Place of Skulls - THE BLACK IS NEVER FAR

Most dyed-in-the-wool metalheads denounce Christian bands. Contrary to popular belief, this has very little to do with the ecclesiastical nature of the lyrics. Christian metal is often shunned in the underground simply because the majority of these acts are godawful (no pun intended). I hate to sound like a primitive, knuckle-dragging meathead, but it's hard to find a covey of God-fearing headbangers that truly kick ass. I would be hard-pressed to name off a list of Christian bands that I listen to on a semi-regular basis (Believer springs to mind, but I don't own any of their albums).

Now, there are tons of Christian musicians who play in badass bands (Dave Mustaine anyone?). I'm not talking about them, though. I'm talking about Stryper, Underoath, Zao, Demon Hunter...music designated as "Christian metal." For all intents and purposes, Place of Skulls is one of those bands. And they rule, or at least this album does. The Black is Never Far is a leaden slab of doom that recalls the muddy riffs of Trouble, Black Sabbath and even Alice in Chains. This is somewhat of a supergroup. Frontman Victor Griffin spent a few years in Pentagram, as did bassist Lee Abney. Certified doom guru Scott "Wino" Weinrich played on 2003's With Vision, although he left the line-up to focus on other projects.

Is Place of Skulls the Velvet Revolver of doom metal? No. That would be a dumb thing to say. I would rather say that this record contains more riffs than every deathcore record combined. This shit is heavy, folks. Listen to the mid-tempo stomp of "Apart From Me," a hard rock composition that could survive on the radio (if the radio was worthwhile). The deep rumble of "Relentless" will clean your colon. Literally. The riffs are so hefty, they will make you regular. "Darkest Hour" is a cheerless, disconsolate ballad docked by a catchy chorus and a melodic solo. "Lookin' For a Reason" is a bluesy track that weaves a saxophone into the mix. Trust me; it's tasteful.

The Black is Never Far does a marvelous job of blending doom with patches of grunge-inspired rock. It's brutal when it needs to be, and it's mellow when it needs to be. I love the hell out of it. If it weren't for "Changed Heart," the last cut on the album, I would plaster five Abbath's below this review. It's the only song that comes off as preachy. Musically, it's not as interesting as the preceding jams with the partial exception of the trite "We the Unrighteous." Still, you need to introduce yourself to Place of Skulls. Check out "Darkest Hour" and "Apart From Me" on YouTube. You can thank me later.