Sink In Slowly

• Artist: The Devil and the Almighty Blues
• Title: II
• Released: 2017
• Format: Digital Download
• Genre: Heavy Blues Rock
• Beverage of Choice: Glenmorangie on the rocks

I find it so refreshing and encouraging that there are some new bands making album rock without regard to the mainstream (read ‘indiscriminating’) music consumer. The Devil and the Almighty Blues are one of those groups, hailing from Norway, that simply refuse to be categorized and lumped in with what passes for popular music in the 21st century.

I chose to review this particular release, even though there is a newer record (‘Tre‘) available on-line as I have been listening to this one for a few months and have the vinyl on order. If you enjoy Sabbath, All Them Witches or the general stoner rock/blues doom vibe, this is a band for you. Huge riffs, soaring vocals, bass-rich orchestrations and mid-song changes in tempo abound, just check out “North Road” where the back half of the tune out-Sabbaths Sabbath and rips up the metal playbook.

“When the Light Dies” has a ATW feel without that band’s percussive exclamation points. Soulful and introspective, the song nevertheless rocks out in the heaviest possible way with huge sonic landscape and excellent dynamic shifts. “Low” extends the bass-heavy atmosphere behind impassioned vocal delivery and more doom-dripping riffs.

With every track clocking in at a 5-minute minimum, this is a set to sit a spell, slow down and enjoy; engage with each song on its own merits and immerse yourself in a rich and rewarding aesthetic that few modern artists provide. Can’t wait to see TDATAB live one day!