Album review: AGE OF TAURUS – Desperate Souls Of Tortured Times

Rise Above – Out Now.

London has long been the breeding ground of all-things Metal in the UK, but it is specifically its Doom Metal community which seems to have been more active in terms of output these last few years. One of the latest bands to emerge is the Heavy Doom quartet Age Of Taurus – an outfit that began life as a one-man Doom Metal proposition back in 2009 and which is now about to release its debut studio album “Desperate Souls Of Tortured Times” through Lee Dorian’s specialised label Rise Above Records.

Based on the press release info sheet which accompanies the promo of the album, Toby Right (vocals/guitar), the founding member of the band, is quite open about the influences for this album which include, amongst others, giants of the genre Black Sabbath, Pentagram, Trouble and Candlemass.

Mixing the groove and Doom aesthetics of such great bands with the power and urgency of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal scene means that the seven compositions on offer contain enough character and variety to be attractive to most fans of classic Metal. There is, however, one small thing that some of you (and I include myself), may take issue with – and that is Toby Right’s somewhat limited vocal range.

In Sabbath/Pentagram influenced material such as the opener “A Rush Of Power” or the riff laden “Always In The Eye”, Right’s Ozzy-like performances are both fitting and pleasant. The problems begin, however, the moment the material becomes more epic/atmospheric in nature, such as the six minute opus “Walk with Me My Queen”.

This massive composition, whose riff shares many similarities with Candlemass in their all-time classic opus “Samaritan”, could really do with more soulful vocal support. The same applies to both the Mercyful Fate-inspired “Desperate Souls of Tortured Times” and the epic-sounding “Embrace the Stone”, the latter featuring a beautiful guitar melody reminiscent of early Trouble (these two tracks being by far the best compositions of the album).

So, now that the pros and cons have been laid out, how much do I really appreciate “Desperate Souls of Tortured Times”? Well, a vinyl copy of the album is already on its way to me, which certainly says something.

Despite this, though, I truly believe that with vocal performances of a more varied and perhaps emotionally powerful nature we would now be talking about one of the most impressive Epic Doom Metal debut albums in recent times! Let’s see what the future holds for these guys…

John Stefanis

Rating: ***1/2 (3.5/5.0)

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions,

Check out radio stream repeat on Tuesday 8th (16:00 GMT) and Thursday 10th April (21:00 GMT)
Next Session: Sunday 4 May

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 2 March 2025.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast on 4 March 2025

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen live or listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 7 April 2025

SEVEN BLOOD To The Unknown (indie)
FROM FALL TO SPRING Incomplete (Arising Empire)
POP EVIL Side Effects (MNRK Heavy)
ERJA LYYTINEN Abyss (Tuohi Records)
SKY VALLEY MISTRESS Too Many Ghosts (New Heavy Sounds)

Featured Albums w/c 7 April 2025

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003 – 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003 – 2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003 – 2024 (Singer Songwriter)

Our occasional Newsletter signposts latest additions to the website(s). We also include a selection of recent top albums, based on GRTR! reviewer ratings. The newsletter is sent out a few times a year.

If you’d like to register to receive this occasional mailing please complete the form:

If using a smartphone/tablet please tap here or re-orientate your device

(Note that this registration is separate from site registration which allows you to leave comments and receive daily emails about new content. If you wish to register for this – in addition or separately – please click or tap here – for more information – the form is at the foot of each page. Please read our privacy policy when opting-in to receive emails.