In the Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend

Reverend Bizarre maximized the main features of doom metal. The music of the band is filled with influences of the slower version of Black Sabbath and doom metal of the 80s, like Candlemass and Saint Vitus. However, Reverend Bizarre didn't rip off the sound of those legends, the band reconstructed that style in the slower, heavier, more monotonous and theatric shape.

On its debut full-length, "In the Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend", the Finnish trio was in its prime. The band contains a vocalist/bassist, a guitarist and a drummer. The music of the album is slow (what a surprise) and bass-driven. The guitars are down-tuned. The drums are pounding. The bass is diverse. The vocals are expressive and charismatic.

The album starts with "Burn In Hell!", which perfectly fits a role of an opener, because it's pretty forthright. The rhythm section is monotonous, but it's catchy exactly because of that pounding monotony. On the following "In The Rectory" Reverend Bizarre is already at its best. At first this composition is slow and reserved, but kinda cheerful, while it explodes with fast, energetic and spectacular melodies in the culmination.

Then there comes the bitterness. "The Hour Of Death" is a dark, majestic and sorrowful ballad, which sounds simply beautiful with its theatric mourning. While the following "Sodoma Sunrise" resembles "In The Rectory" with its structure, which features a fast and energetic culmination. Yet "Sodoma Sunrise" sounds in the more triumphant and psychedelic fashion in comparison to "In The Rectory".

"Doomsower" is the fastest and shortest composition of the album. It's a sorta breather before "Cirith Ungol", which concludes the album in especially epic fashion. "Cirith Ungol" is the slowest, the longest and the most majestic track of the album, while it also carries tons of tragedy. This composition is just monumental.

The vocal performance is a one of the best things with "In the Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend". Albert's voice is artistic and his manner of singing is versatile. Albert skillfully alternates between baritone and tenor, while he even goes operatic from time to time. On some episodes he exclaims the stuff like "Oh, yeah!" or "Alright now!", similarly to Ozzy Osbourne. This move makes the music more spectacular.

The lyrics is intentionally naive, sometimes openly sarcastic. It can carry a mystique, it can be heroic, romantic, badass. The combination of charismatic vocal performance and such type of lyrics is a huge success for Reverend Bizarre, it makes the music of the album even more interesting.

"In the Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend" is a remarkable album, simply perfect, with no weak sides. Because of its masterful songwriting, artistic vocal performance and maximized doom metal features it sounds not only like a great tribute to the doom metal classics of the 70s and the 80s, but as a separate work, a classic one itself, a doom metal monument of the 2000s.

I'm writing this one as a bit of a shocker giving it less than 80% since I've reviewed a fair chunk of doom on Metal Archives, but to be fair I gave high marks to albums like Lunar Womb by The Obsessed which are much more compositionally and even aesthetically complex interpretations of doom metal than Reverend Bizarre, at least their first album. Many have termed these Finns "extreme traditional doom" and while I'm not going to call that an utter contradiction, I do think it's a bit self-defeating. All those melodies Pentagram and Trouble meticulously defined and refined such that doom metal had a distinct sound even when it wasn't moving slow ("Day of Reckoning" and "Fear No Evil" both have bridges with that kind of thing) sort of get trashed here for a doom album that's a bit like a pencil with a sharp point but no eraser; able to confidently write, but unable to go back for refinements, and this is important here because the music on In the Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend was so clearly focused on an outwardly doomy aesthetic, which I admit is rather fucking cool, that they forgot to make refinements.

I'll give you an example of that. "Burn in Hell!" is a foreboding slug of a doom metal song as I like to say and it has very powerful lyrics and even a palpable climax, but wouldn't it be better if the guitar lines had more variation and melody? I'm not even asking for a bunch of guitar layering, since Peter was the only guitarist here, just more variation. Like "Evil Seed" by Pentagram has the slow intro trudge but then it goes into a sorrowful melody before the verse. Reverend Bizarre throws in a couple extra notes on top of the slow power chords, which are better than nothing, but it feels more like beating around the bush than really satisfying doom. The songs "In the Rectory", "The Hour of Death", and "Sodoma Sunrise" do better in this department because although they too lack enough doomy melody to reach perfection, they make up for it with a dreary and funereal atmosphere which reminds me of Stream From the Heavens by Thergorhon more than Born Too Late, but that's not a knock even though I prefer traditional doom, because Thergorhon is amazing. In fact since I just brought up the older doom band Saint Vitus I'll also say this - though they lack the charming and absurd schtick of those guys (seriously, what other band could get away with lines such as but not limited to, "I'M A ZOMBAY... MY SKIN IS NOW PEELING AWAYYYY!", or "I live under rocks, and under stones... that's where I spend my time alooooone...?") Reverend Bizarre partially make up for it with their distinct atmosphere. Then again Reverend Bizarre's shtick is a bit contrived and I've always felt this way since first hearing them. Yes, they sonically borrow a fair bit from Saint Vitus and even early Cathedral but they wrote the mournful lyrics on autopilot I think, "Burn in Hell!" and "Sodoma Sunrise" being the main exceptions because they actually do have very good cautionary lyrics but otherwise this album suffers from feeling forced.

