Review by Rosh on December 25, 2021.

Alright, so it's my turn to do a miniseries on here, and I've chosen to focus on... stoner doom? Yes, actually, because first and foremost, I don't feel as much of a need to go in chronological/canonical order in reviewing the highlights of the style, as this niche has never been known for its rich history (compared to the unlikeliness of pioneering trad doom in the 80's, or the challenging nature of death/doom and NOLA sludge in the 90's, for example) aside from a handful of notable facts and what have you. No, stoner doom has become pretty oversaturated in the past decade or two because it's ultimately not something you need to really grasp from that "canonical" perspective to try your hand at writing/performing, etc. - fuzzy guitars and Sabbath grooves and blunts to boot! Yeah, this sounds pretty tame and uninspired on paper and some of it really is, but there's enough quality stuff to justify discussing the style in whatever depth it offers.

Also, last detour before we get into the meat of this review - I honestly feel more vindicated/way less butthurt now that trad doom has resurfaced, this time way more distinctly, in the last decade or 15 years or whatever. I've gotta hand it to some of the users/staff on this point, actually, for taking the time to write about the type of doom that's very quantifiably heavy fucking metal by any and every definition (New Count Raven album seems to be sitting well with doom fans old and new, for instance). So yeah, that's another reason why I'm taking the time to nod to stoner doom as a subgenre.

I think I implied above that I have little more regard for the essential stoner doom classics than, like, your Bandcamp Electric Wizard clones with an independent album from 2014-18 or something, since the historical perspective is less important here compared to other doom styles, but I am reviewing one of the sound's pioneer's classic albums at the end of the day, so there's that.

EW have a neat history, playing death/doom at first, but I think by time they were going by the moniker "Eternal" they were less interested in the contemporary gloomy/proto-Peaceville style and moreso just about Black fucking Sabbath. EW's 1995 self-titled debut is really good song and riff-wise and compliments Cathedral's 90's classics beautifully. But, 1997's Come My Fanatics is undeniably where they found their massive sound, also sporting a more concise tracklist than its lauded sequel from 2000. Perfect deal for my money considering the sound we're working with. It's tone worship done tastefully. "Return Trip" is THE stoner doom anthem in my opinion, it actually epitomizes the simplistic but lurching riff structure, taking "Master Of Reality" to the opposite extreme of like what Trouble did with their traditional heavy metal elements - in this case, less is much more and makes this listen beyond substantial.

Even the bass lines before the main riff kicks in at the beginning of this song are a really firm foundation to build off of. The lead guitar meanders on top of the riff bed which spices up the psychedelic feel and prevents monotony from creeping in. Jus' vocals have always just been sort of "there", and not even remotely technically interesting, but obviously that doesn't even begin to matter. Misanthropic lyrics abound, they are not interested in Iron Man's wholesome "a chance to be your friend!" stuff.

'Wizard In Black' and 'Son Of Nothing' are the catchiest cuts here but you wouldn't necessarily take note of their respective grooves on first listen, rather just getting lost in the sound. The chorus of the latter song, though, actually has a weird touch of melody that does make it more memorable, or even accessible. 'Solarian 13', meanwhile, actually earns its spot as my favorite instrumental track in all of doom, and the vocals are not missed. Just sheer spacey stoner doom to zone out to!

This album is as good as this style gets and a rightful classic within the niche. It's not surprising what an inspiration it has proven to be, both for better and for worse I will admit. In and of itself though, CMF is damn essential doom.

Rating: 9.6 out of 10