PILGRIM - Misery Wizard CD review

PILGRIM - Misery Wizard CD

Metal Blade Records

Genre: Doom

I first learned about this Rhode Island doom metal trio last year when I read about their demo on a Internet doom troll's website. That guy predicted that PILGRIM would be the next big thing in US Doom within no time. After I gave their two song demo a listen I had to agree somewhat with the doom troll's assessment. I could easily see this band as the "next big thing in US Doom" as long as the tag means mediocre sounding. Well here we are almost a year later and the doom troll guy was right. PILGRIM's debut full length is out on Metal Blade Records which is nothing to scoff at. Also instead of just two long cuts from their demo we're treated to six with two of them being from the demo re-recorded in longer version form.


Misery Wizard is basically slightly less than an hour's worth of average sounding epic doom. Now if you think calling this "average" is mean than listen up. The simple fact is that I could get any three capable musicians, hand em a few tapes consisting of SABBATH as well as a few epic Euro doom bands, tell them to learn the stuff and come up with something sounding familiar. I could come back after a few weeks and they would. PILGRIM consists of The Wizard (aka: Jon Rossi) on guitar and vocals, Count Elric the Soothsayer (aka: Eric Dittrich) on bass guitar and Krolg Splinterfist Slayer of Men (no real name given which means it's probably laughable) on drums. These guys are barely old enough to get into a bar let alone know more than just being able to copy tabs and the vocals are horrible.


Now with all of that said if this band sticks around for a few years they might come up with a decent sounding release that might show some original intent. Bare in mind it's epic doom so how original can you get. It's 2012 people, being heavy with a handful of Iommi riffs just doesn't cut it at least in my not so humble opinion. I'm sure this release will sound impressive to the indie rock losers and hipster hoovers. Their promo info states that one of their songs is streaming at the hipster site Pitchfork. I could shove that last CANDLEMASS four CD boxset down the throats of those shitheads and they still wouldn't know what impressive doom sounds like. So lets not lower our standards here people just because the losers have crashed the party.

RATING 3/5


Label: http://www.metalblade.com/

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/spacepilgrims