Death-Doom Metal

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    October Tide - In Splendor Below (2019)

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    Consistency is the name of the game for the Norrman’s brothers October Tide band. With “In Splendor Below”, the band continues to deliver classic Melodic Death/Doom Metal filled with superb guitar work, dark atmospheric passages and plenty of headbanging opportunities. Featuring over 43-minutes of music, this release continues the band’s legacy as one of the best in the genre.

    The album opens with “I, the Polluter”, a song that features the band’s signature riffing and mid-tempo pace. There are some more direct Death Metal elements thrown into the mix, but the track always keeps that old-school Swedish Melodic Death Metal vibe going. The playful “We Died In October” shows a more funky and crafty atmosphere with intricate drum patterns and very engaging tempo changes.

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    Helevorn - Aamamata (2019)

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    Getting over 50 promos a week, sometimes we miss excellent releases like Helevon’s “Aamamata”. Hailing from Spain, this Gothic/Doom Metal outfit took around 5 years to unleash their latest effort, but it was definitely worth the wait. With nearly an hour of music, this release further evolves their sound into more atmospheric and epic territories. If you are a fan of bands like My Dying Bride, The Foreshadowing and similar outfits, this release should be in your collection.

    The release opens with the lively riffs of “A Sail to Sanity”, in this opener, the band has their older more direct Death/Doom Metal style, delivered with a catchy bass guitar line and solid tempo changes. The band steps up their efforts with the gut-wrenching “Goodbye Hope”, perfectly blending clean and harsh vocals with subtle piano elements and clean guitars. Josep Brunet signature vocals brilliantly infuse songs like “Blackened Waves” with raw emotions.

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    Eternal Candle - The Carved Karma (2018)

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    It is not everyday that you receive a release from a band hailing from Iran. With our curiosity peaked, Eternal Candle’s debut full-length “The Carved Karma”, is one hell of a Progressive Death/Doom Metal release. Combining elements from old-school Death Metal, Doom Metal all perfectly paired with a Progressive edge, this release delivers almost one full hour of masterful music. For fans of old Opeth, Katatonia, My Dying Bride, this release will certainly resonate with you.

    Immediately after the dreamy instrumental opener, the band gets down to business with the sheer power of “The Ripped Soul”. Reminding us of Amorphis on their “Privilege of Evil” days, this track is heavy and pummeling, thanks to its powerful riffs and old-school vibe. Things quickly move into more Progressive / Katatonia-esque territories with the intricate “Sick Romance”, and even further into old-school Death/Doom influences with “A Path to Infinity”.

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    Forest of Shadows - Among the Dormant Watchers (2018)

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    Any self-respecting Doom/Death Metal fan is definitely aware of the legacy left behind by Forest of Shadows with their releases in the 2000’s. Coming 100% as a surprise to us, Inverse records is now releasing the band’s latest opus: “Among the Dormant Watchers”. Niclas Frohagen is the man behind this one-man band that makes a come back with its signature sound of slow and melancholic songs that will hurt your soul and demoralize you from start to end.

    Picking up exactly where the band left off, “Self Inflicted Torment” unleashed the signature style of lush keyboards, moody bass guitar line and crushing growls. This track brings back memories of the band’s earlier works and the cloudy rainy days we listened to those albums for hours. The mood gets bleaker with the beautiful opening to “Drowned by Guilt”, which slowly descends into misery and devastation. While bands like Clouds, Shape of Despair and Skepticism take misery and despair in music to new levels, there is something about the rawness of Forest of Shadows that keeps drawing us to their music.

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    Décembre Noir - Autumn Kings (2018)

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    Arriving just in time for those long and dark Autumn/Winter days, today we have Décembre Noir and their monumental third full-length release “Autumn Kings”. Oozing with melancholy, this German band delivers eight soul crushing tracks that clock in at around 70 minutes of music. Perfectly crafted for fans of old Insomnium, Forest of Shadows, Rapture, etc., this release is gearing up to be the best one of its genre in 2018.

    The album kicks off with the atmospheric build-up of “In the Pouring Rain” as it suddenly erupts in mournful riffs and firm growls. Perfectly immersing the listener into their melancholic sound, the band slowly progresses into heavier and more sinister territories with some crushing passages. The album title track continues the gloomy vibe with more incisive riffs and brilliantly crafted tempo changes, which allow the song be engaging and never get dull.

