Review by Rosh on July 13, 2023.

Often in life, the things that simply work out without having to endure a grueling process of trial and error are taken for granted, and we only take notice of the things that burden and test us. Even when one is grateful for all they have, that which they struggle for is all the more treasured. This is because struggle builds and refines us, and we can thrive on it. That type of introspection is surprisingly common in the doom metal genre, but in a subtle way usually hidden behind the overwhelming darkness. Take Saint Vitus for example - their signature song "Born Too Late" describes a gloomy, friendless, out-of-touch life, yet makes the point that this obscure existence gives one a unique perspective. "They say my songs are much too slow, but they don't know the things I know."

Scott "Wino" Weinrich, the man who lent his gruff vocals to that doom anthem, always was a wise one. During his original three-album stint with Saint Vitus, he penned some of their more thought-provoking songs, in contrast to guitarist Dave Chandler's usual route of suspenseful stories. Chandler too was an excellent songwriter and would return to the role of Vitus' sole songwriter after the release of V on Hellhound records in 1990, as Wino departed from the band to reform his original biker-doom ensemble, The Obsessed. Their debut, originally recorded in 1985, finally saw the light of day that year, also on Hellhound, and Wino knew it was time to continue what he'd started.

And that was the best decision he could've possibly made - Wino realized his full artistic potential with his own band, and the effort that came the year after The Obsessed's revival contained the most exquisitely crafted, deliberate, well thought-out music Wino had written in his career so far, arguably ever. Lunar Womb feels like the most genuine representation of someone doing what they truly, honestly want to do from the bottom of their heart.

Compared to the band's debut (often called "the purple record" due to its iconic cover), this album feels more metal, while also retaining the soothing, deeply moving qualities of the (also masterful) purple album, which felt closer to pure stoner rock. Lunar Womb ups the heaviness and bite of the music, both in areas like guitar sound and the aggressiveness of the compositions.

"Brother Blue Steel" greets the listener with a pummeling wall of sound, but not in the crushing way you'd expect from a doom metal band, (though this band and album is generally not very doomy, rather they are significant to the doom scene despite playing heavy/doom metal/stoner rock with a punk edge themselves) instead putting the immensely powerful intro on the listener's side to back them up in whatever brawl comes their way. It isn't long before a foretelling guitar progression and drum beat comes in to give way to the awe-inspiring swagger that defines this bona fide classic of a heavy metal song, and the guitar lead that swoops in after this ballsy riff plays through one full time evokes a mixture of emotions that isn't easily described. Try to think of the most daunting challenge you've ever faced in your life, and one that you knew you had no choice but to face head-on. That's this lead, and that's this song. It's not surprising, then, that the lyrics are about standing your ground no matter what you're up against, and as powerful as the song is with what has already been mentioned, the thumping power chords at what seems like the chorus is what really drives this one home. It's a kick in the ass. A shotgun barrel at your face. A shotgun barrel in your ass.

Ok, not that last one. But that's just the first song! Many albums open with an excellent track, but fail to live up to the expectations set by it as the album wears on - Lunar Womb is not one of those albums. One of the things that makes all of the independently great songs to be found here feel like the incredibly cohesive experience they are is the variety, but a kind of focused variety. The shift from rocking and stirring tracks to the slower, winding numbers is the most obvious component of the formula here, but the vast array of complex, buried emotions they evoke with cathartic precision is what truly makes each of these songs feel like they belong together. The racing track "Bardo" (sung by bassist Scott Reeder, who'd later join Kyuss, also on the low-end), the instrumental "Spew", the pounding "Back to Zero", (also sung by Reeder), and the Motörhead-reminiscent "No Blame" are the more aggressive tracks here. The feeling of being all alone with no one to turn to for comfort but yourself is the epitome of the sense of doom, but it's flipped on its head in those Reeder-sung songs, providing something that feels deeply personal for how naturally it hits those emotions on the head and portrays them as only human, not something to grieve over. "Spew" and "No Blame", though, are pure lifeblood, charging anthems that make you want to stand up and fight.
Note: I actually never knew "Bardo" and "Back to Zero" were sung by Reeder until I looked at the lineup. His voice is so similar to Wino's that they can't easily be told apart without knowing to look for it in advance. The main difference is that Wino's voice has more of a bark to it, and is definitely the more doom-like of the two. Reeder's singing sounds a bit less aged and has shades of the over-annunciated, tongue-in-cheek desert rock vocals John Garcia would do in Kyuss - "Allen's wraench, it's aww ya geyyett!"

Anyway, if those faster tracks are fuel for your willpower, then consider the involved, pondering pieces like "Hiding Mask", "Jaded", and "No Mas" the wisdom that drives those convictions. "Hiding Mask" is one of The Obsessed's most popular tunes, and one that shows off their doom side. It's a type of "thinking" doom though, it's not like the soul-crushing despondency heard on Epicus Doomicus Metallicus or Forest of Equilibrium, or on Wino-Vitus songs like "The Lost Feeling" or "Shooting Gallery" - the downcast parts are more evocative of troubling thoughts that pop up while deep in thought than being surrounded by gloom. Similarly, those other two songs contain the same shades of doom, but their riffing is more winding and intricate, with "Jaded" offering one of the most labyrinthine tunnels of riffage ever heard in heavy/doom metal for about half its playing time before Wino's words appear at the end of the passage. "Kachina", meanwhile, is a happy place, a truly physical place, as it brings the mesa described in its lyrics to life, while the bridge of the song captures all the beauty of nature in musical form.

I feel that the last three songs are the perfect closing suite, as "Endless Circles" is musically less dark than most of the other tracks, but the title track, which leads into the outro "Embryo", is the centerpiece of the album and the song that best epitomizes The Obsessed. Like "Jaded", it's another song that begins with a long instrumental passage, this time with more emphasis on the atmosphere and doom. It's a masterful jam that is the very definition of what someone means when they talk about music "going somewhere". Stop-start riffs in the maze of pulsating flesh that forms the womb (you'd think I was reviewing a cavernous death metal album from that analogy) are well used, as their progression indicates the music still has more of a story to tell, but after the three-and-a-half-minute doomy riff-fest, the change of mood and guitar solo top off the segment perfectly. Then at last, we get the grand finale riff, a stomping, captivating, and emphatic slab of what knowing the heaviest but most profound truths of life must feel like - the words itself that are sung over this riff detail the transient nature of existence, encouraging one to find solace from within instead of out. The outro's riffs are more subdued, giving way to the closing soundscape, what one would imagine it sounds like inside their mother's womb. This atmosphere-driven part serves, of course, to reflect the entire album, not only in a titular sense, but also in a thematic one. The womb is your first shelter, and we spend our whole lives looking for that kind of serenity again.

All in all, Lunar Womb is one of the very best albums to be heard in heavy/doom metal, or stoner rock. Masterpiece, overused of a term as it is, is the exact word I'd use to describe this incredibly personal and deep work of art. It is intricately and brilliantly crafted, to the point where it transcends even a perfect rating. Art is supposed to have an emotional impact on the person experiencing it, and I can't think of very many albums that do that better than this one, probably because it's a perfect example of writing coming from the heart, from a renewed band that genuinely wanted to do everything that can be heard on this album. If you haven't gathered this yet, Lunar Womb is an absolute must hear for anyone who appreciates wisdom in musical form, an onslaught of exquisite riffs, or both.

Rating: 10 out of 10