Doom Metal

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    Sadgiqacea - False Prism (2013)

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    With everybody and their mothers playing Doom/Sludge Metal it is getting quite annoying to weed out the bad releases from the good ones without investing too much time in it. Luckily for us, Sadgiqacea made it very easy since the first song of their debut release “False Prism” is pretty epic and quite unique from your average band in the genre. Hailing from the USA, this two-piece delivers four crushing tracks of powerful Doom/Sludge that will greatly appeal to fans of bands like Black Cobra all the way to Neurosis.

    Opening with “False Segments”, the band pummels away with some very cool (and heavy) guitars that are above your average repetitive Doom/Sludge guitar work. The band’s knack for creative rhythms and excellent musical skills allows them to sound different while retaining the griminess of the genre. As the track nears its end, there are some very cool details that made us enjoy it even more.

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    Asofy – Percezione (2013)

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    Hailing from Italy, today we have one-man project Asofy and their latest full-length “Percezione”. With a very bleak and somewhat minimalist sound, Asofy delivers four tracks of very emotional Black/Doom Metal with some Post-Black Metal elements. The music is quite direct and very well paced, enough to enchant any Doom or Suicidal Black Metal fan, very similar to the experimental stuff of Svarti Loghin.

    On the first track, “Luminosita”, the Post-Black Metal influences nicely make this very melancholic song even more bleak and desolate. Tryfar handles all instruments and does a very good job with the guitars and bass guitar. The drums are programmed so they sound a bit fake in some points, but they are pretty decent compared to other releases. The pace of this song is quite slow and dabbles around some jazzy/doomy sections very nicely.

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    Apocynthion – Sidereus Nuncius (2013)

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    Going over tons of releases every month, we rarely get to enjoy unexpected masterpieces like Apocynthion’s “Sidereus Nuncius”. Having received the promo directly from the band, we got immediately hooked into their music after the first song and we have been constantly listening to it non-stop since then. Delivering seven tracks of majestic Post-Rock/Post Black Metal with Shoegaze and some Doom elements, the band’s sound is quite moving and powerful.

    Opening in a very dreamy note with a sample from “2001: A Space Odyssey” on top of atmospheric arrangements, the band commands attention with this hypnotic opening. “Redshift” continues with a Post-Rock vibe, similar to Godspeed Your Black Emperor and God is an Astronaut, filled with cool percussions and dreamy clean vocals. This ten-minute track slowly morphs into Post-Black Metal territories with powerful and dreamy guitars accompanied by shrieks of desperation. The band reminded us of Heretoir, Lantlos and similar outfits, but they always keep their own musical identity.

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    Enshine – Origin (2013)

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    Being huge fans of Atmospheric Death/Doom Metal, we have been following this collaboration for a while and finally we have “Origin”, Enshine’s debut full length release that is as majestic everybody expected. Featuring Jari Lindholm and Sébastien Pierre, this band delivers nine tracks of brilliant atmospheric Doom passages with powerful growls and a very melancholic vibe. Recorded in a span of two years, “Origin” is one release that will keep you entertained for quite a while.

    Opening with the lush atmospheric elements of “Stream of Light”, the band sets the tone for a very impressive release since the initial stages of this album. With a vibe similar to bands like October Tide and Forest of Shadows, Enshine focuses their energy in delivering powerful atmospheres surrounded by excellent guitar work. Not being 100% predictable, tracks like “Refraction” blend some synth-pop elements into the bands melancholic sound.

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    Shakhtyor – Shakhtyor (2013)

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    Originally released back in 2012 as an independent album, Cyclone Empire has scooped up Shakhtyor, a German outfit and their very powerful four track self-titled debut full-length. While many people are raving and loving all the new Sludge/Post-Metal releases, we have to say that sometimes they are just plain and dull and unluckily this is album belongs to this category. We understand that being repetitive and ‘crushing’ is part of the deal, but when you have 40 minutes of music revolve around 8 riffs, it is just unacceptable.

    Opening with “E. Jasper”, the band sets the mood for the whole song in the first minute and then it just drones around the same for almost nine minutes… WTF. We are aware of the need to build momentum and create a crushing wall of sound, but this band just delivers half and leaves you hanging like when the lights go out while watching porn. The most salvageable track of this release is “Handschuhmann”, a 7 minute piece that actually has some structure and nicely builds-up to a semi-climaxing stage.

