Hebi Katana has already announced its fourth album.

Formed in Japan in 2020, the prolific band featuring Nobu (guitar/vocals), Laven (bass, ex-Robots of the Ancient World), and T.T. Goblin (drums, Deathblast, ex-Military Shadow) is releasing Imperfection with support from Ripple Music.

The album starts slowly with Bon Nou, a fairly melodious opening track that quickly shows off its heavy roots, but also offers some intriguing vocals. While the Stoner/Doom influences are obvious, the vocals are more raw, but the mix calms down noticeably on Dead Horse Requiem, the mysterious next track, which has a slower tempo, favoring simple harmonics. A touch of dissonance carries our minds away before the sound warms up, then returns to its initial patterns to lead us to Praise the Shadows, where occult overtones tinge the riffs, allowing the vocalist to offer us a rather soothing performance, albeit with more intense moments, such as in the choruses. Doomed Echoes from Old Tree follows with a slightly more contrasting approach, taking advantage of lively and playful parts that respond to an almost palpable melancholy, providing the leads with the perfect foundation to reveal their diversity before igniting on Blood Spirit Rising. The track is by far the most exciting, embracing its furious Old School roots to allow the vocalist to let loose before a moment of hesitation followed by a bass solo, but the three instruments come together for a final explosion that returns to Yu gen and its initial tranquility. Despite the softness, you can feel that the instrumental is just waiting to explode, and it does so with the addition of this heady heaviness, then the cycle repeats itself when the vocals return before giving way to Yume wa Kareno, the last composition, which hypnotizes us with a soothing intro before hitting us with groovy riffs where the vocals take shape and move at their own pace towards an inevitable final.

With its obvious Sabbath influences, Hebi Katana offers a catchy Old School sound that makes Imperfection a wonderful companion for a dive into the riffs of the 70s. Reserved for the nostalgic, who will be in heaven!

80/100

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