Even the song structures feel this way. I find myself listening to only the first half of "In the Rectory" or "Sodoma Sunrise", and only the first 6 or 7 minutes of "Cirith Ungol" because that's all I need to get my fix of atmosphere from this band and the obligatory parts where the music speeds up are never as cool as fast doom like "Sign of the Wolf" or "War is Our Destiny." You can't just write contrivances like "alright now, we ride like a patrol of angels!" at strange times and expect me to be like, "wow, this is really good!" Doomsower is the song here that tries to appeal to fans of earlier doom like me that wasn't this slow but it's just fucking bland, sure it has a bludgeoning riff but it's so lame that I can't find anything to compare it to so I'll just say this - I really think I would like the lyrics on this song if the riff was better. I've come to love and admire the guitarist here Peter, who later went by his birth name Kimi, because of his newer endeavor Lord Vicar. Indeed just like he changed his name, Lord Vicar is a much different endeavor than Reverend Bizarre, it's actually traditional doom for people who really get traditional doom and it's infinitely classier, more artful, and less contrived than Reverend Bizarre. Lord Vicar writes a lot of simple bludgeoning doom riffs like "The Last of the Templars" but they make it way more badass. Lord Vicar is up there with Iron Void and The Gates of Slumber as one of the best modern doom bands.

And I say this as an afterthought neither here not there, but Earl of Void's drumming here lacks the potency it would gain on II: Crush the Insects (which is also a far better album than this one, being more well-balanced and natural) and instead he makes for a much blander percussionist than the one who thunderously introduces "Doom Over the World" alongside those mammoth power chords.

Overall In the Rectory is pretty ok musically but I just feel this band is trying to make a spectacle out of doom metal which this stuff totally isn't supposed to be. I like II: Crush the Insects more because it feels like a different band honestly. The music here though is disappointing because they actually do a fair job of harnessing the power of Saint Vitus and Pentagram at moments, but it's like they just went on autopilot and filled in the blanks with trite and cliché material for the rest, and that makes this album a little hollow. I'll still take it over Khemmis or Pallbearer but it's still not that good. My idea of doom metal is generally something like Psalm 9 or Be Forewarned but even for something on the slower and more atmospheric side I'd still pick a Cathedral album or maybe Solitude Aeturnus.

That's the kind of weight Reverend Bizarre brings forth with their slow, deep and resonating Earthly tones of brown, green, gold and black. Reverend Bizarre's guitar tones rumble the very Earth they lay on, crumbling antediluvian acropolises in their wake that came before, and linger in your mind and soul for eons after their culmination have come to terms. Reverend Bizarre has the atmosphere of materializing from 17th century England out of whole cloth and into 20th century Finland, of all places. They bring medieval magick, alchemy and esotericism along with them for their journey into our present. There is no other band like them sonically, despite the massive wave of modern doom bands cropping up into existence in the last several years, trying to capture the power of those old classics. You know the ones of which I refer to, and it can be a bit difficult weeding through them to find the worthwhile entities among all those crowded stalks. Rest assured, you needn't look any further than Reverend Bizarre for a band that stands monoliths above said fields the lowly peasant's plow. If you have yet to experience the dramatic might and power of Reverend Bizarre, let this be the beginning to your renaissancian pilgrimage into their unique little world of darkly mystical sights and sounds....and here's why you should, in my most humble of opinions.

Traditional doom metal, a genre nearly or perhaps as old as heavy metal itself, has always been about the riffs--riffs oh glorious riffs have might upon thy soul. However, those riffs won't be traveling all that far from the castle without a charismatic singer (watch your head if you muck it up in the King’s courtyard). Albert Witchfinder, aka Sami Hynninen, has such a characteristic by leaps and bounds, heaps and sounds. Doom singers aren't always the most technically skilled, but neigh do they have to be as long as they can carry a note and have personality (such as good ol' Grandpa Ozzy). Yet Albert Witchfinder far excels past just simply having style and character, his vocals are immensely powerful and ultra-dramatic, verging unto operatic lands. I can imagine Albert Witchfinder standing before a 17th century English crowd, preaching a booming sermon with the lyrics of Reverend Bizarre as some sort of esoteric, occultist ritual while the castes of medieval life filled of noblemen, knights and peasants alike gaze upon him with both wonderment and derision. Albert Witchfinder sings in a dramatic, vibrato heavy baritone on In the Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend and his voice soars deeply into the countrysides and forests adorning the edges of the muddy roads he travels above. He sounds not too unlike a deeper, darker and more pious Scott Reagers via the older Saint Vitus records, certainly a massive influence on Reverend Bizarre, as who didn't they influence (not to mention Sami Hynninen has a Saint Vitus tattoo clearly visible on his left shoulder)? Vague comparisons can be made to Peter Steele, too, since they both have a vocal range on the deeper side of the spectrum and are most powerful and possess a far-reaching excess of emotion in their voices. The bottom line, or what I'm trying to express, is that Albert Witchfinder is the god among the more traditional styles of doom and transcends Reverend Bizarre into legendary, mythical status with his unforgettable lyrical and vocal skills.

The other shining dimension of Reverend Bizarre is, of course, the riffs as I mentioned above. Not just the riffs though, but the consistent feel and tone of the riffs. The Reverend Bizarre tone is unmistakable and so aptly appropriate for their particular, unique location and atmosphere they construct through vocals and lyrics. Their guitar tone glows with muted, dark, subtle colors of Earth and magick. Dark greens and browns and greys fill the ether around their mystical Renaissance setting. That guitar tone is always rumbling with a bassy mood, a dull lower rumble and hum. I've definitely not heard a tone quite like it anywhere else, not even in traditional doom, and it's truly glorious and addicting. To put it precisely into words is a bit difficult as you can see me squirm and struggle to find the proper adjectives, but when you hear it you'll know it's the mighty Reverend from the very first dim, matte-finish buzzing of the very first note from those low tuned instruments of electric wizardry of which all of our beloved heavy metal emerges.

