Ides of Gemini – Old World New Wave (2014)

Having loved the band’s 2012 release “Constantinople”, we greatly anticipated “Old World New Wave”. Featuring nine tracks of haunting Psychedelic Doom, this band keeps reminding us of Jex Thoth but with a certain darker and doomier edge. Comprised of Jason Bennett and Serra Timms and Kelly Johnston-Gibson, this trio crafts some of the most unsettling and perfectly creepy music in the world.

Quickly setting the mood with the crushing distorted guitars of “Black Door”, the band creates a very eerie vibe with the female vocals giving it a retro-horror movie-esque atmosphere. If Purson played Doom, this would be a good way of describing what this track delivers. Things get doomier with the hypnotic “The Chalice & the Blade”, featuring some My Dying Bride-esque riffs paired with ritualistic drumming.

One of our favorite tracks is the wandering “White Hart”, filled with very traditional Doom riffs that create a very desolate atmosphere when combined with Kelly’s sparse drumming and both Serra and Kelly’s haunting vocals. After the cheeky and hypnotic “May 22, 1453”, we particularly enjoyed the tempo and vibe from the very different “Fememorde”, a song that is quite unique and engaging. The commanding riffs of “Scimitar” make this our favorite track of this release, a very hard choice to make indeed since they are all quite good.

In general, Ides of Gemini have greatly improved over their last release and they clearly show it with the quality songs presented on “Old World New Wave”. The band’s eerie vocals and atmospheric elements greatly makes them stand out from the rest. Never having a dull moment and tons of cool guitar riffs and bass guitar lines, this is one release that no fan of Doom Metal should miss.

Label: Neurot Recordings

Release: September 16th, 2014

Genre: Doom Metal

Country: USA