Review of Revelation - For The Sake Of No One

There are a lot of things to love about Revelation, but whether you love em or hate em (and really, you should love them), you have to give them their due for flat out refusing to ever take the easy way out. Doom royalty that they are, they could easily ride a batch of traditional Grade A pure doom riffs through an album and still delight the small but viciously dedicated doom diehards. But part of what’s so outstanding about Revelation is that they give the listener everything they expect out of a doom album, plus an equal measure of what they don’t. The deft transitions and forays into progressive ideals, and the massive, MASSIVE rock solos lend to a sound that you can trace back through the bloodlines of classic doom, but also aren’t that far off from the ethos of Rush and the classic, rock guitar heroics the ‘70s. And although John Brenner’s guitar work will naturally garner most of the spotlight, the musicianship and creative partnership of Brenner, Bert Hall (bass) and Steve Branagan (drums) is absolutely top notch.

For the Sake of No One may not quite have the measure of its predecessor Release (a masterpiece which we recently named an essential album of the last decade), but is nevertheless another jaw dropping display of master-class doom, and has already proved itself a real grower. It’s astounding that the band can pack so many ideas into a song, considering that this album marks their sixteenth release since 2005--counting their work in the insanely prolific Against Nature--but the well just never seems to run dry on these guys. Rather, Revelation has only gotten better with age. The band pulls off the album’s dynamics sounding supremely confident in its own skin, and For the Sake of No One is the sound of a band that’s firing on all cylinders. Sure there’s plenty of crushing elephantine doom throughout the proceedings, but Revelation are like, uh, the smartest, most nimble elephants you ever did see. It’s that cerebral heaviness that breeds such an interesting approach and range. By way of example, take contrasting tracks like “Canyons” and “The Whisper Stream”. The former is absolutely gorgeous downtempo doom, with Brenner’s plaintive vocals and a faint summery lilt to the song’s darker base, while the latter’s active weaving bass and guitar lines and the uptempo burst midway through the track are playful in comparison. But both tracks feature those stellar leads, surprise developments, and perfect collaboration. The album may best be encapsulated by “Vigil”, an epic beast that also highlights Revelation’s penchant for killer melodies. It’s counterintuitive, but Revelation have only grown more creatively deadly, even decades after they cemented their status in the pantheon of doom legendry.

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Revelation

For The Sake Of No One

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