On The Wretch, Indianapolis doom merchants The Gates of Slumber continue to churn out Black Sabbath and Saint Vitus inspired doom metal sure to please fans of the genre. Lyrically, the trio strays from the Conan inspired tales of swords and sorcery on their previous four albums in favor of songs about modern day misery and the perils of drugs and alcohol. Fortunately, the band retains the same skull-crushingly heavy guitar work and lumbering tempos that have made them a mainstay of the underground scene. Make no mistake, The Wretch is a solid album. The first two tracks, “Bastards Born” and “The Scovrge ov Drvnkenness”, are pure doom goodness – as slow as molasses and heavier than yo mama. But The Wretch’s standout track is definitely “Coven of Cain”. It’s relatively short and fast (by doom standards at least) , but it sounds like the bastard son of Sabbath and Judas Priest. Just try listening without head banging and throwing up the horns. If you’re a fan of metal, you need this album.