs’ next to classy self-penned numbers like ‘Domelight’ to cap the whole thing off.
Derivative? In a word, yes. Fun? In a word, absolutely.