--------------------------------------- SNAKE LORE --------------------------------------- Metal Hammer July 2000 ABDULLAH Snake Lore (Rage Of Achilles) Review by Malcolm Dome From the label that only recently gave us the monumental Molehill, comes another slugging sludgefest, courtesy of Ohio duo Abdullah. A band so immersed in the quagmire of doom that you can almost smell the slothful saintliness of Saint Vitus and the eccentric pachyderm undulations of Electric Wizard. This eight-tracker offers a mere glimpse of the beast into which Abdullah may well blossom. But any band with gloriously gangrenous riffing tracks like 'Sot-Weed' and 'The Sickness Unto Death' deserve respect and adulation. A master class. [ 8/10 ] Metal Hammer Website --------------------------------------- Kerrang! June 24, 2000 Page 45 Abdullah 'Snake Lore' (Rage Of Achilles ILIAD0002) Review by Liam Sheils Cash-strapped Ohio duo make unofficial Sabbath tribute. Any unemployed bass players should probably head for the American Mid-west where a shortage has evidently forced Ohio natives Alan Seibert and Jeff Shirilla to operate their two man Black Sabbath appreciation society as a guitar and drums only set-up. Oddly, this absence of bottom end affects the sonic impact of 'Snake Lore' far less disastrously than the fact that it's been recorded vai a four track, presumably inside a small caravan. Nevertheless, Abdullah's obvious - if badly recorded - mastery of the morbid riff and baleful vocal has already attracted alot of attention, with Meteor City Records agreeing to bankroll a further album later this year. With the benefit of a producer, a budget and maybe even velvet toilet tissue it may well turn out to be a classic. KKK (3/5) --------------------------------------- Roadburn ABDULLAH Snake Lore [ CD-R demo ] Review By Chris Dexters It's DOOM time again, my friends. The dark month of december yearns for wayward melodies. Ohio's ABDULLAH comes just in time to meet the needs. The band consists of Jeff Shirilla on drums & vox and Alan Seibert handling all stringwork, and having listened to it extensively over the last weeks, this duo has done a great job. "Snake Lore", their fourth demo -after having released 3 tapes over a two year period- comes in a mythical sleeve and shows the bands thematical background. The lyrics deal with the compulsory good/evil duality, solitude and the human quest for inner peace. Doom indeed. The music captured on this 6 track CD-R is varied, from metal-ish tunes and groove-driven heavy rock to all-out doom, which makes the trip all the more enjoyable. Heavy opener "The Path To Enlightenment" is an instant classic. 24-carat doom in the Trouble vein, showcasing Shirilla's excellent melodic voice. "Distant Lights" keeps the pace firmly and grinds along with a murderous riff. The first metallic overtones raise their head in "In The Belly Of The Beast", with its sudden breaks and gearshifts into interstellar domains. The pace drops in "Firmament", only to give way to the inflammatory and heavy mid-section and then disappearing into the purple sunset. The ability to write well-balanced stuff shines through on all tracks, but is driven to a peak in "The Sickness Unto Death". This epic doom saga clocks in at just under 15 minutes and is the pi�ce de r�sistance of this platter. A fearful journey to the darkest corners of the human mind, the lament of a man going head first into a pool of sorrow. At times Shirilla's voice reminds me of Angel's Frank Dimino (IMHO one of the 70s most underrated rock bands) on this one, fitting this track like a glove. It takes skill not to fuck up a song of this length and Abdullah stands the test with success. The disc closes off with "The Black Ones", a downtuned melancholic track with some nice solo spots for Seibert. The overall sound quality is remarkably good for a 4-track recording, though I can imagine the stir this would cause with a full-blown production. If you want to hear some more Abdullah, you should check out "Information Stoner Highway", the 21-track compilation put together with bands who reside on the Stoner Rock mailing list. Roadburn - Under Reviews/Abdullah/Snake Lore --------------------------------------- www.stonerrock.com Abdullah � Snake Lore Demo Review by: Dan Beland (StonerRock.com) The first time I listened to this full length demo I sat there in shock and amazement right until eerie echoing voices that end the last track �The