ALBUM REVIEW: Astrological Passages – Weed Demon

Since their inception, these Ohio born doom-riffing, sludge-flinging, sonic conjurers WEED DEMON have been making waves with their first release, Stoned to Death. Since letting their fans have a sneak peek at Astrological Passages, the title track of their first full length album, fans of doom have had their interests piqued. WEED DEMON have garnered praise for the incredible chunky and slow riffs, laced with some for the most unearthly, guttural vocals in their repertoire.

Astrological Passages slithers into the ears of the listener with a groovy and somewhat trippy bass/guitar combination, with some wah to add onto that stoner effect. Within an instant this is dissolved and regurgitated into meaty, low tuned riffs, and gut-busting vocals that send a tremor to your core, courtesy of Jordan Holland. This destructive force of music continues for the bulk of the track, and while repetitive, as is much of the doom and stoner, it’s that quality that is appealing. The almost mindless, drone-like aspect to the track is what makes it a doom track, concreting its position on the record.

Second up on the album is Sigil of The Black Moon, a track that begins with mysterious, almost acoustic guitar playing to set the mood. Of course, the track name is enough to evoke feelings of dread and mysticism, and musically Sigil of The Black Moon does the same. It slowly builds up the power and aggression, right up until the heaviness of the riffs and drums enters the scene, accompanied by the aforementioned guttural vocals. Around the three-minute mark, WEED DEMON changes up the pace, dropping it down to a low monotonous crawl, edging further into the track like some unholy beast meandering through a marsh. The guitar solo comes out of nowhere and knocks you to the floor, thanks to the skill of Andy Center and Brian Buckley.

On the other end of the spectrum, Primordial Genocide smashes its way into the eardrums of the listener as possible the most intense and brutal track on this album. The speed and ferocity achieved in this track, while still maintaining a solid groove is impressive, especially when the smoke clears, and a calmer segment rears its head. The whole section, or the bulk of the song, is littered with groovy riffs, tasty licks and solos galore, kept in time due to the rhythm of Chris Windle. For those who prefer their sludge with a dribbling of liquid lightning, keep an eye on this track.

For the first four minutes or so of the final track, Jettisoned, the rhythm sections and drums while impactful and powerful were outshined by what sounded like a harmonica. This may have been synthesised, or even some guitar effect trickery, regardless of the technicalities it’s truly a marvel and only adds to the greatness of the track. There is a sudden sadness and loneliness weaved into the chords of the music, much like the title suggests, almost the feeling of abandonment and coming to terms with it. To finish off is a far cry from what we’ve been accustomed listening too, a semi country/western vibe and acoustic work sets this track apart from anything else on the album, a rather impressive instrumental track to say the least.

There’s not much else to be said, a cracking album from WEED DEMON that isn’t your run of the mill sludge/doom. At every opportunity they have something slightly different or off the beaten path to add, and it’s those elements that really shine through on Astrological Passages. This album is worth checking out for fans of doom and sludge, that has that extra bit of oomph.

Rating: 8/10

Astrological Passages is out now via Electric Valley Records.

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