Band: Druid Lord
Title: Grotesque Offerings
Label: Hells Headbangers
Release Date: January 19, 2018
Country: United States
Florida death/doom outfit Druid Lord have returned with their sophomore full-length, Grotesque Offerings. It's been eight years since their debut, Hymns for the Wicked, was released, and the band brings their horror-themed stylings home for an enjoyable slice of classic sounding death/doom. Thick guitar production, coupled with solid songwriting, stand as the highlight features of the album. The hardest part of anything on doom territory is keeping the attention of the listener, and Druid Lord manage to do so by not dwelling too long on one tempo. The speeds vary throughout each track between the slower, dirge-y sections and the builds that seem to rely more on a driven, mid-tempo feel. There are even plenty of faster sections to get the listener's head banging a bit. The solos feel well-placed and are executed with precision. One of the biggest stand-out features of the album was the use of the B-horror movie aesthetic; the whole album feels like classic gore flick. The touches of organ-replicating synths really add a nice touch of atmosphere without taking over the spotlight from the backbone of the band. Overall Grotesque Offerings is a solid effort from Druid Lord, and I hope they don't take eight years to release a follow-up! (7/10) By d00mfr00g
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