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PATRIARCHS IN BLACK – COMPLETELY COVERED IN BLACK
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Out now via NoLifeTilMetal Records - On Completely Covered in Black, Patriarchs in Black doubles down on a formula that has defined the project since its 2021 formation. Complete reverance for classic heavy music filtered through a thick, modern doom lens. Led by guitarist Dan Lorenzo and drummer Johnny Kelly, the record is a controlled weight test of songs that shaped their musical DNA.
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The album’s strongest points lay in restraint. Rather than radically reworking the source material, the duo leans more into density and groove. Tracks originally associated with Black Sabbath, Kiss, and Led Zeppelin are slowed, thickened, and given the low end authority that has become Patriarchs in Black’s signature sound. The production is clean (but not sterile) with riffs landing with impact, and Kelly’s drumming keeping everything grounded in pure muscle.
The rotating vocal cast again proves central to the project’s identity. Performances from contributors including Mark Sunshine and Karl Agell treat the material with respect while still sounding human. The advance single “Left Behind,” co-written with Daniel Soren, reinforces that the band’s original material stands comfortably beside the covers.
After four full length releases in as many years, Patriarchs in Black show no signs of creative fatigue. Completely Covered in Black succeeds in understanding its purpose - no reinvention, just utter reinforcement. The past is the raw material, the weight is entirely their own.
SCORE 8/10
Words by LearnTwoExist
In collaboration with Headbangers Australia