Black Oath are a traditional Doom band who have been knocking around the Italian scene for a decade or so. Their approach is highly influenced by classic Doom sounds like Solitude Aeternus, mixed in with an almost NWOBHM sound that recalls Witchfinder General or even Stormwitch in their slower moments. The guitar sound here is a smoother, more retro sound, and the riffs are nicely heavy and often hooky, even if they could be crunchier. Overall this has a smooth, more rocking vibe than the slow crushing I usually enjoy from Doom. Vocalist E. A. Zorath has a strong, melodic voice that is recorded a bit too upfront and bright for his vocals to match the murky, occult vibe the lyrics are going for, so it creates a strange sound, with the dark riffs and dark lyrics recorded in a clear, sunny style that sounds more like a Power Metal kind of recording job. Still, there is quality music here, and this is a band worth checking out if you like retro Doom.
