Revelation - Release
Shadow Kingdom Records
Doom Metal
8 songs (54'33")
Release year: 2009
Revelation, Shadow Kingdom Records
Reviewed by Adam
Comebacks have been all the rage in the doom world as of late. There have been some that sound like they haven’t missed a beat (Pagan Altar) and the occasional effort that just flat doesn’t stand up to the band’s past catalog (Witchfinder General). Enter Revelation, one of the leaders of the excellent Baltimore/DC doom scene that includes the likes of Pentagram and Internal Void. After churning out two solid albums in Salvation’s Answer and Never Comes Silence in the early 90’s, co-founding member, songwriter, and guitarist John Brenner retired. Remaining co-founder and drummer Steve Branagan managed one more album with a new lineup including Dennis Cornelius, now of Memory Driven, on vocals. This album, …Yet So Far, was released in 1995 and would seemingly be the last we would hear of Revelation. However, the original lineup reformed a few years ago as an entirely new band called Against Nature. After toying around with the idea of resurrecting Revelation and even performing some of the old material, the guys opted for a proper comeback. This comes in the form of Release, originally released last year on Leaf Hound Records and now this year by Shadow Kingdom Records, the latter of which is rapidly becoming the home of traditional doom in the US.

First things first, if you have yet to familiarize yourself with the solid discography of Revelation, I sincerely suggest you do so, particularly since the band is kind enough to offer them free of charge digitally here (a donation is suggested and frankly deserved though). Once you do that, you will no doubt hear like I do that not a lot has changed sound wise from Never Comes Silence to Release, which is especially refreshing considering the 16 year gap that separates the two. The sound is one that I would call smooth and heavy, though not in an overly punishing fashion. Between the velvety guitar tones and John Brenner’s calm, even keel vocals, Release sounds very serene. That said, the riffing is often sharp and fitting of Revelation’s legendary status. This is one of those albums where I honestly cannot point out any real glaring issues, only slight nitpicks. While I would not say it is consistently excellent, the tracks here are never less than good, and there are a few standouts. The title track is an excellent display of Brenner’s unique riffwriting talents, which are somewhat progressive in nature, and his excellent soaring solos. My favorite on the album though is Wither, which is littered with excellent leads and solos. In particular, the solo just shy of 4 minutes in is a lesson in how hypnotic and beautiful a guitar can be in the right hands. Epiphany is another prime example, for mostly the same reasons, and is probably the heaviest track on the album to boot. The only track that immediately springs to mind as a bit of a letdown is the closer The Provenance of Clouds. At times, I felt the pace was too slow for its own good. I realize this is doom, but ultra slow is not the style that suits Revelation, as they sound best in the faster, more rocking style they switch to for much of the second half of the song.

As far as comeback records go, Release is one of the best, particularly because it sounds very close to the Revelation of 16 years ago. This is a solid, if not overly spectacular record. While it might not suit those looking for exploding doom that will bust out the windows in your house, those in the mood for a progressive twist on the traditional rocking sound should find Release very much to their liking.
Killing Songs :
Release, Wither, Epiphany
Adam quoted 78 / 100
Other albums by Revelation that we have reviewed:
Revelation - Salvation's Answer reviewed by Andy and quoted 90 / 100
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