Godthrymm - Distortions (2023)

Unleashing misery and heaps of gloominess, today we have UK’s Godthrymm and their sophomore release “Distortions”. Led by Shaun Taylor-Steels and Hamish Glencross of My Dying Bride fame, this album delivers nearly one hour of majestic Epic Doom with killer riffs and crafty heaviness. As a well oiled machine, this outfit’s song writing abilities perfectly shine with some monumental headbanging sessions.

The release quickly sets a very oppressive and doomy mood with the ripping guitars of “As Titans”, featuring a nice MDB and Mournful Congregation-esque vibe. However, the band is far from just copying others as they weave in their own signature style alongside the clean male and female vocals of Hamish and Catherine Glencross. Some Epic Doom bands overdo it on the clean vocals, but here we get a perfect balance as tracks like “Devils”, “Echoes” and “Obsess and Regress” showcase.

Aside from the crushing riffs, Shaun Taylor-Steels signature drumming style keeps the tempo perfectly flowing between epic passages to the darker and heavier pieces, like on the pummeling “Unseen Unheard”, which even has some Katatonia-esque vibes. Our personal favorite has to be “Follow Me” and its very old-school Doom aesthetics and crafty tempo changes.

Closing with the solemn “Pictures Remain”, Godthrymm has managed to deliver a gargantuan release in the genre that will please any fans of the genre, and further cements the band as a force to be reckoned with. We particularly love that while showing some clear influences from the genre’s greats, the band carves their own unique style while staying true to their roots. If you have a heavy and highly moody Doom release, it does not get much better than “Distortions”.

Label: Profound Lore Records

Release: August 18th, 2023

Genre: Epic Doom Metal

Country: UK