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    Eye of Solitude - Slaves to Solitude (2018)

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    Fronted by Daniel Neagoe (Clouds, Shape of Despair), today we have Funeral Doom outfit Eye of Solitude and their latest opus “Slaves to Solitude”. Just fresh from their North American West Coast mini-tour, this band unleashes one of the most misery inducing Funeral Doom releases of the last few years. Up with Mournful Congregation, Clouds, and Shape of Despair, this band creates uniquely melancholic crushing songs that will extinguish your will to live.

    The album kicks off with the dreamy “The Blind Earth”, a song that takes a while to build up, but once it reaches the 7 minute mark it becomes increasingly punishing. Daniel’s inhuman growls perfectly complement the bleak and desolate atmosphere created. With Mark Antoniades and Steffan Gough handling the guitar dutties, tracks like “Still Descending” perfectly deliver that brilliant Doomy sound of weeping guitars and well-timed heavy riffs.

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    Aeonian Sorrow – Into The Eternity A Moment We Are (2018)

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    Formed by musicians from Finland and Greece, Aeonian Sorrow is set to unleash their debut album “Into The Eternity A Moment We Are” on April 11, 2018. Featuring nearly 60 minutes of beautiful and yet demoralizing Melodic/Gothic Doom Metal, this release caters to the fans of bands like Draconian, Swallow the Sun, old Tristania etc. This young band manages to release eight brilliant tracks full with memorable moments and expert musicianship.

    Opening the album with "Forever Misery", we are instantly greeted by solemn keyboards and piercing Doom riffs. Alejandro Lotero’s growls are exactly what the doctor ordered in these types of releases and perfectly contrast Gogo Melone’s enchanting female vocals. With Gogo also handling the keyboard duties, the band creates a very dense and crushing atmosphere, as heard in “Shadows Mourn”. The My Dying Bride-esque “Under the Light” delivers ripping guitars and very well-spaced drums, crafting the perfect mournful headbanging tune.

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    On Thorns I Lay – Aegean Sorrow (2018)

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    Going back to their original Death/Doom Metal roots, today we have On Thorns I Lay and their amazing release: “Aegean Sorrow”. Keeping the Death/Doom Metal flame alive, the band delivers over 45 minutes of truly demoralizing music that reminds us of their sound back in the 90’s and outfits like Celestial Seasons (early days) and Forest of Shadows. If you are looking for Death/Doom Metal, this is the album to get in 2018.

    Opening with the incisive riffs and gargantuan growls of the album title track we are taken back in time to the heydays of the genre. The band however adds a certain dimension of modern Melodic Death/Doom Metal as we can hear in the melodic guitars of “Erevos” and the crushing “In Emerald Eyes”, were we get a Swallow the Sun/Hanging Garden-esque contrast of deep growls and catchy guitars.

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    Twilight’s Embrace – Penance (2018)

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    Hailing from the UK, today we have Melodic Death/Doom Metal outfit Twilight’s Embrace and their self-released EP “Penance”. Unleashing four highly melancholic tracks, this release features that old-school Death/Doom sound that fans of bands like My Dying Bride, October Tide and November’s Doom will completely love and enjoy. In a short but sweet time, the band will certainly win you over with their crafty song writing and engaging music.

    Opening with “Dying Earth”, the band sets a very moody atmosphere with weeping guitar leads and catchy riffs. The song structure is quite traditional for the genre, but it quickly hooks you into head banging alongside the music. Changing up the pace, “Curtain Call” delivers more waves of melancholy as the growls perfectly complement the tempo of the track. We particularly enjoy the certain retro vibe and bleak atmosphere crafted around this track.

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    Slow – V – Oceans (2018)

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    Originally released on 2017, “V – Oceans” is too much of an album to not have on vinyl, so Code666 is handling this task. Slow is a one-man project which hails from Belgium and it crafts some of the most devastating and bleak Atmospheric/Funeral Doom Metal we have ever heard. Featuring five songs, this is definitely a release you need to take in with full attention and on a dark and gloomy day.

    The album starts with a very slow and mournful progression in “Aurore”. The riffing is slow and painful, allowing for the atmospheric elements to shine and lead way to the crushing growls. The band’s mastermind, Déhà, has tons of musical experience and by participating in outfits like Clouds. In Slow, he takes things even further, unleashing songs that are over 10 minutes long and perfectly paced for bleakness, just like the dreamy “Ténèbres”.

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