ALBUM REVIEW: Sorcerer - "The Crowning of the Fire King"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 20/10/2017

Label: Metal Blade Records

Fantastical, epic, dark, heavy and doomy are all words that describe the record appropriately. There are not too many doom bands ploughing this traditional furrow these days, but Sorcerer represent the very best of them. This is another excellent album by an excellent band

“The Crowning of The Fire King” CD//DD//LP track listing

01. Sirens
02. Ship Of Doom
03. Abandoned By The Gods
04. The Devils Incubus
05. Nattvaka
06. Crimson Cross
07. The Crowning Of The Fire King
08. Unbearable Sorrow

The Review:

Sweden's Sorcerer return, a mere two years after the excellent “In The Shadow Of The Inverted Cross”. In my review of that album, I noted the Dio-esque lyrical themes and stylings, the Sabbath weight and the epic nature of real doom. Well, I am able to report that all those elements are present and correct on “The Crowning...”

From the rolling drum intro, to the first riff, to the first vocal- everything you would want from a doom album is here. The sound is suitably epic, as are the song lengths. There is some excellent lead work in opener “Sirens” as well. With both the second and last track here clocking in at close to ten minutes, this is not a doom record for the casual doom fan- or the “doom” fan who thinks that sludge is doom. This is true doom for true doom heads- start with Sabbath, go to Saint Vitus, Pentagram, Trouble, Candlemassand The Obsessed and then... Sorcerer would be a logical next step.

The album is dramatic, textured (acoustic guitars shimmer here and there, melodies are plentiful, riffs are massive) and as heavy as lead. The likes of “Abandoned By The Gods” feature riffs that you would swear were from the hands of Iommi himself. Indeed, the solo backed by rhythmical bass is straight out of the Tony Martin era. An acoustic instrumental bridges the record and the final three tracks are as strong as the first three; the band save the title track for next to last, showing that the record is not front loaded.

Fantastical, epic, dark, heavy and doomy are all words that describe the record appropriately. There are not too many doom bands ploughing this traditional furrow these days, but Sorcerer represent the very best of them. This is another excellent album by an excellent band. Doom on.

“The Crowning of the Fire King” is available here

Band info: bandcamp|| facebook