Album Review: Sorcerer - Lamenting Of The Innocent

A couple years ago, Sorcerer did something rather remarkable, putting out a record that elevated doom more than any other I have ever heard. "The Crowning Of The Fire King" was a doom record, but it was painted with a brighter brush, and expanded in grand fashion in every direction. It was heavy, glorious, and epic in a way that went far beyond simply being long. It was optimistic doom, if you will, and a record that was an instant entrant into the top tier of the genre. That happens so rarely these days, and for a record to pull me into a genre I usually find tedious, it was a statement that Sorcerer was doing something truly special.

So now that the time has come to follow up that record, we're left with the inevitable question; how do you follow a classic?

For Sorcerer, that means continuing to expand their sound in new directions. What was already a mix of doom and power metal now incorporates even more sounds, but have they spread themselves too thin? They very well might have. There are elements to this record that pull the band away from what made the previous one such a success. "The Hammer Of The Witches" opens things in fine fashion, but when we get to the end of the chorus section, it falls into a section that is supposed to be a massive chant, but it slows things down and strips away the melody the song had built up. It's a case of sounding smaller by trying to sound bigger.

The title track is a lovely slow melodic song, and then there's a random section where growling vocals and double-bass drumming comes in, which not only breaks up the flow, but isn't handled with particular care. The transition in and out is haphazard, and snipping those seconds out of the song would make the entire track both flow and sound better. It was an addition that didn't need to be there, and I don't feel adds anything to the track.

When they stick to their bread-and-butter, the results are typically great. Both the faster "Insitoris" and the slower "Where Spirits Die" are Sorcerer at their best, with forlorn guitars and wailing vocals full of sorrowful melody. They're so good at doing that it frustrates me even more they feel the need to try new things so obviously outside their wheelhouse. Sorcerer doesn't need to take any cues from extreme metal. They don't need to throw in growls to try to keep up with the times. Great music is timeless, and that's what "The Crowning Of The Fire King" was.

The majority of this album falls into the same category, although the songs don't quite have the same magic. It's always asking a lot to equal or top such an album, so it's not a surprise Sorcerer falls a bit short of their own epic high. Instead of an album that is as good as doom has ever been, we get one that is merely as good as doom will possibly be this year. Is that nit-picking? Yeah, it probably is, but my job here it to be honest about what I'm hearing, and I can't do that without telling you I wasn't floored in the same way "The Crowning Of The Fire King" got to me.

Still, doom is a hard genre to keep moving and interesting, and Sorcerer is still as good at it as anyone. I know there was a lot of praise for Candlemass' 'comeback' album last year, but Sorcerer is better than them on every level. The songwriting is both stronger and more nuanced, the production is wonderful and doesn't rely on dirt to make things sound heavy, and the vocals are fantastic. If the only flaw is that you have done better yourself, and not that anyone else has topped you, doesn't that say everything?