The Sonic Overlords is a Swedish band that offers Doom Metal / Rock, a winning blend of the sounds of Black Sabbath (Dio-era), Rainbow and Candlemass. Their debut full-length album “Last Days Of Babylon” was released on October 22, 2021 via M-Theory Audio and contains 9 medium length tracks. Although some members come from an Ozzy Osbourne coverband, the sounds are original and personal, offering solid Hard & Heavy Rock with marked Doom influences. The album opens with “Utopia” which is the shortest track and starts immediately strong with a solid rhythm session and powerful guitar riffs on which an energetic vocal is inserted. The guitar is the protagonist with engaging riffs, the supporting bass lines and the track immediately plunges us into the atmosphere of the album with power and energy in pure Rock style. “In My Darkest Room” is the longest track on the album, with over 6 minutes of length starting with a slower but powerful drum and rock guitar riffs. Closer to the 70s sounds of bands like Rainbow, it has a very intense vocal, the music develops with a crescendo and gains power as the minutes go by. The second opens with the drum that accelerates and the guitar that offers an excellent solo cue, the vocal returns for the last verses and the track closes with the main theme. Guitar riffs and a Hard Rock style structure characterize “Fools,” a track full of energy, with a refrain that immediately catches on. In the central instrumental part the guitar performs in a pleasant solo, with the return of the vocal the track goes towards the end between powerful and engaging riffs. “Lords Of No Tomorrow” features darker guitar riffs and a slow pachydermic rhythm session with a strong mix of Doom and Metal. The vocal also has a darker touch and the tempo changes are an added value in the evolution of the track, with the precious guitar solo in the second part, which guides us to the finale in an instrumental section. “World On Fire” is another 6+ minute track that begins with a soft guitar arpeggio and a warm and expressive vocal, showing a softer side of their sound. At 1:38, massive guitar riffs and a solid rhythmic session break out, increasing the intensity of the song that alternates softer openings with other more Heavy ones. The passages from the most delicate to the hardest moments are interesting, with the guitar offering an intense and technical solo in the second part, to close in crescendo with a final acceleration close to ’80s Metal. “Sands of Time” begins with acoustic guitar arpeggios that soon give way to powerful riffs and a hard rhythm session. The vocal is energetic and recalls the Metal of the 80s, a track that shows all the stylistic influences of the band managing to blend Metal, Doom and Hard Rock. The tempo changes are an added value and the development of the piece is very elaborate and full of interesting ideas, among which the guitar solo stands out. A distorted guitar opens “Shine” which develops with a more 80’s melodic Hard Rock structure, a track that could pass into radio Rock. With the vocal part which is also melodic and more delicate which immediately catches up with orecchable refrains, the band is able to insert an instrumental section anyway with a nice solo in the final. “Children of the Night” features heavy dark, retro-Doom-esque riffs with a powerful vocal that adds energy to the music. Perhaps the heaviest track so far, which shows the darker side of the band’s sound, which also offers a very tight and virtuoso solo in the final part. We have come to the title track of the album “Eternal Heroes (Last Days of Babylon)” which opens with a tight drum and a very engaging Doom Metal atmosphere. The riffs are very interesting and refined, the vocal is powerful and in the choral parts you want to follow the song by singing. Rich in tempo changes and elaborate passages with virtuous guitar inserts such as the solo in the instrumental part that closes the song with a crescendo. An album that combines the power of Metal, the darkness of Doom, between refined and engaging riffs, a solid rhythm session and an energetic vocal. A band that manages to give new life to 70s and 80s sounds and bring them to the present day, a debut with a strong impact, very intense. A listen recommended to all lovers of Heavy Doom sounds with a strong 70s inspiration but with original personal traits.
Tracklist
01. Utopia (3:59)
02. In My Darkest Room (6:23)
03. Fools (3:58)
04. Lords Of No Tomorrow (5:44)
05. World On Fire (6:18)
06. Sands of Time (4:43)
07. Shine (4:28)
08. Children of the Night (5:20)
09. Eternal Heroes (Last Days of Babylon) (4:43)
Lineup
Marcus Zachrisson Rubin / Lead Vocals
Morgan Zocek / Guitar, Vocals
Daniel Ramírez / Bass, Vocals
Per Soläng / Drums
