It’s time to give a second listen to an album that came out month before last, but has since grown in my esteem: ‘Echoes of the Earth’ by deadly Irish fistful SOOTHSAYER.

The Cork doomers start the record off with “Fringe,” by far the longest five minutes and fifty-six seconds I’ve ever listened to in a single track. This soundscape comes together like a surreal dream, piece-by-piece, with the net effect of the sentence handed to a tortured soul brought before the bench for judgement. Wailing in the background: a haunting chant and repetitive dissonant three-note arpeggio, with the addition of what sounds to be electronic chimes.

These elements combine into a big ball of anxiety that morphs into all-out hate, anger, and anguish in the next song, “Outer Fringe.” Marc O'Grady dishes out explosive riffs and Sean Breen’s drums compliment Liam Hughes and Con Doyle’s vocals, both clean and screaming intertwined. The range of the singer is like no other, practically breaking the dynamic scale altogether.

From here, Soothsayer segues into the seething number “War of Doves” that features a bass riff from hell from the fingers of Pavol Rosa, accompanied by guttural vocals that make me want to gouge eyes and scratch through glass at the same time. Think Dante’s Inferno with even more doom and gloom. Here riffs pound hard from all directions, with more electronic synth slicing through the sonicscape. So much pain and suffering can be felt!

Frontman Hughes gives off a Peter Steel vibe to begin “Cities of Smoke,” only to bring us once again to our knees with a sense of acute suffering. The mixture of clean and distorted guitars fits the motif perfectly. The drums dance around in perfect syncopation and sit right in the pocket with the riffing getting into a creamy jazz-like feel. Launching into all out black metal blast beats with perfectly matched tremeloes, there is so much emotion confined in the remaining moments.

Enter “Six of Nothing,” slowing the pace down a bit and almost doubling the length of playtime. This is a call to arms. Definitely fight-riff material. Guitars, bass, and drums mingle with one another flawlessly in calculated callus motion while the vocals continue the barrage of pure animus. Epic build-up and teardown. With choral cleans in the background that leave you wondering if there is an exorcism being held in the basement of a religious structure of olden times.

Alas, the crusade enters into its final moments and we have “True North” (which Doomed & Stoned premiered earlier in the year). This closing track ends the album in grand fashion, while continuing the gargantuan journey into darkness. All the anxiety builds into the climax and ushers us to a quasi-coda that holds true to the potent atmosphere we began with and brings it down to a simmer, exiting from eight-minutes on in a somber manner, almost reflective of a sermon – possibly even the delivery of one’s last rites into passage of this world to the other.

This album is the definition of hell on Earth, ideal for those that listen to Primitive Man, Tel, Acid Bath and EyeHateGod. On a scale of one to one-hundred I give it a SIX! SIX! SIX! ☑ Passes the Fones test. ☑ Passes the Car test. ☑ Passes the Home Stereo of Doom Test! I’ve never felt So much anxiety from an album. Borderline insanity and physical illness. Melted Face!

Atmospheric sludge outfit SOOTHSAYER isn’t new to the game, they’ve actually been around for a few years, lurking in the shadows, waiting to release their first full-length. The time has come, and ‘Echoes of the Earth’ (2021) will be officially available this coming April via Transcending Obscurity Records (preorders are already up via the label’s ).

Soothsayer’s previous EP, At This Great Depth, was released 5 years ago but the wait was worthwhile to say the least. Echoes of the Earth feels like the fruit of diligent and meticulous work. The songwriting is intricate yet doesn’t shy away from brutal or crushingly heavy parts when necessary, making this full-length surprisingly easy to get into for such a dense piece of work.

Soothsayer delivers a carefully crafted album with a lot to unpack and an impressive layering work. From the very beginning of the introductory track “Fringe,” samples, chanting and creepy atmospheric background noises stack up and promptly immerse the listener into Soothsayer’s bleak yet magnificent universe.

The riffs are not just heavy, they are made even heavier by masterfully balanced and dynamic compositions. Each track is a rich and intricate piece of music which never overstays its welcome or becomes self-indulging. The way the songs build up to a magnificent apotheosis is awe-inspiring and it’s hard not to be impressed by the amount of control and craftsmanship displayed throughout Echoes of the Earth. It’s impossible not to mention the impressive vocal work, ranging from fierce roars and desperate screams to solemn chants, thus bringing many different layers and emotions to an already intense album.

Already two tracks have already been released for the world to hear: “Outer Fringe,” with it’s bludgeoning closing riff, and the magnificent music video of “Cities of Smoke,” a mesmerizing and weighty piece of art which brings yet another compelling layer to the world built by Soothsayer.

Today, Doomed and Stoned brings you an exclusive premiere of the third excerpt and closing track from Echoes of the Earth: “True North.” From its dark mid tempo intro to its raging finish, “True North” is a prime example of what Soothsayer is all about: carefully crafted, rich, lengthy tracks with a wide array of dynamic shifts. Now just sit back, click play and let Soothsayer take you away.

Some Buzz:

Irish doom/sludge band Soothsayer released a gem of an EP a few years back, but nothing could’ve prepared us for this powerful, monolithic album which happens to be their debut full-length. Somehow they have retained the emotionally-charged atmosphere while adding next level intensity to their music.

Soothsayer is now pulsating with raw, irrepressible energy, which is almost bursting through the music, echoed by a truly harrowing performance by the vocalist. The sentiments of frustration, rage and despair come through because of the systematic and apathetic destruction of nature, and it has had enough and is now lashing back at all of us.

This album captures this feeling perfectly using an organic sound, eschewing the use of paint brushes to create the artwork with fallen leaves, and most importantly, channeling the chaos surrounding us all into pure sonic catharsis in a manner that this genre can barely contain. This is one of the most emotive and turbulent albums in the realm of doom/sludge metal while being consistently plaintive, angry and evocative at the same time.

For fans of Eremit, Cult of Luna, Eibon, Primitive Man, Jupiterian, Inter Arma, 71TonMan

Soothsayer is:

• Líam Hughes – voices, soundscapes
• Con Doyle – guitars, voices
• Marc O'Grady – guitars
• Pavol Rosa – bass
• Sean Breen – drums