Reverend Bizarre nearly always tends to have an air of melancholy infecting each song, riff, vocal and lyric. "Burn in Hell!” the opener to In the Rectory, is a most obvious illustration of this prevailing feeling. Slow and plodding, repetitive and dark. The title of the song itself clearly has doom and gloom emanating from its very essence (as the speaker of said song hopes his antagonist is condemned to hell). The riffing is non-technical and devoid of any trickery, which should come as no surprise given the genre, but the mood the riffs and vocals create is intense and overwhelming. Reverend Bizarre, getting back to my title, is a band of immense heaviness. Every aspect of their music weighs down the listener with crushing, dark tones of dim distortion, with cymbal and tom heavy drumming. The crowning achievement of In the Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend and Reverend Bizarre itself, is the epic half-title track "In the Rectory", which possesses their greatest singular riff and most superior songwriting with its long, slow and careful build-up to a powerful, galloping climax and then back around again full circle into....THAT riff of which I spoke. You'll know it when your ears glare upon it.

There's something that, you, my dear reader (if you've naught but graced your ears upon thy mighty Bizarre of Reverend thus yet) must understand about the band of which I speak. Reverend Bizarre is NOT a band for those of attention spans the mass of a mouse. If that be you, then Reverend Bizarre most likely shall not be for you. Their songs are long, yes. Long even for the genre of which I speak, doom. In the Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend possesses a 21 minute song that's fairly one-dimensional and it's composed of only a handful of riffs. This is a fair warning, however, if you enjoy the traditional doom genre and have the patience, Reverend Bizarre's magick shall reveal itself in time and effort of listening and if you dedicate that time and effort, the reward is north of a thousand fold. They are indeed perhaps the only band I would dare to label as "extreme traditional doom metal", if overly complicated and detailed subgenres are your cup of Earl Grey.

I shall pull the cloak over this review by declaring Reverend Bizarre the master of "modern" traditional doom metal--they've raided, pillaged and conquered. The band is a perfect convergence of talent, themes and atmosphere and I fear shall forever rule over the land of doom traditional. They've stretched the meaty, sweaty grip of traditional doom as far as can be reached, and their hand has brought to us a taste of medieval Britain in musical form with the sermons and riffs of Albert Witchfinder and his talented cohorts, Lord Vicar and Earl of Void (who, by the way, is a superb and imaginative drummer, even within the confines of traditional doom). So, if you've got a taste for the more extreme side of metal and doom in particular, and think yerself willful enough to survive Lohja Power, then give Reverend Bizarre spin after spin after spin if you so dare my fellow noblemen and be converted into a true believer!

Reverend Bizarre was a fairly short-lived doom metal band from the forests of Finland. They play what I like to call extreme traditional doom metal. That, in itself, doesn't make sense, because if it's traditional doom surely it should sound like the slower, darker work of Black Sabbath, Pentagram, Saint Vitus and Candlemass, right? Well, not quite so. Sure, if you take the slowest and heaviest songs by these legendary doom metal acts, you're at a good start - only, you'd need to slow them down tenfold. Not only that, unlike Sabbath, Pentagram and Vitus, Reverend Bizarre focus more on creating a Babylonian-meets-medieval-Britain type of atmosphere with a surprising amount of sophistication (a bit like Candlemass).

What I mean about Babylonian-meets-medieval-Britain type of atmosphere, is obviously the lyrics surrounding religion, Christ and other biblical events (also found in later albums), and the other major factor is Albert Witchfinder's (vocals/bass guitar) singing style. He sings in a somewhat operatic fashion and in a very British accent. You can't tell that he's Finnish! Also, in comparison to some of the band's influences (band previously mentioned), there is a certain amount of sophistication. Not necessarily judged from the lyrics; as Reverend Bizarre sometimes show their more humorous side in the lyrics, but the sound is cleaner, less chaotic and dirty than the sound of for example Saint Vitus.

Another big difference between Reverend Bizarre and the older doom bands, is the length of the songs. The traditional doom metal bands had longer songs for sure. It's not weird to see a song by these older doom bands last 7-10 minutes, but Reverend Bizarre has songs that are 20+ minutes in length, ultra slow and heavy and somewhat one-dimensional, which is why I call them EXTREME traditional doom - they take the very same elements of the traditional doom metal acts (as mentioned earlier) and make them extremely long and slow. It's like taking "Jack Frost" by Saint Vitus and doubling it's length, if not more.

'In the Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend' is the band's debut album and features six songs; five of which are all of the extreme doom metal kind. Very long and ultra slow and heavy songs. Peter Vicar's guitar isn't down-tuned to the muddy levels of sludge metal nor is it particularly fuzzy like the sound of doom metal's stoned cousin. It's a fairly standard sound, only played so slowly that it becomes very heavy naturally. The leads and solos aren't flashy, technical or anything, but are melodic and somewhat similar to the main-riffs, but certainly add an epic atmosphere to the otherwise monotonous axe-work. I could mention that Peter Vicar's guitar-playing is very good and more technical as heard on his less-extreme doom project Lord Vicar, his progressive rock project Orne (Reverend Bizarre in disguise) and his solo project under his real name Kimi Kärki, which is folk/prog.

Albert Witchfinder's vocals have already been covered: a fairly deep-voice sung in a somewhat operatic way and in a very medieval British accent. It suits the music and lyrics very well. His basslines deserve a mention, as he doesn't shy away from taking the spotlight with bass-solos and otherwise lively basslines that do the one-dimensional music a great favour. They keep things interesting.

