Doomboyz may have only formed back in 2022, but they’ve come out of the gate with a fully formed and confident sound on debut full-length Evil Riffs From Los Angeles. Based on the band name and cover art, you might be expecting anything from Sabbath worshipping doom to gnarly sludge, but their actual sound is a mix of elements from across the rock and metal spectrum. Encompassing Kyuss and Corrosion of Conformity sounding stoner/desert rock, Alice in Chains style grunge, doom, and even a little punk, the group’s emphasis on big, crunchy riffs and equally big vocals to match makes for a strong showing that demands the volume be cranked to the max.
Opener “Lysergic Solution” sets the stage for what Evil Riffs From Los Angeles is all about, wasting little time in establishing a faster, driving tempo and a crunchier guitar tone that instantly recalls Kyuss, 90s Corrosion of Conformity, or even Monster Magnet. It has that specific type of denser, burly tone to the instrumentation and high-energy leads that will make you want to crank up the volume immediately and makes a strong first impression. By the time “The Reaper” kicks in the band has already switched gears a bit, slowing things down to a doom and bluesy sounding groove that still has quite a bit of weight and swagger to it. “The Gift” follows suit but the guitar work adopts some grunge alongside some of the bluesy elements heard earlier. By this point Doomboyz has made it clear that they’re embracing many different styles of hard rock from the early to mid-90s and making it their own, but they do it in a way that isn’t a specific copy of any one particular band and have catchy riffs to back things up. But Evil Riffs From Los Angeles still has a few tricks up its sleeve, as “Dick Taker” brings in a bit more punk and heavy metal, while closer “Forsaken Sons” stretches outwards into psychedelic and doom territory with more methodical grooves. It’s high energy and infectious from beginning to end, and while “Out For Blood” and “Forsaken Sons” could have used just a little bit of trimming as they do drag slightly, the quality of the material gives plenty of reason to return.
Lead singer Amit Gilad has a wide range that adds to the amount of variety in Doomboyz’ music. Early on his singing falls more into the stoner rock side of the aisle, coming through with a lot of grittiness alongside the otherwise higher register. But as you get further into the album there are noticeable shifts in pitch and style, as there are moments where Gilad starts to sound really close to Layne Staley. This is especially noticeable on “The Reaper” and “The Gift”, but there are other points on Evil Riffs From Los Angeles where you’ll also hear this. “Dick Taker” is where things get shaken up further, as Gilad hits some even rougher edged pitches and there are some backing yells and chants that remind me quite a bit of Danzig. The second half of the album also has a bit more of a punk edge to the backing vocals, and the combination of these slightly more aggressive tones with the soaring nature of Gilad’s voice proves to be quite appealing.
The last two songs may be just a bit longer than they need to be, but this is a minor nitpick on an otherwise impressive debut. Doomboyz is tapping into what made stoner rock, grunge, and everything in between so appealing a couple of decades ago, but the way they’re combining all these elements together feels fresh and they have some real substance to their riffs and vocal work. It’s hard to believe they’re such a new band considering the quality on display, but if this is where they’re starting it seems like Doomboyz will be worth keeping track of as they continue moving forward. Whether you’re a fan of Alice in Chains, Monster Magnet, or Kyuss, this is worth your time. Evil Riffs From Los Angeles is available from Regime Music Group and Wet Records (Vinyl pre-order available at https://wetrecords.bandcamp.com/).
-Review by Chris Dahlberg