Scald – Ancient Doom Metal Review

[Album artwork by Andrey Andreev]

A unique form of hype surrounds Scald and Ancient Doom Metal because, despite the fact that it stands as one of the more anticipated records of 2024, its imminent arrival is mostly anticipated by a notably obscure faction of metal fans. Sure, you could make a similar argument for nearly any release from most every branch of underground metal that gets coverage at places like Last Rites, but this really is a case where the dial gets pushed to eleven because of two principal factors that merit mention before moving forward.

Firstly, Scald is in the business of epic doom metal, a genre that’s gone against the grain pretty much from inception. Consider Candlemass’s Epicus Doomicus Metallicus—an album that was itself influenced by slothlike peers going against the grain such as Saint Vitus and Trouble, and a record that stands as the undisputed launching point of the epic doom metal genre. Imagine how Epicus stacked up against 1986’s near endless amount of raging lightning strikes that included gems such as Kreator’s Pleasure to Kill, Voivod’s Rrröööaaarrr, Sodom’s Obsessed by Cruelty, Whiplash’s Power and Pain and Nuclear Assault’s Game Over, then realize the ultimate extreme just might have been opting to head the opposite direction in favor of sloooooowly saluting sorcerers, crystal balls and any number of other mythical / fantasy / spiritual elements. Having been there at the time, I can tell you first hand that a band like Candlemass did indeed make a unmistakable splash, but those who resonated with that lethargic stride gilded by golden vocals felt few and far between, and that remains true in 2024, even if our numbers have expanded over the years.

Second, and even more apropos to the ‘unique hype’ discussion, is the fact that Scald managed to drop one of epic doom’s finest hours—1997’s Will of the Gods is (a) Great Power—and most of us didn’t even get a chance to catch a whiff of it until the album found a little more traction six years later via a proper Wroth Emitter Productions CD release (limited to 1300 copies) that finally inspired message boards such as Hellride and Nuclear War Now to underscore its rare and peerless grandiosity.

Mystique GROWING…

And stoking the discourse even further was the band’s exceedingly unfortunate backstory that involved the tragic loss of vocalist Maxim “Agyl” Andrianov, who passed to the great unknown before the album’s official release as a result of a railroad accident on September 6th, 1997 at the age of 24—an event that brought Scald to an immediate close out of respect for just how pivotal a role Agyl held for the overall success of that inimitable debut. Point of fact: It’s damn-near impossible to overstate the importance of Agyl’s footprint on the early formation of Scald, as even amidst the playful antics of very early rehearsals he had the ability to effortlessly conjure an ideal fusion of Geoff Tate and Eric Adams.

Furthering the spell: Seeing Agyl perform in some gloriously makeshift Manowar garb at a random stadium in broad daylight and almost seeming to fall under a trance as he taps directly into epic doom’s root energy and potency.

Suffice to say, Agyl was an indispensable piece of the Scald puzzle, so the band deciding to fold up the tent following his untimely passing is far from surprising. Unfortunate, for certain, but not at all surprising.

Then… Many moons later, The Hammer of Doom called. Literally. Know this: As a general rule, European metal fests and their organizers refuse to leave inactive classic bands well enough alone. Yes, that often that works to our advantage, and in this case it brought the original members of Scald back together for a special reunion dedicated to Agyl back in 2019 at the Hammer of Doom festival in Würzburg, Germany. Filling the massive shoes behind the mic for the occasion? A veteran of the scene, Felipe Kutzbach, who also happens to sing for like-minded epic adventurers Capilla Ardiente and Procession. The show was a smashing success, Felipe confirmed that he had the juice, and the overall atmosphere was positive enough that Scald decided to once again forge ahead. And there was much rejoicing… amongst a notably obscure faction of metal fans.

Right off the bat I’d remark that the above statement from founding member / bassist Velingor is 100% accurate, as the overall composition behind Ancient Doom Metal is once again fully focused on a very fluid, melodic, and uniquely Slavic cold spirit that swings, soars and sloooowly waltzes from one song to the next. Keyboards continue to play a vital role, despite their relegation to the background, and many of the riffs are equally as melodic as the wild and eager leads that often split from them like some form of lyrical thunderbolt.