Black Ones�. Abdullah just isn�t anything like what I was expecting.. For some reason I was expecting an ultra slow sludge fest of eyehategod notoriety. The �sludge� is certainly there, especially on the track �The Sickness Unto Death�, but it is certainly not all that is there. I was not expecting a work of art, but that�s just what I would have to describe Snake Lore as. Abdullah is just two guys, Jeff Shirilla doing the drums, vox and lyric writing and Alan Seibert doing �all guitars�. The �all guitars� thing is one of the really neat aspects of this recording.. Yes there are only two guys, but sometimes it sounds like there are 4 or more musicians contributing to a song.. Every song is an experience that sucks you in with one riff and spits you out with the next in a slow motion rollercoaster ride of sudden tempo changes and unexpected guitar effects. Abdullah is a progressive rock band in the true meaning of meaning of the term �progressive�. They are forging forward in a significantly different direction than their peers powered by their own creative energy. From crunching powerchords that I would consider to be some of the heaviest that I�ve ever heard to mesmerizing trance enducing accoustic compositions Abdullah have it all and more.. Visit the Abdullah website via the URL below for more information. If you can get your hands on a copy of Snake Lore I suggest you do so. Stonerrock.com --------------------------------------- Stoner Rock Rules ABDULLAH "Snake Lore" (EP - demo CD) Review by Mike Knecht Without hesitation or doubt I can say that Abdullah are one of the best bands I�ve heard in a while. It amazes me that this 6 song demo CD was recorded by only two guys (Jeff Shirilla, drums/vox and Alan Seibert, all guitars) on a fuckin� four-track no less! You really have to hear this thing to really appreciate what Im saying... no question Jeff and Alan are producing some of the most interesting, honest and well written doom inspired heavy rock around. It�s this type of band/demo that makes this job so worthwhile... this is what makes it exciting and so enjoyable. The only other current band that I feel comfortable comparing them to is Pale Divine, another one of my favorite acts. That�s not to say that the two bands sound alike, but there is an undeniable vibe that exists in both bands that is very similar... very powerful... and very, very good! If I was forced to tell ya what they sound like, the best I could do is tell you to imagine a doomy Sugartooth with balls. Get this... you won�t be disappointed. Stoner Rock Rules - In Demo Reviews --------------------------------------- Chronicles of Chaos Issue 46 Abdullah - _Snake Lord_ ([Independent], 1999) Review by: Adrian Bromley (9 out of 10) I'm betting many doom metal fans who come across this superb Black Sabbath / doom-laden release will be smiling for days. Maybe weeks? With just two guys -- Jeff Sherilla and Alan Seibert -- pushing all the right buttons, it doesn't take long for Abdullah to get the party going. From the opener sway of "The Path of Enlightment" onto "Firmament" and "Sickness Unto Death", it is quite obvious these guys still live and breathe the wicked past of Sabbath. Their realm of gargantuan ear-fuzzing material is made of loud guitars, awesome vocals and some of the heaviest doses of music to storm at you in a while. This is monster doom metal from the mid-west and it should not be ignored. Chronicles of Chaos - In Album Asylum --------------------------------------- High Beam Issue 13 ABDULLAH SNAKE LORE (DEMO) Review by Jeb Taylor A while back I received a demo from this band that showed plenty of potential despite the fact that the recording was on the verge of a nervous break down. Well they have returned with this new six track effort and everything about it has greatly improved.The recording quality is very good for a demo this time around but it is the improvement musically that really stands out from their last effort.They seem to have been listening to more doom based music such as Orange Goblin if the sounds they now are producing is anything to go by.The Path To Enlightenment is the opening track and a perfect example of their development and toward the end of Distant Lights they bring out some Iron Monkey-esque vocals which is something I didn't expect.Remember the name Abdullah because going on the sound of this CD there are definitely big things lying ahead for this outfit. High Beam Issue #13 - In the demo reviews section --------------------------------------- GL-Productions Demo Reviews Volume 7 Abdullah(US)-Snake Lore Review by Gabriel Lilliehook A brand new band from Ohio that only includes 2 members Alan Seibert guitars and Jeff Shirilla drums and vocals and here they are in their debut appearance. Snake Lore was recorded from April to Ocotober this year and have just come out, 7 months of studiowork might seem to be a long time but Alan and Jeff has pieced together a highly interesting cd demo, the recording was made actually on a 4 track and to get a sound like this is something very spectacular I must say. There is plenty of excellent tracks on this one, Abdullah is experimenting with a lot of nice things here Jeffs vocals are brilliant and very emotional and Alans guitarwork is also very inspiring. The standout track is The Sickness unto deah a song that lasts over 14 minutes! A major doom metal hit with a strong Solitude Aeturnus/Revelation /Candlemass feel. The rest of the material is more psychedelic heavyrock with a doom laden feel. The whole package feels very refreshing and its got a tremendous vibe to it as well. Abdullahs Snake Lore is definitely something for the labels to check out and a demo that will suit all you doomsters out there perfectly. GL-Productions - In demo reviews volume 7 --------------------------------------- The Hand of Doom Volume 2 pg. 7 Abdullah Snake Lore (demo) Review by Chris Klasa This record was one of the many surprises that I received in the P.O. Box for this issue - surprised because I actually got a free record and also surprised because it is so damned good. Abdullah is a Northeast Ohio duo who is dabbling in the black art of doom metal. Their music is classic slow doom that skirts around an almost neo grunge sound before breaking back into the classic single guitar note monster riff doom. I was able to bang my head to this release with no shame. Abdullah mixes it up with some atmospheric guitar breaks and one EHG styled speed break on track two, "Distant Lights". The record is slow and mighty. This record is a great display of what can be attained with two dudes, a four track and a CD burner - a top notch sounding heavy duty self release. This record is as good as it gets at this level. --------------------------------------- Night Ritual Webzine ABDULLAH "Snake Lore" Review By Renee` Maxwell Yes! Some traditional stoner doom metal here. Traditional doom is one of my favorite styles of metal, but sadly the scene seems to be full of bands who sound and even look alike, so it's rare for me to get really excited for a new band. But ABDULLAH have that extra something to make me really like their music. Heavy, with that Sabbath-ish blues feel, and straight forward jazzy Bill Ward type drumming, any BLACK SABBATH fan should like this. Don't get me wrong, this is not a mere Sabbath rip-off band. There's a lot of elements at work here in perfect balance. Cool lyrics as well. There's a song on here that is over 14 minutes long! I recommend this with confidence to fans of BLACK SABBATH, TROUBLE, LAS CRUCES, ST. VITUS, SOLITUDE AETURNUS, COUNT RAVEN, etc. Night Ritual - CD Reviews for December 1999 (w/MP3 & Real Audio) --------------------------------------- Vibrations of Doom Issue #23 ABDULLAH "Snake Lore" (Abdullah) SCORE: 86/100 Review by Steven Cannon Proof positive that not ALL the best bands are signed to record labels, comes this group WAY out of left field with some of the most innovative stoner rock, doom metal, raw 70's based rock and roll, and a surprising black metal twist on a few vocal lines in the song 'Distant Lights,' surprising lyrical insights and this wierd obsession with serpents. Extra points MUST go out for the very unusual packaging, the printing of the lyric booklet makes it look like it was printed in the early 1900's or so, and the trippy rainbow coloring on the CD front sleeve show an extra do it yourself creativity that even major labels couldn't spend the time to come up with. At times the vocalist reminds you of Ozzy in spots, at other times just a hard rocker. 'The Black Ones' was a little off the beaten path and not their greatest song, and on a 6 song album that's gonna take off some points. 'Firmament' could have used some improving, but for the weak spots there's so many more good points. 