Doom Metal

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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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    The Prophecy – Salvation (2013)

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    Four years have passed since the band delivered their opus “Into the Light”, and now we finally have them back with an even more melancholic and depressive release with “Salvation”. As the band has matured, their sound has greatly progressed and in this release the band focuses more on very emotive vocal melodies and killer atmospheric components that make this album a very bleak and emotional ride.

    Matt Lawson’s vocals are one of our favorite elements of this release since they are right at the line between Epic Doom bands like Candlemass and While Heaven Wept and a very natural sound that is full of emotions and feelings, fitting the overall atmosphere of the music very well. Of course there are some growls here and there, but they are saved usually for the climax parts of the songs. The band’s move into more Progressive territories is another thing to note in the five songs presented in the album, making them sound a bit like Opeth during their transitional periods.

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    Wither – Necropolis (2012)

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    Delivering a highly melancholic debut full-length release, today we have “Necropolis” from the Australia two-man band Wither. Featuring a very diverse and depressing sound, this band will surely put you on suicide watch after listening to 50 minutes of brilliant Funeral Doom with some Black Metal and Gothic Rock elements. With elements from bands like Katatonia and the Russian Gothic/Doom band Autumn, this Aussie band has a very well defined sound that is extremely emotional.

    Opening with the heavy riffing of “Sonar Sphere”, the band’s sound immediately starts aggressive but as the melancholic melody sets in, this moves to the background. The raspy vocals are quite desolate and greatly add to the very moody atmosphere of the track. As the song progresses, the mood changes to a slower and even more desolate atmosphere, very similar to what Autumn used to do in their releases. Being the first track, we are completely hooked on how this release creates very bleak landscapes with their music.

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    Hanging Garden – At Every Door (2013)

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    Continuing with their surprising evolution into a more Gothic Rock-inspired sound, today we have Hanging Garden and their latest release “At Every Door”. On their debut release “Inherit the Eden” the band jumped into the scene with a very melodic Death/Doom Metal and was praised by fans all around. With their second effort “TEOTWAWKI” the band started to mix more Gothic and different elements to make their music more accessible to a broader audience, something that they gracefully continue to do with this release.

    Opening with the trippy “Ten Thousand Cranes”, the band delivers electronic elements with clean vocals making them sound like current Paradise Lost and Tiamat. Not all is lost since their original sound is present underneath everything with powerful riffs and excellent growls. Thankfully the new vocalist can do the growls as deep and powerful as their original one. “Ash and Dust” starts a bit more powerful than the first track, and the atmospheric details added by the keyboards work very well with the song.

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    Opium Warlords – We Meditate Under The Pussy In The Sky (2012)

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    Delivering one of those releases that makes you wonder why did you actually wasted time listening to it, today we have Opium Warlords and unbelievably their second release “We Meditate Under The Pussy In The Sky”. In this total shit-factory, we have Sami Albert Hynninen of Reverend Bizzare fame, taking a totally dump on music and concocting one of the worst releases ever since Botanist’s “I: The Suicide Tree / II: A Rose From The Dead”.

    After the super dull ‘minimalist’ intro “Sxi-Meru” we have the totally aimless “Slippy”. We know this ‘style’ of music is supposed to be this way, but it is just a random collection of thoughts and a few very nasty riffs put together. Sounding like a low quality rehearsal of something having a seizure while holding a pick to a guitar, “Lament For The Builders Of Khara Khoto” keeps the nonsense going.

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    Amenra – Mass V (2012)

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    Four years have passed since the band’s last opus title “Mass III”, this enigmatic band from Belgium is finally back after a series of split releases and an EP with “Mass V”. In this crushing release the band brings their in-your-face Doom/Sludge to Neurot Recordings and delivers a release that will put them in direct comparisons to early Neurosis and Year of No Light.

    The first blow is the delivered by the monolithic “Boden” and it’s very natural and unnerving progression. When the powerful riffs finally make their appearance, the listener is well into an hypnotic trance thanks to the tracks slow progression. The screams are pretty typical of a Sludge release, but it’s the drifting guitar work that really hooks the listener into this song.

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