Doom Metal

  • Las Casas Viejas – goul/H (2017)

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    Unleashing one of the most unique and aurally abusive releases of 2017, today we have Austria’s Las Casas Viejas and their album “goul/H”. Featuring an amalgamation of dreamy Post-Rock passages, with Doom/Sluge/Black Metal elements, the band creates a very unique atmosphere and evangelizes the listener with five brilliant tracks filled with unique elements and surprises.

    Slowly building up the momentum in their opener, “Morbundus”, the band starts off slow with some interesting aural abuse, luckily it slowly progresses into delivering more punishing and demoralizing guitar riffs and a plethora of harsh vocals. Mixing Sludge elements with some different ideas, this piece perfectly leads into the Doom-esque “Kein Ort 1: nicht die Stadt und Lethargie”. The female vocals at times remind us of late The 3rd and The Mortal elements, allowing the band’s sound to have an extra unconventional element.

  • Echolot – Volva (2017)

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    Unleashing over 55 minutes of brilliant Psychedelic/Progressive Metal, today we have Switzerland’s Echolot and their sophomore release “Volva”. Channeling their inner Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath influences, this three-piece outfit release for very intricate and engaging songs that will keep you engaged from start to end. With tons of bands flocking to these genres, it is quite refreshing to hear new ideas in this release.

    The album opens with the groovy proggy guitars of “II”, a track that brilliantly introduces the band’s musical skills and vibe. The warm and fuzzy distortion is quite inviting and eases the listener into Echolot’s sonic world. Slowly building up, “III” continues the album’s progression with Doomy riffs and very moody vocals, greatly enhancing the atmosphere in this release and keeping it diverse and fresh sounding.

  • Jupiterian – Terraforming (2017)

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    Delivering one of the most engaging and crushing Death/Doom/Sludge Metal releases of 2017, today we have Jupiterian and their sophomore release “Terraforming”. Unleashing a unique mix of atmospheric elements with traditional Doom/Sludge riffs, the band has crafted over 38 minutes of music that will keep you at the edge of your seat while clamoring for more.

    The release immediately sets the tone with the slowly building atmosphere crafted in “Matriarch”. Crafting a powerful wall of sound, the guitars are quite punishing and quite relentless from the start. As “Unearthly Glow” rolls around, we get a more structured Death/Doom dynamic with powerful growls and weeping guitar leads, all tucked between crushing riffs and a very tight tempo.

  • Amenra – Mass VI (2017)

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    Just in time for the gloomy October weather, today we have Amenra and their ravaging sixth full-length release “MassVI”. Unleashing over 41 minutes of music spread out in six tracks, the band continues their musical journey into darker and gloomier territories by making their sound even more massive and emotional. Perfectly engineered to be loud and punishing this release is one that you can’t miss.

    Opening with the slow progression of “Children of the Eye”, the band brings back the punishing riffs and raw screams that have made them a household name in their genre. This track slowly introduces Doomier and more melodic and emotional passages that feature mournful clean vocals. After a short spoken-word track, the band comes back with a vengeance with the moody and hypnotic guitar work of “Plus Près de Toi”, which is part sludgy and part highly atmospheric.

  • Bell Witch – Mirror Reaper (2017)

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    Unleashing their latest opus, today we have Seattle’s Bell Witch with “Mirror Reaper”. Clocking in at a massive 83 minutes, this one-track release is going for the record of longest Funeral Doom Metal song. After the untimely death of founding member Adrian Guerra, we wondered about the future of Bell Witch, luckily for all the fans the new release has arrived and it is a monumental one.

    Slowly building up momentum with sparse punishing riffs and killer growls, this track is in no hurry to reveal its secrets. As things get settled for a bit, we have weeping guitars and very dramatic atmospheric elements that perfectly blend with the melancholy of the clean vocals. We particularly enjoy that when listening to this behemoth of a song, we get lost in the musical progression and before we know it we are more than 40 minutes into the track.

  • Antiversum – Cosmos Comedenti (2017)

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    Hailing from Swtizerland, today we have Antiversum and their ear popping, soul crushing mixture of Black/Death/Doom metal in their debut full-length release “Cosmos Comedenti”. Featuring over 37 minutes of hellish music, the band mixes Black/Death Metal influences with Doom and Sludge to create a very think and visceral listening experience. With influences from bands like Neurosis, Amenra, to Centinex, this is one release you don’t want to miss.

