ALBUM REVIEW: Day Of Doom Live – Summoner

SUMMONER were once RIFF CANNON. It’s tongue-in-cheek but a good description of what this Boston four-piece do. Harking back to a different era of metal, with BLACK SABBATH and NWOBHM influences on display, their set is less about bludgeoning the audience and more about banging heads.

Focusing on the tracks that offer the most riffs in the shortest space of time, SUMMONER move through their setlist at pace. Gallopers like The Interloper and Conjuring are purpose-built to get the crowd moving and sound great, thanks to the clear production. The whole thing is infused with 90’s stoner rock, with a sprinkling of proto-thrash and plenty of BARONESS and TORCHE. Guitar lines take the lead, finding the balance between balls-to-the-wall rock and more melodic sections which suit Chris Johnson’s vocal style.

It’s all very well done but towards the end, it starts to feel samey. Once SUMMONER get going, things tend to continue in the same vein. The exception to the rule is the nine-minute epic, Let The Light In, which stands out both in tone and style.

Abandoning the hard rock ethos for something more reflective, the track takes you on a journey that slips between ethereal, PINK FLOYD inspiration and earth-shaking doom metal. It’s so good that it kind of puts the rest of the set to shame, a real pity when it’s only the second track.

It would have been far better to drop another epic like Beyond The Realm Of Light (the title track of their 2017 album) into the setlist, breaking up the pace a little. As it stands Day Of Doom Live is very well-performed but doesn’t show quite enough of what this band can do.

Rating: 6/10

Day Of Doom is out now via Magnetic Eye Records.

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