Doom – Page 81 – Wonderbox Metal

Boss Keloid – Herb Your Enthusiasm (Review)

Boss Keloid are a Sludge Metal band from the UK. This is their second album.

Boss Keloid’s Sludge fuses Metal, Doom, Stoner and even Progressive Metal and Grunge into its tar-like embrace, offering the listener 59 minutes of compelling riffage.

With a huge, massive sound, Boss Keloid bring the heaviness with ease. The songs are chock-full of tasty riffs and the kind of guitars that can knock you over if played at full volume.

The Stoner-esque vocals sound really good, adding an extra level of colour and richness to already textured music. The singer has commanding presence, great personality and charisma, all of which are clearly felt through his voice.

The songs themselves are very satisfying, all the more so due to the decent amount of variety and interest that the album has. With almost an hour of music it would be easy to lose momentum or have some dull moments, but the incorporation of the various Metal sub-genres into the mix makes for a very endearing and engaging album.

Unlike some bands that use multiple styles as parts of their musical recipe, Boss Keloid don’t move from one easily identified sub-genre in one section to another; the band mix all of these elements into the songs together, holistically making the most of these influences to the betterment of the songs and the album as a whole.

Each track is recognisable as its own beast with its own identity, and pretty much every track has elements of the wider pool of influences mixed in.

An extremely impressive album. Herb Your Enthusiasm is a keeper.

For fans of Conan, Electric Wizard, Mammoth Storm, Orange Goblin, Down, etc.

Valerinne – Monumenta (Review)

This is the third album from Romanian instrumental Post-Metal band Valerinne.

Treading the same stylistic landscape as bands like Pelican and Russian Circles, Valerinne offer up 63 minutes of long, epic tracks that take the listener on a journey in sound and the many ways that it can be used to evoke certain feelings.

Post-Metal and Post-Rock are rightly known for bright, resplendent guitar melodies, shooting out of, (usually), darker music to create multi-faceted and rich compositions that aim to strike a chord with the listener. The music on Monumenta certainly meets that goal and these five songs have more than enough meaningful content to satisfy.

The guitars aren’t the only star of the show though, as not only is there an extremely solid rhythm section providing a firm backbone to the tracks, but added synths also make appearances, subtly enhancing the musical soundscapes and adding value whenever and wherever they’re used.

Deftly utilising the Post-Metal/Post-Rock tried-and-tested build/release mechanic, these tracks take their time exploring the various sounds and feelings of the world they find themselves in, building to crescendo before moving off in into other areas, repeatedly, as the nuances of the songs demand. These are frequently slow and gradual shifts, with the music having a glacial, unhurried feel, despite the sometimes upbeat drums and rhythms.

Albums like this are effortless to enjoy; it’s very easy to just put them on and slip out of the everyday world, getting lost in the exotic and enticing soundscapes created by a talented group such as Valerinne. Press play on this album and this is precisely what happens.

Sit back, take it all in and savour.

Slabdragger – Rise of the Dawncrusher (Review)

This is the second album from this UK Doom/Sludge band.

This is an album full of sprawling epics, lasting 61 minutes in length, largely spread across 4 songs. There are five tracks in total though, with the fifth, (actually track 2 – Evacuate!), being the odd one out as, at under 5 minutes, it’s nasty, frenzied and comparatively short.

Slabdragger are heavy. They have the kind of thick, syrupy rhythm guitar that feels like it could swamp entire cities with its distortion. This immediately makes these tracks a very satisfying proposition, regardless of any other considerations.

Huge Stoner riffs power things, while the pounding drums set the backdrop. These tracks provide an ample exemplar of fuzzed-up filth and Slabdragger use all of the various tools at their disposal to spread their dirt far and wide.

During the playing time the band cover a lot of bases and visit several different grime-covered planets in the Sludge spaceways that they navigate. Yeah, yeah; as Sci-Fi metaphors go, it’s not the best, but it’s a nod to the theme of the album so just run with it… Suffice to say that this is an album that doesn’t get boring and even though it’s long there is a lot of content here to enjoy. Whether you prefer upbeat rage, downbeat misery, reflective calm, monolithic Doom or mid-paced crushers – Slabdragger have it covered.

Drawn-out cleans, insectile screams and dark shouted growls provide more than enough vocal variety and are all buried in the tide of crushing guitar riffs that the band peel off with ease.

Shot through with groovy melodies and ugly intent, these tracks are full of treasures and delights for those brave enough to pick through the musical ruins that the band inhabit; ruins that were probably once a thriving world, crushed and destroyed by the band’s incredible heaviness, I would imagine.

Most of my favourite parts on this release are provided by the guitars, this could be a chunky, grooved-up riff or when the band settle into a hypnotic repetition that you think you can just lose yourself in.

