Doom Metal

Hailing from Portugal today we have another entry into the Sludge/Doom Metal category with Process of Guilt and their latest opus “FÆMIN”. Featuring a few ex-members of Doomsters Before The Rain, we thought this band will move past the traditional Sludge/Doom approach, but they just manage to replicate what bands like Year of No Light, Bison B.C, etc. achieve with their heavy distorted guitars and mid-tempo spurts of anger.

“Empire” starts with some nice feedback and then it goes into the endless repetitive loop of riffing and drums that most Sludge bands opt for, but the band never seems to really get out of this funk. While we understand the genre dictates for something like this, we can’t really see any value or different between the previously mentioned bands. “Blindfold” is a bit faster paced, but it also quickly drowns in repetitiveness and dulls the listener into submission. The band wrote 5-6 riffs and they just stick to them for the duration of this release.

With a very lush and elaborate sound, today we have Llvme and their second full-length release “Yia De Nuesu”. Mixing elements from Doom, Folk, and Black/Death Metal, this band has a very rich and entertaining sound that will blow you away with excellent melancholic passages and sheer brutality moments.

Opening with the majestic “1188-1230” track, this release immediately establishes a melancholic atmosphere full of aggression and emotions. The female vocals and violins in this track are excellent and nicely contrast the heavy elements of the track. “Helmantica” brings forth a more aggressive stance from the band and some very Dimmu Borgir-esque keyboards. The riffing is very well crafted and the drums are stellar. “Vettonia” has that same Folk Metal vibe that bands like Eluveitie exploit to no end (the bagpipes), but it somewhat feels different with some nice stop-and-go moments and the direct Amorphis ‘rip-off’ section at the end of the track.

Recently signed to Neurot Recordings, Ufomammut delivers their seventh full-length release titled “Oro: Opus Primum”. In this excellent release, the band brings five tracks of pure (and crushing) Psychedelic Doom Metal at its most devastating and cavernous shape, however this time around there are some seeping Stoner Rock influences that nicely add to the overall musical experience that this Italian band presents.

The band’s sound has always been very well crafted to highlight the heavy guitars and the well-developed atmosphere, and in this release the band continues with their excellent songwriting skills but on a bigger stage (Neurot Recordings). This release feels a bit better than “Eve” in terms of developing the songs a bit more efficiently and with extra elements that makes them less repetitive.

Following a dreadful opening track, “Holnap majd felgyújtom az erdőt” has a completely different production and sound to it. The band seems to have chosen a different pace and approach to BM, sounding a bit deranged and with a very barebones musical foundation. This track is actually enjoyable and entertaining after such a bad opener. Followed by an acoustic track titled “Varnak a varjak”, we are left kind of puzzled and intrigued to where this is going next.

Opening with the mysterious “Empireum”, the band uses nice atmospheric elements to create an initial build-up in this track. The build-up is quite effective and things don’t really get ‘heavy’ until the 10th minute mark, with some crushing riffs and some vocals. After the initial warm-up, “Aureum” delivers a chugging opening riff and some fresh Stoner/Psychedelic riffing sections that nicely set this track apart from the opener. Firing on all engines, “Infearnatural” keeps the riffage going and features some excellent clean vocals that give a nice contrast to the atmosphere of the track. This song is the one that sounds the most ‘traditional’ in the Doom sense of the word, making it the most accessible one of this release.

With some ambient and drone elements, “Magickon” nicely winds down the listener with a weird atmospheric piece that nicely builds up until the guitars and drums make an appearance quite late in the track. Now that the stage is set, “Mindomie” nicely closes the release with some heavy riffing, interesting drum patterns and some crazy vocals. This track is as dark and cavernous as the rest of the release but feels like a nice release of all the tension and build-up expectation generated in the first five songs.

Before you know it “Oro: Opus Primum” is all said and done but you are still left with the satisfaction that Ufomammut has delivered a worthy first release on Neurot Recordings, the home of very talented and diverse artists. If you liked any of the band’s previous releases, this album should nicely satisfy your cravings of Ufomammut for at least one or two more years.

After releasing a few demos and a split album in a span of 14 years, we finally have Murw stepping up to the full-length arena with “Kanker”. In this very interesting release, the band delivers 37 minutes of a highly melancholic combination of Doom Metal with some Death/Black Metal elements. Mostly driven by powerful guitar riffs, “Kanker” is a very well-crafted release that deserves attention.

Opening with the crushing “Kanker”, this release sets sail with the heaviest and most ‘Black Metal’ track in the whole album. The raw power behind the riffs and crushing vocals is very dominating, reminding us of older Death/Doom bands from the 90’s. At around 7 minutes long, this song nicely evolves into some Doom-ish melodic passages with weeping guitars and a nice overall atmosphere. Keeping things in ‘Doom mode’, “Als Sneeuw Voor de Zon” sounds like something that Mournful Congregation or Shape of Despair could have crafted.