Review from HOUSE OF SMUT webzine:
The state of Maryland's influence on doom metal runs so deep, it has evolved into its own musical genre over time. That presence has not diminished a bit throughout the years, new important members of the downtuned fraternity emerging still today. This Doom Capital compilation stands as a monument to these riff mongers, as well as a few of their D.C. compatriots. Comprised entirely of unreleased material and featuring a nice balance between the established and the up-and-coming, this disc is both valuable primer for newbies and essential addition for diehards. As with any comp, it's best to have some name bands to draw people in, increasing exposure for those unknown acts in the process. Doom Capital doesn't disappoint in this area. Highlights include Earthride's "Grip The Wheel," their most Motorhead inspired effort to date--and not just due to Dave Sherman's always Lemmy slanted vocal delivery. The Hidden Hand clock in with "Rebellion," Wino and crew frantic like never before, the lead guitar awash in some pretty extreme wah. You even get Internal Void dishing up something closer to doom than the blues rock on their Unearthed album from 2000 during "Black Wings Of Deceit." Still, the absolute geek out moment for all sick hardcore doomers will be the triumphant return after many years of Unorthodox on "Lifeline." This cut is saturated in authenticity, with an almost progressive approach to its execution. It's a thrill to take in and very long overdue. This said, its amazing just how responsible the newer acts here are for some of Doom Capital's brightest moments. Black Manta deliver solid Cathedral worship on "Days Of Yore," while King Valley go for something a bit more rocked out with "$2 Brain" which is a nice approximation of the Cult. For heavy as hell doom crush look to War Injun's "Dangerous Prayer." If you want pure innovative excitement, Leviathan AD have your ticket with "Breathing Rust." Combining the ugly heaviness of Burning Witch with the indie/grunge melodicism of Seaweed, this offering may be tops of the entire collection. Hell, this is all fanastic and if you even remotely dig this tributary of slow and low, Doom Capital will have you spazzin' out. The younger bands featured here can learn a lot from their elder statesmen who have struggled to give them models they can aspire towards. In the same breath, the comp's legends can take great pride in the fact that their influence and inspiration has helped foster such worthy new sounds. In the end, everybody wins--the listener most of all. Make this score.
Review from DEAD ANGEL:
The first question this compilation raises in my mind is: Since when do Clutch sound like Black Label Society? That's certainly a new development to me. The first question this may raise in your mind, though, is: Who the hell are these people? If you're one of these people, then shame, shame on you -- while you and your backpack-totin' pals were swooning over all those earnest, bespectacled sissy-boys moaning about their emotional traumas, bands like Clutch, the Obsessed, Pentagram, Death Row, and other hardcore / metal crossover bands equally fixated on St. Vitus and the Dead Kennedys were establishing legendary reputations all Maryland and the surrounding area. Some of those band members have kept up with the times and are still playing -- see the Hidden Hand, current home of the very Voice of Doom himself, Wino (St. Vitus, the Obsessed, Spirit Caravan, Place of Skulls), plus a couple of lesser-known but equally unpredictable pals. This cd serves as a nifty primer for some of the best doom to creep around the nation's capital.
And look what you get -- fourteen tracks of soul-crushing riff-grunt and pained vocals that essentially, track after track, boil down to "we're doomed, dude." It's all quality stuff, too, and a fair bit of it is obscure or unreleased: Clutch's "Sea of Destruction" (the opening track and one of the heaviest on the album) was previously available only a private cd release sold strictly at shows and the band's website, and tracks from the Hidden Hand, Earthride, Internal Void are all brand new. Hell, they even have the first new studio recording from Unorthodox in over a decade, the former drummer for Spirit Caravan (in Nitroseed), and the first studio recording from the new supergroup Los Tres Pesados (including members of Clutch, Earthride, and Unorthodox). All this whole-grain doom-laden goodness may explain why the first pressing pretty much evaporated before I even managed to review the thing, but maybe you'll get lucky and the label will repress....
My favorite tracks are the ones by Clutch ("Sea of Destruction"), The Hidden Hand ("Rebellion"), Nitroseed ("Class War"), Countershaft ("Black Sky"), War Injun ("Dangerous Prayer"), and Leviathan A.D. ("Breathing Rust"). The tracks by Earthride, Internal Void, Life Beyond, Unorthodox, Black Manta, King Valley, Carrion, and Los Tres Pesados are nothing to sneeze at either (although some of them lean a little too much on the Zepplinesque guitar heroics for my personal taste). If you're down with old-school doom and stoner music, you should find much -- if not all -- of what's here to be quality tunes worth throwin down the horns. And the guitar sound on the Leviathan A.D. track is just the baddest of the bad, slow wasting doom through dying speakers that should make you want to crawl up in fetal position on the floor as the big, big waves pound you senseless.
