Attention, Stoners: Revelations of Doom

ARISE DESPAIR: UZALA

Welcome to Revelations of Doom, Metal Injection's portal into the seedy underworld of extreme metal. Your tour guide is, as always, Grim Kim, and this time around, I've got something for you that's colored a little lighter than the usual sludge fiends and black metal tyrants that populate this column. Imagine the unholy union of Blood Ceremony, Mourn, Jex Thoth, and Dead Meadow- all fuzzy guitars, psychedelic meanderings, hints of '70s sexiness, haunting female vocals, and just enough doomed resolve to keep things firmly on the heavy side of the spectrum. Meet Uzala.

Boise, Idaho isn't exactly the most happenin' city around. The Midwest is a fertile breeding ground for sweet metal bands (see: the Chicago scene as a whole, plus the Indianapolis-bred Coffinworm, Black Arrows of Filth & Impurity, and The Gates of Slumber to start) but I can't think of a single notable band that's come out of Boise (correct me if I'm missing someone obvious). Either way, cheers to Uzala for leading the charge! I discovered this doomed quartet on accident. I reconnected with my friends Chad and Darcy (who are also both killer tattoo artists) at this year's Roadburn fest, and they happened to mention that their band had just finished recording a demo. Of course my interest was piqued, and a few days later, Uzala's maiden voyage into the unknown showed up in my mailbox. My first thought was, "Whoa! Four songs in nineteen minutes? Slow down there, speed racer! Isn't this supposed to be doom?" (more…)