The same can be said about the drumming of Earl of Void. He's one of the finest doom metal drummers of our time and certainly proves it by almost miraculously fitting good fills and general beats in music this slow and heavy. It's no easy task, since he could have played ultra slowly like the guitar and bass are for the most part, but he takes the risk to add some technicality and style to keep things interesting.

The songs on this album are all good. It requires a great deal of patience to get through this album all in one. The same goes for all of Reverend Bizarre's releases. Their albums are all hard to digest if you're not used to this kind of extremely slow doom metal, and this album might be the slowest of them all. "Doomsower" is by far the shortest and fastest track on 'In the Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend'. It's by no means a "Paranoid", but it's like a little bit slower version of Pentagram's "Sign of the Wolf". It's a highlight of the album, because it's so different from the other songs (due to it's length and faster pace), but it's still quite one-dimensional.

The other highlight, I'd say, is the final track of the album "Cirith Ungol". It's an obvious nod to Tolkien's work and is also the longest and slowest track. At over 21 minutes in length, you'd think there would be some diversity in the song, but it really doesn't have that much. It's a very atmospheric track with its rain effects and haunting (and epic) keyboard/synth used towards the end of the song, but most of it is very slow, heavy and monotonous.

Reverend Bizarre's debut album isn't accessible. There's no guarantee you'll like this band, but if you dare, go ahead and give this a spin. This isn't for the faint-hearted.

Reverend Bizarre were always odd fish. For starters, they managed to forge a unique sound while quite clearly paying homage to a number of bands - have a read of the lyrics to 'Goddess of Doom' if you don't believe me. Then there was the fact that they were one of the most iconic and flat-out crushing doom bands of the 2000s, but never quite lost their sense of fun and irreverence. 'Doom Over the World' from II: Crush the Insects has one of the most dour titles in heavy metal history and tells of the coming apocalypse, but it sounds like a celebration, especially that queerly merry chorus. To put it bluntly, these guys were weird as fuck.

However, in most cases, what endeared RevBiz to the doomheads was their debut album. It has those odd touches just mentioned, right down to the album title (a homage to King Crimson's In the Court of the Crimson King) and the super snarky sample in 'The Hour of Death', in which a young woman declares rather vapidly, "I think I must be doomed. I don't feel at all well." Your time has come, girl, and you really aren't taking this seriously!

The overall mood of the album is dark though and prospers from its mixture of reverence and irreverence. Irreverence is fine, because it prevents the album becoming po-faced and grumpy, as detractors of, for example, Cathedral's Forest of Equilibrium might point out as one of the failings of extreme doom. This allows the anger of 'Burn in Hell!' to break through the slow and trance-inducing riffs, though there is a slight question of tongue-in-cheek intent when the final lyric is a hissed "You bastard!" which makes me imagine someone standing on Magister Albert's foot in the studio. The same lack of respect for convention and the listener's preconceptions also permits RevBiz to trudge through a tale of a city whose inhabitants "used to rape everyone passing by and do it with pride", then burst into a tremendously fun and earth-shaking gallop in 'Sodoma Sunrise'. These are both great songs that would have ended up very different if any other doom band had written them.

Then there is the reverent side. RevBiz, particularly on this album, have an ecclesiastical fervour to their music that does not go quite as deep or as melancholy as the religious themes on My Dying Bride's early work, but harbours a mysticism or esotericism that is captivating to experience. This is most apparent on 'In the Rectory', which could be regarded as the signature RevBiz song. It's easy to imagine a real reverend, a slightly eccentric one, preaching the sermon of the lyrics here, because they are unusually eloquent and carried off with a flair and otherworldliness that really pushes a great instrumental composition into a masterpiece. Doom metal usually conveys a sense of hopelessness and defeat, but 'In the Rectory' connects that oppressive sound to a benign optimism and childlike wonder that becomes more and more emotionally powerful until the shockingly delicate line "This is a journey to another world" overwhelms the listener in a way that can perplexingly bring tears to the eyes. 'The Hour of Death', while not quite scaling the same heights and setting out on the same journey, is a towering song of mourning that buries any doubts of sincerity under the gorgeously tender vocal lines and pallbearing riffs.

The last two songs on the album are sadly not quite up to the standard of its heroic opening. 'Doomsower' is the only song on the album that doesn't reach epic length and suffers from it, relying on a riff that should be crushing - and in most cases would be - but, without the same emotional weight behind it and with fewer interesting musical diversions, falls somewhat flat. 'Cirith Ungol' is a downright monster of a closer and isn't a bad song at all, though at more than 20 minutes its staggering heft is a little unwieldy, especially since it is pure funeral march sustained mostly by chords and deceptively busy drumming. However, the vocals have a lovely wistful tone to them and the last 10 minutes of the song is all elegiac outro, which - when the organ swells up behind the band - serves as a majestic ending to a huge-sounding set of songs.

The sheer physical weight and slowness of most of these songs (there are perhaps only 10 minutes of fast or mid-paced material) is a ritualistic experience that is closely comparable to the early work of stoner doom duo Om. The unity of this trio and the bass-heavy buzz and rumble they produce sounds lethargic on the surface but there is a sinuous undercurrent that keeps the music interesting and almost progressive, which is vital given the length of the songs. Like in any ceremony, each musician plays their part dutifully, but equally there are moments set aside for specialized duties - a fluid solo as the procession marches down the aisle, a bass fill when the preacher takes a breath, a drum roll as the congregation rise. For only three instruments played mostly slowly and mostly at a low pitch, the sonic palette is very full and dense. There are no gaps in the sound, no weak links. The vocals are predominantly strong, with a powerful and soulful delivery that suits the slower parts much better than the quicker sections, where they lose definition and atmosphere.

