Doom Metal – Page 62 – Wonderbox Metal

Osmium Guillotine – Osmium Guillotine (Review)

Osmium Guillotine are from the UK and this is their début album. They play Heavy Metal.

This is 80’s style Heavy Metal with a sexy guitar sound and plenty of attitude. The production is largely apt for this kind of band, although in a feat of differentiation Osmium Guillotine have a guitar tone that’s both thicker and heavier than most bands playing this genre and it works very well for them.

The music is played with passion and obvious zeal and everyone seems to know their job well. Nice solos too.

This is Old-School Heavy Metal that manages to encapsulate quite a few different feelings from early Metal and distil them into this release. Classic Metal is a given, but Doom Metal, Proto-Thrash and NWOBHM all get a look in. There’s even a touch of Punk to things now and again.

The vocals are great, and there’s not a hint of Power Metal to be seen. I love Power Metal as much as anyone, but it’s nice to hear a band like Osmium Guillotine who are just pure Heavy Metal without the more extravagant ostentation inherent in Power Metal. The singer here has a great set of lungs and possesses the charisma to do the tunes justice.

These are a strong set of songs with plenty of hooks and choruses to keep you coming back for more. Memorable melodies and good riffs flow freely and everything feels just as it should.

Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Anthrax…if these bands float your boat then Osmium Guillotine are a logical band to check out. Along with the recent stellar release from Johnny Touch this proves once again what any real music fan already knew – True Metal isn’t dead.

Great stuff.

Majestic Downfall/The Slow Death – Split (Review)

Majestic Downfall are from Mexico and The Slow Death are from Australia. Both play Doom Metal.

This is a much longer split than the norm – 67 minutes in total with each band giving roughly half of that. It also boasts quite a striking album cover. Nice.

Majestic Downfall are first off with a crushingly heavy start to things. They play Doom Metal with a slow Death Metal influence – Death/Doom or Doom/Death, whichever you prefer.

Ready comparisons to newer bands would be the likes of Eye of Solitude and that ilk. For older bands think Paradise Lost/My Dying Bride gone full-on Doom/Death. Majestic Downfall are not a band who are totally mournful and miserable though as a lot of the riffs are more brutal or energetic and they have faster moments too.

The vocals are super-deep and the music is clear and strong. Melodies are a large part of the band’s sound and they make full use of them to produce enjoyable tracks that are largely colossally heavy but also show shading with their use of lighter sections.

With a generally more upbeat take on the genre this is a good listen and makes a decent impression.

After Majestic Downfall’s crisp energetic Doom Metal The Slow Death are like a funeral procession of depressive soundscapes. The Slow Death are a much more mournful proposition and big on proto-Gothic atmosphere.

They can be said to share similar influences and a base sound to Majestic Death but they process it in a different way and the results are therefore different as well. The Slow Death are a lot more downbeat in sound, (although they do still have upbeat moments), and the overall vibe is darker and more negative. Think a band like The Sins of Thy Beloved only with a more subtle Gothic influence.

Melodic guitars draped in misery and rotting dreams are the leading lights in this showcase of loss. The band create dirges that hold interest and have some good riffs in them.

The vocals alternate between clean, ethereal, haunting female singing and deep, dark male growls. It’s a contrast that was done to death years and years ago in the Gothic Metal style but one that’s not so popular these days. I find it makes me a tad nostalgic, even. Regardless, The Slow Death pull it off with style and it sounds almost refreshing to hear the clean female/rough male vocals trading off once again.

A top quality split from two bands who have presented two different takes on a core style. It’s especially worth getting due to the length as each band essentially contribute a mini album’s worth of material to this split.

Be sure to check this out and then track it down.

Mothersloth – Moribund Star (Review)

Mothersloth are from Spain and this is their début album. They play (mostly) Instrumental Stoner/Doom Metal.

This album combines Doom, Sludge and Stoner with a bit of Progressive Rock to create an album that is much better than most albums without a vocalist has any right to be.

The band seem to have a finely judged sense of dynamics and pacing and the songwriting is of a very high standard, especially considering this is only their first album.

They have immense heavy riffs that are also catchy and memorable, as has to be the case for an instrumental band of this type. They’re not entirely predictable riffs either as they do throw in the odd curveball and unexpected touch here and there.

With a crisp, clear sound the band get to shine strongly as the groovy sounds roll out of the speakers.

If the band merely concentrated on the Stoner side of their sound this would be a good release, but it’s the fact that they also incorporate other styles that brings things up to another level. The tempo and time changes, the more Progressive riffs and the more complex arrangements that complement the basic structure of this style makes for a compelling listen.

The final song Dry Tears does actually feature vocals. These are clean and confident; like the rest of the album they’re perfectly judged and executed.

This album has surprised me with just how good it is. I highly recommend this for anyone into any style of heavy music. If they can keep this level of quality up and get a bit more exposure then I can easily imagine big things in the future for this band. Top work.

Sorxe – Surrounded by Shadows (Review)

Sorxe are from the US and play Sludge/Doom.

Two bassists? Layered vocals? Textured soundscapes? Heavy as fuck Doom? Yes please!

Sorxe have a crushing sound that’s befitting of a band who have double the normal number of bass guitars. This is as monolithic and colossal as you might imagine. The music is expansive with Progressive Doom tendencies and has a warm and heavy sound. Surrounded by Shadows has strong ambitions and the talent to see them through.

Special note should be made of the vocals, as they are diverse and wide ranging in their style. The singer shouts and bellows his voice raw, uses powerful semi-cleans and even manages soft crooning. It’s extremely impressive.

