What I love the most about reviewing one-man bands and artists is the thrill of knowing you are about to hear something extra special and truly mind blowing.
Dead Shrine is no exception, and as the one-man band brainchild of Craig Williamson (formally of Datura, Arc of Ascent, Azazel) you know it’s going to be a good ride.
The Eightfold Path is an 8-track assault of Stoner/Psychedelic rock. If you’re a fan of bands like Kyuss, Fu Manchu, Spiritual Beggars etc., then you won’t just love this, you will adore it. Thick fuzzy distortion, rich, almost retro vocals. It really doesn’t get much better.
Kicking off with opening track, The Formless Soul, a heavy, crunchy number, thick with a driving percussion and tempo. Craig’s vocals are deliciously melodic and has a gravel that rivals John Garcia (vocalist of Kyuss)
If that hasn’t drawn you in enough, or maybe it has a little too much, sit tight, because there is more than enough to go around.
With such solid arrangement and production, it’s hard to pick a favourite. But further in, Rainbow Child has to be it. The change of tempo, the ferocity in vocals, the frenzied riffs all just make you want to lose your mind in the best way possible. If you know, you know.
By the time you reach end track, Incantations Call, you know full well you’re hitting repeat on this album more than twice. This is an album that you need to have, it’s also an album you’re going to remember for a long time.
A truly outstanding piece of art that I am stoked to add to the collection.
Dead Shrine is a heavy psychedelic band from Hamilton, New Zealand, but the band is not a band in the traditional sense as it is a project written, recorded, mixed, and produced by Craig Williamson, previously in Datura & Arc of Ascent.