Album review: Church Of Misery – Born Under A Mad Sign

Seven albums, 28 years and almost as many members in, Tokyo's Church Of Misery are a band for whom big, greasy doom metal is a calling. For bassist and sole continuous member Tatsu Mikami, his obsession with Sabbathian riffs is as unshakable as his insistence on writing songs about murderers (this time also featuring a number about Branch Davidian cult leader David Koresh), and on Born Under A Bad Sign, original singer Kazuhiro Asaeda is back on board as well. Happily, it sounds exactly like every other Church Of Misery album, a state of affairs you would never want any other way.

The riffs are greasy, the basslines do more walking around than Alfred Wainwright, wah pedals pop up as much as the grisly subject matter, and there's a wonderfully garage-y feel to everything that adds to the grisly fun. Again this is exactly as it should be for a Church Of Misery album.

This is entirely to Tatsu's credit. As a band, Church Of Misery could have a football match with the members that have passed through their doors at one point or another. But as a vibe, they remain absolutely constant: a sleazy, seedy, sick B-movie made of fuzzed-up riffs and fucked-up ideas. This is still one cult you won't regret joining.

Verdict: 4/5

For fans of: Black Sabbath, Electric Wizard, Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats

Born Under A Mad Sign is out now via Rise Above