As a part of Djinn and Miskatonics journey from their early days of recording demos and playing at events like

Warp Zone, Sunday Jam and XXXMas to the Trendslaughter festival where they announced their presence, leading upto Sonidos Garage jam, with the Motorhead interlude that kept the cinders stoking before exploding at Sonic Doom and Evilution, I feel I have earned myself the rights and the chops to chronicle their progression from the days when they played without a lead guitarist to their apogee that culminates with their first EP. Djinn and Miskatonic play straightforward doom metal that grows on you with repeated listens and is definitely rewarding and the lyrics inspired from the stories of Lovecraft to the films of Fulci make for an original cornucopia. Classic Sabbath, Early Hawkwind, a few vibes from Samothrace, Did I hear strains of Hawkwind in there?

When I first started listening to them on Soundcloud in 2012, I was impressed by what Djinn and Miskatonic were doing. Just three people making massive, dark music building an eerie atmosphere. There was an element of the hypnotic in all their songs and I could feel myself drifting along their vast soundscapes and often finding myself in previously uncharted territory. I was not surprised that they had opted for lengthier runtimes as the sonic space they had occupied did not lend itself easily to brevity. Each song was a journey in which I let myself get carried along on the back of vast riffs and drumming that subdued and decimated everything in its wake. Right from the start, their songs assert themselves as individual entities and I never thought of any of them as an interlude in the midst of an overarching theme. Hearing 7 Year Witch live at Sonidos was very sumptuous as the track started with its fuzzy bass igniting a slow burn intensity before cascading into classic doom metal in the vein of early Sabbath only loaded with more finesse instead of brute force. Just when I felt like the heavy artillery was starting to wear me down, out came the ominous, sinister vocals that sounded like the bastard child of James Hetfield and Phil Anselmo. Gautham Khandiges growls can make Chuck Schuldiner feel like the Elliott Smith sibling who touched base with puberty a bit prematurely. Book of the Fallen really knocked the wind out of my sails in December 2012 when Djinn were cutting their teeth at the Jam. The tone doesnt vary much from 7 Year Witch but is definitely more solid with riffs that can a hold a candle up to the best in the genre like Bell Witch and Electric Wizard. The drumming cranks out loud and heavy and the vocals seal the deal with their laidback feel and occasional flare-ups. The imagery and the fantasy add a whole dimension to Djinn and this one is perfect for a live audience. From here on out, I started getting a hang of the sensibilities that shaped and drove this band and this definitely helped me experience the music and look at it from a fresh perspective. Vulcans Forge proves that Djinn and Miskatonic definitely deserve a closer and repetitive listen and should not be dismissed as just another band you headbang your way through before chucking the tracks to the recycle bin. The music is dreary, dark and frightening and is a cool progression from the fuzzy, raw feel compared to the other tracks. This is one song that I definitely look forward to listening on the EP. This stands out in contrast to the others as the vocals start off quickly and sound cleaner and the riffs have a semblance at times to early Hawkwind. The drumming is tight, consistent and the predictability definitely factors in a comfortable sonic experience.