'The Sickness Unto Death' has the most sorrowful and beautiful lyrical/instrumentation interaction I have ever heard, and it will definitely move the soul, but the damn thing is 14 minutes long! Not good if your drive to work is only a matter of a few miles, but for those who want their mood prolonged you can't do any worse, plus they do throw in some nice acoustical breaks and leads to keep this from being overrepetitive. The other songs are very catchy, and I've been humming lines from 'In The Belly Of The Beast' at work quite a bit. "We're all prisoners trapped under the sky" is a sample of the lyrical interpretations by one Jeff Shirilla, and if it's a trap we're in you can do no worse than cranking these tunes up! Vibrations of Doom - Issue 23 --------------------------------------- Exclaim February 2nd 2000 ABDULLAH Snake Lore - Independent Doom, Metal, Rock, Stoner rock Review by Sean Palmerston One of the most exciting new demos in land of the fuzzed out rock/doom metal comes from Ohio�s Abdullah. Mixing melodic, clean vocals reminiscent of Kings X with Sabbath-inspired rock riffs, this two-piece studio project sees Alan Seibert handling all guitars while Jeff Shrilla drums and does the vocals. While the dual vocal layering on tracks such as The Path To Enlightenment may be too close to Sabbath Bloody Sabbath territory, it is true ear candy for the fully obsessed fans of all that is slow, groove-oriented and fuzzy. Now here�s hoping they find a bassist soon and start playing shows if these guys are anywhere near as good live as they are on disc, it�d be worth driving down to OH to check them out real soon. Exclaim --------------------------------------- Death by Metal Issue No. 6(66) Abdullah - "Snake Lore" 1999 DEMO Review by Paul Sanchez First of all, I will say that Abdullah is an excellent slow doom influence metal band. The music is simple and catchy as the vocals are average. No high pitch nor growling grunts even anything that is "alternative". The material on "Snake Lore" is real slow and down that can remind one of Trouble and Sleep. I can could say that Abdullah is stoner rock with an rougher edge of Black Sabbath. I find some "stoner rock" bands too boring well Abdullah manage to stick out from the high/low scene. Shirilla has some great lungs that reminds me of the King Fowley of Deacesed/Doomstone/ October 31st fame. Also Shirilla plays the drums and sings like the King himself. I am not comparing to this to the King but this has a lot of memorable songs. I enjoy some classic "stoner rock" or what I like to call "white metal" you know.... its dark, yet can make one happy on a rainy day kind of white situation. I hear alot of room for improvement and steady creationism. Fans of Black Sabbath, Trouble and Sleep or basically any or all stoner rock bands will love this. Which I like and hope to hear from these guys in the near future. Heil Abdullah!!!! Death by Metal Magazine PO Box 1331 Plainview, TX 79072 --------------------------------------- Psychedelic Fanzine Issue 6 ABDULLAH : Snake Lore self produced demo CD 1999 Review by Uwe Groebel Doom comes again and again. There�s only a small sum of bands dedicating their life to the origin doom stuff. The climax maybe was in 1992, where Abdullah could have been created, that�s what you think, but they are a new band from the USA. Those 6 tracks resume all clich�s, including slow, harmonic and fast (at least 100 bpm) songs, lead by Jeff�s excellent clean vocals. Psychedelic Fanzine --------------------------------------- Undertow Heavy Metal Webzine ABDULLAH Snake Lore Review by Bruno Van de Velde There must be a metal band on every street corner in Ohio. There are some great power metal bands located in this State. Abdullah is however not a power metal band. They try to re live old Black Sabbath times with their doom metal. This band won't win the price of most original act but they bring some real good dredging metal. All songs are pretty long which make this six track demo CD clock just under 45 minutes. The music is heavy and groovy and they incorporate some psychedelic influences here and there. The overall feeling is dark and the voice of vocalist Jeff Shirilla reminds me of Ozzy. This duo has the talent in them to make some real great doom music. If you are into Sabbath, Pentagram Revelation and other doom metal bands than check these guys out. (7) Undertow Heavy Metal Webzine - Look under reviews A-G --------------------------------------- Soundscape Magazine Eigth Edition ABDULLAH: "Snake Lore" - Demo CD (Indie/Ninnghizhidda Music) Review By S.B. From the name of this band, and from the look of the cover, I was expecting a band that would play some sort of Black Metal with some Middle-Eastern music influences... Well, I was far off! Their music is more like a Grungy, Hard Rock Metal with some psychedelic/70s overtones to it... The music isn't bad, even though the songs are kind of a bit redundant and alike. The guitars are loud, crisp and clear, playing with efficiency. But the drumming is pretty weak, often untight and off beat. The drums also sound very thin but still pretty clear. The vocals are one of the forces of this band, singing in a wide range of tones, reminding sometimes of ALICE IN CHAINS's vocals both in structures and style. The overall sound isn't bad but definitely of demo quality, especially for this kind of music which asks for finesse and clarity of sound. Soundscape - Demo Reviews Eigth Edition --------------------------------------- Daredevil Magazine ABDULLAH - Snake lore (Abdullah) Review by Jochen Ohio, a beautiful state for doom metal. The singer reminds me sometimes on the young Ozzy. There are only songs over 5 minutes on SNAKE LORE (the sickness unto death over 14 minutes!!). The opener THE PATH TO ENLIGATEMENT is a good doom song with a relaxed acoustic middle part and very emotional vocals. DISTANT LIGHTS is ok, but the fast ending-part doesn`t fit! Track 4 (FIRMAMENT) had a very sad (as the whole record is) basement, but the problem is, that (except the opener) the songs aren`t catchy enough. They are good, the singer is great, but the last kick is missing! The last 2 songs have a higher level, but can`t reach the standard of the opener. Good doom metal with a good singer, but...... Daredevil Magazine - Under Reviews January 2000 --------------------------------------- Lady Evil's Womb of Doom Abdullah Review by Lady Evil This is a small doom metal band who just released their first masterpiece "Snake Lore". Jeff Shirilla plays the drums while singing vocals and Alan Seibert handles all the guitar work. If you love Sabbath, Sleep, and slow melodic crunching doom, this is the band for you. Since they are just starting out, you can visit their website or contact them via email to order their cd or to just learn more about them and I strongly suggest you do! Lady Evil's Womb of Doom --------------------------------------- Perkele Metal Magazine 1/2000 Abdullah (Snake Lore -Demo CD-R) Review by Jukka "Shrike" Kolehmainen Abdullah's second demo (that i've heard) works great, the last one had poor sound quality and i felt the band was still in growth stage. The band has still two members, Jeff Shirilla takes care of vocals and drums and Alan Seibert guitars. This demo reminds me here and there of old Black Sabbath with Ozzy in it, the over all feeling is that of Stoner/doom. Sounds are right where they should be and the demo works all the way through, for good 45 minutes. Demo has alot of gloomy riffs, great vocal melodies and all the moody stuff gave me a very enjoyable listening session. I can hear the effects of all the 'gurus', i'm saying that in a positive way, Abdullah really sounds like their own thing. 5 stars out of 5 Traslated from finnish, sorry for the poor grammar. --------------------------------------- Malignant Neoplasm Issue 3 Review by Scott Slimm Another interesting project is a demo from an Ohio band called Abdullah. Abdullah is formed by Sloth defector Jeff Shirilla who has teamed up with a new Ohio ax master. This six track demo recorded in early 99 is full on Sabbath worship. Pretty Doomy shit really, and their is even an acoustic song. And check this out Jeff actually sings! No shit a real vocalist I give him full credit. As far as I'm concerned I can never get sick of the Sabbath rock, so I'm fully digging this. I think these dudes are trying to get into SUMA Studios to do some tracks for vinyl release for later this year. --------------------------------------- Gardenia Fanzine (Italy) ABDULLAH SNAKE LORE Translation by Andrea Gasparini Doom metal with psychedelic vein; this is the purpose of Abdullah, an American duo that, with the present "Snake Lore" has released one of the best demo's of the year. Six track of medium length that have the greate merit of make live the listener attention, thanks to the great melodic outbreak that damp the sadness typical of this genre. Beautiful the opener "The Path to Enlightenment" (there are more riffs