Metal Underground.com

After dazzling with his unplugged solo debut, "Adrift," earlier this year, doom metal icon Scott "Wino" Weinrich plugs back in with "13," the debut album from his new collaboration, Premonition 13. Wino and fellow guitarist Jim Karow bring plenty of tasty licks to the table, even if some of the songs feel a little sparse otherwise.

Sure, the album basically treads territory that's been the same since early '70s Sabbath, but within those bounds, there's a lot of interesting stuff going on here. The album's agonizingly slow (in the best possible way) opener, "B.E.A.U.T.Y," takes a while to kick in, but when it does, it's absolutely crushing, barely letting up for a few moments of quiet beauty.

Adding a little speed does little to quell the deranged nature of "Hard To Say," with its galloping guitar riff, held in check by Matthew Clark's drumming. The lead guitar lines on this one are interesting for the way they buzz about through the rhythm parts. "Clay Pigeons," meanwhile, has the album's most muscular riff, with a feel a bit reminiscent of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song."

The psychedelic "Senses" takes us through "Planet Caravan" territory, while "La Hechicera De La Jeringa" mixes up Sabbath heaviness and King Crimson psychedelia in interesting ways.

Somewhat less impressive is the straightforward blues rocker "Deranged Rock N' Roller," which features slide guitars and some really unimpressive drumming. That said, the solos are killer. "Modern Man" is a muscular mid-tempo tune, but pretty unmemorable outside of the chorus. The disc ends on a trippy note with the dreamlike "Peyote Road," which begins with beautifully off-kilter clean guitars before eventually in the middle.

Though the guitars are great, the disc is held back a bit by the rhythm section. Matthew Clark's drumming at its best is merely adequate, and his limitations are laid bare when the band picks up the pace.

Still, by and large, Wino's come up with another winner. Whether you're a fan of his work in Saint Vitus, the Obsessed and other outfits, or just a doom metal fan in general, you're likely to find something to love on Premonition 13's "13."