Eventually, Reverend Bizarre never topped this beast of a debut and vanished in a puff of self-produced smoke and incense, keeping their reputation intact as a strange and great doom band. In the Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend has become somewhat of a landmark for the resurgence of doom metal and, even if it doesn't belong right up there with the '70s and '80s classics, it is one of the larger and more curious of the milestones that mark the way to the present day. If not for entering the glory of the Reverend's bizarre headspace, this album serves as a reminder of one of the heaviest power trios of all time on truly planet-flattening form.

I’m kind of puzzled as to why this is, but it seems that Reverend Bizarre have become one of the biggest – and possibly most important – names in the metal underground in the past fifteen years. Certainly, the band knew how to harbour their own cult appeal; three full-lengths (not outstaying their welcome by most people’s standards, although, I might be cruel and say that their songs often did), a wealth EPs and splits and imagery that appears very self-aware. It seems that whatever old doom bands did Reverend Bizarre would take to a more extreme level; wherein the familiar tropes of the genre all made even more familiar. I’ve heard the term “extreme traditional doom metal” bandied around when people are discussing Reverend Bizarre and it does make some sense: the “play slow with long songs” style of earlier doom metal bands is pushed to its (il)logical extreme as if someone were filtering Saint Vitus through Skepticism. It seems to me that this band in particular has influenced a lot of the “true doom” of the past fifteen years. Yes, I can almost guarantee that any generically-named doom outfit (Witch’s Coven or something like that) signed to one of those generic doom labels with low standards (let’s just call ‘em Rise Above , without naming names) will sound closer to Reverend Bizarre than they will to Saint Vitus, Trouble or Pentagram.

Of course, anyone who knows this band or album will no doubt know that they’re basically all doom, all the time in massive capital letters ( written in a gothic script to emphasize the heightened sense of doom). Whereas older bands tended to have some outside influences creeping in – Saint Vitus could be accused of crossing over into punkier waters, Pentagram obviously were actually part of the 1970s rock scene and bands like Trouble and Candlemass were more classically metal in their approach what with their twin guitars and wild soloing – Reverend Bizarre are basically the dummies guide to doom. This is not necessarily a bad thing, in of itself, as some other metal bands have basically created albums devoid of influence from outside their own sub-genre and some have done it very successfully (for example, Gorgoroth’s first two albums are as basically as “pure” as black metal can get). In this instance, however, I think Reverend Bizarre, having gone for such an extreme approach, made an album that – despite its strong moments – is far more testing and, at times, actively tiring than any classic should ever be.

Don’t let my negative tone fool you, I don’t think this is an outright bad album and Reverend Bizarre certainly were a welcome voice in the doom scene at times (as best demonstrated by their second album). But it just so happens that their writing is not as engaging as it needs to be to pull off this sort of “one-track-mindedness”. In fact, I do consider this to be a somewhat forced album; from Albert’s faux-English accent (which I suppose is because no-one really wants to hear a doom band with a Finnish accent) to the tales of grief which sound as if they were penned because it’s a fitting topic for a doom track rather a genuine tale of woe. It seems that they often wear out their welcome before the song is over with their relentless repetition and tendency towards melodramatics (and yes, ‘The Hour of Death’ could well have fit on Warning’s “classic” of whine doom, Watching from a Distance).

I’ve had this album for the best part of a decade now and my opinion is essentially an unchanging one; the first two tracks are great the rest of it is rather overlong, overblown and rarely justifies its extreme length (there’s certainly not a wealth of great music in the album’s second half). Still, those two tracks will more or less justify the entry price. ‘Burn in Hell!’ certainly makes for an engaging introduction; a harrowing tale with an appropriately ominous tone that definitely sets the pace for the rest of the album. ‘In the Rectory’ is definitely the best track on the album; showing how RB could – on occasion – make up for the fact that they’re not the most engaging or original riff-writers with a really bewitching atmosphere. Again, it doesn’t help matters that the song seems to have a genuine sense of purpose and even an up-tempo section (something they would use more of on their excellent second album). Elsewhere, however, I often find myself wishing that Reverend Bizarre had shown a bit more restraint when it came to their merciless repetition. Often it feels like a song on this album will be over ten minutes because the band were enjoying the heat from the amplifiers (understandable in the Finnish winter, surely) rather than the fact that their material actually warranted such lengths.

Running time, however, is not Reverend Bizarre’s only problem and the album’s shortest track acts as an example of this: ‘Doomsower’ is just painfully sedate. Five minutes of the dull riffs (I’m not so sure that I should even use the plural form here, maybe there were some variations on a theme). The closer ‘Cirith Ungol’ continues in such a sedate way; sounding like the most forced “must play slow” number ever. Again, it’s got a great deal more in common with funeral doom than it does with, say, Saint Vitus. There’s just not much to say about it, really, aside from Albert’s floaty vocal melodies there’s just a few repeated chords and drum fills (Earl of Void does deserve some credit for trying to keep things interesting, but alas, he’s not got much material to work with). Honestly, this is a painfully static song with very little in its favour. Cirith Ungol did Tolkien’s creation a far greater service back in 1984… whereas Reverend Bizarre are just dragging their heels and dawdle doom can fuck off.

