Sorcia Stir Stormy Pacific NW Ire in ‘Death By Design’
~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~
By Billy Goate
Album Art by Mike Hawkins
Seattle's SORCIA return after last year's beloved eponymous full-length debut to bring us a new EP that showcases the depth and breadth of the doom-sludge trio's skills: 'Death By Design' (2021).
A Toolesque bass strums to open the 16-minute romper "Death By Design," followed by a barrage of pulse-pounding riffage and roaring vocals, with frontman Neal De Atley heralding the End Times.
As above so below Better as a whole Proper place at the right time Continues a state of growth
No more shining light Due to a lack of knowledge Thrusted into a forward future Only to’ve forgotten why
Vibrations ring inside your head Simple life develops a soul Your reasons make you unaware of love So we eat ourselves away
Poisoning the host The shell of a ghost Communication complication Spreads the growth of disease
Two-minutes in, we get that downtuned Dopamine fix we've been waiting for as things slow to a doomy groove. You'll find the song moves effortlessly through various rhythmic conventions as the song moves along, from waltzy groove to sludgy chugging machine-like flow. The vocals are windswept and urgent, which would make great company on a duet with Matt Pike.
Virtually without warning, we shift down dramatically near the six-and-a-half minute mark into a meditative state, led by some of the gentlest bassplay I've heard short of Uncle Al in Om. Jessica Brasch executes a sensitive touch as she restates one of the opening themes, joined by Neal's reverberating strums and Bryson Marcey's tap-tap of the cymbals. It's a trippy juxtaposition, one that entirely works for me. As the minutes linger on, smoke-filled ambience invades our auditory world transporting us into a psychedelic state of mind, floating effortlessly through the sonosphere as Jessica and Neal team up on some sweet vocal harmonies.
Spirit emerging from a vessel returned From forth the ashes I am given this earth
Inside my mind.
Dark vibes return with a refrain to the raspy crooning the song began with, reawakening our senses from the temporary escapism to the harsh realities of this present age.
The CD includes a bonus track, which follows in the proud tradition of the Seattle greats, giving us an acoustic song called "Dusty" -- which reminds me of something I might hear from Jerry Cantrell on Alice in Chains 'Sap' (1992), complete with clean singing and endearing vocal harmonies, or even something that you can imagine John Garcia singing on some undiscovered B-side of 'Welcome To Sky Valley' (1994). This is a track I plan on revisiting often. It's still echoing through my cranium as I write this.
I wait alone watching the storm pass through The sun is eclipsed by the moon Smoke from the trees dancing along with the breeze Devil comes from the sea, but that don’t phase me
And I float above far from the fog below Time escaping me, crazy loon I know it’s all in my head, I am here stoned Time passes with the sun and moon Dust in the light shining through Seasons finally change I still remain here the same
I wait alone watching the storm pass by Fire in the distance keeps me high Smoke from the trees dancing along with the breeze Devil comes from the sea, but that don’t phase me
"The creation of this EP," Sorcia remarks, "was a huge step out of our comfort zone, and it explores some of the farthest depths of our collective creativity. The title track 'Death By Design' is an epic journey that delves into the most primitive concepts of human existence and death."
Legendary '90s grunge axeman turned producer Tad Doyle was tapped to capture Sorcia's new opus. Look for
Sorcia's Death by Design, dropping this Friday, July 16th via Desert Records (pre-order here). Until then, you can soak it all in care of Doomed & Stoned!
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Death By Design by Sorcia
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