Review from LOLLIPOP Magazine - written by Craig Regala:
"You know this classicist doom/rock/metal puts me more in the mind of heavy fully formed punk than "metal"
proper. Emotionally, thematically, musically... It's just so right on, so rock without any pretense;
so much a part of the "Stoner Rock" thing; this gray hewed shadow Black Sabbath flung into history. The
DC Maryland area lineage goes back to Pentagram, a band who pretty much helped create this heavy rock
grunt and wrote tunes so good Gene Simmons of Kiss tried to buy a couple of'm in the mid-70's. From
there small groups of people supported this gritty thunder rock which subtracted the folksy and or radio
oriented side of Sabbath for the true goddamn grail of the first four lp's stompers worked up through the
new mid-70's zeitgeist that developed into Venom and Motorhead on the left and Black Flag and The Sex
Pistols on the other left.
By waging a ground war this stuff won hearts and minds a few hundred at a time. Thing is the fans never
left so each new crop just piled on the heap and great bands keep appearing, often shearing off from
other units or transitioning from audience to artist. The Hellhound label in Germany tapped deeply into the
area and signed Unorthodox, The Obsessed, Iron Man,Wretched, and Internal Void-- all who are
represented in toto or by band membership on the disc you're reading about. The fact that Clutch was
birthed from this scene may surprise some but hey, life's fulla surprises; they're as much part of this
as not. One of the figureheads, whether he want 's it or not, is Scott Weinrich; he put the Obsessed
together ,was in Saint "mother fuckin'!-Vitus, and went on to be in Spirit Caravan; a band so goddamn
right on they bent history,( and maybe even time!).
What about the disc itself? The thing spans four generations of Doom from bands who were there in '71
(Pentagram) to new toolings of the genre, (Carrion). It's paced well, starts off with a great Clutch tune,
"Sea Of Destruction" and continues with new, rare and exclusive tracks by; Earthride, The Hidden Hand,
Internal Void, Life Beyond, Nitroseed, Unorthodox, Countershaft, War Injun, Black Manta, LEviathan A.D.
King Valley, Carrion, and Los Tres Pesados. This is the stuff the "True Circle of Doom" grouping of bands
cut their teeth on. Unlike many samplers/overviews/scene reports this thing Plays as a great disc through and through. See also: Black Sabbath, Trouble, Witchfynder General, Count Raven, Penance. "
Review from AVERSIONLINE:
"As the name of this collection would indicate, herein are 14 tracks from 14 different Maryland/DC area bands viewed as representing a historically (or at-some-point-to-be-historically) significant element of the locale's stoner rock/doom scene. These are all supposed to be exclusive, rare, or new songs, though not being deeply entrenched in this genre I can't verify that, but if it is true I certainly commend Crucial Blast for that move. To my surprise Clutch opens this up, and I've never thought of them to fall into this category at all, but damn if "Sea of Destruction" doesn't! Admittedly I've not paid attention to Clutch in years, but this sounds nothing like the Clutch I remember!? Really this isn't a very good representation of their work at all, unless they've changed a shitload over the years!? Nonetheless, it's a good song, and doomy indeed. Earthride and The Hidden Hand follow suit, but it's not until Internal Void cranks in with the 70's dual guitar flare of "Black Wings of Deceit" that the comp starts to take a more diverse turn, as this cut is definitely a bit more unique and unusual. Life Beyond follows with one of my favorites here, a killer track that blends slick rock riffing with interesting rhythm patterns and a totally unique musical feel - not to mention strong singing that fits in with this style in classic fashion.... Unorthodox kicks out another slightly darker and heavier track with some cool dissonant chords and more creative rhythms....the raw and primal Leviathan AD takes charge afterwards with an absolutely punishing track of fucking menacing doom in "Breathing Rust": Distant, somewhat strained singing that possesses tons of feeling, backed by massively ominous chord progressions... by far one of the most sinister and forceful compositions herein (not to mention the longest at nearly eight minutes). Awesome. King Valley's piece is a bit more open and droning, oddly melodic, and grungy at times; Carrion's "Damned to Know" is more technical and quirky than some of the other pieces (granted the playing can almost be too sloppy to truly work), including more obvious metal influences; and then Los Tres Pesados close out with a pretty straightforward rocker with good vocal variation and unusual melodic sensibilities. The layout's been well handled with abstract depictions of DC area architecture and a complete booklet with one photo and credits for each band, as well as a lengthy history of the DC/Maryland doom scene spanning three panels of the insert. The history merely touches on a smattering of what's been going on in the area over the past 30 years (understandably, it's a CD, not a book), but goes back to Pentagram in the early 70's and closes by namedropping a slew of more contemporary artists. There are also a collection of links to other record labels and websites closely associated with the genre....Most of the bands have nice recordings that are warm and thick as would be expected from this style, and there are very few songs I dislike. I'd like to check out more from some of these bands as well, so this is a successful compilation. 7/10 "
Review from IATEYOURMICROPHONE.com:
"For fans of stoner rock and traditional doom metal, the blues drenched riffery and eerie fuzz of which share an affinity regardless of the defining terms used, the Maryland and Washington, D.C. states of the U.S.A. have been something of a musical heaven with regards to spawning an entire scene dedicated to the art. Collectives such as Pentagram, Death Row and The Obsessed from the 1970's and 1980's are credited with helping to define the sound in which so many have revelled over the years, and from the past decade onwards the likes of Clutch and Internal Void took upon the torch and blazed their way through yet more expansions of the psychadelic, heavy and enthusiastic sounds that this genre produces without fail. Certainly the importance of the Maryland/D.C. area has not been overlooked by followers of the art, but local label Crucial Blast have sensibly decided to take things further than a few obsessives, and in doing so have created a tribute to the grooving hard rock incubator present in the area with this "DOOM CAPITAL: Maryland / D.C. Heavy Rock Underground" compilation outing. Featuring largely rare or previously unheard recordings from fourteen bands out of the region, the work exhibits both established artists and up-and-coming groups side by side in a 65 minute feast of guitar fuelled debauchery.
