Lavaborne are a gloriously dorky trad doom band emerging from the surprisingly fertile Indiana scene. Their new album Black Winged Gods pulls from a very specific niche of influences, but plays on them well. That is to say fans of bands like Reverend Bizarre and Witchfinder General are going to love what Lavaborne have gotten up too, even if it doesn't quite resonate for those used to more contemporary bands. That being said - I get the impression Lavaborne don't particularly care. This is trad doom done for trad dooms sake and I love it.
Before we get too deep into the meat and potatoes of this record, just look at that album art. Like jeez, it's so fuckin' rad. Seriously, look at that shit. The fuckin' green arm holding a heart coming out of that motherfuckers mouth. How do you not love that? It's perfectly attuned to tracks like "Master Of Medusa" or the Dungeons and Dragons vibes of "The Great Reward". So yes - there are moments on this record that are a bit rough and points where the execution could be cleaner - but that's not really the point of what Lavaborne are doing. This is more about being a band who are tuned deeply into a classic sound that a chosen few of us love.
Black Winged Gods is a bit of a corny listen to be sure. It definitely is not a record that everyone involved is fully going to 'get', but that's not the point! The point is that this band has digested a classic set of music and are crafting something that adds to that canon. It's a valiant effort and one that I can see them easily continuing to build on in the future. This is trad doom done right, weirdly gritty, powerful and a whole boatload of fun. Immersing yourself in the retro magic of Black Winged Gods is a delight.
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