CD: Pombagira – Flesh Throne Press

Flesh Throne Press is the sixth album from heavy doom-rock duo Pombagira. Guitarist and singer Pete and drummer Carolyn Hamilton-Giles’s massive sound is characterised by portentous riffing soaked in reverb, vocals that could easily be mistaken for prime time Ozzy Osbourne, and sluggish but powerful drumming, all basted in early '70s production values.

The obvious touchstones for Flesh Throne Press are the sound of classic Black Sabbath and spaced-out '70s psychedelia with a heavy dose of pagan mysticism. Heavy sludge-rock riffing with trippy interludes characterise epic funereal tunes that clock in at well over 10 minutes: “The Way”, “In The Silence” and “Soul Seeker” are all stoner gold. The accompanying lyrics invoking “the Great Father who blackens the sky” and “the Golden Coil of Time”, however, occasionally veer dangerously close to progressive rock pomposity but given that the vocals are buried deep in the mix, visions of Yes album covers are easily banished.

But there are plenty of other flavours on Flesh Throne Press beyond crushing riffs interspersed with atmospheric spaces. “I Curse, I Pray” has more than a dash of My Bloody Valentine’s cacophonous noise about it. The instrumental “Blessed Are the Dead” wouldn’t be out of place in a set by Latin guitar magicians Rodrigo y Gabriela, while “Gather” is a melodic trip that brings to mind Pink Floyd’s “Set the Controls For the Heart of the Sun”. However, as a whole, Flesh Throne Press is a massive yet brooding epic inviting a total immersion that eclipses all trivial concerns.

• A free stream of Pombagira’s Flesh Throne Press is available for one week at:

  https://soundcloud.com/svart-records/sets/pombagira-flesh-throne-press