Mammoth Storm are a Swedish doom metal band and this is their second album.
Now here’s an album I’ve been so looking forward to. 2015’s Fornjot was a stunning album, one which has stayed with me over the years as an exemplar of heaviness and melodic might.
Mammoth Storm waste no space across a tight and lean 42-minutes, although they’re just as unhurried as ever. The band use the time well to say exactly what they want to say, disappearing into the wilderness once more when they are done. It’s great to have the band back, and the truncated running time, (when compared to the debut), certainly leaves you wanting more.
Huge, mammoth-sized riffs are the order of business, and business is damn good. These are enhanced and aided by colourful melodies and charismatic vocals, both working together to help the thick, luxurious music become more than simply heavy, as if that wasn’t enough in its own right. The guitars are still a huge selling point of the band’s, whether this is because of the massive riffs, or because of the almost post-metal resplendence of some of the melodies.
The band are a skilled bunch, and craft their music into songs that are both direct and atmospheric. This blend of instant gratification and built-in depth offers a lot for the listener to become enamoured with, and it seems that no matter how many times you visit Mammoth Storm’s world, there’s always something new to see.
Alruna has been worth the wait. Let Mammoth Storm’s latest album stomp you into a paste, and then, from your newly flattened perspective, just marvel at how beautiful doom metal can be.
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