Serpent Throne

Many bands have made a career of retracing the steps of seminal blues metal outfit Black Sabbath. Hell, most of that band's members are still shaking off the mud from that particular rut. While many have had varying degrees of success at sliding straight into the aura of Sabbath's first three albums, those that have managed the feat will find themselves knocked a peg or two down the throne of worship thanks to White Summer Black Winter. From slinky bass lines that hold the groove while creating melodies, uncomplicated drums that are content holding the fort and chunky guitars with just enough reverb to feel haunting, yet not soaking wet, this instrumental affair grabs hold of the Sab legacy and shakes a few new shekels out of its pocket. In fact, the band cunningly wink at their obviousness with a "War Pigs" reference on "Controlled By Lunar Forces," asserting their ability to combine prodigious innovation with referential originality. Modestly psychedelic, while always heavy, fuzzy and melodic, White Summer Black Winter is a vital bout of groove/doom/blues metal.