Reviews    Orodruin - Demo (Self-Release)
by Chris Barnes

HOOHAH!!! What a year for DOOM!!

Serious. Almost everything I've gotten has been first class doomage. Orodruin puts a nice capper on the recent list of misery merchants.

Guitarist John Gallo has been a stalwart in the doom community for a long time, running the Born Too Late website, which is largely considered the Mecca for traditional doom on the web. So if anyone knows how to lay down a doom-drenched riff, it's Gallo.

The Orodruin sound is steeped in the tradition paved by the forefathers.... Sabbath, Witchfinder General, Pentagram, Cathedral, Trouble and of course the mighty Saint Vitus. All those influences are evident amongst these seven songs. Not exact replicas, mind you. We hear enough of that. Orodruin put their own spin on things, mixing the chord-a-minute downstrokes and slow symbol rides with brilliant breakdowns as witnessed on "Melancholia" and "Pierced by Cruel Winds". Hell, "Burn the Witch" starts downright uptempo for a doom song before slowing to a miserable crawl serenaded by the very capable vocals of Mike Puleo. That dude has vocals soaked in dread.

Also of note, the mellotron enhanced (at least I think it's a mellotron) epic that is "Epicurean Mass: Drink Deep From the Cup of Bacchus". Beautiful.

Keep your eyes and ears open for these guys. What a perfect addition to this year's SHoD IV fest in November these dudes would make.


Read the Hellride Music interview with Orodruin

Visit the Orodruin website at http://orodruin.us

Copyright 2002 HellrideMusic.com
Review by Chris Barnes 8/24/02