With most of the higher profile artists surfacing in the first portion of the disc, it provides an easy introduction for the casual listener with cuts like Clutch's 'Sea Of Destruction' (only otherwise available on their "Slow Hole To China" rarities collection) and Earthride's 'Grip The Wheel' (slated to surface on the group's anticipated new full length on Southern Lord next year) displaying clear expertise in the field of fuzzy riffs and mucus-addled clean vocals. Meanwhile if anyone was still unaware of the potential of The Hidden Hand (featuring Scott "Wino" Weinrich of Saint Vitus, The Obsessed fame) then their track 'Rebellion' provides clear evidence of just what this trio can do as powerful bass repetitions accompany the offkey vocal melodicism that Weinrich has made his own. Cementing the fact that Internal Void have returned with a brand new full length ("Matricide" on Dogstreet Records) is the inclusion of a new track from this outstanding unit. It's been a good decade since Unorthodox's "Balance Of Power", and "Doom Capital" includes their first new studio recording since that majestic piece of work, a crunchy slab of melodic doom is what's on offer here and it is unlikely to disappoint fans who have been waiting an eternity for some fresh material. Otherwise there are introductary tracks from a good many up-and-comers on the circuit, the likes of King Valley and Life Beyond impressing particularly with brooding selections of cosmic riffs. Tacked onto the end of this release is the first studio recording to surface from Los Tres Pesados, a collective with members of Clutch, Earthride and Unorthodox featured within, and this makes for a glorious close to a thoroughly entertaining journey that keeps the Maryland/D.C. vibe to the forefront at all times.
As far as this review goes, perhaps half of the compilation hasn't even been mentioned yet, but the budding listener will hopefully be aware by now that a comprehensive tutorial to the current and latterday MD/D.C. scene is documented within via the fourteen tracks, and this makes "Doom Capital" something of an essential item. All too often the various artist containing discs are compiled with little forethought into how they will work as a whole, but this work flows throughout and does a sterling job of whetting an appetite for additional material from each and every band featured, for there is not one weak link to be found here. The varied track selection ensures that there will be very few souls in the world who are already familiar with every one of these acts, and even if they were, the plethora of previously unavailable tracks and extensive liner notes make this an especially worthwhile effort as a whole. Even for those who wouldn't normally consider making a purchase in this stratum of the musical spectrum, "Doom Capital" is encompassing enough in its all around quality to make it one of the most important compilations ever. This one will be up there with Rise Above's infamous "Dark Passages" in years to come; consider it mandatory."
Review from MIDWEST METAL:
"July 4th weekend, I was siting around awaiting for big plans, or hell, even little plans.Then the mail arrives with this package from Crucial Blast. It is a CD named DOOM CAPITAL . "Maryland/DC HEAVY ROCK UNDERGROUND". OK I'm hip. I love some old fashioned speaker worship. Then I
played this bastard child of a CD. Fuck yeah!!! My weekend was formulating. I could picture outdoor fests and reefer filling the air and jamming to one of
the 14 bands on this CD. Maybe I wanted to sit outside my trailer and blare this mother and drink some beer with my buddies and put my own reefer scent in
the air listening to some of this old school psychedelic doom stoner metal/rock. Then it hit me or should I say I hit myself. I found some 'electric" paper I was sitting on and decided to trip the lights fantastique. I'm not sure what all happened but apparently, I HAD A KILLER TIME!! I got some notes,I tried to write from listening to this CD and a lot of odd
geometric shapes drawn all over the place. Not to mention im out of cigs and beer and all I can do is think of this freaking CD that apparently been on REPLAY for the last 18 hours and im still listening to it!!!
