Pilgrim: Misery Wizard (2012)

Guess How It Sounds

Their name is Pilgrim. Misery Wizard is the name of their first full-length album. Do I need to go into any detail into what they sound like? You can guess well enough. I'll just move on to some of the more interesting details.

The Rhode Islanders are spectacularly heavy on record. Curiously, the vocals are the only element of their sound that isn't given a clean production; it could be that they were recorded live in the same room as the rest of the music, or at least that's how it sounds. Speaking of vocals, they are often dramatic, occasionally howled, and vaguely reminiscent of Volbeat's Michael Poulsen.


The band actually sounds the best when they're going at a faster pace, as with the two shorter songs and part of "Quest." This makes those cuts the standouts. The solos, where present, are extremely engaging. But for the most part, the record is too much plod, not enough head-nod.



The Verdict: You need only hear their name to tell you that you've heard them before. It's been done better, and it's been done worse. There are some good elements here, but they could use a quicker pace more often. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Buy Misery Wizard