Released by: Metal Blade Records
Release date: 20 October 2017
Genre: Doom Metal
Links: sorcererdoom.com , facebook
Line-up:
Anders Engberg – Vocals
Kristian Niemann – Guitars
Peter Hallgren – Guitars
Johnny Hagel – Bass
Richard Evensand – Drums
Track Listing:
- Sirens
- Ship of Doom
- Abandoned By The Gods
- The Devil’s Incubus
- Nattvaka
- Crimson Cross
- The Crowning of the Fire King
- Unbearable Sorrow
There are a gazillion bands out there called Sorcerer. It’s a term that instantly conjures up dark imagery and whatnot, thus making it an excellent name for a metal band. I nearly passed checking this one out because, by the name, I figured it was gonna be some low-grade Pagan stuff with piss poor production and the same tired riffs others have attempted to rehash over and over again. Something compelled me to give it a shot and I must say I was pleasantly surprised by what I discovered.
The album is called The Crowning of the Fire King (which led me to believe it was going to be Power Metal if not the Pagan Metal stuff.) It’s actually neither. I was instantly taken aback at how much it reminded me of Tony Martin era Black Sabbath. Singer Anders Engberg doesn’t necessarily sound like Martin, nor does the band- Kristian Niemann on guitar, Peter Hallgren on guitar, Johnny Hagel on bass, and Richard Evensand on drums actually sound like Black Sabbath, but there are definite elements of the Doom Lords of old, as well as a healthy smattering of similarities to the Martin period. Without a doubt, all the guys in the band are definitely in tune with their inner Sabbath, but there are also elements of Candlemass and Solitude Aeturnus here as well. From the opening track “Sirens” to album closer “Unbearable Sorrow” Sorcerer creates a dark, eerie ambiance without droning on and on. The song structures are very much doomy, but the leads tend more towards a classic metal approach.
Probably reminding me of some of my favorite bands helped me to enjoy this album as much as I did, but is that so wrong? I don’t think so. Music is intended to illicit a certain response from the listener, as we often have flashbacks to the past when re-visiting old albums we’ve not heard in a while. This is a pretty fantastic album and if you’re more into doom with a melodic side to it, you can’t go wrong with Sorcerer’s The Crowning of the Fire King.
Written by: Chris Martin
Ratings: 8/10
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