Well from these cracked out notes I wrote about tales of "doom stomping" tracks such as number 9 from WAR INJUN. Which is named "Dangerous Prayer." Such
brutality proclaimed from this band. The vocals are pissed and strained as well as rough as if to pull the tar out of his lungs. Sweet decension parts of
this song making me think the singer is falling into or out of space. Pummeling Bass!!!
Then there is number 3 which is a tad picked up on the pace as compared to other doom songs as I've heard. The band is THE HIDDEN HAND, the song "Rebellion". There are some great guitar effects that apparently sent my mind soaring on a astral ride. The riffs don't let up.Goddamned electric!!
Number 14 by LOS TRES PESADOS, named "The Ruler," helps me think of the band DOWN. Excellent southern styled grooves. What a way to top out the CD.
Number 4 was by done by the classic INTERNAL VOID, named "Black Wings of Deceit". You can tell these boys got some mad skills and definitely well
rooted in the doom scene!!!!! This song had that classic Sabbath sound that music of this genre is known for but seems to me to carry a whiney Ozzy voice.
Makes you wanna listen to it, right? Hell yeah!!!!!
COUNTERSHAFT was the 8th band on this comp. Serious, serious speaker blowing bass on this track. Turn it up!!! The track is "Black Sky." Outside of the
bass I keep thinking the vocals remind me of the MONSTER MAGNET guy. whose name escapes me .
Number 11 is by LEVIATHAN A.D, named " Breathing Rust." Which is perfectly named as heavy and metalish as this track is. This is possibly my favorite track. Its so hard to decide, fucked up, sober or in between, i cant' decide. The vocals are kind of in the back of this heavy sludgy, intoxicating soundscape. Very dark and apocalyptic combined together.
It makes me proud to proclaim this CD is the BEST compilation that i've received to date. Not to mention that I don't normally get music like this. I usually get a lot of black and death metal. But I urge anyone to search this CD out!! You wont be mad. In the age of the bush-ocalypse this is the soundtrack from
which the horsemen shall ride. Satan bless this DOOM CAPITAL stoner, psychedelia CD! " -maggot of MIDWESTMETAL
Review from STONER ROCK CHICK:
"The Maryland/DC heavy rock underground has been pumping out some of the best in heavy doom for decades. What I did not realize was how far back these roots go! Crucial Blast has traced them back to Pentagram 1971 in the 3-page family tree style preface that graces this 14 song rock chronicle that unearths some of the pioneers, as well as a new and vibrant, fertile batch of heavy ass rock and roll.There are a few familiar names here with the likes of Clutch, Earthride and The Hidden Hand, and 11 more that you probably never heard of; these are the acts that will beat you into submission and have you up and relocating to this unlikely Doom Capital. Many of these bands featured here spawned from Pentagram, Internal Void or the Obsessed, and it all evolved from there ... You’re saying, "So, does all "Maryland" doom sound like Wino?" Well, yes and no.Since he was such a huge piece of the puzzle through the formative years, his influence cannot be denied. Check out Unorthodox and Countershaft for a good dose of old-school Wino-esque doom.But musically, I don’t think Wino himself would have ever imagined how "doom" became such an energetic blues-based entity incorporating both muscle and melody. Acts like Life Beyond throw the first 4 Sabbath albums into a trash compactor and come out with a veritable speedball of sweaty, solo-driven heavy groove power, while newcomers War Injun and Carrion tweak that energy and infuse it to nth degrees with enough sludge and classic metal to give High On Fire a run for their money. Nitroseed unleash some fantastic dark, brooding ....Welcome to Sky Valley instrumental riffage that stands firm all by itself (any vocalist here would simply be annoying) And then, there’s King Valley, who seriously have me floored with their methodical psyche-blues groove.Where the fuck did this one come from?!Their demo sounded absolutely nothing like this! Let’s hope they continue exploring this style as they are extremely talented in this form. Ending off the disc is Los Tres Pesados: Dave Sherman (Earthirde), JP Gaster (Clutch) and Dale Flood (Unorthodox) jamming out Bakerton Group style, and effortlessly sowing enough new seeds to perpetuate yet another Maryland heavy rock explosion. Crucial Blast has assembled an excellent lesson in the roots of modern US doom, and where it is heading. Be sure to check this one out."