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    Frozen Ocean – A Perfect Solitude (2012)

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    Hailing from Russia, today we have one-man band/project Frozen Ocean presenting his 2012 full-length release titled “A Perfect Solitude”. Handling all the instruments and drum programming, Vaarwel manages to craft a very powerful and atmospheric release that showcases his excellent songwriting skills. Featuring seven tracks and nearly 45 minutes of chilling music, this release delivers a hefty amount of bleak soundscapes that will surely keep you on the edge of your seat.

    The bleak intro “Broken Window” sets a very mysterious and moody atmosphere that is very unnerving in nature. As the raining sounds bleed into “Somewhere Clouds Debark”, the mood keeps being very eerie and ethereal. The powerful distorted guitars elevate this track while maintaining the chilling atmosphere created. The vocals are very interesting since they are quite lush and greatly enhance the atmosphere, reminding us a bit of bands like Falkenbach and Thyrfing.

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    Mother Susurrus – Maahaavaa (2013)

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    Fully recorded using analog gear, today we have Finland’s Mother Susurrus and their debut full-length release “Maahaavaa”. Combining elements from bands like Neurosis, High of Fire, and more traditional Hard and Acid Rock influences, they masterfully crafted a sound that is quite hard to pin down, but is very interesting and unique sounding. This 48 minute release contains five solid tracks that command maximum aural attention.

    True audiophiles greatly appreciate when things are recorded via analog gear, and this is very evident when you get those nice grainy effects and elements in the music that really make things pop and sound natural. The first example of said things is the crushing opener “Superposition”. Clocking in at around 10 minutes, this mammoth track shows the band’s Sludge/Doom power with some more direct Hard rock influences.

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    Into Darkness – Into The Darkness (2013)

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    Originally released as a demo in 2012, today we have Italy’s Into Darkness and their old-school Death Metal production “Into The Darkness”. Featuring four tracks of raw DM with some Swedish and Doom influences, this release is for all nostalgic lover of raw and fuzzy music from the 90’s. Combining elements from Incantation (earlier material), Grave and Asphyx, for over 25 minutes the band delivers the goods in a relentless and nihilistic manner.

    Opening with the desolate “Into Darkness” the band resembles the almighty Winter and their slow and painful Doom sound from back in the day. After 8 minutes of glorious Death/Doom, things pick up with the crushing “Shadows” and its killer proto-Swedish DM sound. The band truly excels in creating a very dense and old school atmosphere, relying on the riffing of Doomed Warrior and Nor.

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    October Tide – Tunnel of No Light (2013)

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    Recently resurrected (2009) October Tide delivers us their second release in four years with “Tunnel of No Light”. Featuring their traditional early Katatonia sound from the 90’s, this band keeps doing what they do best, and we totally dig them for that. Lead by Fredrik Norrman, the band recently changed bass guitarist and vocalist, but you can’t even tell the difference since October Tide is as melancholic and brutal as ever.

    Opening with their signature layered guitars on “Of Wounds To Come”, we get the first impression of the band’s new growler Alexander Högbom, and we must say it is very impressive. The intricate melodic guitar work is the staple of the band and they do not disappoint in tracks like this one and “Our Constellation”. The first Doom epic comes under the name of “Emptiness Fulfilled” and its crushing weeping riffs. This song delivers both magical melodic passages and super powerful growls… exactly what Infernal Masquerade likes.

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    Nightfall – Cassiopeia (2013)

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    After their triumphant return in 2010 with “Astron Black and the Thirty Tyrants”, today we have Nightfall and their less inspired latest release “Cassiopeia”. Just when one thinks a band is back in full swing, they release an album that feels more forced that natural. Don’t get us wrong, “Cassiopeia” is a solid album but it feels like the band had it on the closet for 6-7 years and sounds a bit outdated for today’s standards.

    Opening with “Phaethon”, the band delivers solid riffing that reminded us of Gothic/Doom/Death Metal albums from the mid 90’s, the period when Nightfall was at their prime. Paired with subtle keyboard hints and solid growls, the band sounds pretty powerful but after a few tracks it just gets old. The speedups of “Oberon & Titania” and other songs take away a bit from the linearity of this release, but ultimately are not enough to keep us interested on the songs as we were for the band’s previous release.

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