The Lamp of Thoth - Sing As You Slay (Miskatonic Foundation)
By Mike Ballue
May 3, 2009

The Lamp of Thoth have, with a combination of talent, individuality and work ethic, placed themselves at the vanguard of the current doom scene. The talent is fairly across the board with this band, but the part that is really of forefront importance is the ability to write a seemingly endless procession of through and through doom metal songs of consistently high quality. The whole catalogue is also elevated even further by an ability to write tunes varied in structure and tempo while unequivocally stamping each song with the TLOT brand. There is no way the Lamp’s songs will ever be mistaken for another band’s. The individuality runs both broad and deep, from the instantly recognizable vocals of Mr. Simon Von Strange to the alchemical ability to mix real menace with slyness and tongue in cheek humor and then push the result well over the top while maintaining absolute authenticity. And here we have the latest result of their work ethic (never a long wait for new TLOT material), the new 10” vinyl beast Sing As You Slay…

“Into The Lair of the Gorgon” wastes no time in beginning the assault. And assault is an appropriate word. There is a punishing and combative feel to the majority of The Lamp of Thoth’s material that at times appears to attempt to push the listener right to the edge. The first stop and start section of this song is a good example. A short and militaristic pummeling underpins a swath of raw doom guitar courtesy of Randy Reaper, followed by simple cymbal time count and then and repeat, and then cymbal count and then a repeat…until finally launching into a more traditionally riffed doom metal groove, before returning again to the stop, start pattern. A lot of bands could have made such structure quite frustrating and annoying, but to TLOT’s credit they are able to make it work in a similar way to that which Sabbath did on “War Pigs”, albeit in a much more stretched out fashion, causing the listener to welcome the abrasive hammer blows to the eardrums. An already very unique song is given an extra leg up due to a great solo by Mr. Reaper.

Next up is “Thomas the Rhymer”, which is a departure into new musical realms for the Lamp. Like an absinthe and ergot fueled summer dream, light poetry wandering a meadow unaware of the lurking evil. No musical sledgehammer heaviness, light music, light rhyme, so where does the dark edge come in? I’ll be damned if I know how they did it, but there is one there none the less. Flip the record over and we’re back in more familiar territory where “Ancient Fire” rides a spectrally voiced Lovecraft couplet into a full on mid tempo doom stormer. This one is just an out and out command to head bang. Miss Emma Pentangle’s drums propel the string assaults of the aforementioned Mr. Reaper and Mr. Strange. In this return to more familiar territory you can see the Lamps’ growth. The band gel and intertwine with an increased dexterity and fluid unity, while the solo is just perfectly placed and executed, more solid evidence of Mr. Reaper’s growing maturity as a solo-smith.

Title track “Sing As You Slay” rounds it out with an absolutely brilliant doom metal take on the betrayal at the heart of the Ring Wars. The pummeling and lumbering doom has the actual feel of a monstrous army on the march. Another killer song and another perfectly executed delivery, this is the stuff of legends. New comers no more, The Lamp of Thoth are flat out one of the best doom metal bands currently going. To tease you with a description of the bonus live 7” included with the die hard version would just be cruel, those are long gone. But hasten to your underground metal merchant of choice and get this now, there are only 500 and releases of this quality in that kind of quantity are to be snapped up post haste…be quick or be dead with envy…


Purchase Sing As You Slay at the Hellride Music Superstore

Listen to a MP3 of Sing As You Slay

Visit the The Lamp of Thoth website at www.myspace.com/thelampofthoth

Chris

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The Hellride Music Superstore - Your Supermarket of Cult Heaviness

SM001

This has been kicking my ass since I picked it up. Definitely a worthy follow up to the full-length.

MassDoomFan

Really good 10 inch EP!! I just love Randy Reapers vocals... He has so much charisma - and boy can he rhyme!!!


This guys (and gal) must put on a INTENSE live show --- I hope the cross "the pond" some day

LENNY

I love these nutters! They have no idea how good they are....

MassDoomFan

Fucking love Randy's Tone -- Heavy as fuck - INTO THE LAIR OF GORGON,,,,

insanely good metal - very refreshing to listen to

La Tray

Into the lair. . . .

La Tray

La Tray

La Tray

. . . of the GooooorGON!

quietus

Unstoppable and incapable of a song that isnt classic.

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"I tell you what I'm gonna do, I'm gonna go out tonite.
Probably drop an acid tab first,I ain't gonna give a shit about them Ruskies. I'm going to go into my head tonight.

Dr. Love

unfortunately i never hear him sing...

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Faith will never save you
From what lies behind the veil

FINRIZ

Errrm,yeah Randy isn't the vocalist!

I've been a proper 'Johnny come Lately' and missed out on this beauty.They appear to be sold out.

MISKATONIC

eh?

http://www.smartcart.com/hellride/cg...em_num=HM-3827

not here it's not.

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http://www.myspace.com/isentorr

Old films old views,
old problems, bad news
no answers, no luck
no bastard gives a fuck.
no sense in staying sane
no end to pissing rain