The very obvious divergence here is Felipe’s presence, which, if I’m being totally honest, felt rather strange amidst initial run-throughs of the record. And how couldn’t it, given the fact that this band’s sound practically demands Agyl’s charm as its heroic narrator. HOWEVER… both Agyl and Felipe have a similar “innate but willfully raw” ability to soar that foregoes puffy shirts in favor of battle leathers, with the latter utilizing an extra pinch of gravel as a clear separator, and it’s possible that Scald weren’t all that interested in netting someone who sounded too much like Agyl just as a gesture of respect. In the end, the most important element to be considered was finding someone with the ability to tap the aforementioned root energy and potency of epic doom with a similar intensity, and Felipe accomplishes that task with enthusiasm.

As evidenced above, it doesn’t take long into the opening title track to discover just how ready Felipe is to wail as if the Scald message is intended for the next mountain over. He howls “I AM SWORN TO THE ANCIENT SWORD OF DOOM METAL” in the song’s second half, and then a series of perfectly placed “whoa-oh-oh’s” carries over until the album’s first proper lead tears across the welkin around 5:20. The atmosphere here is quite emotional, and it’s difficult to not feel some tugs on the ol’ heart as the video begins to feature a succession of classic Scald photos highlighting the Agyl years as the melody continues to meander and soar. Put simply, “Ancient Doom Metal” is an exemplary opener that sets the stage perfectly, and it makes it clear that the record is intended as an homage to a fallen friend just as strongly as it’s gloved-up for battle.

Of course, it’s not just the Felipe Kutzbach show, and as Velingor alluded to in the quote above, the band hasn’t exactly spent the last several decades sitting on their hands and letting their instruments gather dust. These boys have come to play, and if there’s any one factor that stands out as »the key component« inside these 43 minutes (50-plus, if you go for the CD that includes a cracking bonus track) it is MELODY, as a notably affective and sweeping form of it is woven into most everything the guitars do up and down Ancient Doom Metal. And while that melody and the direction of the record in general is clearly beholden to classic epic doom, Scald does do a nice job of painting the corners with varying colors that serve well to shift moods across the songs. “The Master of the Lake,” for example, almost sounds as if it’s about to launch into some form of melodic black metal before suddenly morphing into a stout battle trot 40-seconds in. Furthermore, a song like “Far Northern Corner” feels warmer and even waltzier, and it also features one of the record’s catchiest and most uplifting choruses. Conversely, “The Liberating Spells of Fire” dials up the aggression with loads of gang-shouted background vocals and the swiftest pace of the record once it crosses the 4-minute mark.

So, yes, plenty of shading is employed from top to bottom, and a patient ear (rather rare in 2024) will be rewarded with layers that conjure everything from classic Candlemass to Bathory (Hammerheart) to Manowar (Into Glory Ride), plus pinches of galloping Solstice and even some icy Moonsorrow sweeps. Cram “ALU (My Protection)” into your ear canals and witness Scald covering most of those bases in one glorious 9.5-minute song:

All said and done, any epic doomsters that still manage to lurk these halls probably didn’t need me to tell them… well, much of any of above, really. For a select few, the name »SCALD« in any headline is a temptation that’s damn-near impossible to outright ignore, but most who care about this particular off-shoot already know and love Will of the Gods, they’re well aware of Scald’s storied history and return to activity, and they’d likely buy ANY form of new material without the benefit of an endless stack of rhetoric similar to what’s been spun above. But when a band of this caliber finally decides to ride again after such a long and willful interval, I think a certain level of verbosity linked to celebration is fully fated and reasonable, especially when the end product conjures ye olde spirits as well as does Ancient Doom Metal. Plus, you know, there are always new recruits to be had, no matter how specialized the scene may be, and handing those folks something as traditionally and meticulously cultivated as is Ancient Doom Metal, with the added benefit of a modern production and the means to actually find the physical product… Well, that’s a triumph I think a great many of us could really use in 2024.

Bottom line: If you’re a fan of epic doom and already have a warm familiarity with Scald, this record will strengthen your heart even further. And if you happen to be new to these particular waters and find your interest piqued, you would do yourself a kind favor by starting an epic doom adventure with Ancient Doom Metal.