Review: “Witchburner” by Earthblood

It may only have been six months since their critically acclaimed debut EP “Primal Fury” appeared but Finnish Sludge Doom Metal band Earthblood are keen to continue their perpetual forward motion. So they have asked the always obliging Inverse Records to unveil a sophomore offering in “Witchburner” a little earlier than anyone claiming to be their manager would like…

It may sound like a time honoured cliché but listening to the second unholy trinity of songs from Earthblood, it genuinely does sound like they never left the studio after the sessions to  wrap up debut “Primal Fury“. Their self described Thunder Ape Metal sound runs through the heart of “Witchburner” like a vein of magma in a volcano, ready to burst through the Earths crust and destroy everything in its path. A classic Crowbar inspired Sludge Doom Metal riff brings the title track to life with majestic power before the quartet flip the script entirely, dancing around the campfire at Crossover Thrash speed, threatening to partake in ancient ritual and throw their bullets in before running like hell. Instead, they play with tempo, having fun with old school riffs while pulling Metal faces and banging their heads. Niko Kauhanen’s drums sound cavenous, as if the sound is reverberating off the walls, the bark of the vocal as strong as anything you’ll hear down at the dog track. After that perhaps more primitive first offering “Sons of Heavy Rain” sounds a little more refined with classical leads adding a slick, rich quality to everything without taking away any of the fun. The main riff is of the earworm variety, one that you’ll find yourself humming without even realising it, the majestic, fretboard climbing solo in the final third a mighty addition. Contrary to popular belief, the guitar isn’t mightier than the sword though, so don’t try anything stoopid at home. After that uplifting barn burner, “Swamp Hammer” finds guitarist Jere Halonen and bassist Joel Notkonen gang chanting their vocals in harmony, raising their fists and drinking goblets to the sky as they do so. A song seemingly based on the Viking notion you keep what you kill, the sentiment runs deep with the band playing off thunderous drums against Mastodon style Progressive Metal riffs for most of the duration. The distant echoes of Max Cavalera’s work in Soulfly remain in the Earthblood sound, his vocal stylings a seemingly obvious influence but it is fair to say that the bands extremes have pushed out somewhat, making this second affair a much more varied offering [7.5/10]

Track Listing

1. Witchburner
2. Sons of Heavy Rain
3. Swamp Hammer

“Witchburner” by Earthblood is out 18th April 2024 via Inverse Records with pre-orders available over at bandcamp.