The entrance to the musical world of Georgian Skull begins with a Phil Anselmo-ish voice ranting amidst a feedback filled transmission of some variety before slipping into a promising deepened doom sludge stomp. When this ends, ‘The Demon Cripper’ delivers a very full sounding amalgam of deeply distorted guitars and Down era Anslemo-ish yelps. The production pushes Al "The Yeti" Bones’ vocal to the forefront. To be fair, Al "the Yeti" Bones sounds more like Taneli Jarvi of the Black League and Sentenced than Mr. Anselmo.

The rest of the album runs along the same lines. The guttural vocals stand at the forefront of the music, somewhat showcasing the Yeti’s delivery and enthusiasm for the music. The guitars are thick but the press bio says they are inspired by 70s proto-metal bands. I don’t hear it. The production is so thick and layered it’s hard to hear any retro-action. If it’s there, then its obscured by the current influences.

The safest bet is that Georgian Skull land in the same veins as Entombed and the Black League. They have that aggression that is most apparent with Entombed but the groove is reminiscent of the Black League. They are claimed to be "stoner" doom but they aren’t slow or dreary. If they are stoner, then they are the kind of stoners that get ridiculously aggressive with the puff of the sweatleaf.

The key problem with this album (that is, what turns me off most of all about it) is the density. Georgian Skull try to pack way too much in what they are trying to do. There is just too much going on. While the wall of sound technique works for some, Georgian Skull have not yet reconciled their complexity with their delivery. Entombed and the Black League have distinct sounds because they are not overly complex nor do they try hard to put all their stuff in the listener’s "face".

I hope they streamline their sound. I welcome any metal band that can get groovy and dark. If you’re looking for a band that understands the groove that Entombed and the Black League deliver, then Georgian Skull is probably gonna work for you but don’t be surprised by its over-the-top quality. Remind yourself that this their first release and their sound will refine in the next few albums. They are worth watching to see what happens next.