Alms - Act One - Download (2018)

Labels: Shadow Kingdom
Review by: Alex Deller

Thoroughly on-point doom that casts a mournful glance back to the genre’s 70s progenitors as well as the scattered acts that kept the flame alive throughout the 80s. The songs are well-crafted and dripping with catchy hooks, while the heroic solos, strutting riffs and twining male/female vocals are all drenched in organ sounds that, like the velvet lining a posh coffin, are both solemn and plush. The sound is somewhere between the doomy retro rock of Witchcraft or Lucifer and the spryer, songier likes of Uncle Acid – a mighty fine balance, and one achieved thanks to a rare mix of great songwriting and true tortured soul.