Doom metal bards Lord Mountain formed in 2014, north of San Francisco in Santa Rosa, CA. Their 2016 self-titled EP introduced a band that captures the rollicking heaviness of vintage Black Sabbath. But the songs also slyly invoke the steel-bladed edge of traditional metal. Vocalist/guitarist Jesse Swanson’s tales of swords and sorcery are thick-riffed epics. On January 20th in the new year, Lord Mountain will release their debut LP, The Oath. Today we share the crushing and catchy title track from the album early, courtesy of King Volume Records (USA) Kozmik Artifactz (Europe).
From the opening groove, “The Oath” feels borne from doom metal’s early ’70s golden age. Lord Mountain captures the same assured, unrushed swagger. The rock ‘n’ roll motor beneath the heavy fuzz. Riffs that beg to be brought to life through the ritual of spinning vinyl. But this isn’t a retro homage. Like Haunt updated the template for hook-driven classic heavy metal, Lord Mountain’s songs are immaculately written with monolithic choruses. The hum-along guitar leads and soulful solos pack “The Oath” with metallic majesty to the last seismic note.
““The Oath” is a song about war, sacrifice, and unconditional loyalty—the willingness to die for one’s leader without any regard for politics or reason,” vocalist/guitarist Jesse Swanson describes. “The song was recorded in early 2020 and mastered in 2022. Written a couple years prior to recording, the process was no different than with any of our other songs. It all starts with jamming a new riff at practice. We pretty quickly figure out some parts that the riff can naturally progress into.”
Don’t break the oath. Press play below and rattle the planet with Lord Mountain.
Pre-order The Oath from King Volume Records and Kozmik Artifactz HERE
Follow Lord Mountain for news and updates HERE
