Review: Organ - Tetro

Now, it's no secret that I like a spot of doom every every now and then; I can be found occasionally praying at the satanic altar of Electric Wizard or 'chilling out' to Sleep and so when Alessandro from Italian band Organ got in touch I was more than happy to give them a listen....and I'm glad I did. Organ add a psych twist to the now well well trodden path and have produced an album that brings to mind early Electric Wizard.

Opener 'Slave Ship' has the trademark doom signatures; down tuned guitars and steamroller riffs but what sets it apart is the psychedelic haze that draws you in and envelopes you. 'Witch House' (now released as a single) again starts with a huge psych riff that rolls and pitches, and the addition of some echo-laden, treated vocals only adds to the feeling of disassociation, the 'out thereness' of the track...a dark, fuzzy soundscape. 'Kholat Syakhl' is more of a traditional doom track with the exception that the vocals are clean, which, in my opinion, actually enhances the doomy vibe. 'Hal' is a short, totally drone driven piece - an exercise in atmospherics and suspense and acts as a brief respite from the crushing riffs and shows that Organ are not afraid to sonically experiment and break with doom tradition. The final track, 'Enuma Any Enlil', is a big closer....possibly more post-metal than doom (there are distinct nods to Neurosis etc) but it builds nicely with some great fuzzy bass and some clean post-rock guitar.

What makes this record all the more impressive is that it was totally self-recorded and released; no backing from a label at all, but the production belies this fact (some of it was actually recorded in a garage!). If Organ carry on in this vein they just might challenge the mighty Ufomammut's place as Italy's foremost purveyors of heaviness. A trippy, riff-filled debut with the promise of more to come. 'Tetro' can be purchased from the band's Bandcamp page here.