The Obsessed (doom metal) - Lunar womb (full album) 1991.
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Talking about The Obsessed is talking in particular about Scott “Wino“ Weinrich, the one who created, nurtured, buried and then later resurrected his creation to make it one of the most important and influential bands in the history of doom.
Maryland, late ’70s, a young Scott, still in high school, decides to look for companions to play rock with clear Sabbathian influences in an environment, the American one, where only Pentagram and some other tiny underground reality had at the time implemented and made the word of the Birmingham quartet their own: Warhorse was born, who would change their name to The Obsessed.
Wino is in some ways a precursor, in others a shaman of the black groove of Black Sabbath, a shy character with an ethical and musical coherence that is truly difficult to find.
With his first rhythm section (Marc Laue on bass and Ed Gulli on drums) he recorded a couple of demos in the early ’80s, until the release in 1983 of “Sodden Jackal“ for Invictus Records, a 7-inch with three songs that is now unobtainable but fundamental from a historical point of view.
After this EP Wino decides to dissolve the band to accept Saint Vitus’s offer, thus leaving Maryland to move to California.
Three albums and many satisfactions with the Los Angeles group, which signed with Hellhound Records in 1990; It was precisely this label that relaunched the name of The Obsessed on the music circuit, publishing in that year “The Obsessed“, a re-edition of the self-produced demo from 1982.
The new life of The Obsessed leads Wino to get back to work on a new album, a work that culminates in this “Lunar Womb“ from 1991.
“Lunar Womb“ is not just doom, although this album is considered a point of reference of the genre; it is rather a proud and total homage to Rock ’n Roll and its wild spirit.
In this album, in addition to Wino, we also find a fabulous rhythm section: Greg Rogers on drums and above all Scott Reeder on bass, who later joined Kyuss.
The first songs represent the best, in fact we immediately find ourselves in front of a truly perfect sequence: we move with extreme ease from the powerful and muscular hard rock of “Brother Blue Steel“ to the overwhelming fury tinged with thrash of “Bardo“; from the twilight melancholy of “Hiding Mask“ to the driving rhythm of “Spew“.
In the central part of the album the tension seems to drop a bit, even if we come across fabulous pieces like “Back to Zero“ (full of groove), “No Mas“ (full of that black-stained seventies feeling) and the dark “Jaded“.
With the last tracks the album takes off again until it reaches the epic pathos of “Endless Circles“, an internal journey culminating with the tense and liberating final solo.
The title track instead represents the highest point of Wino’s guitar technique, which leads him to continuously vary his style with sudden and sometimes barely sketchy tempo changes.
“Embryo“ closes this dark rock gem worthily.
This is an absolutely must-have album for all lovers of traditional doom, but also for anyone who loves rock in its entirety and in all its expressive potential.
After “Lunar Womb“, Wino’s story will continue with the release of other albums with The Obsessed (as well as a solo production), and then with adventures in various bands, including Spirit Caravan, Place of Skulls, The Hidden Hand, as well as various collaborations.
Scott “Wino“ Weinrich ... the legend still lives among us!
00:00 Brother blue steel
03:26 Bardo
05:47 Hiding mask
09:40 Spew
12:47 Kachina
16:30 Jaded
20:28 Back to zero
24:25 No blame
25:51 No mas
28:42 Endless circles
32:53 Lunar womb
39:15 Embryo