Honestly, though, on this album Reverend Bizarre are stuck between a rock a hard place on this album; in-between funeral and regular doom missing and often missing the appeal of both styles. It seems that this album went some way to reassert doom metal as a sub-genre (as opposed to death/doom and stoner metal which had perhaps dominated the slower spectrum of metal in the mid-to-late 1990s) and it’s now considered something of a classic. To my ears, however, there’s often more in terms of posturing and plodding rather than quality music here. It’s certainly worth hearing – I’m sure most people interested in doom will have this recommended to them as some sort of classic – but I don’t think I can ever quite understand the obsession some people have with this album. In short, pick any acclaimed doom album from the 80s and 90s and it’s likely that it will be better than this.

I like slow music, and doom metal by extension, and there are plenty who do as well. Reverend Bizarre is made of three guys who are the same type of people. To anyone who has even heard ten seconds of their debut, In the Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend, their attempt to be the doomiest doom metal that the world has even heard is apparent.

It has the hallmarks of doom metal, from slow and crushing riffs that just shit on your day to the somewhat overdone epic male vocals. The other instruments don't feel out of place either. On the surface, it's pretty damn doomy. Then I listen to it.

Reverend Bizarre is doom metal. They are not good doom metal.

I'll go back to my like for slow music. I listen to some doom metal, some drone, some slow ambient, maybe just anything slow I can chill to. However, if a band chooses to be slow, they have a hefty price to pay if they want to be anywhere close to listenable: atmosphere. Yes, some bands do it wonderfully, such as Jesu, or (at times) Sunn O))). Even Burzum's ambient output uses its minimalism and near-standstill pace to its advantage, evoking some sort of feeling of Norse history or just plain bleakness that gets me thinking. This review is not about Burzum, though, it's about Reverend Bizarre. These bizarre clergymen have none of that atmosphere.

And no, "slow" does not count as an atmosphere.

The feeling I get when listening to these tracks is one of apathy, to be honest, though mixed with the dread of how I'm spending over an hour of my life listening to rather pointless doom metal. The vocals try their hardest, their hardest to sound mournful or emotional, but it fails to really bring much feeling to the music, instead opting to drone on in a slightly-whiny, quasi-epic baritone sort of way. The guitars, while having a very nice tone, play lots of ultra-slow riffs with not much else behind them. I can tell, by the lyrics at the least, that the intended result was a package of the ultimate manifestation of doom metal, putting epic tales to music. The lyrics are quite epic, greatly written stories of bleakness, religion, biblical tales, and despair. I'm jealous of their skill in the lyrics department. They don't have the music to support it, remembering the somber pace that would suit a good deal of those themes, but failing to conjure up the atmosphere of badass reverends or a flight out of Sodom. Just that damned slow guitar and vocals carried on way too long, and for at least 10 minutes most of the time.

Perhaps what upsets me the most is that Reverend Bizarre does have talent. They can write good songs, or at least good parts to songs. "In the Rectory" and "Sodoma Sunrise" have their own little sections of deviation, with the band going midpaced, of all things! While I wouldn't call the faster paces the best doom metal I've heard, I certainly would not mind an album composed mainly of those. While the atmosphere is still somewhat lacking, perhaps the rocking feel of them is a good enough exchange, as well as some nice psychedelic, Electric Wizard-esque guitar leads during "Sodoma Sunrise". They can even carry it on for an entire 5 minute song, the insanely catchy "Doomsower." It's repetitive, and that is a bit to its detriment, but Reverend Bizarre shows the competency to write a whole song that can keep a listener engaged. Their amazing guitar tone, this time with decent riffs! Vocals that don't drone aimlessly! What a miracle!

I also will give props to their drummer. For any band with a comparable pace, there aren't too many ways to shine, but he does have a respectable style. Still, it is only when Reverend Bizarre picks up the pace that he can truly shine. The bassist is not totally hiding either, just peeking his head out at appropriate times. He's not bad either, but still, the only thing nearly as apparent as the slowness is the wasted potential here.

In the end, I feel bad for Reverend Bizarre. I can tell that doom metal is what they love, and all they wanted to do is play the music they loved. Respectable enough, but perhaps they're forgetting why we keep remembering all the classic doom bands; they may have been slow, but they knew how to write songs and keep listeners engaged. Reverend Bizarre should have gotten that memo.

Heavy guitars. Rumbling bass. Smashing drums. A mournful voice wailing over slow power chords. This album IS fucking doom metal. Taking influence from classic doom acts such as Saint Vitus, Pentagram, and especially Black Sabbath, Reverend Bizarre forges music that manages to be completely unique while still fitting firmly into the traditional doom metal sound.

The thing I find most amazing about "In the Rectory..." is that every track is unique. Each of the six lengthy tunes on this album has its own personality and vibe. Despite the gargantuan lengths and minimal tempos of the songs, they never get boring or feel as long as they really are. Even the 21-minute epic Cirith Ungol goes by like that. Songwriting is definitely a strength of this band.

The sound that Reverend Bizarre manages to get out of their instruments is truly massive. You can feel the sound waves crushing you into the black earth with each pounding note; the only album I've ever heard that is comparable to the level of oppressiveness found here is Electric Wizard's Dopethrone. The vocals complement the sound quite well; Albert Witchfinder's voice is very reminiscent of Ozzy's classic wail, but very much his own at the same time. He imbues each lyric he delivers with a sense of personality, which will get certain lines stuck in your head for days!

This album is a must have for any fan of traditional doom metal, or any fan of truly heavy music in the first place. "In the Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend" pays tribute to the doomsters of old while still forging it's own identity which has made it a modern classic. If you don't already own this album, I urge you to purchase it as soon as possible - and be sure to get the two disc edition, which comes with the excellent hour-long "EP" "Return to the Rectory". As it says on the first page of the booklet - "HEAVY METAL - PLAY LOUD!"

