Mainly based in Poland, Doombringer are, for a change, not another high-tech Modern Death / Blast Metal act à la Vader, Hate or Behemoth. No, this is one of these bands that go far away from the mainstream, delving deeper into spheres of morbidity, grimness and bleakness.
Besides the fine cover artwork, I like the members’ nicknames: Old Coffin Spirit, Tribes Of The Moon, Sepulchral Ghoul and Medium Mortem. Some are, or were, involved with for example Bestial Raids or Cultes Des Ghoules (one of the greatest entities from the east of Europe!), and the band recorded some modest things before. And now they finally show up with a first full length album, which will be released on both CD and vinyl (12”LP).
The Grand Sabbath presents that kind of primal occultism that uncoloured the European soil more than two, even three decades ago. It is a mostly vicious and morbid interpretation of the Old School supremacy, paying tribute to the origins of All Evil.
Wonderful is the coherence in between that old styled vibe and a certain timeless result. And even more wonderful is the high quality of each single piece on this album. The main tempo is quite down-tuned, but never it lacks of spirit, strength, power. For sure there is an occult vibe going on, partly caused by the sound quality (which is pretty cool: low-fi yet, at the same time, amusingly refreshing), yet especially supported by that naughty, evil, suffocative song writing / performance.
The band implements several groovier passages, reminding me to the Greek scene of Old, injected with the fierce grimness of the Finnish scene and the occult atmospheres of both Italy and Greece. And why not, I am not ashamed to refer to specific details courtesy of, well, let’s say Hellhammer and Incriminated. And why shouldn’t I mention Autopsy or Necrophagia, in order to cross the Atlantic?
Once in a while, the band plays with contrasting elements, not of the progressive kind, not purely discordant either, yet simply mind-teasing (cf. stuff like the introduction to Vessel Of Gifts). However, in general, the ritual and occult basics from Eternal Oppression and Sulphur Suffocation (at least: the sonic interpretation and aural definition of it) are maintained until the very end – an end that, eventually, will befall all of us (are you looking forward too, if knowing that this album could be the soundtrack to guide you towards the painful pleasure of non-existence?...).