Out of all of the "geo-located" scenes in the world, the UK doom scene has to be one of the most underrated. There are some seriously excellent things going on there, with every year containing at least one or two fantastic albums made on those accursed/magical islands. This year's most exciting release from the space will surely be Lowen's sophomore album, Do Not Go To War With the Demons of Mazandaran. If you've forgotten, we pegged these guys as one of the bands to watch out for all the way back in 2018. A Crypt in the Stars, their debut, was good, full of potential and some rough edges. But now, our wait has finally ended - Do Not Go To War With the Demons of Mazandaran is a marvelous release which adds just the right amount of polish while expanding on the Lowen sound.
At its core, Lowen is still a progressive doom band but the groove and heft of the delivery of that doom has been increased tenfold. On the self-titled track we are proud to premiere here today, the band unleash this new groove from the get-go, channeling it into a massively engaging and momentum filled riffs. The vocals of friend of the blog Nina Saeidi are still very much at the center of the music but it now feels as if that music has been more carefully constructed around her. This provides the thematic scope and variety that her wonderful voice deserves, fleshing out the Lowen sound.
This is where that heft I mentioned before comes in; oh boy, do these riffs go! They are equal parts slow, low, and incredibly rhythmic, creating the kind of muscular and dynamic doom that I love. There's also a real sense of progression within the track, as the music roils and churns around and below Saidei's vocals, manifesting different aspects of the track's sound. And let me tell you, that's true for the full album as well; there are a lot of ideas jammed into this release and they all whip ass.
OK! Do Not Go To War With the Demons of Mazandaran drops on October 4th, through the firebrand Church Road Records. Head on over to the band's Bandcamp below to pre-order it. Do NOT sleep on this one - all of your doom loving friends will make fun of you for doing so.