Think of Shrinebuilder as the underground equivalent of Them Crooked Vultures. Like that supergroup, this new quartet, whose members have done time in esteemed heavy outfits such as Neurosis, Melvins, Sleep and Saint Vitus, hews closely to its impeccable pedigree. Predictably, Shrinebuilder’s self-titled debut hinges on Sabbath-exalting riffs and dire bellowing from twin vocalist-guitarists Scott “Wino” Weinrich and Scott Kelly. At its core, the album feels like by-the-numbers doom, but several spacey psych interludes—built around the pleasingly dublike bass throb of Al Cisneros, also of the droney duo Om—indicate that the band could eventually learn to speak in its own mystical tongue.—Hank Shteamer
Shrinebuilder plays (Le) Poisson Rouge Sun 15.