Considering it has been over 45 years since it all began, I find myself involuntary rolling my eyes once I hear yet another band go down the path of Black Sabbath worship. Right as I was about to excuse Weltesser of such, their predictable doom-laden riffs transformed into something greater and more unique. The phrase "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" has some truth, but with time, innovation and progression holds more value than tradition.
While it is clear that band members Ian Hronek, Nate Peterson, and Mike Amador share an appreciation for Tony Iommi riffs and pacing, Weltesser is no one trick pony. In this debut, the group takes the concept of doom metal and expands it to include sludgy and hardcore elements as well. Opener track, "Regret," displays the descent from a slow tempo to something more abrasively groovy within the first minute. Next up, "Guide" boasts a moment where the rhythm holds back allowing the vocals to truly show their full commanding ability. The notable use of feedback and dissonance provides a compelling dynamic to the guitar riffs in an almost Neurosis-like fashion.
The two previous songs hinted towards a Sleep style, but "Living to Try" encapsulates the notion of what if Dopesmoker was even more raw. Although some may consider "Terminal" to be a transitional piece due to its shorter length amongst other tracks lasting five minutes or longer, it had attributes that blatantly stood out. The guitar effect included on the track reminded me of Code Orange. Specifically referring to Code Orange though, I certainly see similarities in both acts as they are relatively new groups who appeal to both the hardcore and metal scenes simultaneously. The longest piece on the record is the closing title track, which packages hazy sludge grooves in with harsh tones and ranging tones into a fitting conclusion.
Experimentation and the act of fusing doom, sludge, and hardcore styles isn't exactly a revolutionary approach, but the deeper I dug into Crestfallen, the more I realized how well the band blended these three genres. Sludge pioneers like Eyehategod or Melvins also seasoned their music with doom and hardcore traits, but there was never a moment on this LP that I felt the band was ripping anyone off. Through the slightly over half an hour of predominantly doom-influenced metal on Crestfallen, it was easy to become distracted as the nature of this style doesn't exactly grasp one's attention extremely well. On the other hand though, the gritty vocals and production allowed for a balanced relationship between traditional doom tendencies and the ability to engage modern audiences. As the LP progressed, so did the overall momentum and I found myself more interested in what Weltesser had to express.
For a debut, this album conveys powerful potential as the band's ability to build tension and then combust is truly one of their main strengths. I don't believe Crestfallen has the capacity to shock any listeners, but this debut is a gentle reminder that there are always new artists making worthy music. I hope to see this band take their future releases in an even more experimental direction as this record excelled through rhythmic and tonal non-conventionality.
Score: 8/10
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