Leather Nun – Absence of Light

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Often suffixing their name with “America” to distinguish themselves from the long-running Swedish band of the same name (who both reformed and disbanded this year for the first time since 1995), Leather Nun deliver a second full-length album of their heady mix of stoner and doom metal. Plenty of influences can be heard in Leather Nun’s sound including Fu Manchu, Pentagram and The Obsessed, and their spread these out over the course of the album to provide some nice variety, while the predominant sound is heavy, doomy riffs all through tracks like Emblem, Tools of The New Church and Portcullis, each with John Sarnie’s Scott Weinrich-ish vocals and fuzzy solos. Between these rumbling tracks there’s a touch of medieval folk to acoustic instrumental Some Might Grow, superb acoustic track Final Resting Ritual, which is a highlight where so many more mellow tracks are the low point of an album, and a Fireball Ministry feel to Below Zero, before closing with the irristable classic doom groove of Dark Crusade doom-jam closing intrumental Hm Ending. Yet another oustanding entry in a sub-genre that is flourishing more than any other at the moment.

Written by Andy Lye
More: Albums, Doom Metal, Quick.Play Reviews, Stoner, Leather Nun