Uzala

Following 2012's self-titled debut, Boise, ID/Portland, OR's Uzala have quickly returned with their sophomore effort, Tales of Blood & Fire. Featuring five tracks of dirty, distorted, muddy doom, Tales of Blood & Fire is a captivating, near-45-minute listen. Beautiful, yet dark and ominous, the record incorporates sections of psychedelia, sludge and noise that Uzala have melted down and moulded into a cohesive sound. Clean guitar work weaves through the fuzz on "Seven Veils," while "Dark Days" contains several minutes of distorted noise before breaking into eerie melodies and clean tones. "Burned" ventures back into classic, heavy doom territory with edgy, groovy riffs, while "Countess" features spacey, psychedelic, stoner rock-style guitar leads. "Tenement of the Lost" closes Tales of Blood & Fire with intense rhythms and crashing drums while maintaining an aura of sinister noise. Throughout, female vocalist Darcy Nutt commands attention, with haunting, yet gorgeous and ethereal, siren-like vocals.