LAST CHAPTER - The Living Waters

This entry is an answer to Erich's excellent post of Solitude's "And Justice For All" demo tape. Hailing from Arlington, Texas, Last Chapter were a doom metal band in the vein of Candlemass and Dio-era Black Sabbath. Despite forming in 1989, their inability to find a suitable vocalist kept them from making an actual recording until a decade later. In fact, members Darrin Davis & Cody Griffith (guitars), Jason Spradlin (drums) and Terry Pritchard (bass) almost called it quits before being approached by Solitude Aeturnus guitarist John Perez to make an album for his fledgling Brainticket label-- borrowing the immaculate pipes of Solitude wailer Robert Lowe in the process.

Piling one crushing riff on top of another, "The Living Waters" is a relentless slab o' doom. Occasional flourishes of synth-guitar add a progressive edge not often heard in what is almost by definition, a strictly codified genre. Lowe's soaring, near-operatic vox, crank the Melodramatic Meter into the red-- and I wouldn't want it any other way. However, here's where things get a little unusual if you've read any of my anti-religious rants: these guys are of the "White Metal" variety-- read: X-ians, which has always seemed like a contradiction in terms to me. But, I figger if Satanists, Anarchists and Social Darwinists are welcome here, despite my misgivings, a few Soldiers of Thee Lord ain't no big deal. Besides, the lyrics are reasonably abstract, revolving mainly around the most metal of themes-- the Apocalypse (I'm sure more'n a few of you blew out yer speakers with Trouble's "The Skull"-- also Friends of Jesus).

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