here than in "Jerusalem" of Sleep) and great the following "Distant Lights" with his catchy chorus where rises the singer/drummer Jeff. "The Sickness Unto Death" is a doomy song with a gloomy and smokey atmosphere, a true dark breeze that lights up only in the fabulous refrain while the final "Black Ones" erupt a ultrasaturated Sabbath riff that takes us mournfully to the end of this great work. If you are searching for a comparison Abdullah seems a less hallucinogenic and more clean version of Electric Wizard; I think that is much, all right? That's all for now, scuse for my bad english and keep rock on. Gardenia Fanzine Andrea Gasparini via Michelangelo 181 25124 Brescia Italy [email protected] --------------------------------------- Eyeless Shorts - Brief reviews Abdullah Snake Lore [demo] Excellent, twisted metal with an exotic, seventies feel. Imagine Black Sabbath with a dash of Cream and almost there. [8] Eyeless --------------------------------------- High Beam - review 2 ABDULLAH SNAKE LORE (RAGE OF ACHILLES) Review by Matt Frighetto The moment i heard this cd,i thought DOOM!!!, with slow fat chunking riffs and great vocals. Although only recorded on a four track the production is great true raw and fuzzy, sounding similar to Electric Wizard, Sleep and some times Sabbathy. All tracks to me are great, i look forward to hearing more from these guys,a really great rockin album a must have. 9/10 High Beam --------------------------------------- Keep on Groovin' Abdullah - Snake Lore (1999 Self Released) Review by Kevin Payne I am an obsessed Abdullah fan. I have been since August of 99' when I first got in contact with Mr. Jeff Shirilla . I've kept in contact with him on a regular basis, he's really cool. This is their newest demo and it smokes!!!! I honestly am having a hard time describing it, I've tried many times! But I can't do it. All I can say is that you have to get a copy of this demo, IT TRULY IS AMAZING! I've listened to it every day since I've got it(Thank You Jeff!) I can't begin to tell you how good it is. There are some big things going on for Alan and Jeff right now, and you'll be hearing more from them in a while! All I can say is you have to get this. You can get it from various labels, just visit their web site or give them a shout. This is some seriously heavy doom/stoner rock. JUST GO AND GET THIS AND YOU WILL KNOW WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT!!!! I can't explain it. Go to their web page and read the reviews, or Stonerrock.com http://www.stonerrock.com or Stoner Rock Rules http://www.freeweb.org/freeweb/stonerrockrules go to their review sections and check out the Abdullah reviews. As an obsessed Abdullah fan all I can say is GET IT NOW!!!! Keep on Groovin' --------------------------------------- Psychedelic Zine Volume 7 ABDULLAH : Snake Love CD on Rage of Achilles Records 2000 Review by Poller Csaba The label seems to has the sense, picking up bands with strange names. It was in case of Molehill too, but musically Abdullah is totally different. It is the second demo of the duo (Alan Seibert - all guitars, Jeff Shirilla : drums / vocals), re-released on CD with 8 tracks on it. A really essential musical experience I took part listening to it. They wrote very catchy and tasteful compositions. Fine, strong grooves we can find with psychedelic, sensual melodies, the drummer guy has a really good, talented and practiced throat, I liked it. Sometimes strange and unique sound-cavalcade is flowing through the songs, a flying and original experience they give and take you very far away. Very atmospheric and conceptional, a true musical adventure, I recommend it ! Their full-length comes out at Meteorcity at the end of the year. Go ahead ! Psychedelic Fanzine --------------------------------------- Stonerama - The Stoner Rock Rules Supplement Issue #1 ABDULLAH - "Snake Lore" Rage Of Achilles Records Review by Luciano Gaglio "Snake Lore" was one Abdullah's many demos, and now it's also their debut full length on England's Rage Of Achilles Records. This Ohio doom band which recently signed a deal with Meteor City is not a typical band, featuring only a singer/drummer, Jeff Shirilla, and a guitarist, Alan Seibert. But they have enough talent to put an intriguing album of 70s dark sounds with a strong personality, which reminds of Black Sabbath, High Tide, Atomic Rooster, and Black Widow... In fact, while some of their guitar excursions have