Nomad Son – The Eternal Return
Metal on Metal Records – 2010
Maltese doomster Nomad Son returns with their newest album The Eternal Return. It’s been two long years since the release of their previous album First Light but this new album is definitely worth the wait. The overall feel of the album is sort of a mix of Trouble-style groove and heaviness with the darkness of Black Sabbath and Pentagram. The use of the Hammond organ really gives it that dark, retro feel to the entire album as well. “The Vigil” starts off the album quietly with just the guitar and bass slowly strumming before the organ comes in and kicks things into full gear. It’s a straight-forward mid-paced song with guitarist Chris Grech laying down a great solo, similar to some Victor Griffin solos, which is a great compliment to Chris. Jordan Cutajar’s vocals gives a gritty edge to the song. “Sigma Draconis” follows and slows things down a bit. Here both Chris and organist Julian Grech put out some excellent work. Plus, bassist Albert Bell and drummer Edward Magri provide a solid backbone as the song plods along. “Comatose Souls” brings the album to a crawl. Jordan’s vocal work is amazing with his near-screaming performance right before the tempo picks up and then grinds back down to a crawl. “Can’t Turn The Tide” keeps things nice and slow as it slowly grinds its way through your ears. “Guilty As Sin” has the Trouble-style groove to it. They really play it well, perhaps even better than Trouble. “Winds Of Golgotha” is an 11-minute doom masterpiece that starts off with the Hammond keyboard playing a dark and haunting line before the song begins its plodding journey. It kicks into a nice groove mid-way before it returns to its sludgey-pace. “The Eternal Return” starts off with some nice guitar-work and Jordan singing very quietly and smoothly before it kicks in with a quality groove and carries on. Albert has some fantastic bass work followed by both Chris and Julian playing some more excellent parts. “Throne Of Judgement” closes out the album with a bombastic start. The bands kicks it into full-throttle and races on to the end. This album shows how well-knit Nomad Son is – they can sludge through a piece and then kick it into a fast-paced groove without missing a beat. Fellow doomster, rejoice and get this masterpiece from Nomad Son.
[rating:7/7]
