Local Review: Breaux – Doom Goddess

Breaux
Doom Goddess 

Self-Released
Street: 1.17
Breaux = Five Finger Death Punch + Mayene & The Sons of Disaster

Breaux, a local southern metalcore band has made waves in the local hard rock and metal scene with the release of their new album, Doom Goddess. Breaux is a mix between hard rock and southern metal, especially in Doom Goddess. 

“Stay” is the first track. Sam Simpson’s guttural vocals give us a southern country feel; this, however, is misleading because the rest of the album gives a heavier, hard rock and metal feel. “Stay” is a very mellow tune, with a soothing intro before the rest of the album takes us on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. From this first impression, I could tell Doom Goddess was going to be complex. 

After “Stay” follows “Goodbye California.” This song was a lot heavier than I expected. The best word I can use to describe this song is chaos. Simpson’s vocals are all over the place. I can’t tell if he’s going for hard rock vocals or metal screams. Overall, “Goodbye California” has a good sense of direction but is missing rhythm, consistency and feel. For me, there is no sense of harmony between Sam Simpson’s vocals, Greg Wilson and Aaron Stowe’s guitar playing, Jarret Miller‘s rhythm and Alex Cadwell’s drumming., though I will say Cadwell’s drumming is absolutely on point, and he completes the missing link in this song. 

“Abandoned” has to be one of my favorites. The song has great direction and follows a consistent, hard rock feel. Simpson’s vocals fit perfectly and exceeded my expectations set by the preceding songs. He provides the right harmony and balance for the amazing guitar riffs from Wilson and Stowe, followed by Miller‘s rhythmic bass playing. This track writes the eulogy for the rest of the album. 

“Bones and Ash” was another hidden treasure on Doom Goddess. The lyrics are grotesque and brutal. It truly made me feel disturbed in a breathtaking way. “Doom Goddess, hear our prayer / May she resonate within us all” were deep lyrics that did in fact resonate in a way that made me feel more connected to the album as a whole. 

Make sure to listen to Doom Goddess on bandcamp to support these local hard rock boys.. –Litzi Estrada

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