Doom – Page 16 – Wonderbox Metal

Rorcal – Silence (Review)

Rorcal are a Swiss post-black/doom metal band and this is their sixth album.

Rorcal have shown what they’re capable of very ably on previous releases such as their 2014 split with Process of Guilt, 2016’s κρέων (Creon), 2019’s Muladona, and 2021’s collaboration with Earthflesh, so I was eager to experience the punishment Silence inevitably held in store for me, whatever form it took. On this release we get 42 minutes of new material, and it is not to be approached by the unwary. Continue reading “Rorcal – Silence (Review)”

Spurv – Brefjære (Review)

Spurv are from Norway and play post-rock. This is their fourth album.

Spurv play an instrumental, (mostly), brand of atmospheric music that falls somewhere between post-rock and post-metal. Across 45 minutes Brefjære brings a musical odyssey to life, and shows just how affecting this sort of style can be. Continue reading “Spurv – Brefjære (Review)”

Torpor – Abscission (Review)

This is the third album from UK sludge/doom metal band Torpor.

Torpor play heavy, mood-focused music that crushes as much as it affectingly moves. Combining sludge, doom, and post-metal into 41 minutes of gritty material, Abscission is a record that is worth hearing if you’re partial to the style. Continue reading “Torpor – Abscission (Review)”

Slomatics – Strontium Fields (Review)

Slomatics are a doom metal band from the UK and this is their seventh album.

They’re heavy, they’re doomy, they’re Slomatics. This is a band that I really, really like. Haven’t heard them? As well as this new record, make sure you check out Future Echo Returns, Canyons, and their splits with Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard/MWWB and Yanomamo. Continue reading “Slomatics – Strontium Fields (Review)”

AAWKS/Aiwass – The Eastern Scrolls – Split (Review)

AAWKS are from Canada and Aiwass is a one-man act from the US. Both play psychedelic doom.

The Eastern Scrolls is a 28-minute concept split release that consists of one track from each band. I’m totally unfamiliar with both AAWKS and Aiwass, but how could I resist giving this a listen with that striking cover? Continue reading “AAWKS/Aiwass – The Eastern Scrolls – Split (Review)”

Decompression – Love Is the Beauty of the Soul (Review)

This is the debut album from one-woman black/doom band Decompression from the US.

Decompression is a 53-minute collection of original compositions, (five), and cover songs, (three, including one from Forgotten Tomb). Stylistically, black/doom doesn’t really do it full justice, but it’s a loose descriptor that’s suitable enough. Continue reading “Decompression – Love Is the Beauty of the Soul (Review)”

Godthrymm – Distortions (Review)

This is the second album from Godthrymm, a doom metal band from the UK.

2020’s Reflections was a high quality slab of old-school doom, so it’s with great pleasure that I welcome Distortions into my life. Across 60 minutes Godthrymm once again demonstrate why they’re head and shoulders above most contemporary doom metal acts. Continue reading “Godthrymm – Distortions (Review)”

Rezn & Vinnum Sabbathi – Silent Future (Review)

This is a collaboration between two doom bands, Rezn from the US and Vinnum Sabbathi from Mexico.

Silent Future is a 32-minute collaborative effort that’s effortlessly satisfying. Rezn and Vinnum Sabbathi work together with seamless ease, and the album is an exemplar of creative effectiveness. Continue reading “Rezn & Vinnum Sabbathi – Silent Future (Review)”

Mairu – Sol Cultus (Review)

This is the debut album from UK post-metal band Mairu.

Sol Cultus brings together post-metal, sludge, and doom into a 49-minute feast of atmospheric heavy music. Mairu’s vision is a mood-rich immersive one, and Sol Cultus achieves their lofty ambitions. Continue reading “Mairu – Sol Cultus (Review)”

The Crawling – All of This for Nothing (Review)

The Crawling are a death/doom band from Northern Ireland and this is their third album.

The promo blurb for this album recommends it for fans of Paradise Lost, Officium Triste, Evoken, and Sentenced, which gives a decent starting point for what sort of style The Crawling play. To this I’d also add touches of My Dying Bride and, from a Continue reading “The Crawling – All of This for Nothing (Review)”