“Black Funeral” from Capricorn

San Francisco based Orchid created quite the stir when they released their first EP over a year ago. Now, one of the most anticipated releases of 2011 is upon us and what is my verdict? Pretty solid. While it’s easy to get hung up in the “It sounds like Sabbath” mindset while you’re listening to Capricorn, you have to appreciate their sound craft.

Orchid’s songwriting and production is almost mind-numbingly precise. These guys executed one solid doom album in the time from their first EP to Capricorn‘s release. While it’s easy to capture the sounds of Sabbath, it’s difficult to capture the 70’s in that same breath. Many bands attempt to emulate the sounds of the Ozzy-era Sabbath but finding that delicate balance of context and construct is rare.

The packaging and care that went into Capricorn‘s release is intense. Inside you’ll find 24 beautifully-printed pages and even an embroidered patch. Sweet! Now enough of the background on this band. On to the music. “Eyes Behind The Wall” starts it off with a somewhat menacing sound that still maintains a rather playful amount of riffage and vocal overlay. Creating this overlay is what gives Capricorn that 70’s vibe.

Check out the rest of this review at the Mishka Bloglin!