Review from ABSOLUTE METAL webzine:
"This little goodie just arrived from Crucial Blast, a comp featuring Maryland/DC's finest alcohol-fueled doom. "Doom Capital" features tracks from Clutch, Earthride, The Hidden Hand, Carrion, Internal Void, Nitroseed, King Valley, Life Beyond, Leviathan A.D., Unorthodox, Los Tres Pesados, War Injun, Black Mantra, and Countershaft, showing off the DC area scene, past and present. Every track is solid, no fillers here, just pure stoner goodness. The liner notes include a history of the infamous Maryland/DC doom scene, tracing it back 30 years. Definately a vital disk to pick up if you're into stoner rock/doom."
Review from EXCLAIM magazine:
"Decidedly one of the year's best compilations, Doom Capital crushes with genuinely solid songs, not throwaways and lame b-sides like Rise Above's Rise 13: Magick Rock Vol. 1 and TMC's In The Groove comps. The name is derived from the extreme breadth of essential doom that hails from the Washington, DC area and its suburbs in Maryland and Virginia. Not only have these environs helped to shape the face of heavy rock since Pentagram rose to underground prominence in the early '70s, but they also continue to crank out quality acts, a few featured here for the first time. Perennial faves Clutch check in with the groove-based funk metal of 'Sea Of Destruction' (also on the Slow Hole To China rarities comp and a live version on Live At The Googolplex),while Earthride's 'Grip The Wheel' (also on Southern Lord's Let There Be Doom 2 label sampler) revs it up with ex-Spirit Caravan axe-slinger Dave Sherman in a Motorhead vein. The Hidden Hand, Scott 'Wino' Weinrich's latest band, offer their hottest track yet in 'Rebellion'. Nothing has been heard from the Internal Void camp since 2000's Unearthed on Southern Lord, so 'Black Wings Of Deceit' will certainly blow fans away with its jazzy flashes, drop-down grooves, and amazing change-ups with Penance skinsman Mike Smail behind the traps. Life Beyond's 'Rising Sunn' and Unorthodox's 'Lifeline' are faster and more wailing Wino worship, but ex-Spirit Caravan drummer Gary Isom's new band Nitroseed goes instrumental with no loss of heaviness on 'Class War'. Countershaft plumbs old-school doom's plodding bleakness on 'Black Sky', as do War Injun (with members of Internal Void, Earthride, and Nitroseed) on the punishing 'Dangerous Prayer'. Black Manta deals the Cult-ish biker metal with 'Days Of Yore', but T.C. of King Valley clinches the Ian Astbury prize on the Oversoul-styled '$2 Brian'. Leviathan A.D. unleashes wave after wave of doom sludge with 'Breathing Rust'. Carrion offers hardcore-inspired stomp-rock with 'Damned To Know', while Los Tres Pesados sports dual vocals from Unorthodox's Dale Flood and Earthride's Dave Sherman (along with the metronomic beats of Clutch's Jean Paul Gaster) on 'The Ruler'. These cuts plus an exhaustive history of the DC/MD/VA scene give Doom Capital an immediate class-A license for heavy rotation in your player."
Review from DAREDEVIL webzine:
"This is a damn fine comp disc, giving you 14 tracks from a variety of great doom, sludge, stoner and just plain rock and roll bands from the Maryland/Washington D.C. area. A few of the tracks I've heard or own on other discs from the bands and some I've never heard before, so its definitely got a great selection of songs from classic bands, many of which you better know who they are by now! The disc kicks things off with Clutch's "Sea of Destruction" and then hits songs from longstanding andestablished acts like the mighty Internal Void, The Hidden Hand, Black Manta and Earthride and not forgetting about younger upstarts like Carrion, Countershaft, Leviathan A.D. and many others (many of these bands are interconnected in someway, sharing members, etc). It would be near impossible to review this disc band by band, so let me just say if you are at all interested in stoner rock, sludge, doom or anything like that at all, this disc should be in your collection. This compilation is a bit of a who's who in doom, sludge and stoner rock and features some essential bands delivering the rock and roll goods in only a manner that they can. If you've been trying to get into this stuff and don't know where to start, this comp makes a perfect stepping stone to better listening! Highly recommended, with a nice layout featuring history of the scene and information about each band."
Review from DIGITAL METAL webzine:
"The rich doom history of Maryland (and its surrounding areas) has been well documented over the years, so it stands to reason that a compilation focusing on that area would be in order. Grouping together artists that may vary sonically yet share the same soul, this release is perfect for those new to the genre. Those who have been around for a while will likely find they already be familiar with (almost) all the acts included here, but all the new/unreleased material makes it worth a listen.
The album kicks off with perhaps its most high-profile artist, Clutch, with the rare track “Sea Of Destruction”...Another non-album track pops up next, courtesy of the mighty Earthride (“Grip The Wheel”). Perhaps the most underrated band on here, they are one of, if not the, best bands in Maryland right now. The mandatory inclusion of Wino follows (with The Hidden Hand), making the opening salvo very formidable.
