Label: Iron Shield Records
Review by Tony Cannella
From Greece, the Doom Metal band Sorrows Path’s history began way back in 1994. Their early career never amounted to more than a few demos before the band when hiatus. Flash forward to 2010 and the band’s debut album “The Rough Path of Nihilism”. Now Sorrows Path returns with their 2nd album “Doom Philosophy”. Sorrows Path are not a female fronted band but they do include some female vocals on “Doom Philosophy” and besides that, they’re pretty damn cool.
According to their bio, Sorrows Path are influenced by such legendary bands as Candlemass, Solitude Aeternus, Memento Mori and Fates Warning. Musically the band is not all doom, they also bring progressive metal, ala early Fates Warning into the mix. Maybe progressive doom would be an apt description. Having said that, the album is solid from the opening of the ominous intro, “First Beam of Darkness into Light” and into “Tragedy”. “A Dance with the Dead” is a killer track which has a pretty up-tempo and addicting melody and guest vocals provided by Katerina Nikoloudi. Katerina returns on “Everything Can Change” which also includes a guest appearance by Snowy Shaw on vocals. Other highlights include: “The King with A Crown of Thorns”, “Clouds Inside Me” and “Darkness” (which features a spoken word part by Barbara Michaloutsou).
With all of the genres, sub-genres and sub-sub genres in metal, it seems like there are fewer and fewer quality bands playing doom metal. Well hopefully Sorrows Path can rectify that situation. With “Doom Philosophy” they have not only taken a genre that’s been dormant but have breathed new life into it.
Rating – 90/100
Tracklist
- First Beam of Darkness Into Light
- Tragedy
- A Dance With the Dead
- Brother of Life
- Everything Can Change
- The King With A Crown of Thorns
- The Venus and the Moo
- Epoasis
- Clouds Inside Me
- Darkness
- Damned (O)fish/L.S.D.
Line Up
- Angelos Ioannidis – Vocals
- Katerina Nikoloudi – Female Vocals (Guest)
- Barbara Michaloutsou – Spoken Vocals (Guest)
- Snowy Show – Vocals (Guest on “Everything Can Change”)
- Kostas Salomidis – Guitar
- Giannis Tziligkakis – Guitar
- Stavros Giannakos – Bass
- Fotis Mountouris – Drums