Black Pyramid — II

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It’s been ten years since this album debuted, and to commemorate this anniversary, Labyrinth of Thoughts Records decided to reissue the album “II.” This release is arguably BLACK PYRAMID’s best and worth revisiting or checking out for the first time. BLACK PYRAMID plays mid-tempo doom metal. Doom metal albums live and die based on the value of their riffs, and these riffs are of the highest quality.

On “Night Queen,” Beresky’s vocal delivery has a punk quality reminiscent of bands like FLOGGING MOLLY, but the similarities end there. This track is chock full of tasty riffs. At one point, the song stops, and the music returns with a blues guitar solo, and a mini jam session ensues until the track’s actual conclusion.

There are two epic tracks on “II.” The first of them is “Dreams Of The Dead.” The vocals are front-loaded. They come and go before the song really starts to develop. Once again, the riffing is on point, and the multi-faceted jam session is worth the song’s nearly thirteen-minute duration. The music is layered well and holds my attention with every listen.

The sixth track, “Sons Of Chaos,” is reminiscent of HIGH ON FIRE, the way the music quickly ramps up to speed, and the clean vocals are shouted with urgency. There is a moment where the guitars suddenly get twangy that I was not a fan of, but overall, it’s a solid song.

Track seven, “The Hidden Kingdom,” has the same punk-influenced character as the album’s earlier tracks. This time the vocals are clean, and they sound more like THE SWORD than HIGH ON FIRE. The chorus is lots of fun, and the all-out jam session that closes the track is a high point.

The second epic track is also the album’s closer, “Into The Dawn.” This one is heavily influenced by BLACK SABBATH, more so than the extent to which all doom metal is indebted to BLACK SABBATH. The vocals are also front-loaded, giving way to a well-layered jam session. This track switches gears a couple of times and almost feels like there are multiple songs within “Into The Dawn.”

I feel like both BLACK PYRAMID and this album, “II,” are often overlooked, and I’m glad that Labyrinth of Thoughts decided to reissue this rewarding aggressive doom album. The riffs are catchy, the jams are well placed and well composed. While they are less well-known than the genre mainstays, they still know how to create a great album.

Songwriting: 8
Musicianship: 8
Memorability: 9
Production: 8