Samothrace – “Reverence to Stone”

The four years that passed between Samothrace’s debut, Life’s Trade, and Reverence to Stone would be far too long if this album wasn’t so goddamn monstrous that it crushes the very notion of time and space itself. After changing the landscape of American doom with the aforementioned 2008 release, Samothrace burrowed underground and tunneled their way from the dying streets of Lawrence, KS to Seattle where they began to crawl their way to the surface to feast upon our thoughts like the cerebral, subterranean beast that Reverence to Stone personifies.

The two songs that comprise Reverence to Stone (though they collectively clock in at over half an hour) contribute more to the doom metal movement than any two albums from the band’s peers. Yeah, this shit is that good. Starting off a soft, hauntingly melodic whisper, “When We Emerged” swells into a bubbling mass of weighted melancholy that shifts from a dead man’s crawl to the measured, mid-paced march of an army of giants before caving in on itself at its bittersweet end.

The effects of “A Horse of Our Own” are more immediate as this one kicks off with the boulders crashing down the mountainside. As the dust settles, the song rests quietly at the bottom of the rubble before exploding from its tomb to rage triumphantly across the ruins left by its own devastation. Sullen interludes flavored with bluesy solos allow the beast room to breathe. The twenty-minute running time of this tune passes by unnoticed thanks to the captivating nature of the music being played.

A very fluid, organic and stirring album, Reverence to Stone will one day be heralded as a classic. Buy this one immediately!

Track Listing:

01. When We Emerged
02. A Horse of Our Own

Run Time: 34:28
Release Date: July 31, 2012

Check out the song: “When We Emerged”