The Doom/Stoner/Sludge concoctions that they have come up with on Rise of the Dawncrusher are so very, very satiating that at the end of this veritable feast of filth you feel full and satisfied. Slabdragger have delivered the goods, make no mistake.

This is an extremely ambitious and impressive album, one that you need to have in your collection.

A must listen.

Camel of Doom – Terrestrial (Review)

This is the fourth album from UK Doom Metal band Camel of Doom.

This unusually named band play experimental Doom Metal that contains elements of Progressive Rock, psychedelia and a bit of Sludge Metal alongside the usual genre trappings. Continue reading “Camel of Doom – Terrestrial (Review)”

Convulsif – IV (Review)

Convulsive are an experimental band from Switzerland. This is their fourth album.

After the blackened mindfuck, (in a good way), that was CD3, Convulsif return with something a bit different that’s actually superior. It’s mostly instrumental, dark and surprisingly addictive.

Featuring bass, clarinet, violin and drums, this is an experimental foray into noise and unusual Rock. These instruments come together in a variety of ways to produce music that is always trying to push the envelope and always manages to be emotive, in one fashion or another.

Largely gone is the experimental Black Metal of their previous release, although stylistically and atmospherically we’re not a million miles away from it with some of he crawling Doom/Drone here; IV can still be dark and foreboding when it wants to, as well as displaying any number of other moods.

Instead, this release has an even more diverse approach than its predecessor. Doom, Post-Rock, Black Metal and Grind are all merely ingredients to be liberally sprinkled around during these 37 minutes, and Convulsif leave few stones left unturned in their quest for sonic excess.

Disturbing noises and unsettling vibes are frequently the order of business for IV, mixed in with Grindcore-level extremity and exploratory bludgeoning. Add in some Jazz and some sexy bass workouts and you end up with a compelling collection of twisted soundscapes that really succeed where such an eclectic, esoteric assortment of tracks could so easily fail.

If you’re in mind for something a bit different that has a lot to offer, check out IV; you won’t regret it.

Inverloch – Distance | Collapsed (Review)

This is the début album from Australian Doom/Death band Inverloch.

Featuring members of the legendary Disembowelment, this is a highly anticipated release in some quarters that lives up to the lofty expectations laid upon it, for the most part.

Here we have a flawless blend of Doom and Death Metal, so much so that you could almost classify the band as one or the other, really, if the Doom aspect wasn’t quite so all-pervading.

Inverloch are heavy, nasty and clearly know what they’re doing. Also, did I mention they’re heavy? The songs chug, blast and DOOOOOM their way through the 39 minutes of ugly misery contained on this release, and it’s barely contained at that.

It’s easy to like these songs, as whether the band are playing at a snail’s pace or blasting out with furious mayhem, it’s all done extremely well.

More than just a collection of devastating riffs and deep growls, (although there’s more than enough of both), Distance | Collapsed has an emotional resonance and depth that is surprising in its effectiveness, considering how harrowing and mind-numbingly dark these songs actually are.

The riffs are ominous, unsettling and frequently more than a little bit scary. To say Inverloch are an imposing proposition is putting it mildly. There’s just something about the darkened auras that they create… In some ways these tracks are like scraping at a raw wound; you know you shouldn’t, but it just feels so damn good. Or something. Oh I dunno, just listen to Inverloch, it’s worth it in every way.

Primitive Man/Northless – Split (Review)

Both hailing from the US and both peddling versions of Sludge/Doom, this split between Primitive Man and Northless got me quite excited when I first became aware of it.

Primitive Man are up first, and readers of this site should be familiar with them from their previous releases Home Is Where the Hatred Is and Split with Hexis.

They offer a single track, Empty Husk, which is a generous 15 minutes long. In my opinion Primitive Man are one of the best purveyors of hate-fuelled Doom out there, and this track does nothing to change that view.

The band have a thick, heavy, sludgy guitar tone that’s just perfect for the kind of music they play. The huge riffs are claustrophobic crushers that seem to suck the air from the room and replace it with tar.

One of my absolute favourite things about the band is the singer’s voice – his growls are just so perfectly pitch black, so utterly cavernous and without hope, it’s truly frightening.

Empty Husk starts off slow and unfolds drenched in feedback and drum rolls. The dark, Doom-drenched atmosphere is built up and maintained, right until it can’t take any more and spills over into blackened blast beats that soon spend themselves in fits of bubbling hatred, only to slow down to a crawl once more, dragging out the misery and contempt for all to soak in.

Phew.

Northless’ side of the split is a similar length, (17 minutes), but divided into three tracks. Although they’ve never been featured on this site before, their enjoyable brand of Sludge Metal is always a welcome listen.

