Just the other day I was thinking about how underrated Cathedral are. Really, that’s the kind of thing I think about. Not only were they groundbreaking in terms of setting the tone for what doom metal became in the ’80s and ’90s, but they had that whole rock period too, and yeah, there were some ups and downs along the way, but they never compromised at all on doing what they wanted to at any given moment, and right up to the end, they delivered quality doom. The idea of a French tribute to a quintessentially English band is a cool bit of cultural nuance, but the point here is Cathedral deserve to be talked about in league with the heavyweights of their generation, and I know Lee Dorrian‘s work with Rise Above sometimes seems to pull focus away from that, but there’s an awful lot he did first musically that’s worth discussing.

Kudos to Sleeping Church Records for putting this one together. Take a few minutes and stream the Ataraxie cover of “Reaching Happiness, Touching Pain” at the bottom of the post. I don’t think you’ll regret it.

Doom on:

Doomed Or Be Doomed : A French Tribute To CATHEDRAL to be released on August 13th via Sleeping Church Records!

Pre-orders: Shop – https://sleepingchurchrds.com or Bandcamp – https://sleepingchurchrecords.bandcamp.com/

If you have not known CATHEDRAL at Forest Of Equilibrium, you may not be able to understand the huge impact this album has had on the Hard Rock scene of the day. Certainly, we knew a little Doom Metal thanks to CANDLEMASS … But that was something else. Heavier, slower, more morbid. In a time when it was the race to speed that prevailed, this disc took everyone back on the road. And the band did not stop there: for each album, CATHEDRAL evolved, jostled new barriers, and established new rules of the game, both musical and pictorial thanks to the tormented and psychedelic covers of Dave Patchett. So, from a simple idea launched on the internet, then relayed by social networks, patiently, slowly, this double-album was built to bring together what the French Doom has produced better and pay homage to the most influential bands of English Doom Metal. Each of them has entered the world of CATHEDRAL to re-interpret, sometimes re-invent. Do you dare to follow them on this journey?
– Laurent Lignon –

Two-headed project, this tribute album was imagined and possible thanks to the passion of Laurent Lignon and Stéphane Le Saux who know very well the French Doom scene. Thank you to them, without these people, this tribute would certainly never have emerged.

Mastered by Frederic Patte-Brasseur (ATARAXIE) / Artwork by Kax Nivore

Track-listing:
PILLARS – Morning Of A New Day
GOAT RIVER – Ebony Tears
LUX INCERTA – Serpent Eve
MISANTHROPE – Soul Sacrifice
PRESUMPTION – Equilibrium
ATARAXIE – Reaching Happiness, Touching Pain
BARABBAS – La Cathédrale De La Sainte Rédemption (Ride)
MONOLITHE – Enter The Worm(Hole)s
CONVICTION – Stained Glass Horizon
NORTHWINDS – Voodoo Fire
FATHER MERRIN – Congregation Of Sorcerers
DIONYSIAQUE – This Body, Thy Tomb

https://sleepingchurchrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/sleepingchurchrecords
https://sleepingchurchrds.com

Ataraxie, “Reaching Happiness Touching Pain”

Kind of an interesting prospect when it comes to French doom outfit Conviction. The band, which started as a one-man project for Olivier “Amduscias” Verron of black metallers Temple of Baal and released its debut recording in 2014, has a new two-songer single out now digitally called Outworn, and bringing together influences from the likes of Warning and Celtic Frost, it also marks the beginning of an expansion of the lineup, with Verron (seen above) apparently joined on the title-track by drummer Rachid Trabelsi as well as a guitarist and bassist whose names haven’t yet been revealed.

My question: how come? Why keep those identities a secret? Verron recorded that 2013 outing on his own, so it’s entirely possible he’s just playing everything on “Outworn” save for the drums and saying that the lineup will be completed as the band moves toward its proper debut full-length later this year, but I’m not sure. Seems like a curious mystery to perpetuate if the positions have actually been filled, right? I’m all for the occasional secret identity and whatnot, but still.

Either way, doomly grimness prevails on “Outworn” and “Tedium,” which was tracked in 2015, and you can hear both songs at the bottom of this post in the embedded Bandcamp player. PR wire info follows:

CONVICTION (Temple Of Baal members) release new single “Outworn”; new album details announced.

French Doom Metal band CONVICTION, side project of Olivier Verron aka Amduscias from TEMPLE OF BAAL, announces the release of their new digital single «Outworn».

This release is downloadable for free on CONVICTION’s bandcamp: http://www.convictiondoom.bandcamp.com

«Those two tracks deal with time, and the damage it does to both human relationships and self esteem », says Oliver Verron. « I had this pure Doom Metal project in mind since the nineties, but couldn’t find any musicians back then so I finally decided to go for it alone, as a one-man band, first by releasing a demo in 2013».

A one-man band that was doomed to evolve into a real band, as drummer Rachid «Teepee» Trabelsi (Moonskin, Corrosive Elements), joined CONVICTION soon after the release of the single as well as a bass player and a guitar player whose names are still to be announced.

CONVICTION has now started to work on their first album that should be released at the end of the year.

http://www.convictiondoom.bandcamp.com
http://www.facebook.com/convictiondoom
http://www.twitter.com/convictiondoom
http://www.instagram.com/convictiondoom
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuecjYaLIrtOIvq9Y8JNhLg

Conviction, Outworn (2017)