### Windhand: Soma

#### 29/10/13 || gk

American doom outfit Windhand are back with their second full length and this is some seriously heavy shit. The band doesn’t do anything that’s particularly new or innovative and are quite firmly in the Electric Wizard “Dopethrone” mold but there’s something about the music that is addictive and at times awe inspiring.

The album opens with the majestic Orchard that has an awesome main riff and a guitar lead blowout section that is quite exhilarating. The vocals of Dorthia Cottrell float beneath the massive guitar sound, sounding muffled but calm and peaceful at the same time. “Woodbine” pushes the basic template of the band even further with another crushing riff and a mid-song guitar lead section that is pretty fucken great. Things take a quieter, folkier turn on the acoustic Evergreen as Cottrell’s vocals are given a chance to step forward and take centre stage and she does not disappoint. The song has an ethereal, dreamlike quality to it that is, for want of a better word, enchanting. It also sets the stage for the final part of the album and the closing cut “Boleskine” which clocks in at just over 30 minutes and is one behemoth of a song.

Boleskine begins with a quiet acoustic guitar but then the opening riff lumbers its way out and things just get really, really heavy. The guitar line on top of the riff is well thought out and makes things a bit easier to take but this is one oppressive song. The lead guitar sections in the song are again of high quality and Cottrell once again pulls off a remarkable performance. By the end of the 30 minutes I’m left exhausted which was probably the whole point.

Like I said earlier, Windhand don’t do anything particularly new or innovative. They’re a doom band with some clear influences but what they do, they do damn well. The only real criticism I have is that at times Cottrell’s vocals are too low in the mix and I could have done with some more moments where her voice could just soar and there are occasions on “Feral bones” and “Cassock” where things just start to drift a bit aimlessly. However, even at their darkest and most claustrophobic the band has a sense of groove and melody that makes these songs more accessible than they have any right to be. The guitar solos are all wonderfully placed and well written, the sound is ridiculously heavy and the band mostly delivers with single minded focus.

Windhand has come up with an album that is addictive and holds up really well to repeat listens. Doom metal fans should have heard this already and if you haven’t, then this is an essential 2013 release.

- Information
- Released: 2013
- Label: Relapse
- Website: Windhand Bandcamp
- Band
- Dorthia Cottrell: vocals
- Asechiah Bogdan: guitars
- Garrett Morris: guitars
- Parker Chandler: bass
- Ryan Wolfe: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Orchard
- 02. Woodbine
- 03. Feral Bones
- 04. Evergreen
- 05. Cassock
- 06. Boleskin