This is quite a difficult review to write as there isn’t really a lot that separates ‘In the Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend’ from the hordes of other doom metal bands. However, despite doing little new, the quality of what they do play towers above that of most other doom bands.

Everything that epitomises doom metal is present here: painfully slow tempos, down tuned guitars, heavy crushing riffs and extended song-lengths. What separates ‘In the Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend’ from other similar doom bands is the incredibly dark, oppressive atmosphere. It just sounds more well, doomy, than other traditional doom. The atmosphere is quite similar to (but arguably even better than) that created by that of Thorr’s Hammer, but this manages to create the gloomy atmosphere without the help of death metal growls, as everything here except one small hardly noticeable point in ‘Doomsower’ is sung clearly.

The music is much slower than that of the band’s traditional doom peers like Candlemass and Solitude Aeturnus, but not too slow to become at all boring. It is still accessible enough to be easy to listen to all the way through despite it’s long running length of an hour and a quarter. The music is gripping and at times could even be described as ‘catchy’. The slow tempo puts a large emphasis on every single note making each and every one of them sound completely important and powerful. The drumming is fantastic, keeping the music interesting while also retaining the bleak and melancholy mood, with plenty of inventive drum fills and rolls. The bass, played by the vocalist, also plays a prominent role in the album with equally inventive bass-lines adding to the drums perfectly.

The music is very simple, but complexity is not necessary at all here. If it were more complex it would probably ruin the atmosphere. This simplicity is taken to extremes on the album’s last track, ‘Cirith Ungol’, which runs it’s entire 21 minute length on a few simple riffs and ponderous drumming but never gets boring because of the strong atmosphere that is easy to get completely lost in.

‘In the Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend’ really shines during the faster-paced sections where it retains a similar atmosphere but at the same time sounds much more energetic. It is really no surprise that 2 of the best songs, ‘In the Rectory’ and ‘Sodoma Sunrise’ feature these sections. These parts keep the music from getting stale and give it more variety from the otherwise constant bombardment of crushing guitar riffs, so it is a pity these parts are few and far between. This is only a minor complaint however, and isn’t really that noticeable. Guitar solos are also nearly completely absent, with most of the music staying at a very low pitch.

Vocalist Reverend Witchfinder doesn’t have the range and can’t quite pull of the ‘epic’ soaring vocal style of acclaimed doom metal singers like Messiah Marcolin but he doesn’t really need to for the atmosphere of the music. His singing is low in the mix, buried under the heavy guitars as if it is trapped underneath, really contributing brilliantly to the claustrophobic atmosphere. At times it does sound like he is trying to go for a similar vocal style to the aforementioned Messiah Marcolin but doesn’t manage it, though he usually keeps the singing more restrained. Reverend Witchfinder does however have a decent enough range and sings in quite a few different styles, sometimes almost shouting the lyrics and as earlier mentioned at one point even growling them in a death metal style, as well as singing in a typical melodramatic doom metal fashion. The lyrics are well written but can be quite cheesy, if you hadn’t worked out from the song titles like ‘Cirith Ungol’ and ‘Burn in Hell!’.

Overall, this is an incredible doom metal album, but probably too intense for those new to the genre. Fans of doom will love it, but those new to the genre would probably find Candlemass or Solitude Aeturnus a more accessible introduction.

So far I think I can come up with maybe a handful albums, that are truly worthy of a perfect score, In The Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend being one of them, a monumental chapter of doom and an absolute highlight in the more than fulfilling musical career of the Reverend. In The Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend is a mammoth of an album, that most of the times, crawls forwards in a slow to extremely slow pace, almost funereal in its execution. The absolute focal point of Reverend Bizarre remains, at least for me, Albert - the man has a throat like no other and has an incredible range, going from softer more mellow parts to complete epicness in just a matter of time. His voice, obviously, fits the music completely and takes it to unseen heights. The man's efforts, cannot be credited enough, without Albert there would be no Reverend Bizarre, truly as legendary, as this one. I especially liked his vocal performance during Doomsower.


But, of course, a good album needs more than just a really good vocalist. First of all, the drums, Earl of Void may be one of the most competent drummers in the enitre doom history, on this album there are no drum solo's of any kind - yes, Reverend Bizarre has them! From the Void (Harbinger of Metal) - but slow, crushing play, that seldom speeds up. So we've got the perfect singing, excellent drumplay, what else do we need? Right, otherwordly riffing, because some of them are truly out of this world - just listen to In the Rectory, a perfect build-up leads to more up-tempo part, where we see the guys rocking out, accompanied by a memorable riff evoking a rare moment of cheerfulness amidst the gloomy setting, but then, as a real tsunami, all joy is washed away, the rare moment of hope has completely faded and we're given one of the most memorable moments of the entire Reverend Bizarre discography, a very moving riff, sets the beginning for a short, but absolute haunting passage, an atmosphere so melancholic, its truly inhuman. Really, simply those couple of minutes alone, are reason enough to buy this album. It's difficult to put to into words, how it makes you feel, I can only suggest you give it a listen yourself.


Next to the almighty riffs, In The Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend, is - of course - also a highly bass-driven album, again a reference has to be made to In The Rectory, specifically to it's intro, but just the entire song does justice to the earth-shattering bass-lines. So far i've only been talking about In The Rectory, which only makes up for roughly 13 minutes of this album, while In The Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend has a play-time of almost 75 minutes and each minute is equally memorable as In The Rectory, wether it be the touching, saddening The Hour of Death or the hate-filled Burn In Hell and lets not forget the gigantic monster Cirith Ungol, which it surely is.


