This Austin band seemed to have come out of nowhere with
their 2006 debut, Age Of Winters, and drawing several
rave reviews by critics declaring this band one of those
Next Big Things in metal.
Stylistically, the album wasnt displaying anything new
Black Sabbath-styled
riffs are all over the place, and doom is the prime
style here, albeit far removed from the 80s-styled
doom bands such as
Candlemass.
In general the songs are rather loose, almost a garage-y
feel even though the production suggests otherwise.
There are clear stoner influences on some of the more
uptempo numbers, though this is not a stoner band so
much as a doom band with some stonerisms,
somewhat in the same ballpark as bands such as
Sleep
or maybe
Orange Goblin.
The band took some heat from underground fans who
always seem to jump on bands who debut on major labels
and thus havent "paid their dues", which really shouldn't matter at all.
But they proved that the debut wasn't a fluke, carving out their own
path over a 16-year career featuring several well-received albums.
Founder J.D. Cronise announced their breakup in October 2022, feeling
the band had accomplished all it set out to.
Recent album: Live At Levitation,
released on October 11, 2024.