They’re less-Doom and more Sludge than Primitive Man, which is demonstrated in opener Deleted Heartstrings when it starts with a rip-roaring upbeat tempo that crashes through everything around it in its hurry to spread its dirt.

Theirs is a filthy cacophony of twisted, nightmarish sound that has surely been spawned in some deep, dark abyss somewhere. Northless’ music gives off a very real sense of chaotic suffocation; a controlled chaos that sounds dangerous and is likely to leave scars. The riffs can be quite angular and atypical, with a slight blackened tinge and a surprising level of complexity on occasion.

The singer’s blunt snarls sound callous and almost inhuman, but with just enough uncaring humanity left in to be truly disturbing. He stands aloft, leading the punishing Sludge with unerring vision, firmly set on his grim task of spreading misanthropy.

With each song slowing things down that little bit more than the previous, Northless culminate in their final track Wasted Breath. This is the longest of the three and spends its time building inevitably to a harsh and powerful conclusion.

An exceptional split that showcases the many talents of two of Sludge/Doom’s brightest, (darkest?), lights.

Essential listening for all lovers of hatred, misery and heaviness.

Lycus – Chasms (Review)

This is the second album from US Doom band Lycus.

Lycus play the kind of hugely impressive and accomplished Doom that makes being into this kind of music worth it. Chasms is heavy, slow, full of dark atmosphere and is the kind of thing you can just get lost in.

The band combine Sludge, Funeral Doom, Post-Metal, Death Metal and Black Metal into their sprawling Doom-drenched sound.

The emotive guitars are frequently designed to wring out every last drop of negative emotion from the listener, dragging them deep down into Lycus’ gloom-lit domain.

Deep growling vocals sound huge and intimidating, while lonesome cleans add another aspect to the band’s delivery and allow them to explore other moods and feelings that wouldn’t necessarily fit well with growls.

The dark, doomy worlds that the band effortlessly paint across these 44 minutes are punctuated with moments of Black Metal violence that manage to not feel out of place at all, despite the change in speed and feeling.

A cello also appears infrequently, highlighting another sonic string to their bow, adding another layer of depth to their encompassing sound.

It’s these kind of touches that allow Lycus the freedom to do what they want and create the soundscapes that they feel reflect what they are trying to say. The fact that they do all of this exceedingly well is a huge bonus for the listener, of course.

It’s emotionally stirring stuff, and it’s hard not to get lost in the maelstrom and transported to the grim realms in which Lycus inhabit.

Despite how immediately enjoyable it certainly is, it’s very definitely a grower of an album though, requiring multiple sittings to properly appreciate its subtle and seductive charms. Once it has its claws in you though, there’s no escape. Into the chasms you go.

The Body – No One Deserves Happiness (Review)

This is the fifth album from US Sludge band The Body.

This is a complex album with a multifaceted, layered sound. The Body are not your average band and consequently No One Deserves Happiness is not your average album.

Industrial Sludge Metal is an apt description of the band’s output, although this barely describes the monstrous creation that the band have unleashed on the world with this work.

Electronics and Metal meet in a way that is fused at the very core of the music, revealing a collaboration that you might never think possible. Certainly it’s out of reach of the talent of most bands who attempt to combine electronics and guitars.

This is an album full of bleakness, isolation and despair. The sense of melancholy and hateful abandonment is strong, with the music absolutely reeking of complex negative emotions and the utter failure of all human contact.

Harsh, needle-thin vocals are sometimes joined by ethereal female cleans, which ratchet up the emotional content to almost unbearable levels.

This is a hard album to describe in many ways; although there is a massive amount of things going on here, it’s more the emotional resonance of the music that’s difficult. No One Deserves Happiness seems to easily and swiftly evoke all of the feelings of negativity, discomfort and nostalgic loss that you’ve experienced your entire life. It’s an extremely powerful listen because of this and at the end of its 48 minute journey you feel hollow and spent.

After listening to this, it’s hard to disagree with the album name.

A Thousand Sufferings – Burden (Review)

This is the début album from Belgian Doom Metal band A Thousand Sufferings.

This is semi-blackened Doom with dark screaming shouts. The band succeed in creating sombre, down-beat moods that snare the listener in their barbed grasp.

The band have a similar feel and mood to that of Triptykon; like an updated Celtic Frost with added Doom and Black Metal atmospheres.

The riffs pile on top of each other, almost reaching wall-of-guitars proportions but offering more nuance than that style usually does. There’s some quite inventive and emotive ones on here too, adding to the overall dark feelings that they espouse.

A Thousand Sufferings understand the nature of this kind of music all too well, with negativity seeping out of the speakers in an occult way, seeming to feast on the souls of those drawn into this grim web of mystical invocations.

A very enjoyable slab of Doom Metal for fans of the darker side of life.