While I admit I wasn’t expecting a new Hermit’s Weedsom album to drop today — kudos to the Rennes, France-based duo on the oldschool-style Tuesday release day — neither am I sorry to see it. Or to hear it, for that matter. The instrumentalist two-piece impressed late last year with their have-apparently-intended-to-review-it-for-the-last-seven-months debut, He Who Sees in the Dark, and the new offering dives further into weedian nod and fervent push, a song like “Empress Crown” clocking in at just under nine minutes with a hard-hitting forward drive while the earlier “Emperor’s Fall” is pure nodding delight topped with spacious soloing.

They start at a rush with the drum fill at the head of opener “Wheel of Fortune” — and you’ll pardon me if the Karma to Burn comparison feels overly timely, it fits just the same — and hold that momentum all the while, twisting and turning as they go until just-over-nine-minute closer “Luna” rounds out with their most atmospheric stretch. Not a minor journey along the way and clearly not intended to be.

It’s streaming up on their Bandcamp — which I guess is ‘above’ since the player is also ‘below’ at the bottom of this post — and available in a digipak CD with the following nifty art:

As the Emerald Tablet says: “As Above, So Below”.

Guided by the arcane, Hermit’s Weedsom delivers a second stoner/doom prog-infused metal album.

“Follow the cards toward the absolute consciousness point”

The band says: “Hi everyone, 7 months after the release of our 1st album, we are back with a new one. Still instrumental, still self-produced. We put in this record and its 8 tracks, a mix of everything we like to listen to and we hope you will like it too. Take care of yourself! See you soon.”

Tracklisting:
1. Wheel of Fortune 07:31
2. End of Cycle 07:29
3. Broken Chariot 08:08
4. Emperor’s Fall 06:58
5. Hierophant’s Rule 07:40
6. Empress Crown 08:55
7. Eliphas Synthesis 08:30
8. Luna 09:02

Drums : Robin Leplumey
Guitar / Bass : Valentin Cabioch

https://www.facebook.com/HermitsWeedsom
https://www.instagram.com/hermitsweedsomband/
https://hermitsweedsom.bandcamp.com/

Hermit’s Weedsom, As Above, So Below (2021)