    Opening the album, we have the harrowing “Antinova”, a piece that slowly builds up a sound wall filled with pummeling riffs and crushing growls. There are some Black Metal influences thrown into the mix that create a more dissonant and imposing atmosphere, as the song progresses in a very Sludgy/Post-Metal-ish way. Continuing the aural assault, we have “Chao E Orta Est”, a slow progressing track that is quite dissonant and aggressive.

  • Hallatar – No Stars Upon the Bridge (2017)

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    As one of the most devastating albums of 2017, today we have “No Stars Upon the Bridge” by Hallatar. Formed by Juha Raivio (Swallow the Sun) to pay homage to Aleah Starbridge, this band can be seen as a continuation of Trees of Eternity with a more raw and emotional edge. Joined by Tomi Joutsen (Amorphis), and Gas Lipstick (ex-HIM), with the guest appearance of Heike Langhans (Draconian), this release is full of despair and loss, transmitted in very emotional songs that will rock your senses.

    Opening with the punishing riffs of “Mirrors”, the album starts with a very powerful and commanding tone. In this track we get to listen to Tomi’s vocals in a raw and uncomposed way, perfectly transmitting the state of a grief-stricken madman, this is indeed a truly haunting experience. “Raven’s Song” is a very nice and short poem that switches the mood of the release as it mellows a bit with the highly melancholic “Melt”. In this song, the clean vocals are full of emotion and perfectly kick of a moody track that features interesting tempo changes and powerful atmospheric elements.

  • Totengott – Doppelgänger (2017)

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    Originally started as a Celtic Frost cover band, today we have Spain’s Totengott and their debut full-length release “Doppelgänger”. With a very old-school and raw style, this band combines Doom and Thrash Metal elements into a very decadent sound that is quite engaging and sickening. Just imagine a Doom version of Celtic Cross and you will be closer to what the band actually sounds like.

    Starting the release with the 8-minute “Delusion of Negation”, the band creates a very thick atmosphere with punishing riffs and atmospheric arrangements. The drums/tempo have that old-school Black/Thrash vibe with a Punkier edge. Being the shortest track in this release, the band sets a very unforgiving atmosphere for this release.

  • Dark Sanctuary – Dark Sanctuary (2017)

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    Arriving unexpectedly to our inbox this month we have a new release from France’s Dark Sanctuary. Having been on hiatus since 2009 or so, this band was recognized in the Darkwave/Gothic/Atmospheric scene back in the day. In 2017, they surprise us with six ‘Metal’ renditions of older material, crafting a very melancholic and powerful Gothic/Doom vibe. For those of use that yearn for the late 2000’s Gothic/Doom Metal releases, this album will certainly fill that void.

    Opening with the lively “Laissez-moi mourir”, we get a very Lacrima Profundere vibe with catchy guitars, subtle keyboards and a very upbeat tempo surrounded by a generally Gothic/Dark vibe. As expected, Dame Pandora’s vocals instantly shine in this very engaging track that reminds us a bit of Edge of Sanity meets Therion. The dark atmosphere created by the heavy riffs and atmospheric keyboards of “Cristal”, make for quite a memorable experience, setting a very enjoyable mood.

  • Evadne – A Mother Named Death (2017)

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    Hailing from Spain, today we have Atmospheric Death/Doom quintet Evadne and their latest release “A Mother Named Death”. With the band being on our radar since their debut release “The 13th Condition”, we are quite excited to hear that they have blossomed into a very dynamic and engaging outfit. Delivering over 60 minutes of music, this band aims to take the throne of the most melancholic Spanish band from Helevorn, with this killer release.

    Opening with the mellow “Adobe of Distress”, we are treated to a very traditional Death/Doom song filled with pummeling guitars and killer vocal arrangements. We particularly enjoy when a band can mix both clean and harsh vocals in a very organic and complementary way. Invoking their internal Swallow the Sun, “Scars that Bleed Again” delivers a perfect balance of sheer aggression and atmospheric magic, allowing the band to showcase their contrasting versatility.

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