Black Hole-Land Of Mystery (1985)

Black Hole was an obscure Italian heavy metal band that released one of the gems of the so-called Doom Metal subgenre in 1985. Their lineup consisted of vocalist Robert Measles, who also played organ and synthesizers, guitarist Nicholas Murray, and drummer Luther Gordon. Their origins trace back to the city of Verona in the early 1980s. "Land of Mystery" was the third album by this Italian band, a raw recording with dark synthesizer and atmospheric organ sounds in the purest style of the early 1970s, haunting vocals sung in English, and powerful, hypnotic, and gloomy guitar riffs. Here, connotations of classic heavy metal appear, such as "Demoniac City", while "Land Of Mystery" is close to heavy and energetic stoner rock. The twisted and eccentric "All My Evil" gives way to the grim "Bells Of Death", which at the same time welcomes the most atmospheric and sinister moments with "Blind Men And Occult Forces", the psychedelic "Spectral World", or the heavy instrumental rock "Obscurity In The Ethereal House", which brings to a close a lapidary and chilling album of surreal and hypnotic heavy metal.