Don’t you just wish Danzig could get that “Lucifuge” vibe back? The evil entwining of the blues and his infernal anthems have not truly seen anything that could compare since – and he certainly hasn’t been able to let it be captured (snicker). Well, my nostalgic netherdwellers, Virginia’s King Giant appears to have dropped a platter of Southern Darkness that I am certain the Evil Elvis himself would be salivating over. “Dismal Hollow” is probably the closest answer we’ll get to what could have been if Danzig’s “Blackacidevil” never happened. It is bluesy, dark, and tremendously groovy.

The vocals of Dave Hammerly have that cavernous Elvic (as in Presley not Legolas) quality that only the King and his Evil Twin have. It is the voice that can shake the soul and beckon forth demons at the same time. The guitarwork of David Kowalski and Todd Ingram, which fuel much of the groove, ratchet up the tension to match. The rhythm section of Floyd Waters III (bass) and Brooks (drums) consistently provide the drive and momentum that help heighten the impact.

”Dismal Hollow” starts out sounding a little like a more straight forward version of Baroness with the epic ‘Appomattox’. This similarity is lost when the groove of ‘Tale Of Mathias’ kicks in. The malevolent melancholy of ‘A Steward’s Prayer’ sounds like “Lucifuge” era Danzig jamming with Alice In Chains. ‘6 O’Clock Swill’ is a nihilistic romp that captures the paradox of choice that can be found in a bottle. In the odder formulation of sounds, ‘The Fog’ sounds like Danzig doing a guest appearance with British doommerchants, Paradise Lost. Kowalski's and Ingram's guitar tone manages to sound almost identical to the combo of Mackintosh and Aedy. That is, until the jam gets all Sabbathy, which demonstrates the explicit links between the blues, Sabbath, and doom metal (as if we didn’t already know this).

King Giant are one of the better examples of how the sum of a band’s influences can create something that sounds relevant and independent of those influences, a proper tribute to the influences. While it may seem, based on my review that it's a Danzig wannabe band, i assure you they are not. King Giant's sound is more in line with the newer branch of metal like Baroness, Mastodon, Red Fang, Rwake, etc.

All in all, “Dismal Hollow” caught me by surprise. These guys deliver on so many levels – and while this may be my own projections onto their sounds – I am ever optimistic about future releases. The album is exquisitely seemless, unrelenting, and never boring. I definitely think this one is one the best I have heard in a long time.

Best Songs: All of them.