![]() The atmosphere built via the intro then explodes into ‘The Hammer Of The Witches’, a glorious composition that encapsulates everything that makes Sorcerer a genre leader. Yes ladies and gentlemen, if you’re not a fan of the guitar, then this is not the album for you. It features the familiar guitar sounds of Hallgren and Niemann, namely chunky riffs, a cleverly subtle clean lead melody and some bold lead notes. However, here, it sets the tone for what is to come most expertly. The opening track, ‘Persecution’ is a minute-long intro, the kind of piece that I’d normally dismiss as irrelevant or unnecessary. On top of that, the songs are laced with great atmospherics and the kind of storytelling that only comes from this genre of music. By that, I mean that Sorcerer deliver another ten tracks of molten, epic doom metal laden with gigantic riffs, rousing melodies, stunning lead guitar flamboyance and mesmerising vocals. If you were a fan of the last record, prepare to bow down to this new one, for it is very much cut from the same cloth. As such, don’t expect any left-field turns or big surprises in the output of ‘Lamenting Of The Innocent’. ![]() In addition, according to the press release, Biggs contributed additional vocals and had lyrical input, so credit where it is fully due.īut, ultimately, despite the line-up tinkering, the soul of Sorcerer is totally and unequivocally unchanged. That being said, the new rhythm section more than hold their own on this new record, laying solid foundations upon which to build. Whilst not wishing to marginalise the newcomers in any way, it is fair to say that the most important, core members are unchanged, because Engberg’s voice, alongside the riff and lead work of the two guitarists create the heart of the Sorcerer sound. However, with no other changes, it means that guitarists Kristian Niemann and Peter Hallgren remain in place alongside vocalist Anders Engberg. The first thing to report is a change in the clientele of the band, with bassist Justin Biggs replacing the original four-stringer Johnny Hagel, and Richard Evensand replacing Robert Iversen on the drum stool. I have been fortunate enough to have had the company of this, their third album, for well over a month now, so what follows is not a knee-jerk reaction to the album, but more of a considered appraisal having let the music thoroughly soak in. The minute I found out the release date, I was emailing the PR representative, pleading to hear it as early as possible. In light of all this, you won’t be surprised to hear that my expectation levels were through the roof to hear their new album, ‘Lamenting Of The Innocent’. Suffice to say that the band are every bit as good on stage as they are on record, with the enormously anthemic title track of their last album providing one of the standout moments that night. I was even lucky enough to see them perform live on stage earlier in 2020, in Malmö, in support of Evergrey. Since I wrote that review, ‘The Crowning Of The Fire King’ has received heavy rotation in the Mansion of Much Metal, in the Motor Car Of Much Metal, and on walks with the Mutt of Much Metal. ![]() I wish there were more bands that produced music like this, damnit.” “Quite simply, Sorcerer have created an incredible piece of work that it is just too good, too powerful and too damn catchy to ignore. I certainly wasn’t expecting to be blown away in the manner that I was, ending my review of that 2017 record as follows: I’d never heard their music before and because of the partial doom tag associated with Sorcerer’s music, I wasn’t really expecting much to be honest. When I listened to ‘The Crowning Of The Fire King’, the sophomore album from Swedish metal band Sorcerer, I came to it with no expectations whatsoever.
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