tasteful Pink Floyd vibe, there is a Lovecraftian atmosphere that haunts "The Path To Enlightment" and the even darker "The Sickness Unto Death" and "The Black Ones", where decadent melodies give Type O Negative and Acid Bath/Agents Of Oblivion a run for their money. Stonerama --------------------------------------- Terrorizer Issue 83, October 2000 Page 46 ABDULLAH "Snake Lore" RAGE OF ACHILLES Review by Chris Chantler This month's Wino Award for Being Born Too Late undoubtedly goes to this duo from Ohio, who sound for all the world like they've been holed up in a basement since 1974 with nothing to sustain them but whiskey and reefer. Maybe it's the four-track production, maybe the echoey vocals, maybe the drugged-muso interludes, but this just sounds so sozzled and leathery and ancient, like how Vitus sounded way back. Yes there are plenty of hip-swingin' groove riffs but this ain't no happy-clappy stoner jamboree. Just when you think 'Distant Lights' is gonna remain all free and laid-back it kicks your ass with a frantic spider-rockin' chug and some warped, raspy vocals. And while the jangly 'Firmament' makes you wonder if Kyuss are the only band to tempt Abdullah out of their timewarp, 'The Sickness Unto Death' is a slab of the creepiest primeval dooooom and 'The Black Ones' is a proper Anthem For The Depressed. If the bankruptcy of Hellhound still gets you down, pick up 'Snake Lore' and get downer. [7.5] Terrorizer --------------------------------------- Friend of the Devil ABDULLAH 'Snake Lore' CD (Rage Of Achilles) Review by Satpal Kalsi The debut eight song demo by these promising doom rockers has thankfully been made legit for all to experience. Following in the footsteps of Goatsnake et al, Abdullah create a genuinely heavy sound that pendulates between stoner grind and Alice In Chains/ Wool melodic rock so there's no chance of monotony. It could be that they're just trying to find the right sound, but at least they've made the most of simple means utilising effects like phasing, reverse tape, and reverb to instil three dimension to four track sparseness. It's raw but fresh. Looking forward to their full length on Meteor City. 6/10 Friend of the Devil --------------------------------------- SDZ Abdullah "Snake Lore" (Rage of Achilles/Water Dragon Distribution) This duet (guitar/drums) from eastern Ohio are becoming a name in the stoner scene. These eight titles of doom are rather melodic (especially on the level of the song) and psych�s are a true pleasure to hear and profit from a very good sound although recorded on only 4 tracks. The group has just signed with the famous American label Meteor City, thus one can affirm without being mistaken too much that Abdullah is probably one of the future's great names of the stoner. Precipitate without waiting on this superb "Snake Lore"! SDZ Here it is in French: Ce duo guitare/batterie de l'Ohio est en train de se faire un nom dans la sc�ne stoner. Ces huit titres de doom assez m�lodiques (surtout au niveau du chant) et psych�s sont un vrai plaisir � entendre et b�n�ficient d'un tr�s bon son bien qu'enregistr�s sur un 4 pistes. Le groupe vient de signer sur le r�put� label am�ricain Meteor City donc on peut affirmer sans trop se tromper qu'Abdullah est probablement un des futurs grands noms du stoner. Pr�cipitez-vous sans attendre sur ce superbe "Snake Lore"! --------------------------------------- Black to Comm ABDULLAH 'Snake Lore' Review by Chris Stigliano Drummer/vocalist Jeff Shirilla is a reader of the magazine, so I BETTER GIVE IT A GOOD REVIEW. And I will, because I've noticed one thing about you Black to Comm readers, and that's you all have good taste whether it be in listening to or MAKING music, so I don't have to worry about offending any of you (well, maybe a FEW) because THERE IS NO NEED TO! Whew! Now that I got that outta the way let's talk about this home-made CD. Nice cover, nice name and a big surprise! If you like the early-70s local hard rock sound influenced more by Dust than Deep Purple you'll love this one, hot hard rock recorded 1998 that reminds me of St. Anthony's Fire, or better yet this black metal group from Washington DC called Pentagram that was making some noise back in the 70s/80s. A nice surprise, and though not 100% my cup of venom (maybe 55%), I'll recommend it to the more metallic readers out there who still relish daily spins of Black Sabbath's first next to a smattering of Sir Lord Baltimore.