A nice mix of old and new follows, with still-standing torchbearers Unorthodox and Internal Void matched up with Nitroseed (featuring Gary Isom of Spirit Caravan) and Life Beyond (sadly on hiatus at the moment). Perhaps the biggest reason to purchase Doom Capitol lies at the very end, as an exclusive track from Los Tres Pesados finishes things off. The veritable supergroup is comprised of Jean-Paul Gaster (Clutch), Dave Sherman (Earthride), and Dale Flood (Unorthodox), making it a doom requirement. While it is unclear what, if anything, we can expect from these guys in the future, I’m certainly ‘keeping my fingers crossed’ that we hear something again (and soon).
The booklet is well-written and informative, providing a brief summation of the goings-on in Maryland over the past several years...Newbies need to grab this immediately..." - Andy Shal
Review from UROTSUKIDOJI webzine:
"This is one kick-ass compilation CD. I know, I know, you're thinking, "right, sure it is", as these things always tend to suck like a super-charged Hoover. Well, I'm here to tell ya that this one is different, no really, I swear! Why is this one different you ask? Well, it comes down to a few basic points that most labels pushing discs of this ilk simply miss altogether. First of all, you need a reason and purpose behind a disc like this. Note to label reps: Paying tribute to a mainstream has-been band with lame has-been musicians that no one cares about is not, repeat NOT, a good reason to put out a compilation or "tribute" CD. Next, you need good (and most importantly, relevant) bands with solid tunes. Thirdly, and this is one that always gets no attention, you need to give us a professional package. We need some good liner notes, band info, scene info, etc., we want to know the how and why of things. Lastly, if you want our $15, give us rare or unreleased stuff, just don't pull shit from all the band's current releases, and slap it together. Doom Capital from Crucial Blast makes the grade on all of the above, so let me break it down for ya...
This disc is essentially paying tribute to (and promoting) the strong Doom/Stoner Rock scene that has been flourishing in the Washington DC area for over 30 years now. If you have any knowledge of the subject, then you know it is here that Doom legends PENTAGRAM first crept onto the scene, and started the ball (of thunder) rolling. Although MIA from this CD, they are covered at length in the meaty liner notes. The notes give us a "Readers Digest" version of the history of DC area Doom, from '71 to present day. Just perfect for the uninitiated, and I'm betting it'll even teach some older genre fans a thing or two about the scene that they didn't know. Along with the history lesson comes a small write up on each band that appears on the disc, including a photo! This is great for fans, as we always want to know about the bands we're listening to...
The bands featured on Doom Capital are all solid, and the songs are all super-rare, or unreleased! There aren't too many "big names" involved. We do however have a rare track from Clutch, and appearances by new heroes such as EARTHRIDE, Wino's new band The Hidden Hand, and the new Doom super-group Los Tres Pesados, which features members of Clutch, Earthride, and Unorthodox.... Although every song is solid gut-punching, down-tuned, darkened Doom, there is a slight variance in styles, which makes for a well-rounded listen. I would think this to be an essential purchase for those that live and breath Doom-Metal, and an excellent point of entry for those that are just starting their journey into fear. What more could ya want, great bands, great songs, great package. RATING = 8.5"
Review from IN DEPTH webzine:
"Doom metal. When, where, how did it all begin? Who are the key players? Who's damn fault is this anyway?!?! Well almost certainly, like most metal genre's, this one can be traced back to that thunderous foursome, Black Sabbath. Their down toned riffs and approach have inspired generation after generation of musicians all over the world. The DOOM aspect of this all started somewhere in 1971 with Bobby Leibling and his formation of "Pentagram" in Arlington, VA. A few years after, another Sabbath/Blue Cheer inspired musician, Randy Palmer (RIP) formed his doom and gloom effort under the banner "Bedemon". Through the years many bands have followed suit in this style of metal and FINALLY a label has stepped up and put together a worthy collection of tunes from some of the top doom bands of the day. "Doom Capital : Maryland/DC Heavy Rock Underground" is the title and it's packed with 14 tracks from 14 different bands, ALL doin some SERIOUS rockin and riffin. Track by track here we go: Clutch - "Sea Of Destruction". A quick track from these well known road ragers. Big sour riffs ring out on this one with a great ascending/descending lead! EARTHRIDE "Grip The Wheel". A very bass heavy track so those of you who have the 60 and 170khz levels pumped WAY up may want to bring them back a bit for this one so you can hear the leads on this one. Vocally it sounds like there might be a couple of layers in there but overall the song takes on an amazing Sabbath like quality. The Hidden Hand - "Rebellion". Whoever said the Doom genre was all slow and sludge like probably has not heard this track. A wicked fast intro soon calms down into a very repetitive riff. The music here is the focal point as the vocal track is hidden a bit further back behind the music that you might normally be used to hearing. Internal Void - "Black Wings Of Deceit". GREAT track with some killer riff changes and THICK N CHUNKY bass lines. Again, a HEAVY Sabbath influence! Life Beyond - "Rising Sunn". Keeping the ass kicking going strong is Life Beyond with their contribution, "Rising Sunn". A quick riffed track but very doomy and punishing with some quick high end string bending added for good measure!! Nitroseed - "Class War". Nitroseed slows down the madness with a killer "chill out, let the rainy day slide away" kind of feel to it before picking up the pace near the mid-track point. The all instrumental track comes virtually full circle by the end.
