October 2021 Feature Release – The Fallen Edition

So just like that we find that a new month is upon us which of course means that we’ll be nominating a brand new monthly feature release for each clan. This essentially means that we’re asking you to rate, review & discuss our chosen features for no other reason than because we enjoy the process & banter. We’re really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on our chosen releases so don’t be shy.

This month’s feature release for The Fallen has been nominated by myself. It's 2007's enormous 130 minute "III: So Long Suckers" double album from Finnish doom metal trio Reverend Bizarre.

https://metal.academy/releases/1897

Oh, excellent choice sir! I love Reverend Bizarre and this double discer is a doom metal monster.

Yeah I've been meaning to check them out for some time now as I know you're a big fan & I trust your judgement when it comes to all things doom. Thought I'd throw myself in the deep end too.

Yeah I've been meaning to check them out for some time now as I know you're a big fan & I trust your judgement when it comes to all things doom. Thought I'd throw myself in the deep end too.

Well, you've certainly managed that, Daniel. I'm a bit nervous now you say you are unfamiliar with Rev Biz, because I'm not sure So Long Suckers is the best place to start with them. It's one of those albums where I know I love it, but I can also understand why others might not. I'm very interested to see what you think of it now.

Well, you needn't have worried Sonny because I was always gonna enjoy a monolith of pure doom like this one. Yes, it's extremely lengthy & there's not going to be nearly enough variation to keep your more casual punter entertained but I've always been partial to a truly authentic doom metal sound & you won't find much more authentic than this. There are some truly immense & lumbering riffs on this muthafucker. The Geezer Butler inspired bass work is highlighted by a monstrous tone that beefs up the whole album & there's a bluesy early Sabbath feel to the atmosphere a lot of the time too with those classic rocking-to-sleep rhythms. The traditional doom metal bands of the 1980's were certainly a major influence on Reverend Bizarre's sound in that respect, particularly Saint Vitus.

Albert Witchfinder's vocals aren't the strongest you'll hear but they suit the imposing atmosphere well enough. In saying that though, I do think "III: So Long Suckers" had the potential to become a genuine classic with a top class metal front man. The slower, heavier numbers are quite spectacular (see "Sorrow", "Funeral Summer" & "Caesar Forever") although none of them run their full course without changing things up a bit along the way. You're unlikely to identify anything particularly original here but there's an undeniable quality to everything that Reverend Bizarre attempts. The pointless hidden track that closes the record was a bit of a disappointing way to end 130 minutes of premium doom metal but I still find "III: So Long Suckers" to be a very rewarding experience for the more discerning & committed doom metal aficionado.

For fans of Saint Vitus, Lord Vicar & Spiritus Mortis.

4/5

I've posted my review. Here it is:

Even prior to the release of So Long Suckers, Reverend Bizarre had announced their intention to split, so it seems that they decided to go out with an album that could be viewed as the last word in traditional doom metal. Everything about the album is exaggerated and drawn out to a point (or more accurately beyond a point) at the edge of comfort. Intro riffs are played over and over way beyond where you would expect the vocals to kick in (They Used Dark Forces), chords are held for an interminable amount of time (Sorrow) and there are passages of bass-led noodling that act as more of a buffer than an intro or outro that seem at odds with the track they are attached to (Anywhere Out of This World). Then of course there is the extended track lengths. For trad doom some of these tracks are historically long, three of the seven tracks are over 25 minutes long and the album as a whole weighs in at a hefty 130 minutes.

And you know what, I love every minute of it. Reverend Bizarre are one of my absolute favourite traditional doom acts and, for me, very few can hold a candle to the Finnish trio. So Long Suckers isn't a perfect album by any means, look to the debut In the Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend for that level of doom metal nirvana, but it is a great example of an album pushing a genre to the absolute limits of extremity whilst remaining wholly within it's confines, so no harsh vocals, blastbeats or synths are to be found within this two hours plus of no frills, fuck-you-if -you-don't-like-it doom metal.

The riffs are memorable and gargantuan, courtesy of Lord Peter Vicar (Kimi Kärki), subsequent founder of the excellent Lord Vicar and the drumming of Earl of Void (Jari Pohjonen) is on point and, despite the extended repetition of the tracks, he does plenty to keep it interesting. For me though, despite his vocal shortcomings, the bass playing of Albert Witchfinder is fantastic and the instrument's presence is stamped all over So Long Suckers in a way that is reminiscent of how Lemmy's bass would often dominate Motörhead's sound (and even more so, Hawkwind's), adding a real depth and heft to the material that takes it to a different level of doom-laden substance.

This really isn't an album for the doom metal newbie and deliberately so I guess. Reverend Bizarre have wilfully gone about testing the limits of Traditional Doom and the mettle of it's adherents with their swansong, in an attempt to go out with the last word in the genre. To this end, I would suggest, they have been singularly successful and have produced an album that may alienate some but will heavily reward those willing to go along with it.

4.5/5

Fantastic review Sonny. I can very much relate to it.

In an attempt to get all the monthly features finished off, I picked a horrible day to listen to this one. Turns out long, drawn out Doom riffs don't pair well with a tight Friday deadline at the office. I'm looking forward to going back to this one in a better headspace because the sheer length of repetitiveness of it made me completely zone out, even though I recognized that there are some fantastic riffs in here. It's cool how great Doom bands are able to take such simple but effective riffs and stretch them out to enormous lengths thanks to great songwriting and progressions. Just wasn't the day for it, so my score will reflect that for now. 

3.5/5