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Pylon: Homo Homini Lupus
Pylon Homo Homini Lupus CD Album Review

Pylon: Homo Homini Lupus

Heavy/Doom Metal
3.5/5.0

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Roxx Records
Words by Craig Hartranft,  22.05.2014

The world is full of oxymorons like 'army intelligence' or 'jumbo shrimp.' Another is Christian doom metal. Since Christianity is religion of life, hope, grace, and mercy, why would you want pair it with something which means ruin, death or simple ill fortune? Whatever. Well, this has been the direction of Switzerland's Pylon since their inception.

Pylon Homo Homini Lupus Band Photo

Pylon: gloom and doom.

They arrive today with their sixth album, Homo Homini Lupus, roughly translated from the Latin: 'man is a wolf to man.' That's quite doomy, wouldn't you say. But doom metal is one of those genres that can be difficult define as it's not all heavy and sluggish metal. Take the first song from the album, Crowned. It could pass for basic heavy metal, maybe even power metal for it's pace. Alternatively, the Al Hahar bumbles along at the pace of paint drying while your eardrums are swatted by riffs thick as metal girders. Ils se donnent du mal is another crusher, not so much from the pace, but the combination of riffs, bass, and stomping drums. Curiously, it almost comes off as both melodic and catchy as well.

Fundamentally then, Pylon sways back and forth between poles: the sluggish quality of doom, again with The Curse of Eden, and the moderate to sometimes speedy heavy metal with Saligia or Crucifier. Here and there some solid guitar solos are tossed in to keep things interesting. The vocals are a bit muddled and you can't always understand what the vocalist is saying. I would think that was important if they were at all trying to convey something of Christian faith in their lyrics. Perhaps the lyrics are included in the CD booklet.

They also do a cover of Slayer's South of Heaven, basically slowing it down. It does sound pretty good and, interestingly, it's the one song where the vocals are the most clear. But it also makes you wonder why Pylon choose to cover a song from a band who are basically against any religion, especially Christianity. Maybe it's their form of redemption. Regardless, Christian or otherwise, for their version of 'doom' metal, Pylon mashes together heavy, speed, and doom in an interesting fashion.


Pylon - Saligia





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In Short

Christian or otherwise, for their version of 'doom' metal, Pylon mashes together heavy, speed, and doom in an interesting fashion.

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