ALBUM REVIEW: Ash Bone Skin N Stone – Mama Doom

There are a surprising amount of influences to be found in this sophomore release from MAMA DOOM, with plenty of obvious doom influence, witch rock and psychedelia meshed into a rather dismal sound. Vocally, High Priestess D. Lolli nails it, interweaving an at times delicate, ethereal approach into something almost commanding your attention, as do each of the musicians in their individual duties. The general theme of the album, lyrically, is of the darker parts of life, dark imagery or the enjoyment of such – Oh, Lucifer and Blood Moon being prime examples of this – though there are definite themes of female empowerment also found within, which is to be lauded.

Vocally, there seems to be a good deal of inspiration drawn from the likes of Siouxsie Sioux – certainly in the manner of the almost warbling approach – and this actually adds to the shift towards an almost goth or witch rock from their debut release, with synths taking over from guitar for the lead instrument finishing off that part of the sound. Whether this is an ideal approach for when they hit their more doom orientated tracks, such as album closer Cherry is up for discussion. Where you would expect some thunderous power chords, it lacks a certain something in the power when the synths are used instead, however loudly they are turned up in the mix.

While there are some misgivings over the complete guitar replacement by the synths, it does work very effectively in the more witch rock approach they have at times, with the second track Vodka being a good example. One striking thing about opener Batshit Crazy is its similarity to PSYCHEDELIC WITCHCRAFT and their sophomore lead single Rising On The Edge, with the synths following a very similar progression in chords.

There is a definite enjoyment to be found in a lot of this release, though the two sides feel slightly forced together. The likes of Indigo works really well with a 90s alt-rock feel almost, taking the loud/soft approach of THE PIXIES and working very well with it though their heavier side definitely feels a bit held back by the synths replacing guitars for that section too, though in a live setting this may work better than in the recorded version. The refrain shouts of “Hey!” in Blood Moon would also fit with a written for live performance approach, so this could easily have been a deliberate ploy.

Overall, this is a decent release. MAMA DOOM have experimented with their sound, to varying degrees of efficacy, and there is still a lot to like contained within the eight tracks. The varying influences are a nice touch but an over-reliance on the synths for the heavier end of their tracks feels like a touch too much overall.

Rating: 6/10

Ash Bone Skin N Stone is out now via Majestic Mountain Records.

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