UK metal merchants CATHEDRAL have been shaping the doom scene for well over a decade, paving the way for the likes of ANATHEMA, MY DYING BRIDE, and PARADISE LOST. Founding band members Lee Dorrian (of NAPALM DEATH fame) and guitarist Gaz Jennings have forged a unique style often imitated by Stoner bands like ORANGE GOBLIN, ELECTRIC WIZARD, and SPIRITUAL BEGGARS. Imagine if you will the extreme edge of NAPALM DEATH combined with the sludge groove of BLACK SABBATH. Now slow it down to an absolute crawl and you have the heaviness and atmosphere of CATHEDRAL. Several years back, the band put out a VHS tape called CATHEDRAL- OUR GOD HAS LANDED. This home video contained several of their psychedelic promo videos and clips culled from a live performance recorded in Japan (where the band is worshipped much like the mighty BLACK SABBATH itself). Though the band is no longer affiliated with Earache Records, the label has released several DVDs of their top acts including THE HAUNTED, ENTOMBED, NAPALM DEATH, and recently put out a Region 1 DVD version of OUR GOD HAS LANDED. It should be noted that Earache’s version does not contained the live Japanese footage; instead the DVD contains the complete live set from 1992’s Gods of Grind Tour, a classic extreme metal festival put together by Earache and captured on home video.

OUR GOD HAS LANDED opens with eight of the bands’ conceptual promos including their brilliant video debut, Ebony Tears. Next Dorrian and company storm into Autumn Twilight, Cosmic Funeral, Ride, and Midnight Mountain, which shows CATHEDRAL incorporating a psychedelic groove into their compositions. Lee Dorrian and Gaz Jennings have a keen interest in classic horror and B movies, which manifests itself in the last three tracks, Hopkins (The Witchfinder General), Black Sunday, and Stained Glass Horizon. The video for Hopkins is a killer, incorporating footage and vocals of Vincent Price as Withhunter Matthew Hopkins, the blood thirsty title character of the cult classic THE WITCHFINDER GENERAL. Black Sunday is a visual tour deforce of practicing witches, dancing devils, and super hot models in tight MAD MAX outfits. This series of videos chronicles the progression of CATHEDRAL, from their doomy early days to their retro metal approach and Tony Iommi worship.

CATHEDRAL is one of those bands whose membership changes like a revolving door. The partnership of Lee Dorrian and Gaz Jennings forms the backbone of the group, with drummers and bass players coming and going over the years. OUR GOD HAS LANDED contains the live set from one of their earliest gigs, the Gods of Grind Tour at the London Astoria in 1992. Fans of the doom kings can rejoice in seeing this early footage with the initial line-up. Songs include Soul Sacrifice, A Funeral Request, Equilibrium, Autumn Twilight, and Frozen Rapture. This concert is professionally shot on film (not videotape) with numerous cameras and perfectly captures the CATHEDRAL vibe. Check out frontman Lee Dorrian in his groovy outfit, countering the black T shirts of the fans in the audience. Each live song in the set is bookended with interview footage of Dorrian and his bandmates. Granted, the accents here are as thick as Ozzy Osbourne’s and difficult to comprehend. But it is a thrill to hear from the band themselves and see them in their offstage demeanor.

CATHEDRAL - OUR GOD HAS LANDED is presented in the full frame ratio (1.33.1) and some of the movie clips are letterboxed at about 1.66.1. The concert footage and promo videos are all shot on film and are susceptible to films’ imperfections including grain and discoloration. The music videos here all contain pysadelic imagery that are sure to rattle your brain while CATHEDRAL’s music permeates your cranium. Basically all this photographic manipulation is captured with bright colors and surreal sharpness. The detail level is genuinely lacking, resulting in lack of depth in the image. The audio is Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo which showcases the guitar riffs of Gaz Jennings and the morbid vocals of Lee Dorrian. The bass and drums drag things out in the low end to assure a heavy bottom. Though the bass is strong, it does not dominate the soundfield. The heavy guitar notwithstanding, the music cuts through the sound field nicely, though there is barely any imaging in the mix. Overall, the music, though crisp and clear, does not approach CD-like fidelity (though its a big step up from VHS). The sonic limitations on display here would be rectified with Dolby Digital 5.1 remastering.

CATHEDRAL - OUR GOD HAS LANDED is a perfect document to the evolution of CATHEDRAL and the various band member changes. This disc will tide CATHEDRAL fans over until they put together a live DVD showcasing their immense catalog of brilliant doom metal. OUR GOD HAS LANDED suffers in two major areas. First, Earache neglected to include a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack and secondly, there is not a single extra on the entire disk! At the very least, textual material such as bios, discography, and album covers would be preferred and appreciated.