Doom Metal

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    Depicting Abysm – Passage (2016)

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    Arriving via Naturmacht Productions, today we have Russian duo Depciting Abysm and their monolithic sophomore release “Passage”. Featuring over 47 minutes of melancholic Atmospheric/Depressive Black/Doom Metal, this release creates the perfect shroud of musical misery. For fans of bands like Forest of Shadows, Shape of Despair, Lifelover and similar outfits, this is one album that will sound very familiar.

    Opening with the 11-minute bleakness of “Shelter”, the band slowly introduces us to their sound with incisive riffs, solid harsh vocals and a very mellow tempo that just makes things even more magical. The atmospheric elements thrown into the mix greatly enhance the overall depressive experience the track delivers. On “Shadow” things continue on the Depressive Black Metal side of things with highly emotional vocals and a very powerful bass guitar line. This track reminds us a bit of outfits like Lifelover.

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    Dö – Den (2015)

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    Hailing from Finland, today we have riff-masters Dö, presenting their EP titled “Den”. In this release, the trio delivers Roadburn-caliber music divided into four songs with different moods. With tons and tons of bands playing Doom/Stoner Metal, it is quite rare to find ones that really make the impression that Dö manages to make in less than 35 minutes.

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    Rusty Pacemaker – Ruins (2015)

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    Hailing from Austria, today we have a very unique release from an artist called Rusty Pacemaker. In “Ruins”, this one-man outfit delivers 53 minutes of very diverse music that blends Gothic Rock/Progressive Rock/Doom Metal with heavy atmospheric elements. Reminding us of bands like Yearning and some of the stuff on Holy Records back in the early 2000’s, this is a release that takes a few spins to fully sink in.

    Opening with a very somber atmosphere in “Ruins”, the mood is set quite mellow and very mysterious. As Rusty’s vocals appear, the vibe shifts into a more Gothic Rock/Metal atmosphere, with very well crafted guitars, but somewhat odd vocal melodies. Moving into full-on H.I.M / To/Die/For territory, “Made of Lies” is quite straightforward and catchy, while being quite consistent with one genre. The use of female vocals on “Ocean of Life” greatly adds a different dimension to the band’s sound, making it more dynamic and engaging.

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    High Priest of Saturn - Son of Earth and Sky (2016)

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    During the last few years Svart Records has been introducing to the world countless bands in the Psychedelic Rock/Doom realm and High Priest of Saturn is another hidden gem they managed to uncover. Hailing from Norway, this four piece outfit has a very warm and fuzzy retro sound that allows them to deliver extremely well crafted songs that will put the listener into a trance.

    Opening with the psychedelic “Aeolian Dunes”, we get a hefty dosage of ripping Doom riffs courtesy of band’s mastermind Martin Sivertsen. What caught our attention instantly is the enigmatic voice of Merethe Heggset, which handles the bass guitar as well. Her vocals remind us of a more centered version of Jex Thoth. This 10 minute opener piece is the perfect mood setter for the musical journey that unfolds with this release.

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    Löbo – Älma (2016)

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    Gloomy February approaches with yet another solid Portuguese release through Signal Rex. Atmospheric Doomsters Löbo are re-releasing their 2010 EP “Älma” on cassette and vinyl. Perfectly packing their piercing riffs, the band delivers a truly unique and transformative aural experience in over 35 minutes of music.

    Setting the mood with the mysterious opener “Aqui em baixo a alma mede-se com mãos cheias de pedras”, the band creates a very well balanced atmosphere that is both chilling and intriguing. The track also has a very well-crafted tempo that allows things to slowly progress and surround the listener. The mood turns a bit more direct and poignant on the magical “Por fim só. Livre” thanks to the trippy synths and arrangements.

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    Deathkings – All that is Beautiful (2016)

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    Delivering brilliant waves of Doom/Sludge/Post-Metal misery, today we have Deathkings and their sophomore release “All that is Beautiful”. Clocking in at 62 minutes, this four song release is both punishing and extremely melancholic. We are quite surprised that the band is unsigned due to the quality of their material and how the North American scene is eating up bands that play this style of music.

