London doom trio Old Horn Tooth have been mostly quiet since the release of their first album five years ago but that changed last month when the band emerged from hibernation armed with a new album, Mourning Light. A sprawling four-track release spread out over an hour of music, Old Horn Tooth dwell in the same sonic territory as Electric Wizard, Monolord and Conan. The second single from the album, “No Salvation,” finds a balance between harsh and melodic and you can stream it below.
“’No Salvation’ is a sermon or a warning to people who choose to live a life without authenticity or responsibility,” says bassist Ollie Issac of the 15-minute track. “It conveys a journey through a fate of hopelessness and suffering for their misdeeds and damnation for actions that they have full control over. The song captures the internal struggle with the anguish and desperation to escape from what seems like an endless looped nightmare made of their own volition. Exploring the deep pain of being forced to face their darkest fears, but ultimately realizing that they need to let go as there is no salvation from a life they have created.”
From the opening drum roll to the squalls of feedback that end the song, Old Horn Tooth have a strong control of dynamics, moving from fuzzy and thunderously loud to clean, shimmering passages. In a time when doom bands are a dime a dozen, the intentionality is refreshing. You can listen to “No Salvation” now and find various pre-orders via London Doom Collective. Mourning Light is out July 5.
