Sanctus Bellum

Sanctus Bellum – Return to Dust

Man, I don’t know what’s drifting in the bayou’s down Houston way, but damn if they aren’t churning out some seriously heavy bands. Recently, Pope touted the weighty wares of Project Armageddon, and now we got another monster of a doom band to bally about; Sanctus Bellum. Return to Dust is their 6 song debut and if this indestructible platter is any indication, we got a monster doom player on our hands.

Recently, I’d been watching the history channel, and have become fascinated with ancient civilizations and their monolithic structures like Puma Punko, with their 800 ton ruins. Images of those megalithic structures raced through my ravaged brain as “Shoggoth’s Ascent” erupted out of the speakers. Truly epic in its scope, this is the music of an ancient, timeless race. And let me tell you, those multi-ton slabs of granite at Puma Punko got nothing on the weight of the riffs here. Small nations could collapse under their mass. Dense and impenetrable. Sanctus Bellum lay it on thick and massive.

Now, if the vocals sound familiar, it’s because they belong to long time Ripple favorite Mr Plow’s singer Justin Waggoner, and his vocals work perfectly here, particularly on a track like the blazing epic “Dagon’s Bride.” Waggoner’s not afraid to gruff up his voice or leave it clean and soaring when the part calls for it. Either way, the dude can actually sing which in my mind is always a plus for any band.

As for where Santus Bellum comes from. Of course we got the requisite Sabbath, but they bring in more of the post-grunge riffery to them than simply lose themselves in the 70’s. Trouble is here, so is some post-Alice in Chains, as are others. They even bring in some tasty classic metal harmony guitar riffs which just blare out all fiery and mean. Lyrically and thematically, each song on the self-released Return to Dust references H.P. Lovecraft, but you don’t have to be a fan of that demented author to get into the metal meal these cats lay out. Just embrace the neck-breaking riffery of “Curwen,” or the massive epic, and monstrous refrain of “God’s Own Warrior.” Imagine yourself at that ancient granite ruin of Puma Punko as “The Reddening West,” blares from the stereo. See the ancient people, the warriors, the sacrifice. Or simply lose yourself in the twilight groove of “White Cat.” Heavy and inspiring. Dense and moving. Sanctus Bellum are one to watch.


--Racer X - The Ripple Effect

Sanctus Bellum - Return To Dust
Reviewed by Andy "Dinger" Beresky (www.StonerRock.com)
Self Released
Available Now


Sanctus Bellum may be newcomers to the doom metal scene, but they have a classic sound. Usually, when we're talking about a "classic" sound in doom metal, we're referring to the usual suspects, particularly Black Sabbath, Pentagram, Saint Vitus and Trouble. And while I'm sure the collective members of Sanctus Bellum are familiar enough with those bands and their output, their take on a classic sound is much more fresh.

With that being said, Trouble is the most obvious jumping off point, particularly their 90's, more groove oriented material, as the mighty groove is omnipresent on this six song debut. Check out the Orange Goblin-esque swagger of "Shoggoth's Ascent" after the melancholy bass and guitar intro. That's precisely the kind of groove that relauched Trouble laid down so effectively on Manic Frustration. The whole album has a 90's, post-grunge feel to it, which is probably what separates Sanctus Bellum so clearly from traditional doom bands who steer more towards influences from the 70's and 80's. Like I mentioned above, there's plenty of classic metal moments going on here, but it's not really the focus, which makes parts like the catchy harmony guitar riffs of "Dagon's Bride" stand out even more. Sanctus Bellum remind me of Corrosion of Conformity or Solace in this regard, in that they're a band that can seemlessly meld classic and more contemporary metal influences.

Thes songs are well crafted with plenty of memorable riffs, and the arrangements aren't always your standard verse/chorus/verse format, which also helps with the "fresh" feel to the material. Vocally, singer sounds like a cross between Eric Wagner and Halfway to Gone's Lou Gorra. The rhythm section is solid as well, with the bass playing really standing out in the mix.

And that leads us to my one very minor complaint - the reason the bass stands out so much is that the guitar sound is a bit on the thin and trebly sound. While it works for the leads and solos, some of the riffs just lack that certain "oomph" without a good mid-low punch behind them. Like I said, a minor production complaint that's easily remedied with their next recording, just have their engineer take a listen to Argus's self titled album as a reference to how guitars of this type should sound.

All in all, this is a promising debut from a band with a lot to offer. Recommended.
- Stonerrock.com