Unorthodox - "Lifeline". It's like sitting in traffic. You speed up and gain some space on your journey only to slam on the breaks again and slow down. Same applies here to "Lifeline". The predominant riff actually speeds up and slows down as it tails off... Countershaft - "Black Sky". A truly linear doom track, "Black Sky" keeps it's tempo upheld from start to finish with a long sludgy style riff. War Injun - "Dangerous Prayer". Another settings warning on this one. You might want to tone down the high end on this one, there's a whole ton of distortion set on this track and when the double bass kicks in it may fizzle out the overall sound. The track itself brings the pace of the compilation up a bit with a big swinging riff and an almost spoken word/sassy tone style vocal track but it's their loud and in your face sound that stands out the most. Black Manta - "Days Of Yore". Quicker riff with an interesting style vocal. Very to the point and mater of fact sounding. Not very over emotional at all. Musically it's a cool Zep/Sab influence for sure! Leviathan A.D. - "Breathing Rust". Holy MEGA DISTORTION BATMAN! "Breathing Rust" sounds like the strings on the guitars have been rusted for decades!! Aside from that, the sound is VERY full. Leviathan A.D. have the distinction for turning in the longest track for this comp at over seven and a half minutes but the ever driving guitars really power the song from start to finish.
King Valley - "$2 Brain". Interesting title, even more interesting song! It's packed with short, quick, echoed/distorted riffs until the real meat and potatoes of the song get underway. The song is broken up into 3 tempo shifts both heading up and down the scale that really make this one you'll play over and over. Carrion - "Damned To Know". A rather odd structure, the verses are screamed over a sustained chord being played a quite a fast pace but it quickly breaks form to something more doom foreboding. Los Tres Pesados - "The Ruler". The compilation wraps up here with a not as distorted, but still a doomy COC style sound. A long noodling solo near the end returns to the main riff before sounding like someone kicked the power chord out of the bass cab!
There you have it! 14 of the best doom and gloom to come out of the MD/DC area. It's BLINDINGLY easy to hear the massive influence of bands like Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer, Led Zeppelin and many others on these tracks. Some tracks present a more aggressive style while others take the more slow calm approach. Either way, when combined, it makes for one killer doom compilation! "
Review from CHAIN WHIPPED webzine:
"One expects to hear of "Doom" from this fine city...but not of this caliber. Seriously, this ain't what we were expecting. Crucial Blast has gone and done up a damn fine compilation with enough rockin' out to sort out an entire nation of disgruntled uh...
rockers. As with anything comes out of Washington, however, it is important to read the fine print. Those politicking nincompoops like to couch funding for irradiated baby rattles in nice-sounding bills for, let's say, "Save the fuzzy bunnies" legislation... that sort of thing. So being responsible citizens, we got totally obliterated and played this thing through over and over again late into the night. By morning, however, we'd totally forgotten what we were up to and had to send the thing to vote while still in our wine-stained boxers. Anyway, we'd say the bill carried with 4 votes of "rockin'" and one energetic belch... pretty good when only two sitting members were actually in congress.
Oh, and somewhere in there we approved funds to buy Cuba."
Review from DEADTIDE.COM:
"Doom metal is a very diverse genre. The title encompasses everything from the most crushing, sludgy incarnation of death metal to cleanly sung, Sabbathy ballads. So when I was given the Doom Capital: Maryland/DC Heavy Rock Underground CD for review, I was expecting a very mixed bag...and that's kind of what I got. This compilation has a variety of doomy slabs, though the majority of the disc is full of gruffer vocalled, mid-paced, hard-hitting, Sabbath-on-steroids heaviness. Apparently the DC/Maryland area has more bands like Earthride and Internal Void than like Sleep or Warhorse...but that's just dandy because there's only so much supersludge a man can take at one time!
The most interesting contributions come from the ever-popular Clutch, who start things off firmly with "Sea of Destruction," Internal Void with their creepy yet rocking attack, Carrion's unique approach on "Damned to Know" and of course, a bludgeoning contribution from Earthride called "Grip the Wheel." Interesting newcomers included in this comp (i.e. those to keep an eye on) include War Injun, Los Tres Pedasos, Black Manta, the silk-smooth Nitroseed and the aforementioned Carrion. And while there are 14 bands and I've only listed eight, the other six aren't half bad either, making Doom Capital a solid compilation that both shows off many different groups' styles and manages to be an entertaining listen all at the same time!"
