Norwich-and-London-based quartet Commoner have hit upon an accomplished sound in a few short years. Given that they have decades of musical experience under their belts, this shouldn’t be a surprise – but where members have previously served in crust-punk and hardcore bands like Coitus, the Restarts and Left For Dead, A Commoner’s Quest offers up doom metal of distinctly robust quality. With memorable tunes, titanic riffage and on-point production, this could have been made by musicians more used to big stages than DIY squat gigs.
Indeed, where much modern doom folds in influences from elsewhere on the heavy music spectrum, songs like Bacteria or the title track feel like a reaffirmation of the potency of the genre’s elementary sources. Even the former track’s Motörheadbanging middle eight fits in seamlessly with the stately Iommi-inspired power chords on either side. Queens Of Slaughter packs a heavier punch, its faster tempo kicking up the band’s enduring punk spirit, while the perfectly-titled Cthulhunaut is 10 minutes of eldritch terror and heroic guitar leads.