Zoroaster - Voice of Saturn

Zoroaster disappoint on Voice of Saturn. They seem far from their Dog Magic glory days. Unlike past releases, this one doesn’t milk low-end riffs for all they’re worth. This time, Zoroaster play the piano and redundant interludes, and it’s not a pleasant surprise. This waters down the album’s 54 minutes to only 33 of good material.

Voice of Saturn (excerpt)
White Dwarf (excerpt)

The slow pace picks up on “Spirit Molecule.” Then “Undying” shows what Zoroaster are about: some of the deepest, slowest riffs in doom. Here’s where one of Zoroaster’s live elements, a fog machine, is most prominent. This smoky effect is fitting, as the trio are most likely stoned out of their minds every time they perform. “White Dwarf” then follows the fog with cool mist. It has no riffs, vocals, or percussion, but instead an earful of guitar feedback, Moog, and pedal-generated noises. Although well-placed, the interlude becomes monotonous after five minutes. Even a guest appearance by Mastodon’s Brent Hinds can’t bring Zoroaster back to life.

The title track, however, is as heavy as molasses. Brent Anderson and Will Fiore balance yells and moans in an Amazon jungle-like air. The short hidden track “Lamen of the Master Therion” also contains this exotic twist. But this new sound still doesn’t beat Zoroaster’s previous work.

– Jess Blumensheid

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Zoroaster