Procession - Destroyers of the Faith

Finally, a full-length from these Chilean masters of modern doom metal. Procession is one of those bands that just comes long and kicks your head right into your neck with unapologetic and obstreperous violence, period. After the brilliance of the Cult of Disease EP the only way to go was up for this malevolent trio.

As with the EP, the music on the latest release titled Destroyers of the Faith is anything but a destruction of faith. This is a testament to real heavy metal music played by a band that is not only competent, but versed in all forms of the chosen genre. These guys know full well what makes for resonating doom metal. It doesn’t always take an Ozzy Osbourne clone warbling his way through rehashed, recycled riffs to bend the curve to his will. Vocalist and guitarist Felipe Plaza Kutzbach once again captures the essence of agony without the theatrical suffering; his delivery is easy and free-flowing, providing a perfect aura of dismalness within the allotted tones of the music. “Hyperion” and the title track are prime examples of the perfect assemblage of dark and forlorn sentiment put to music, but that’s the tip of the iceberg on Destroyers. Once “The Road to the Gravegarden” (which was also on the EP) kicks in you feel the presence of greatness past, like Sabbath and Warning. To be in such fine company is only a hope to place them high atop the leader board of modern fuzzy metal, which is where they deserve to be.

For all of the incessant down-tempo battering that Kutzbach issues from his guitars we’re offered exciting new avenues of exploration within Procession’s arsenal that seems endless and overly-inspired. I cannot rate this band any higher, but rest assured I would truly like to. This is the quintessential doom metal band and record, without question. This simply needs to be heard. When you think of doom classics one might well include “Tomb of Doom” or “The Road to the Gravegarden” as some of the higher echelon simply because they stick in your head long after the record has ended, much like Watching from a Distance or Master of Reality might, and that makes the process of listening to a band all the more enjoyable. On many levels they get the grand design of old and make it their own, weaving a new tapestry for the current milieu.

From the soft, subdued passages and light-brow subtleties dispersed not-so-generously throughout the tracks, you get the feeling that Destroyers of the Faith is one of the classics in the making form this genre. The band is already making some noise in the underground and getting rave reviews all over, and I am glad to be one of the few that realizes just how important and exceptional Procession is and will be at this rate. You cannot find a more solid modern doom metal effort if you tried and it wouldn’t serve to try. Trust your old uncle Chris and check out these guys stat! It’s a trip well worth taking.    

Release Date: December 8, 2010
Label: Doomentia Records

TRACK LISTING

1.  Hyperion
2.  Destroyers of the Faith
3.  The Road to the Gravegarden
4.  Chants of the Nameless
5.  Tomb of Doom
6.  White Coffin

Total playing time:  46:12

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*Comments:

Reviewer: Chris

February 17, 2011