 were
originally formed by Doom/Stoner rock legend Scott "Wino"
Weinrich while he was still in high school. They gained a degree
of infamy in the Washington DC area for their Sabbath-influenced heavy
rock before Wino joined West Coast Doom merchants Saint Vitus
during the second half of the eighties. After several albums Wino left
Saint Vitus to reform The Obsessed and with a constantly shifting line-up
which included Scott Reeder (Kyuss) and Greg Pinhas (Goatsnake).
They released two albums on Hellhound and an ill-fated finale The Church
Within for Columbia in 1994. Just as The Obsessed seemed poised
to finally achieve international stardom they imploded in true rock'n'roll
style, leaving Wino with a tax bill, his guitar and a musical legacy
that would inspire most of today's Doom/Stoner rock bands. As
you are doubtlessly already aware Wino has now returned again with Spirit
Caravan and is currently showing the young pretenders a thing or two
about the correct use of the Black Sabbath songbook. Between the demise
of The Obsessed and the rise of Spirit
Caravan the reputation of Wino's first group has grown immensely;
their influence becoming obvious in groups like Monster Magnet, Fu Manchu,
Cathedral and almost every staple of the current Doom/Stoner scene.
Even Ian Mackaye of Fugazi
has cited them as a formative.Incarnate represents the fourth official release from The Obsessed and a fitting testament to these elder gods of heavy rock. Bizarrely this is the only official full-length CD of The Obsessed currently available, a source of much pride for Southern Lord supremo Greg Anderson. Incarnate consists of an array of rare and unreleased recordings (including the legendary `Sodden Jackal' 7 inch material) spanning their entire illustrious reign as Doom rock legends. If you need any further convincing as to the greatness of this compact disc just put it on, crank it up and prepare for this awesome testimonial to the gods of heavy...The Obsessed! |