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THE QUILL “Master of the Skies”
THE QUILL “Master of the Skies”
By Colonel Angus
THE QUILL is a band that I kind of ignored early on and did not give them a fair shot at a spot in my record collection. Then a couple of years ago I was giving their “Wheel of Illusion” record to review and after spinning the disk a few times and “really” listening to them, I realized that there was a lot more going on than a casual listen would detect. They still have a very BLACK SABBATH meets LED ZEPPELIN meets 70s hard rock blend but they manage to put their own little twist on things to give themselves a unique sound.
This new album starts off with the title track and it is a great SABBATH inspired riff fest that plays to their strengths. Magnus Ekwall still does a great OZZY style vocal and the band walk the line between heavy chaos and melody to give the song a catchy-ness that is absent from a lot of doom metal bands. What makes THE QUILL unique is that they are not a one-trick-pony as “Dark City” has a cool 80s metal groove that I haven’t heard from the band before. The riffs remain intact, anchoring the sound in familiar QUILL territory, but the overall atmosphere has shifted. This change in tone introduces a fresh dynamic, giving the record a variety which greatly enhances the listening experience.
The psychedelic beginning of “You Can Not Kill My Soil” does give way to another SABBATH-y style track that reminds me of something that could have been on the cutting room floor of Tony Iommi’s studio. That is not a knock on THE QUILL, it is more of an indictment of the quality of the material on “Master of the Skies”. “It’s Over” is another unique tune that mixes some early 70s psychedelia along with their unique brand of doom riffing that moves back and forth between the two sounds seamlessly keeping the listener on their toes and wondering what they will bring into the mix next. The midpoint of the album is marked with a cool acoustic piece called “Son of Light” where Ekwall gives a more reserved vocal performance. The production on the vocals pulls back on the usual OZZY-inspired studio sheen, offering a clearer glimpse of his natural tone and revealing a more raw, personal presentation.
After that brief detour, the band return to familiar territory with a rocking “If Tomorrow Never Comes”. As with most of the material on the record, this is another melody driven riff soaked track that will keep you humming it for days. The band is strongest when they adhere to their distinctive blueprint while weaving in subtle new elements. It is just enough to keep the sound from growing predictable and to ensure us listeners aren’t hearing the same recycled ideas throughout the album. Next up we get a short little psychedelic-tinged ballad that barely sticks around for two minutes. I like the somber tone of the tune and while it is over before you know it, it makes for a fine addition to the overall disk.
Closing out “Master of the Skies” does exactly that, wrapping up the record with a pair of epic tracks before circling back with a brief reprise of the title tune to bring everything full circle. The swagger of “Light Turns Low” is in contrast to the spacey workout of “Mastadon”. The latter almost reaching the ten minute mark, it slowly builds into a proggy-ish tune that moves back and forth between dreamy and heavy doom sections with picking up a chaotic guitar solo along the way. Although Christian Carlsson shines throughout the record, he really puts in an inspired performance on this song. As mentioned earlier, the album ends back where it all started bookending another very strong release from THE QUILL. Do yourself a favor and pick up “Master of the Skies”, put in on your turntable or CD player, crack open a cold one, and bask in the sound of this Swedish crew.
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