BLIZARO – ‘Demo 2015’

If there ever was a recording artist or band that was in dire need of a Bandcamp page that artist would have to be John Gallo. A search and cursory glance at Youtube would reveal a wellspring of amazing material that has yet to be officially collected and released. Whether the man is concocting a strange, otherworldly doomed brew as John Gallow or with bandmates in Blizaro the end result is always impressive and engaging. Blizaro’s latest demo continues the trend and though it may not be on the same level of “weird” when compared to City of the Living Nightmare or the excellent 2013 compilation Strange Doorways (review HERE), it is some of the best, most sprawling traditional doom to be released this year.

Before even pressing play this demo captures one’s imagination with its song titles: “Death Ressurector,” “Forlorn King,” and “Light of Charon.” Combine those titles with Blizaro’s proven track record and you know you’re in store for something special. The opener, “Death Ressurector,” is an expansive composition that is in no short supply of twists and turns. From the glorious opening through its myriad tempo changes “Death Ressurector” is a scorcher of epic proportions. The track truly hits its stride over halfway through where things get spacey—Gallo’s affected voice seems to emanate from beyond the afterlife and the rhythm section locks into a staggered, lumbering crawl. Where “Death Ressurector” kicked off with a majestic intro, “Forlorn King” goes for the jugular with a muscular, almost barbaric onslaught of percussion and bass. “Forlorn King” is definitely the most aggressive and hard rockin’ track of the collection. It simply rips. Closing out the demo is “Light of Charon,” the dreariest and perhaps grimmest composition of the lot. Gallo’s playing on this track is downright wizardly—the leads are mesmerizing and he utilizes probably the grimiest tone ever unleashed on a Blizaro recording to date. “Light of Charon” is among the best, if not THEE best, doom tracks of the year. Simply stunning.

Blizaro’s forthcoming full-length Cornucopia della Morte is long overdue, but should finally see the light of day in 2016 courtesy of I, Voidhanger Records, the label who incidentally put out Strange Doorways and Gallo’s 2014 solo album Violet Dreams (review HERE). Blizaro’s latest demo, despite its brevity, should hopefully hold fans over until the new full-length is unleashed. The demo has it all, though: Gallo’s distinct wail and unique, unmistakable guitar playing backed by a killer rhythm section comprised of bassist Mark Rapone and drummer Mike Waske. This is doom at its finest—epic, sprawling, and forward thinking.

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