Following is a list of all knownsources which do a review of Somber Blessings. In the interest of beingobjective, ALL reviews are included, both good and bad. Some reviews arepending, others were supposed to have been done but have not yet been verified,while of course some have been done and have been proven to exist. In most (if not all) cases it will be clear which recording the review refers tofrom the review header. Copies of reviews which have appeared in paper'zines are posted if they have been received via e-mail. If you have trouble with any of the links or addresses, please send e-mail to the contact below.

Online:

Smother Webzine ('Unsigned Bands' section)    http://www.smother.net
 

  Inferno Zine   http://www.dse.nl/inferno/issue10/somberb.html
 

   Blood Servant   http://www.geocities.com/Athens/4377/demo3.html
 

 Underground Metal Zine (Issue #5)
http://www.powersupply.net/Users/hkolb/umetal.html
Howard Kolb: hkolb@norden1.com

 Necrosis Magazine ("Regional Interviews" section) http://user.icx.net/~besieged/necrosis/

  Soundscape Magazine (Issue #2)
http://pages.infinit.net/smcanada/2revdemo.html
CP 65144
CSP Place Longueuil
Longueuil, Québec,
Canada, J4K 5J4
Fax:514) 677-5195
Attn: Stéphane Bélanger
massound@total.net
 

  Intense Sounds of Death Metal
Go here for RA clips (demo only)!
http://home.ici.net/~phassel/index.htm
 

  Adrenalin 'Zine
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Lounge/6434
 

On Paper:

 Océan Morphique
France
This 'zine is currently writtingtheir third issue and they are looking for contacts. If you are interestedin a review, please contact Max at the e-mail below.

Write Up [as much as the reviewercould translate into English] (Legend): What a beautiful album for thisamerican band !! The style is simply unbelivebale : imagine some medievalparts , some very heavy riffs , doom melodies , and female and black-metalvoice ... Simply fantastic , this album is a dream. One of the best americanband for sure and one of the rare doom band who still inovate !!
c3m.varnier@wanadoo.fr
 

 Growling Brutality
Steve P.
CP 62
Valleyfield, QC
J6S 4V5, Canada
Steve Poupart: spoupart@suroit.rocler.qc.ca
 

 Engulfed in Gore
c/o Mike Hochins
RR#3, Site 7, Comp.19
Thunder Bay, Ont.
P7C 4V2, Canada
Mike Hochins: phochins@Quetico.tbaytel.net
 

 Puntured Lung
Brian Shade
36973 Tanyard Drive
Mechanicsville, Md, 20659
Urloc k: urlock@hotmail.com
 

Fantasies of Tragedy
F.O.T
c/o Damian Urban
Hamrev. 20 A
S-821 34 Bollnäs
SWEDEN
Damian: Damian@mp.bollnas.se
 

Blue Ryder Magazine [September 1997 Issue]
P.O. Box 11149
Costa Mesa,CA 92627

Write Up (The Winds of the Earth):"Holy shit!!! Some of the best death metal I have ever heard!! What amazesme is that they are having a hard time getting signed to a label. Althoughthese guys sound a little like Napalm Death, their style and origionalityis far better. A few things that I find interesting about Somber Blessingsis the combination of male- female vocals (Scott Randall & JessicaRoy) and the use of a violin in this type of music. All of this bringsdeath metal to a whole new level of apreciation!"
Michael Dwaileebe: blueryder@earthlink.net
 

SociopathicDespair
PO Box 10025
Bowling Green,
KY 42102-4825
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Backstage/7887/

Review Here: Somber Blessings "TheWinds Of The Earth" Rating: A. I first heard Somber Blessings on a tapeof the Metal Cage radio show. I was blown away by the sheer power and melodicintensity of the band then, and certainly still am now. Simply put, SomberBlessings is one of the best underground doom/death/black metal crossoverbands I've ever heard. This demo ripped me asunder! Somber Blessings isfrom Danvers, MA, near Old Salem, the site of the infamous Salem WitchTrials. Perhaps the band soaked in quite a bit of their native land's eldritchatmosphere, because it sure sounds like it, judging from their music. Basicallythe music presented in this 50-minute-plus demo ranges from forlorn doomto melodic death, with touches of primal black metal interspersed. Thelead vocals in particular remind me a lot of Necromantia's vocals, whichis certainly a compliment. Voluptuous female vocals are also utilized,to great effect. They contrast severely with the dark, hoarse screams andguttural grunts of the lead male vocalist, but are a welcome addition.The instrumentation varies widely from part to part and tempos change inmere seconds. The band can switch from heart-stopping suicidoom to hyperblastspeed metal faster than most bands vould ever dream of. Atmospheric acoustictracks, mournful violins, classical keyboards, and a highly baroquesqueguitar style prove to be combinations that propel this band to innovativeheights in the underground. I especially enjoyed the lyrics on this release.They are very naturalistic-oriented and Pagan-sounding. Images of Tolkieenesquelandscapes come instantly to mind. They also have a strong Middle Agesfeel to them, much like the music instrumentation itself. Plus, the lyricsto the demo's intro and "The Hollow Of The Three Hills" track are inspiredby Nathaniel Hawthorne, one of the only early American horror fiction writerswho can successfully comprete with Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft.Mad props go out to Somber Blessings for incorporating Hawthorne into thesetracks! My favorite songs on this demo include "Nevermore," "The AutumnKing," and "Mourn The Sunrise," a concept I totally identify with. Thesound production is crisp and clean throughout. The inlay is printed infull color and lyrics are included. The cover illustration is very well-doneand looks like something straight out of Lovecraft or Tolkieen. Definitelycheck out this excellent demo as soon as possible. The cost is only $4ppd, so you're definitely getting a good bargain. Reflect on the Naturefrom whence thee came.
Mike Rogers: sociod@hotmail.com
 

Corrosion 'Zine
Jim Gorrie
R.R.#4 Tottenham, ON
Canada L0G 1W0
Jim Gorrie: corros@simcoe.igs.net
 

 Stormwatcher 'Zine

Write Up: Somber Blessings - TheWinds of the Earth
Although this was recorded in 93-95,it is the first time I have been exposed to it. Somber Blessings is forthe most part a one-man project of Scott Randall, although he has severalother musicians appearing on the recording to perform female vocals, drums,lead guitar, and violin. The music covers a broad spectrum, from acousticand atmospheric parts with female vocals, to grinding, low-end death metal.The vocals are a blend of black and death genre growling that is drasticallyeffective over the music. My favorite tunes on this are the opening track"Hollow of the Three Hills" which opens with some quotes from old Americanwriter Nathaniel Hawthorne (great writer by the way), and "In Death's Shadow".I am very impressed with the amount of effort that was put into this recording,and the variety of styles Somber Blessings is capable of bringing forth.At times the sound quality suffers, but this is a minor problem that alarger recording budget can oust. Eagerly awaiting more! If you want this,I urge you to order a copy. There is contact information elsewhere in thisissue (hint, it will probably will be found in the interview in this issue).
azeesh@student.umass.edu

Listen for Somber Blessings on theseradio shows!:

   The Metal Cage Radio Show c/o John Dwyer
WRIU
Middletown, RI
johndwyer@webtv.net