Tommy Stewart's Dyerwulf – Doomsday Deferred

Tommy Stewart's Dyerwulf

Doomsday Deferred

by Ben Gardiner at 10 August 2021, 10:11 PM

Doomsday Deferred is the newest album from Doom project TOMMY STEWART’S DYERWULF, set to released September 3^rd. the brainchild of Tommy Stewart, bassist of Thrash Metal band HALLOWS EVE. With this project, we see Tommy using his vast musical expertise to craft an exciting Experimental Stoner / Doom album, with a unique, guitarless twist. The decision to forgo guitars for the entirety of the album creates an individualistic tone and feel for the album, and Tommy Stewart produces so many different riffs and sounds with the bass, that guitars are certainly not missed.

“Shadow in the Well,” the first single to be released, is classic Doom Metal. The lyrics are mystical, the drums are paced and meaningful, and the bass tone provides a clear gloomy dark mood. I am a big fan of the gang vocals towards the end of the song, it adds a lot of depth and fantasy to the song.  “Two Trog Yomp” has a wonderful psychedelic bass solo with a continuous swung drumbeat, production makes the snare sound like a gunshot cracking through the smoky haze of bass riffing.

Bass and drums in combination have long been a building block for many musical genres, Funk, Jazz, Reggae. “Madness for Two” pays homage to this with a two-minute jam-solo of the two instruments bouncing off one another. The double bass pedal is also incorporated here, and the track throws an exciting, unexpected twist into the album.

My favourite track on the album, “Rolling my Own” is a grooving Funk Rock track, has a very fun funky instrumental and the vocals vary hugely from the other tracks. Gone is the gloomy bass lines and slow pounding drums, this song is upbeat, up-tempo, and I can imagine kicking back in the sun, grooving along to this wonderful outlier.

“By the Blood of Mars” ends the album on a highly chaotic note, with a low, snarling bass riff and rolling drum fills and tom builds, overlayed by a rhythmic chanting one might hear before being sacrificed in a horror movie. This song is a perfect demonstration of Tommy Stewarts range on the bass, incorporating a range of tones and feels just in this one song, the lack of guitars is discernible.

DOOMSDAY DEFERRED is a transcendental, experimental dive into the vast creative mind of Tommy Stewart. Drawing from many influences, this album is mixing pot of styles and different sounds all combining to create a sonically psychedelic trip that is enjoyable for the ears and the mind, with all its twists and turns, every listen feels new.

Songwriting:  8
Musicianship:  9
Memorability:  8
Production:  7