From the charcoal and ink darkly drawn cover to the slower than molasses riffs we find we are in the presence of people who love doom.  Influences like Black Sabbath, Candlemass, Cathedral and St. Vitus are heard from the first riff to the last.  A scant five songs, two are instrumentals, gives us a taste of Wooden Stake.

At its best, Wooden Stake is a doom lovers dream.  Powerfully slow guitars, pounding drums, creepy hocus pocus lyrics and the ability to paint a dark, desolate landscape with their music makes them stand out from other bands.  Vanessa Noceras vocals too are a welcome respite with her clean (and thankfully non operatic or overly delicate), hard rock voice.  But don’t be fooled she as can give a wicked growl here and there too. 

Yet their downside may be their eagerness to release too early.  “13 Condemned” is a fine track, but they are hard pressed to keep any tempo at all.  So much so that it sounds more like a band rehearsal than a finished song.  Production too is a bit hap hazard, it just sounds like it was rushed.  Oddly enough the song “Forbidden Oath” has a wonderfully bleak sound (very early Cathedral sounding) yet the disclaimer on the EP labels it as “different sound quality and mixing than the other tracks”.   Go figure.

In the end, Vampire Plague Exorcism may be a bit rough around the edges, but for a debut it’s a starting point.  Time and experience will guide the band; they already have a passion for all things doom; their dedication and love for the music they are creating shows a glimmer of what’s to come.