In a word: Ballsy.

As much as I?ve tried to come up with other descriptors for Hour of the Wolf, the self-released (through their own Midnight Dreams Productions) full-length debut from New York?s The Resurrection Sorrow, they all boil down to the same thing. This is testosterone driven doom rock that stands out like a high five across the table at a fancy restaurant. Think C.O.C., BLS, Crowbar, some Borgo Pass-style sludge, etc. So yeah, like I said: ballsy.

Bassist Alex Coelho (Tides Within) and vocalist Alex Dementia (After Dark) form the songwriting core of the band, and work tightly together. There is rarely a moment wasted on Hour of the Wolf; a well-suited straightforward approach gives the album an aggressive feel without being silly losing focus. The catchy opener, ?Resurrect the Sorrow,? walks a thin line between heaviness and accessibility that makes it clear audience is a consideration for The Resurrection Sorrow, however there is no real pandering to be found there or elsewhere. Likewise, ?Buried Dreams? and slower-paced later cut ?Plague of the Dying Sun? don?t feel dumbed down or like they should be doing more than they are. They?re well-written pop songs, and they accomplish everything they should on that level.

Stoner doom with an eye geared toward fan appeal is always a tricky proposition. On the one hand, it seems like it should be a no-brainer, but on the other, it?s been done already to such a degree as to be nearly impossible to revolutionize. Still, The Resurrection Sorrow, despite having a track called ?Shadow of a Vampire? (an instrumental, no less! Come on guys, you can do better than that name), give a solid, professional showing on their first album. From the clarity of the production to the Seldon Hunt artwork, there is nothing Hour of the Wolf sets out to do that it doesn?t accomplish.

Having just recently seen the band — rounded out by Zak Gross on guitar and Supervillain?s Louie Gasparro on drums — supporting Type O Negative offshoot Seventh Void at their CD release show, I can say they?re an even better fit with the group on disc than live. Closer ?Undermyskin? has some subtle sample/keyboard work that rests easy with the riffing from Gross? guitar, and the overall vibe of The Resurrection Sorrow is rock for rock?s sake. That and ballsy, anyway. In either case, no reason Hour of the Wolf shouldn?t be well-received by heads and headbangers alike.

The Resurrection Sorrow on MySpace

Tags: New York City, The Resurrection Sorrow, Unsigned bands

This entry was posted on Monday, November 30th, 2009 at 1:17 pm and is filed under Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.