In The Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend is definitely the darkest Reverend Bizarre offering and my personal favourite, though, Crush the Insects is only close behind, but in execution rather different that the debut. People who were amazed with Warning's second album, released and praised in 2007, might find solace with In The Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend, although they are two separate entities, they both manage to create a true, unsurpassed, blackness, that will crush even the most enduring souls out there! In The Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend is worthy of a perfect score, with this album, they have released something monumental, something which will hopefully be talked about for many years to come. Those of us who want their music slow, crushing and incredibly atmospheric, do yourself a favour and buy it immediately.

To me, Reverend Bizarre are the perfect band. Every aspect of this Finnish Trio is exactly what I've always wanted to hear through endless searching of Doom bands, sometimes I may stumble across one with vocals that really move me, other times the guitar may just be to my complete liking, but never before have I come across one I would deem as perfect... and now the Reverend is dead.

So, hark with me back to their astonishing debut. Rarely has a debut struck me as significantly as "In the Rectory", save a few. After hearing "Doomsower" and thinking, "hey, this band's got style - pretty doomy, pretty catchy..." I did not expect to be bludgeoned by such a glorious (and lengthy) onslaught of supremely lethargic traditional doom! The tempo and general feel of the large majority of tracks here is exactly to my liking - crushing yet melodic, with AMAZING vocals courtesy of Albert Witchfinder. You will be hard pushed to find a voice that is so likeable without being over the top like Rob Lowe or Messiah Marcolin. His lyrics connote vivid imagery of darkness, witches and other doomy topics, with striking proficiency. Rarely do I pay attention to lyrics, but his really evoke a doomed feeling right to my very core.

The production values compliment the monumental guitar/ bass tones extremely well, and I could ask for no better (although better is what I receive on "III - So Long Suckers). The performances of Pete Vicar and Earl of Void (namely the "slow burning behemoth riffage" and the "creeping death slowness"), is awe-inspiring. Any other band could take the same formula the lads use and fall flat on their face, so how the hell can this band make such music so damn interesting, entertaining, mesmerizing and replayable?!

There are no highlights - every track is breathtaking. There is so single moment of filler (unless of course, you hate doom, in which case the relentless repetitiveness of tracks such as "Cirith Ungol" may get to you... but then, why would you be listening to them in the first place?!). If you listen to this track and the time just slips away leaving you to think "where the hell did that 20 minutes go..." then you will, like me, find the album to have incredible lastability. Over and over this track (and album, of course) has been played, and not once have I been bored. As a doom fan, this particular track is probably my favourite on the record along with the title track - moments of Sabbath really shine through in the riffs of the latter. The Godfathers are an obvious influence - hell, even the picture in the inlay pays homage to the famous "Paranoid" inlay photo.

In short, this is a perfect doom album, and any doomster should own it. It will obviously not appeal to everyone, but the chosen few will relish what is an absolute classic, and highlight of the entire genre - indeed metal itself.

Atmosphere: 100%
Songwriting: 97%
Individual Performances: 100%
Lastability/ Replayability: 100%

Total: 99%

I've never been a big fan of doom metal, but this Finnish band Reverend Bizarre has captured my interest just as Candlemass and Black Sabbath did. The music here is slow, sinister and epic, structured on so many great riffs that I can't call a single moment of this boring or too monotonous. It does take a patient person with an enduring attention span to truly enjoy this style, but although these tunes are each incredibly long, it gives them time to build up a powerful atmosphere and engrave the music into your mind. This may not be widely considered a classic or legend yet, but I can surely see it becoming one years from now.

The sound on this album is thick and dark in the perfect manner that doom metal should be recorded in. All the instruments are fairly well-produced, but the guitars have a fuzzy crunch to them that makes this the wickedly heavy masterpiece that it is. Reverend Bizarre certainly knows how to conjure up unforgettable groove in their music and also give that music the raw and epic aesthetic it deserves. If you like drawn-out and well thought-out amazing doom metal played with the utmost conviction, then I urge you to add this fantastic CD to your collection.

For me, Reverend Bizarre is the greatest band to come around in at the very least, the last 10 years, but truthfully, in my mind, nothing besides a few ancient masters stand with Reverend Bizarre in the pantheon. It is a great honour to experience great musicians in one's own time.

The songs, both poetically and musically (though poetics is not at all separate from music), are very well arranged and executed. I have personally found in my singing, that the typical death metal and black metal vocals are much easier than clean vocals, and I think much of the reason for this is because in our clean voice we are forced to "reveal" our own self. Such honesty in music, is hard to come by and hard to pour forth. One suffers anxiety over it but one's commitment to truth and to revealedness must be greater than the "anxiety of".

Albert does not suffer from this, and he is fully a honest musician, though certainly the allure of crypticism has captivated him to some extent, as it has done for many of us, however, the occult front is there only for those to prove themselves before the truth maybe revealed. This is not meant disrespectfully, but rather in respect of the sacred art of doom. One has a desire to share, and one does share, but one can not just give it a way, but rather, allow one to have, but on the condition that the individual makes the effort to understand and appreciate.

The doom music is similar to Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus, Candlemass, and Witchfinder General. Reverend Bizarre has, however, added much to it all. The standard length of song is far greater than the aforementioned masters, and I personally find the lyrics to be much deeper than most metal musicians have been able to reach. These wonderers have wandered farther than any other expedition I have had the pleasure of watching and taking a part in.

"Doomsower" is the most instantly gratifying song, but the climaxes in the songs that have a greater amount of rhythmic variation, as well as an extended duration, take you to far greater heights.