Sesta Marconi – Where The Devil Dances

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Despite having been together for over ten years Where The Devil Dances is Italian doom metal outfit Sesta Marconi’s debut full-length release, which would explain the exceptional song-craft and production. Debuts only usually sound this good when they’re from second bands or solo projects helmed by already-established artists, so their slow, grooving Candlemass riffs should slot straight into the doom metal landscape with ease and become a staple for underground doom fans across Europe. Singer Sergio Oriente mixes traditional doom vocals akin to Albert Witchfinder or Bobby Liebling with what sounds most like the melodic side of Marilyn Manson‘s eerie voice to excellent effect, conveying the necessary despair of doom music perfectly. The songs here show the time that has gone into writing them, and tracks like opener Gruesome Woe deliver a multitude of classic riffs and well-time breaks. The disco-influenced bridge in Skeleton Party is certain to raise a smile and each of the first six five-to-eight-minute tracks are prime slabs of doom that will immediately appeal to fans of Candlemass, Reverend Bizarre and Pentagram, all leading up to the epic fourteen-minute closer Vanitas (The Leper Queen), which runs the full spectrum of fast and slow doom riffs. After ten years together and just the one demo and one self-published EP, the debut album needed to be first class, and it is.

Written by Andy Lye
More: 2010, Albums, Doom Metal, Quick.Play Reviews, Sesta Marconi