Review from LIVE4METAL:
"Easily one of the best compilations of any heavy music genre I've heard in a while and the perfect introduction for those not yet initiated into the doom underground, Doom Capital rolls over you like a city bus driving through a muddy field. The key point to keep in mind with this one is the fertile breeding ground for doom outfits that is the Maryland/Washington D.C. area, spawning bands like The Obsessed, Clutch, Pentagram, Spirit Caravan, Earthride, and oh so many others. The CD itself consists of 14 new and unreleased doom tracks from as many bands. And by doom, I mean classic doom, the kind taking Black Sabbath as a primary influence and, on many tracks, mixing in elements of dirty rock and (at times) Motorhead-like filth grooves. The material is largely of the bare bones guitar/bass/drums variety, often emphasizing a quasi-psychedelic vocal approach, tons of low-end, and waves of distortion. Although folks tend to forget about it because of its transformation into a more metallic form, the blues sits at the center of many of these tracks. In addition to lesser-known acts like Life Beyond, King Valley, Los Tres Pesados, and Black Manta, heavy hitters The Hidden Hand, Clutch, and Earthride are also featured; the bands in fact begin the album with the first three tracks. Clutch’s contribution, album opener "Sea of Destruction," is simply a great song, focusing on the band's more traditional side of heavy rockin' doom, rather than the more tweaked out stuff. Earthride's "Grip the Wheel" is probably my favorite track off the album, featuring a Lemmy-esque vocal delivery and grubby heavy rock smack upside the head. It's no surprise that Wino's The Hidden Hand makes an appearance with "Rebellion," a song as good as anything from Divine Propaganda. As for the others, I wouldn't even know where to start; the music on this compilation is so full of life and so far from anything resembling lifeless corporate rock. As an added bonus you get an excellent history of the Maryland/DC doom scene in the liner notes. Doom Capital is about packing a bowl, digging down deep, turning up the amps, and letting it fly. If you're a doom fan, don't even hesitate; buy this album now!"
Review from LORDS OF METAL E-ZINE:
"Here and there the rumour is spread that doom metal is becoming more successful. For those who love the dusky side of metal a good evolution! And another reason to gather everything of this genre and originates from the Washington DC/Maryland area, Crucial Blast concluded. Meanwhile many sub-genres came to existence, going from the snail symphonies of funeral doom to the more energetic death/doom relatives. This compilation is concentrated on the above mentioned area where they have a flourishing continuation of the Black Sabbath tradition and its bluesy psychedelic variations for years. Long ago Pentagram were the pioneers of this 'slow 'n' low' genre. One can find here especially the traditional doom 'n' roll that has some similarity with the stoner rock genre, that's how they called these plunging slightly psychedelic music later on. Furthermore we establish the absence of grunts, but it rocks!
In the early nineties the German label Hellhound came to value some talents in that area and signed bands like Unorthodox, Revelation, The Obsessed, Iron Man, the Wretched and Internal Void. The name of vocalist Scott 'Wino' Weinrich will pop up later in Spirit Caravan while the rhythm section of The Obsessed joined Goatsnake. New bands kept refreshing the genre with powerful injections, one of them was Clutch, growing to be the most popular band of the area.
This compilation has become a collection of as well legendary names as promising newcomers. For more than an hour we are plunged into a rough rocking and grooving orgy where overdriven guitars and flaming guitar solos rule. Clutch opens the festivities with 'Sea Of Destruction', a track previously only available through their website and at shows. The Hidden Hand is the new power trio of Scott 'Wino' Weinrich, founded after his collaboration on Dave Grohl's Probot project. A bomb of energy blows into your living room, only tempered by the slightly imperturbable vocals of Wino. Nitroseed is the instrumental psychedelic band of drummer Gary Isom (ex-Spirit Caravan). With its jerkily riffs and wah wah pedals within reach it is obvious that their spirits are at the desert sessions volume x, for this is Kyuss-allied. An excellent track! 'Lifeline' is the first studio track in ten years from Unorthodox.
Newcomers Leviathan AD distinct themselves with a long track (Breathing Rust-7:37), which is reminiscent of The God Machine, especially vocal-wise, but also the mix of structured riffs and noise comes out of the great God Machine catalogue. It is a wave-movement that, by stiff repetition and spatial moods, causes a state of trance and euphoria. The last band Los Tres Pesados features members of Clutch, Earthride and Unorthodox while 'The Ruler' has been written exclusively for this compilation. If you are into stoner and/or traditional doom, this is a trip through beloved wastelands."
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