"The Holy Grail" is the first attempt of this Dutch band to attract the attention of the doom metal audience. Indeed, it attracted my attention, but not for any good reason. This promo (consisted of six tracks) gave me the opportunity to reconsider the way some of the people conceive doom metal.
If Heavy Lord claim that they play doom metal, then I would suggest to them to look better at their influences. You can't enter a sky walker from the penthouse, can you? Of course what they play is close but it isn't doom metal. Heavy Lord and similar bands like them may experiment as long as they want with their music and explore the limits of heaviness, slowness and viciousness, but they must have in mind that evolvement leads to change. So, like the ape was evolved and was transformed into man (at least the majority, ‘cause we have some apes around us in human form), so experimentation in doom metal gave birth to something new. I don't know how it is called and it's not my job to name it. Now, let's talk about the music. What these young Dutchmen play is ultra heavy, ultra slow, but it is not doom metal, at least compared to what I know as doom metal. I am pretty sure that the friends of Sleep, Eyehategod, Yob and Crowbar will like it. I do not neglect that it has the proper production for its genre and the performance of the band members is decent. But I have two main reservations. The one was discussed in the previous section of the review and it is about the self-consciousness of the band.
The other one is about the aesthetic part of the band. If the band members think that what they present in their website as symbols and imagery are fitting in doom metal (no matter how traditional or extreme), then they are mistaken. It is totally irrelevant and aesthetically annoying (note that I do not touch the subtle issue of political beliefs, because it’s out of the music and I am not the one who will judge them). Heavy Lord is a young band and they have all the time to re-think what they want to play and to what audience they address to. They have also to think that being underground and using various trickeries won’t make them cult or something. And even if they become cult, this will not make them better than the ones who aren’t. Somehow we have built an industry that produces "cult-bands" and we have to stop it.
If we are talking about who is cult in doom metal and who is not, then unfortunately we have missed the point (if you know what I mean…)

www.heavylord.tk

This CD lasts over 50 minutes. Which indicates that we have to do with a slow band. Dutch doomsters, indeed. Heavy Lord, is their name. "The Holy Grail" had been recorded in "The Yellow Tape" studio, Gent (Belgium). According to my mind, these guys want the best result for their work so far. They didn't want to record it at their home studio/room. Yep, right decision. The aim often brings the best result.
Let's speak about music though. "The Holy Grail" is an intro. Slowly it fills your universe with despair. Followed by "Dopesmoking Days", a very nice and well-doomed anthem. The vocals vary from melodic to pre-brutal. "Magician Of Black Chaos" starts slowly, turns into a mid-tempo and just before the lyrics, slowness enters again. As about the voice, sludge vocals (not so distorted as Burning Witch or Khanate) plus straight doomed. What do I prefer? You'll read below. The song continues and ends in a rhythmic tempo, filled with drumming. Here's my critical claim. I have to declare at first, that I don't like sludge. But that's not my conflict. My antithesis comes from the mix of sludgy and straight vocals. I can't stand it for more than one CD. Another point is the mixed up influences. Cathedral (of The Ethereal Mirror era) plus (early) Sleep is a marriage more than welcome. But the new sludge and doomcore bands are not my favourite. And all these together under the same doomy sky... Seems too much!
The fourth song is "Baphomet's March". It's a tribute to bands like Crowbar, Eyehategod etc. Nice one, but we are full of these groups around, dudes! "Gods Of Doom" continues from the point where the previous one stopped. Alright, a cool one. "F.T.S.S." is the last one. Timeless, slowness, hopelessness and desolation are the feelings this track evokes.
The whole promo has many influences. Most of them are heard by the first note. That's OK. Cause, I can hear the Heavy Lord's footsteps coming from behind. To close this point of view, here's my well-meant opinion and in case you're interested, read it: Clear out your minds and influences Dutch dudes! Separate your Sleep-ish from your Crowbar-ish sounds and concentrate on your own ideas. Choose between Sleep, Cathedral, Reverend Bizarre, Electric Wizard and Crowbar, Eyehategod, Grief, Ramesses etc. Try it and you won't loose. That's my own review. Smells doom!

www.heavylord.tk