ALBUM REVIEW: Evil Mystery – Lord Of Confusion
In the west of Portugal lies Leiria, and emerging from the shadows of its dark medieval buildings is a psychedelia-tinged doom band called LORD OF CONFUSION. Despite forming in 2018, this young band have shown maturity and intensity beyond their years. Greatly inspired by classic horror movies, tales of the supernatural and the occult, they craft songs that don’t rehash horror meets doom genre stereotypes. Evil Mystery is the band’s debit full-length album, taking in their experiences from touring their homeland of Portugal, LORD OF CONFUSION have elevated their sound to new levels as they begin to come into their own, leaving a distinct mark on the doom landscape in the process.
Creating genuinely creepy and eerie atmospheres seems to come naturally to this young and ambitious four-piece. Pounding ritualistic beats with equally hypnotic psychedelia-tinged doom riffs augmented by sinister organ drones conjure up images of hooded disciples and ancient rituals which flash before your eyes. The mesmeric vocals of Carlota Sousa float ethereally over the top of long droned chords, bewitching the listener with ease. Evil Mystery really does live up to its title. The album is grandiose, with opulent, swirling organ passages weaving themselves betwixt the monolithic, fuzz-drenched guitar riffs. Capitalising on the intensely sinister nature of the devil’s tritone and manipulating it for their own dark and unearthly needs, LORD OF CONFUSION successfully evade the much relied upon BLACK SABBATH-isms and create celestial hymns for demonic forces. From the very outset, Evil Mystery is a brooding, murky and sinister album; these qualities transcend the album with relative ease, as if the band themselves are summoning the highest powers that be from the brimstone and sulphur world of heaven’s basement.
Evil Mystery demonstrates the significant expansion of the band’s sound and dedicated focus to their songwriting since their first EP Burnin’ Valley. Even the sonic shift from desert rock riffs with blues melodies into something slower, heavier and more atmospheric signifies a band growing into their sound. Evil Mystery certainly feels like a more comfortable record as a result. The significant upgrade in production has allowed LORD OF CONFUSION’s songwriting capabilities to really shine through. The more prominent feature of the organ is the most notable example of this, as it offers mystifying melodic relief amongst the hulking sludge that characterises the riffs. Due to the organ’s involvement, LORD OF CONFUSION double down on the creepiness and bring their horror and occult themes to life with real lucidity.
Portugal, to many, can be considered as an enigmatic land full of mystery and wonder as it is so often overlooked by its larger neighbour Spain. By opening the album with Land Of Mystery, LORD OF CONFUSION set the scene for the album whilst simultaneously igniting your curiosity to look into the nation the band hail from. Organ melodies swell as the rhythm section settles in to its groove with a ritualist fervour. Leading into Howling Void, you see the first example of the album’s connectivity. For the majority of Evil Mystery you are locked into a mystical trance as each song bleeds into the next with excellent musical craftsmanship. Here you hear the really sinister atmosphere that the band have created, ever lurking in the shadows but looming over you with an intimidating presence. Interlúdio offers a brief moment of recuperation with a clandestine drone, but the ritual is far from finished. As Evil Blood kicks in there is more versatility in the band’s melodies as they build for the grand finale with an intense fervour. Witchfinder follows the same template whilst adding more behind-the-beat rhythms. Album closer Hell is 13 minutes of hellish doom riffing, haunting vocals and shifting atmospheres that send a chill down your spine.
LORD OF CONFUSION’s mature approach and enhanced songwriting makes Evil Mystery an exciting listening experience. Being able to bring something fresh to well established themes without relying upon genre formalities marks this band out as one to watch in the doom scene going forward.
Rating: 8/10
Evil Mystery is set for release on September 30th via Gruesome Records.
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