Posts tagged ‘Reviews’
The Soda Shop reviews “Crowe Valley Blues”
This review is a long time in the coming. After sitting on this for a few months, and enjoying the hell out of it, here is the long awaited review for Venomin James’ Crowe Valley Blues. Crowe Valley Blues is the second album from the Cleveland doom metal band.
Doom metal is sort of a generic label for this album. While it does have many doom elements, there’s a few (minor) rock moments. One constant that this album does have is it’s heavy as all fuck!
It opens with the track “Desert Rider” which is about as perfect an opening track that you’ll find anywhere. “Cosmonaut” is next. This track you should be familiar with as it was on The Soda Shop Comp vol 1. This was the first song that the band released from the album and even made a video of it. It’s fast, heavy and ready to hurt you. The chorus about 2:50 in is worth it alone. “Death’s Wings” is next with a mellow paced verse and melodic chorus. “Dire Days” is a bit slower and certainly a doomier track. Singer Jim Meador’s voice is haunting. The song speeds up about 4 1/2 minutes into it and before you know it, it’s back to the doomy sound that started the track. This track is going to be a classic. “Make No Mistake” is a bit more of a punk metal number. It’s faster paced throughout and less doomier then other tracks. “Under The Gun” and “Tierra Muerta” are both more melodic numbers. “Penitentiary Glen” is the last song on the album. It’s slow and doomy. Read more…
“Crowe Valley Blues” reviewed in Metal Hammer, Mar. 2011 issue
Hailing from Cleveland’s Crowe Valley, which its creators describe as ‘the home of murder, Mormon, and mayhem’, this is the second album from an outfit that specialises in swampy, doom-laden and moonshine-infused metallic blues.
Modelled upon Black Sabbath, Down, C.O.C., Kyuss and Trouble, the quintet’s sound is rooted firmly in the last millenium, and here that’s no bad thing. As well as delivering lumbering elephant-sized riffs, the two guitarists keep the lead solos sizzling throughout. Meanwhile, Jim Meador’s Southern-tinged voice enhances the album’s air of menace via such standout cuts as Desert Rider and Downer - the latter included as part of a bonus four-song EP called Death’s Wings. [7] Dave Ling“
Pretty good, eh? Thanks to Mr. Dave Ling.
DOOMMANTIA reviews Crowe Valley Blues
It seems that we’ve got a fan over at DOOMMANTIA!
Here’s what he had to say:
“You know as a reviewer, the overwhelming bulk of the albums I review come from the bands and labels themselves so I don’t get much of a chance to review albums that I discovered myself. Sometimes however I have to review certain albums because they are just so good or I feel they are not getting the support they deserved. In the case of Venomin James, both is true. Ohio’s Venomin James got together in 2005 and quickly started writing songs and performing live, they recorded and released themselves a EP titled “Summer Of Horror” which was given out at live shows. In 2007, they released “Left Hand Man” which was a killer album but it went largely unnoticed and went under the stoner-doom radar for most of the underground. From that moment from what I can gather, they began work writing for their next album “Crowe Valley Blues” and after a couple of years in the making it finally surfaced in 2010. Tradegy struck when original drummer Jared Koston died from Cancer on June 1st so hearing him on this album belting out some incredibly powerful drumming makes this album an extra emotional experience.
Crowe Valley Blues reviewed on Hammerock FR
Coming from the french site Hammerock, we’ve got a new review of Crowe Valley Blues. Judging from the Google translation, it’s a flattering take on our sophomore album. If anyone can give us a better english translation, please get in touch.
We’ve received a better translation from CMOR:
“This is Venomin James’s second album, “Crowe Valley Blues,” recorded at Supernatural Sound in their home sweet home, Kirtland, Ohio. Yes, it’s DIY. After “Left Hand Man” impregnated by (or less literally, “full of imagery from or reference to,” I’m guessing…) the Iraq War, “Crowe Valley Blues” unveils the mystical side of the Crowe Valley (south of Lake Ontario) with its superstitions and supernatural side.
Nothing’s changed musically — still big, fat stoner business, somber and ambient one moment, a sort of cross between Alabama Thunder Pussy and Entombed, with a dash of Black Sabbath. A touch of 70′s rock, a really strong hard rock side, saturated with typically ballsy stoner rock, Venomin James is in the stoner lineage of The Sword and Witchcraft.
This second album is stronger than the first, partly from a fatter sound, but also as a result of a live energy that passes through the more substantial rhythms. A slam dunk album perfectly combining the different components of this mixed style, it draws them forward on their journey, one of the year’s best albums in this genre.
We can count on Venomin James to deliver. Drummer Jared Koston’s death from cancer (currently replaced by Eric Matthews of Red Giant, Pro-Pain and Spudmonsters), has only reinforced their determination: a third album is already planned for 2011.
For fans of 70′s and stoner rock, I strongly recommend “Crowe Valley Blues.” You won’t be disappointed!
Kronik OS”
The original link: http://www.spiritribe.com/Evetribepages/AutresPhotosZap/Chroniques/Venomin-James.htm
Sleeping Village Lies reviews Left Hand Man
The original post is in hungarian, so here is Google’s translation:
“Many followers of the genre these days, which is a band based on the working class as the Balck [sic] Sabbath, Led Zeppelin or Thin Lizzy, Corrosion of Conformity and Down the improved perfection. Of course everybody tastes a little different playing style, such as James Venomin basically rock & roll print, of course, Southern and doom elements.
![Venomin James "Make No Mistake" [Official Music Video]](http://i2.ytimg.com/vi/snCgTSPAZKI/0.jpg)
