Review by Ben for Night Hag - Phantasmal Scourge (2022)

Night Hag's filthy debut death doom ceremony has been desecrating my eardrums for the past couple of weeks. Throughout these self-inflicted episodes, it has continually crossed my mind just how similar the experience is to that I was subjected to by Druid Lord earlier in the year. The albums were released just seven days apart in January, and both contain a similar horror-fuelled form of doom with vocals that simply must be emanating from the decrepit beings that adorn their covers.

So how does Night Hag stack up? While I think it achieves what it set out to do, and it would be difficult for any death doom fan not to get some enjoyment out of it (unless you only enjoy the more gothic influenced form), I don't think Phantasmal Scourge offers enough to be called an essential listen. The two highlight tracks for me (the title track and Witching Hour Violation) delve into funeral doom and traditional death metal, and I think it's this variety, and the extremity of those tracks that take them to another level. The band's stock sound is just a bit monotonous, without the crushing power that makes that description a positive for other doom acts. I definitely enjoy the Druid Lord album more than this one, and I think that has a lot to do with the fantastic lead guitar work that permeated its running time; an addition that added a dimension that Night Hag might want to consider in future.

All up, this is a solid release that I'm still willing to give 3.5 stars, but unless you love death doom as much as Sonny and I do, you might find that this phantasmal scourge doesn't quite violate you as much other, more effective relics of the dead.