Doth – Datura wrightii

Doth is a mysterious raw black metal band who live somewhere in the Sonoran Desert. They released their first demo, Datura wrightii, in January last year. The demo's title refers to sacred datura, a species of poisonous perennial plant that is sometimes used as a hallucinogen by Native Americans. Also, their seed pods look like spiky balls of death. This demo was released as a free download by Tagobella Records. They also released Fanapth's demo, and as you might recall, I didn't like that one, so let's hope this is better.

The first track consists of raw, cloudy, energetic black metal. The cymbals crash constantly, which helps give the music a frantic feel. The guitars play a mix of down-tuned tremolo riffs and mid-paced riffs that pay homage to classic heavy metal. There are also these parts where they sound beautifully melodic, like a lone flower flourishing in the middle of the dry and withered desert. They even play some riffs that sound rather disjointed. The vocals aren't the best, but they get the job done. The vocalist utilizes a nasty howl and sounds like a sickened coyote.

The second track leans more on the dark ambient side. The black metal doesn't kick in until much later. The sounds consist of this strange antenna warbling, as though the band is trying to contact visitors from another world. Overall, this was a great black metal demo that reflects the harsh desert climate as well as the few spots of beauty that dwell within it. This is available as a free download at Tagobella's bandcamp page.