Wheel
Preserved In Time
True, epic doom of the highest order in the vein of Candlemass, Solitude Aeturnus and Trouble! On their first studio album in eight years, Preserved in Time, Germanys Wheel delivers seven songs of brooding, emotional doom that promises to be an early 2021 favorite! Wheel was formed in 2006 in Dortmund, Germany by guitarist Benjamin Homberger, bassist Marcus Grabowski and vocalist Arkadius Kurek under the name Ethereal Sleep. The trio knew each other from previous local bands, namely power metallers Avanitas and thrashers McDeath, but opted for a brand of doom inspired by vintage Katatonia, Opeth and Paradise Lost. However, Hombergers heart lied with heavy, emotional and old-school doom metal like Cathedral, Trouble and Saint Vitus. When drummer Carsten "Cazy" Jercke joined the fold in 2009, a name - and sound - change was in order. Jercke suggested "Wheel" not only because it was easier to pronounce in the bands native German, but it also resembled the slowly-grinding mill wheel as heard in the intro of "Mills of God" on the bands self-titled 2010 debut. Wheel released their second studio album, Icarus, in 2013, but then underwent a period of inactivity. The band lost their rehearsal space and real-life events like starting a family and new day jobs took precedence. However, this gave the members of Wheel, more time to fine-craft the songs that would eventually comprise Preserved in Time, their first new studio album in eight years and Cruz Del Sur Music debut.