US doom legend Scott “Wino” Weinrich (The Obsessed, Saint Vitus), is set to release an acoustic record on June 26th via Ripple Music. Titled ‘Forever Gone’ it will be his first acoustic record since ‘Adrift’, and also marks the launch of Ripple’s ‘Blood and Strings’ vinyl series.
Produced by Frank Marchand, ‘Forever Gone’ reflects the inexhaustible creativity of the Maryland rocker, who offers a heartfelt, stripped-down melancholic record ranging from bluesy folk to acoustic doom, while maintaining an outstanding intensity over the span of its eleven tracks.
The title track ‘Forever Gone’ is the perfect track to kick off the album. Reworked from the 2015 version, its a solid intimate piece that gets hold immediately setting the scene for the rest of the album. A scene taken up by tracks like ‘Crystal Madonna’ and ‘Dead Yesterday’. The latter has Weinrich in a reflective mood. Something this album could have been full of. Instead there is moments of future planning in tracks like ‘You’re So Fine’, a tongue in cheek look at the game of lust and ‘Dark Ravine’ which is full of hope. ‘Crystal Madonna’ may be a familiar story for men of his age and experience and ‘No Wrong’ leaves a warning for the future generation.
Wino makes good use of the fretboard and stays away from simple strumming. Picked runs and melodies help flavour the tracks. ‘Taken’ and ‘No Wrong’ have an addition of electric guitar as an added voice. He doesn’t stop there with the added extras. Dark Ravine welcomes a drum kit and ‘Isolation’ brings the whole band along.
Stand out tracks ‘The Song’s at the Bottom of the Bottle’ we reviewed previously here and title track ‘Forever Gone’. Both are wonderfully constructed and stripped bare to just guitar and voice and you sense that nothing else is required. This extends to the reworked tracks of ‘Dark Ravine’ and ‘Dead Yesterday’, that, along with ‘Forever Gone’ Wino has reimagined these into fire side tales.
Ending the album with ‘Isolation’ Wino has took the opportunity to create a completely different experience from the Joy Division original. Weinrich with the backing of the full band to take this cover on and turn it into a full on rocking acoustic barn stomper.
It may be a far distance from creating all things Doom, but the intensity and creative genius what has stood Weinrich out is still very much in evidence here.
Check out ‘The Song’s at the Bottom of the Bottle’
Pick the album up here
TRACK LISTING:
1. Forever Gone
2. Taken
3. The Song’s at the Bottom of the Bottle
4. No Wrong
5. Dark Ravine
6. Dead Yesterday
7. You’re So Fine
8. Crystal Madonna
9. Lavender and Sage
10. Was Is and Shall Be
11. Isolation
