By DJ Monk
There must be something in the water in the state of Maryland, as two of the region’s most iconic doom metal frontmen have released solo albums within a couple of weeks of each other – and both have gone down the acoustic route in the process. At the end of last month, the legendary Scott ‘Wino’ Weinrich presented us with his declarative and challenging new opus; now, just two short weeks later, we’re wrapping our ears around the third long-player from Mr Dee Calhoun, best known for his stints in Spiral Grave and Iron Man…
‘Godless’ is a dark, almost mystical, proposition driven by Calhoun’s drawling, laconic vocals, which transcend from raw, visceral bluesiness through ethereal meditations and back to dense, hypnotic entrancements that draw you into the deepest recesses of his soul. It is an album of ironic twists, such as on the title track, on which he addresses the claim that “music is godless” while celebrating the almost religious experiences which enjoyment of it in its purest form can bring.
Just Calhoun and his guitar – and the occasional interjections from harp and strings – ‘Godless’ is just that: enjoyment of music in its purest, rawest form, touching bases from the likes of Tom Petty and Neil Young (on the likes of ‘Hornswoggled’ and, particularly, ‘No Justice’) through to Tom Waits and Dr John, while at the same time presenting an assertive, confident identity of his own. Of course, there are heavy references to his grounding in the doom metal sub-genre, such as on ‘The Moon Says Goodbye’ and the wrenching ‘Spite Fuck’, the latter of which also possesses, like quite a few of the other tracks, including most notably ‘Ebenezer’, an almost delta-meets-southern-rock pathos.
Calhoun has a very distinctive voice, one filled with the sort of emotion that dugs at the darkest strings of your soul and makes them sing along with the densely surreal sense of realism that he evokes with every breath and note. The stripped back sound accentuates the purity and rawness of his lyricism.
To be brutally honest, I was not sure what to expect when I hit “play” on this album. That very action is a reward in itself, as ‘Godless’ is a rich album, more sumptuous than a royal banquet and even more satisfying. It is an album that comes from the heart and soul of its creator and works its way, inexorably and deservedly, into those of the listener. It is a beautiful, majestic achievement (even with the totally inane ukelele/kazoo-fuelled ‘Here Comes The Bride’ which rounds it out… one of those “once heard, never unheard” moments).
- ‘Godless’ is released tomorrow (Friday 10 July). You can get your copy HERE.
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