Rochester, New York-based trio Blizaro will release their new album, Cornucopia della Morte, on April 15 via I, Voidhanger Records. The nine-track/52-minute full-length was originally set to release in 2013. It is the sophomore outing from the three-piece led by guitarist/vocalist/keyboardist John Gallo, also of vastly-underappreciated doomers Orodruin, and it follows 2010’s City of the Living Nightmare full-length as well as a slew of shorter offerings, some of which were compiled in 2013’s 2CD Strange Doorways (review here), also on I, Voidhanger. If nothing else, the fact that its opener comes in four different parts should tell you that Blizaro‘s methods tend toward the grand. That’s been the case all along, but as their awaited second album, Cornucopia della Morte has the complicated task before it of working in both classical and progressive forms. Gallo, joined in the band by drummer Mike Waske (also of Orodruin) and bassist Mark Rapone, conjures a blend of essential doom metal and eerie cinematics in Blizaro that results in a sound familiar but distinct from its influences.

Those influences? Paul Chain is a big one. Goblin and Candlemass also make sweeping appearances in the sound, but in the combination of elements, Blizaro are a unit unto themselves, and even as “Nemesis Pt. 4: Altered State” begins with a mixture of swirling and chugging, there remains a broader scope in the songwriting. It’s not entirely wrong to call it classic doom, or traditional doom, but to do so discounts the progressive side of Blizaro‘s take, whether that’s the transitional push that underlies the midsection guitar solo or the organ lines that emerge atop Rapone‘s bassline past the halfway point. A big slowdown gives Gallo plenty of room to work in overlaying different keyboard/organ sounds, and as Waske pushes the procession forward, “Nemesis Pt. 4: Altered State” builds to a dirge worthy of any number of grainy VHS funerals. I can’t speak to how it represents the entirety of Cornucopia della Morte, but on its own, it certainly captures the intersection of soundtracking and classic doom metal that are so pivotal to Blizaro‘s style.

And so it seems only a fitting place to start ahead of the album’s release in April. Please find the exclusive stream of “Nemesis Pt. 4: Altered State” below, followed by more info on the record from the PR wire, and enjoy:

John Gallo, the unsung American master of horror doom, is back with the long-awaited sophomore album by BLIZARO. No less adventurous than its predecessor (“City Of The Living Nightmare”, Razorback Rec. 2010) or the “Strange Doorways” collection of demos and rarities (I, Voidhanger Rec. 2013), “Cornucopia della Morte” is however more powerful, dynamic, focused and refined; a mature effort from talented musicians that worked in perfect harmony. Written and recorded in 2013, the album was then shelved to make room to Gallo’s uncontrollable bursts of creativity which lead to JOHN GALLOW, a solo project that debuted on I, Voidhanger Records in 2014 with the acclaimed doom masterpiece “Violet Dreams”.

Now that BLIZARO are writing new material, “Cornucopia della Morte” has been called back from its provisional grave and wrapped in an imaginative cover painting by Dan Bell which perfectly captures BLIZARO’s penchant for all things horror, doomy and weirdly dark. Driven by Gallo’s rip-roaring guitar-playing and slanted vocals, and by the formidable rhythm section of Mark Rapone (bass) and Mike Waske (drums), “Cornucopia della Morte” conjures up the ghosts of Goblin, Black Sabbath, Paul Chain, Pentagram and Candlemass at the crossroad of doom, prog, psych rock, heavy metal, and the Italian horror soundtracks from the 70’s. The album features 8 new BLIZARO songs, plus a shattering cover of “Voyage To Hell” which preserves the dark and menacing aura of the original by Paul Chain Violet Theatre.

TRACKLIST
1. Nemesis pt. 1 – Daughter Of The Scarab (6:55)
2. Nemesis pt. 2 – Citadel Of The Lunatic (5:14)
3. Nemesis pt. 3 – Interludio (1:50)
4. Nemesis pt. 4 – Altered State (5:15)
5. Giallo (7:26)
6. Frozen Awakening (7:58)
7. Voyage To Hell (3:14)
8. The Staircase (5:54)
9. Stygian Gate (8:21)

Total running time 52:07

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