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Church Of Misery - Houses Of The Unholy review



Reviewer:
8.0

33 users:
7.82
Band: Church Of Misery
Album: Houses Of The Unholy
Release date: April 2009


01. El Padrino (Adolfo de Jesus Constanzo)
02. Shotgun Boogie (James Oliver Huberty)
03. The Gray Man (Albert Fish)
04. Blood Sucking Freak (Richard Trenton Chase)
05. Master Heartache [Sir Lord Baltimore cover]
06. Born To Raise Hell (Richard Speck)
07. Badlands (Charles Starkweather & Caril Fugate)

April 1989, Matamoros, Mexico. Police found thirteen mutilated bodies just miles from the Texas border. One of the victims is American college student Mark Kilroy, his brain has been removed, his legs cut off. Other victims are identified. Each body shows signs of torture, many have been decapitated. Nearby police uncover a shed with remnants of black magic and ... inside Mark Kilroy's brain is found ... the owner of the shed is cult-leader Adolfo Constanzo... drug-lord who practices human sacrifice...

That's pretty much all to be heard among the cries of feedback and distortion. A pretty neat intro for a pretty neat album, a concept album all about serial killers and mass murderers and other friendly fellows. So who's responsible for this feast of the sick? Church Of Misery, that's who. Bow down, motherfucker. Houses Of The Unholy is a rather simple release, but it works oh so well. It's stoner metal in the purest, doomiest and haziest sense of the word and it is catchier than influenza. Wake up to smell weed, Black Sabbath and Saint Vitus, man! Complete with seventies psychedelic solo's, frenzied bluesriffs and rotten vocals. It's one big melting pot of styles and sounds and it's delivered with great passion.

Originality? It is best left undiscussed, because originality is completely besides the point of this release. It's not that this is horribly similar to this or that band, but Church Of Misery is one of those just-tune-in-and-rock kind of bands. Rock 'n roll and blaze 'n haze is what Houses... is about. Lovely unpretentious seventies proto-metal.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 8
Songwriting: 8
Originality: -
Production: 8





Written on 15.12.2009 by If you're interested in extreme, often emotional and underground music, check out my reviews. I retired from reviewing, but I really used to be into that stuff.


Comments

Comments: 12   Visited by: 214 users
15.12.2009 - 22:40
Ag Fox
Angel No More
Very accurate review.
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loves 小巫
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16.12.2009 - 00:12
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Ahum, I wouldn't call it a concept album. Although all the songs are about serial killers they do not form a story.
Btw, all of Church Of Misery's albums are totally focussed on songs about serial killers. The only songs they ahve recorded that aren't about serial killers are covers. Live they had a gret film projection of all sorts of serial killers and famous mass murderers. Plus they are totally insane live. Can't wait to see them again in April.
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Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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16.12.2009 - 06:23
Clintagräm
Shrinebuilder
I'll have to check this out. I wasn't aware they had released a new album, but I am now. I remember Master of Brutality being pretty good, so this should too.
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The force will be with you, always.
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16.12.2009 - 09:25
Thanntos

Love this album, only heard one other by these guys but thats whats made me get this this year. Really great stoner metal album.
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I will kill you so hard you will die to death.
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17.12.2009 - 22:22
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Just listened to the album again for the first time in about two months, I think.

What I didn't know was that Master Heartache is actually a Sir Lord Baltimore cover. It sounds like it could be song of their own.
(btw, just fixed that in the album tracklisting here on MS)
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Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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18.12.2009 - 16:56
Merchant of Doom

Deep Purple 30 years too late...
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18.12.2009 - 19:46
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by Merchant of Doom on 18.12.2009 at 16:56

Deep Purple 30 years too late...


Deep Purple? Don't hear any Deep Purple in here ate all. Black Sabbath, yes, a bit of Led Zeppelin, yes (and that's not only due to the album title), some Blue Cheer, yes, some Cream, yes, Deep Purple, nope, not at all.
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Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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19.12.2009 - 12:08
Merchant of Doom

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 18.12.2009 at 19:46

Written by Merchant of Doom on 18.12.2009 at 16:56

Deep Purple 30 years too late...


Deep Purple? Don't hear any Deep Purple in here ate all. Black Sabbath, yes, a bit of Led Zeppelin, yes (and that's not only due to the album title), some Blue Cheer, yes, some Cream, yes, Deep Purple, nope, not at all.


you've been listening to wrong albums... No, jokes apart, I hear them in El Padrino, but not as much in other tracks... the rest is Cream/Blue Cheers and Jimi Hendrix... it's not a bad album, if you like this stuff, but I don't see the point of it...
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19.12.2009 - 12:14
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by Merchant of Doom on 19.12.2009 at 12:08

it's not a bad album, if you like this stuff, but I don't see the point of it...


But then again what is the point of any stoner after Kyuss?
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Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

Loading...
19.12.2009 - 13:16
Merchant of Doom

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 19.12.2009 at 12:14

Written by Merchant of Doom on 19.12.2009 at 12:08

it's not a bad album, if you like this stuff, but I don't see the point of it...


But then again what is the point of any stoner after Kyuss?




see you on the other site...
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15.10.2010 - 21:02
Rating: 8
UnholyMenace
Psycho
Doesn't beat Second Coming, but still a good release.
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22.01.2012 - 05:48
Rating: 8
Boxcar Willy
yr a kook
Not bad, I enjoyed this.
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14:22 - Marcel Hubregtse
I do your mum

DESTROY DRUM TRIGGERS
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