CHURCH OF MISERY

Release Year: 2023
Artist Origin: JPN
Style: ominous psychedelic stoner doom metal

with early era vocalist Kazuhiro Asaeda back at the helm, the sludgy Japanese power trio feels much more comfortable again, quite possibly nailing their sickest, heaviest and grooviest slab to date, dissecting the crime stories of such killers as Fritz Haarmann and David Koresh, crafting a soundscape that is both menacing and hypnotic, where each track unfolds with a sense of impending doom - they put an eloquent statement of Worship RIFF or DIE! on the back cover, and indeed these seven acts of torture lean on remarkably catchy guitar arrangements that paralyse all your moves, effectively enriched by desperate raspy vocals with some mental issues, adding a visceral edge to the music, creating a compelling contrast between the oppressive heaviness and fleeting moments of clarity