    Opening with the bleakness of “Sol Invictus”, the band slowly builds up from some spacious Post-Metal momentum-building passages (a la Neurosis) to more hectic Doom/Sludge inspired riffing onslaughts. The pairing of the combination of multiple styles of vocals with the brilliant atmosphere crafted by the roaring guitars fits perfectly with the intricate drum patterns and overall pace of the music. Reminding us of bands like Fall of Empyrean and Mournful Congregation, “The Storm” delivers a very precise Doom message with some solid Post-Metal influences, making it one of our favorite tracks in this release.

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    Ocerco - A Desolação (2016)

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    Arriving today all the way from Portugal we have Ocerco and their crushing EP “A Desolação”. Delivering three songs of ravaging Post-Black Metal with some Doom influences, this band nicely blends the aggressiveness of Abigail Williams (newer stuff) and the atmospheric brilliance of Wolves in the Throne Room.

    Slowly building up with the brutal “O Calpso”, the band perfectly times their dissonant onslaughts to surprise the listener. The atmosphere is superbly dark and very heavy, thanks to the aggressive wall of sound created by the powerful riffs. “O Ocaso” takes a more direct approach to things, instantly getting on the listener’s face with howling shirks and growls as well as blistering drumming. The band’s ability to quickly escalate (or down-shift) their aural assaults is quite impressive.

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    Coldbound – Rites Under Moonlight (2015)

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    Hailing from Finland, today we have one man demolition machine Coldbound and its latest release “Rites Under Moonlight”. Featuring 10 tracks and over 50 minutes of hauntingly aggressive and atmospheric music, this release crushes the opposition with gut-wrenching shrieks and the perfect balance of raw brutality with melodic/atmospheric creepiness.

    After the typical intro, we are left with the throbbing bass guitar line of “Fullmoon Delirium” and its very sinister BM-infused riffing. As the band delivers the atmospheric creepiness of tracks like “Origins of Black Sun” and “Fullmoon Delirium”, we are quite impressed with Råbjørn’s ability to switch between BM, Doom, and purely atmospheric passages in as seamless manner. Another great example of this is the blistering “Devil's Universe”.

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    A Sickness unto Death – The Great Escape (2015)

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    Hailing from Germany, today we have Doomsters A Sickness unto Death and their sophomore release “The Great Escape”. While typical Epic Doom Metal gets pretty boring after 20 minutes or so, this band delivers over 60 minutes of very creative music that while staying true to the genre, manages to incorporate unique elements to keep things fresh and engaging.

    Opening with the album title track, we are treated to heavy distorted guitars and repetitive riffs that are quite enjoyable. Tim Ziegeler’s vocals are more on the Epic Doom side with a splash of ICS Vortex making them quite enjoyable and not tiring at all. The riffing at times is a bit less heavy than your typical Doom release, making for some crafty an interesting tracks like the melodramatic “Lost” and October Tide-esque “The Uniqueness of the Two”.

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    Leather Nun America – Buddha Knievel (2015)

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    Hailing from San Diego, CA, this Stoner/Doom Metal outfit return with another pummeling full-length release titled “Buddha Knievel”. Invoking the likes of EyeHateGod, Crowbar mixed with Pentagram’s vibe, this band delivers eleven tracks of solid music that will satisfy any fan of the genre and will further propagate the power of the riff.

    After the trippy prologue, the band presents their full-on Stoner Doom elements in the warm up “Into the Abyss”. The band’s sound is quite organic and natural, with the clean vocals working perfectly well with the nature and pace of their music. Getting fully into the groove, “Warwolf” has that warm and fuzzy vibe of old-school Doom thanks to the pulsating riffs. The melancholic clean passages offer very cool guitar leads and nice instrumentation to change the tempo of the song a few times.

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