King Zog – Second Dawn

King Zog
Second Dawn
Label: Rue Morgue Records
Out: July 31^st, 2024
Playing time: 43:23

Great bands come from Australia, like AC/DC or my favourite Rose Tattoo. But there are also many lesser-known bands that never fail to impress. Here comes a new name for me from down under – King Zog. I emphasise ‘new to me’. After all, the band from Perth is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. And they’ve only released one album in all that time, their self-titled debut from 2017. Apart from the split vinyl with WitchCliff, there’s been no other sign of life. That will change in July, when the follow-up ‘Second Dawn’ is released.

Roaring riffs from lower tuned guitars can be heard in the intro ‘Scelestic Dusk’. For just under a one minute and it clears the way for the first regular song ‘Rat King’. And it continues in the same vein, sustained doom riffs. Epic Doom Metal. The guitar hooks are also in the lower tonal range. So I can’t really follow the categorisation as Heavy Metal from the press info. The dark basic atmosphere continues with ‘Hollow Man Blues’. The dark riffs drip leadenly from the speakers. The quiet guitar solo fits in perfectly with this. ‘Creep On’ is even more decelerated. With accentuated drumming. The riffs seem almost oppressive. In contrast, ‘Madagascar Tree’ seems almost upbeat. Although the sound has lost none of its gloom. And ‘Brute Beast’ is even a little faster. The interlude ‘Aruna, Sunmonger’ leads into the eponymous monumental epic ‘Second Dawn’ with its dark piano playing and spoken words. And this is the finest Epic Doom Metal one last time, with everything your heart desires – hard riffs, ethereal vocals, and calm guitar melodies.

In contrast to many of their hard rocking compatriots, King Zog have committed themselves entirely to Epic Doom. And they celebrate this to perfection for almost three quarters of an hour. Fans of Candlemass or Black Sabbath should definitely give it a listen. Here is a Doom full service.

Lineup:

Dan Durack – Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Connor Pitts-West – Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Martin Gonzalez – Bass Guitar
Sean Ryan – Drums

Track list:

• Scelestic Dusk
• Rat King
• Hollow Man
• Madagascar Tree
• Brute Beast
• Aruna, Sunmonger
• Second Dawn