BOOK OF NUMBERS – Magick

What do you get when you take 3 seasoned veteran musicians from Phoenix, Arizona that have been performing in a Black Sabbath tribute band and add new material? The answer is a heavy-duty Power Doom Metal band called Book of Numbers, and they have studied the genre well. Formed in 2019 by vocalist Kevin Schuhmacher and guitarist Brent Barker, recruiting bassist Dennis Hayes (Iced Earth, Tim “Ripper” Owens) was a no brainer as he played in the Black Sabbath tribute band led by Schumacher for the last 13 years.

Groovy Doom

Magick is a 7 track album that includes a cover of the classic Black sabbath tune “Children of the Sea”. The band captures the feel perfectly on this cover, even adding a few nice touches to make it a bit their own. The original songs have a lot going for them from the excellent plodding beat of “Optimism” that feels so right, to the sweet acoustic work and powerful vocals on “White Turns Black to Grey”. Brent Barker’s guitar work is excellent, Kevin Schumacher’s voice is somewhere in between Dio and Jon Oliva, and Dennis Hayes bass work adds the perfect bottom end to make it all work. The production work is top notch, coming as no surprise from legendary David Thoener (Rainbow, AC/DC, Aerosmith).

Final Notes

Black Sabbath has inspired generations of musicians to play heavy, doom inspired music. It’s great to see a tribute band put all of that hard work into making some great music of their own like Book of Numbers do on Magick. Ask yourself if there is room for another band that carries on the sound of doom as laid down by the founders, and for this reviewer the answer is an emphatic yes! Two horns up for Book of Numbers – Magick, add it to your collection.

Lineup

Brent Barker – Guitars
Kevin Shaffer Schuhmacher – Vocals
Dennis Hayes – Bass
Dwain Miller – Drums

Magick – Tracklist

1. Magick
2. Optimism
3. The Jester’s Crown
4. Children of the Sea (Black Sabbath cover)
5. Contact / Kissing Laughter
6. White Turns Black to Grey
7. Yesterday’s Nightmare