I thought I listened to doom… And then I heard Soma, an upcoming release from Virginia band Windhand. From the opening notes of the first track, “Orchard,” I was taken in. The downtuned sludge was too much for my car’s one broken speaker, but I had to crank it anyways.
The album is united by melodic and rhythmic themes that carry through most of the songs, occasionally punctuated by ripping, psychedelic guitar solos. (Like in the second track, “Woodbine” – badass.) Dorthia Cotrell’s voice floats in the background of the mix, haunting and ethereal. “Evergreen” is the biggest departure from the rest of the material, an acoustic dirge that brings Cotrell’s vocals to the forefront.
Be warned, this album is LONG. The six songs take up almost all the space on a blank CD and the final song, “Boleskine,” is over half an hour. Serious doom enthusiasts will revel in the journey, but casual listeners might have to break it into smaller chunks.
Soma will be released in America on September 17th and the band is beginning a national tour this week. Get your shit together and you can see them in Brooklyn this Friday!
Upcoming Tour Dates
- Sep 05 Baltimore MD @ The Sidebar Tavern w/ Ilsa
- Sep 06 Brooklyn NY @ St Vitus
- Sep 07 Philadelphia PA @ The Golden Tea House w/ Ilsa
- Sep 08 Pittsburgh PA @ Belvedere’s
- Sep 09 Columbus OH @ The Shrunken Head
- Sep 10 Indianapolis IN @ The Melody Inn
- Sep 11 Chicago IL @ The Cobra Lounge w/Mount Salem
- Sep 12 Milwaukee WI @ The Cactus Club
- Sep 14 Minot ND @ Wedding Reception
- Sep 15 Billings MT @ Shooter’s
- Sep 16 Missoula MT @ Ole Beck VFW Post 209
- Sep 17 Seattle WA @ The Highline w/ Bell Witch
- Sep 18 Portland OR @ Ash St Saloon w/ Bell Witch
- Sep 19 Chico CA @ Monstros Pizza w/ Amarok
Sep 20 San Francisco CA @ The Hemlock- Sep 21 Oakland CA @ The Stork Club
- Sep 22 Los Angeles CA @ The Complex
- Sep 23 Salt Lake City UT @ Burt’s Tiki Lounge
- Sep 24 Denver CO @ 3 Kings Tavern
- Sep 25 Lincoln NE @ The Bourbon Theatre w/ Call of the Void
- Sep 26 Kansas City MO @ The Record Bar
- Sep 27 Dallas TX @ The Doublewide w/Solomon and Pinkish Black
- Sep 28 Forth Worth TX @ The Grotto w/Solomon and Pinkish Black
- Sep 29 Austin TX @ The Mohawk (inside)
- Sep 30 Little Rock AR @ The White Water Tavern
- Oct 01 Nashville TN @ The Owl Farm
- Oct 02 Johnson City TN @ The Hideaway w/ Generation of Vipers
- Oct 03 Richmond @ Strange Matter
Advance copy of Soma courtesy of Relapse Records and Enabler PR.
Thanks for sharing the tour dates and the info on the CD!
wow. I wasn’t sure if I would like it, but a new fan here! I love the mix of the soft-ish vocals and the hard guitar. I am not great at describing music, but I know I like this! 🙂
I’m glad you like it! That’s part of our mission here, to introduce people to new music! 🙂
Thanks for sharing the music.
I was never a huge fan of rock/metal. But ever since my stint as a bouncer at Toad’s Place during college, I’ve developed a bit of an ear for it. This band definitely is the real deal. Thank you for sharing!
I’m a huge fan of Doom metal especially Trouble and the voice of the Godfather of Doom Eric Wagner! So I hope you get to check his music out, whilst in Chicago! I heard one of your tunes recently, I love it. Come to England BIRMINGHAM IS THE HOME OF METAL,AND ROCK! The spirit of Sabbath endures!