Like the rise of a clear autumn day, The Wounded Kings’ third output “In The Chapel Of The Black Hand” slowly fades in with a slight breath of melancholy. The brand new lineup – featuring vocalist Sharie Neyland, guitarist Alex Kearney, bassist Jim Willumsen and drummer Mike Heath – resembles the bitter yet hopeful atmosphere one might find during the season of change and decay. Just like the band itself faced the circle that is life, with band members leaving to pursue other careers or family lives, founding member Steve Mills continues to write this story. Low’n'slow riffing and epic lengths mandatory for the Doom Genre, the four tracks clearly enchant til the end. With an almost moaning voice, throad-cutting strings and a sway of Hammond organ, The Wounded Kings create a wall of sound which seems to convey the spirit of long gone days and times.
Recorded in the breathtaking Welsh Valleys at the legendary Foel Studios with Chris Fielding (Primordial, Napalm Death, etc.) at the helm.
Compared to the previous two albums (“Embrace Of The Narrow House”(2008) and “The Shadow Over Atlantis”(2010)), the songs on “In The Chapel Of The Black Hand” convey a far more concrete thread, the new members contribute to. As their Swedish Label I Hate points out concerning The Wounded Kings’ 2011 publication: “The listener will be grateful to get out alive with their soul and sanity intact – just as it should be.“
Punkte: 8.5 / 10