The songs on this album combine the unbearably heavy with the richly evocative and highly emotive. The band seem adept at switching from crushing passages to sections of energetic feeling seamlessly. Each song is highly accomplished and the band have truly unleashed something special.

The instruments are all used creatively and the synth effects add a further layer to their already involved sound.

Surrounded by Shadows combines elements of bands like Neurosis, Ufomammut, Electric Wizard, Yob, Isis and Mastodon to create an album that spends as much time destroying the listener via harsh sounds as it does through emotional weight.

These songs are diverse and well-written. They resonate with feeling and are richly textured and layered. This album has the complete package and offers a holistic, cohesive listening experience.

A stunning début that I’ll be playing for a long time to come. Essential listening.

Witch Charmer – The Great Depression (Review)

This is the début album from UK Doom Metal band Witch Charmer.

This is retro-style Stoner Psychedelic Doom with female vocals and blues-tinged riffs. This type of music has become less of a niche-only style in the last few years and is definitely more saturated and popular these days. Having said that Witch Charmer are good enough to hold their own and hopefully make their mark on the scene.

The vocalist has a very strong voice and she dominates the tunes with her presence. Her vocals are complemented by additional backing vocals that enhance the songs with their inclusion as it gives a further aspect to the band. The multiple-backing-vocalists-plus-powerful-main-vocals approach is unusual/uncommon and works amazingly well.

The interplay between these male and female vocals is a great touch and is a point that differentiates them from a lot of other bands who play a similar style. Something else which also does this is the band’s slightly darker sound than the norm; think more Electric Wizard-esque than any of the numerous Stoner Rock bands out there.

The riffs are typically huge and captivating; 70’s blues rock riffs made heavy and dirty so that they sound more contemporary than most. The band play slow and heavy very well but can also hit and maintain a good groove.

Each song on this release is a hugely enjoyable exemplar of the style and definitely something you should check out if you have even a passing interest in this genre.

Give them a listen; absorb the grizzled and fuzzy music in the best way possible – loud.

Yob – Clearing The Path To Ascend (Review)

Yob are from the US and this is their seventh album. They play Doom Metal.

Yob create riff-laden sonic soundscapes that are as massive as they are compelling. Heavy riffs and emotive melodics combine to create an enduring collection of long songs that work wonders whether they are breathtakingly heavy or powerfully soft.

High pitched vocals call out from behind the veil while deeper shouts punctuate proceedings with their harshness. The singer has a great voice with great range and never ceases to impress with his visceral performance.

A perfectly judged Sludgy sound encapsulates everything and the songs breathe darkness and light with every second. The band have truly mastered both, whether it’s a heavier, darker section or a lighter, more restrained part.

The sprawling, monolithic songs that make up Clearing The Path To Ascend are as ambitious as they are epic in scope. This is crushing Doom Metal that takes the listener on a journey and teaches them the power of the riff.

This album contains as much gigantic Doom Metal as Yob fans will have come to expect, but as well as this the churning Sludge elements and Progressive Rock influences are clearly seen and incorporated fully into their sound to create some exceptional tracks.

Each song has its own identity and place in the framework of the album. Each has its own story to tell and tells it in its own inimitable style. Each song is expertly crafted and flawlessly delivered. Each song is great.

Yob have once again shown why they are at the forefront of Doom Metal. This is a highly accomplished album and one that people should be listening to for many a year to come. I know I will.

The Haunting Green – The Haunting Green (Review)

The Haunting Green are from Italy and play Doom.

Featuring guitar, drums and electronics, The Haunting Green have an interesting sound that combines Doom, Post-Metal and a touch of Drone to create 28 minutes of dark, emotive music.

The soundscapes the band create are textured and impressively detailed. The added but relatively subtle electronics flesh out their sound in a way that enhances the tracks a great deal.

The vocals sound anguished and tortured which lends them a personality missing from a lot of generic shouters out there.

These are well-written songs that grow and spread the more you listen to them. The merging of Post-Metal and Doom means that we get to enjoy both the introverted subtlety of the one as well as the extroverted heaviness of the other.

I really like this release. It’s a very good example of music taking liberties and experimenting with the basic sound of a subgenre, resulting in something a little different from the average. The quality levels on this are through the roof and it’s a convincing, compelling and complete experience.

Give The Haunting Green some of your time. You won’t be disappointed.

Narrow House – Thanathonaut (Review)

Ukrainian band Narrow House play Progressive Doom and this is their second album.

This is varied and atmospheric Doom, with elements of their Funeral Doom past widened and expanded to included a much larger musical framework.

Playing heavy, dark and slow is still a feature for the band, however, but now they also use additional tools in their toolbox, including non-standard Doom implements such as choirs, saxophone, cello and contrabass, as well as orchestration, piano, keys, etc. that are more typical of the style.

A lot of the songs are more upbeat and have more of a Progressive feel to them. Some tracks such as The Midwife to Sorrows, for example, still have Doom aspects but can also be thought of as Progressive Metal songs with slow parts.

The songs are surprisingly short but still manage to pack a lot in. Narrow House are high on content and depth where they are lacking in length of song. The level of orchestration, effects and additional instrumentation on the tracks mean that each song is densely packed with layer upon layer of musical interest.

The clean vocals are dirge-like and full of depth and authority, whilst the occasional growls are low key but powerful.

This album is a surprise as I wasn’t sure what to expect from the band. From the Progressive Metal-style album cover to the name that gives nothing away, this is an atypical release in many respects. This is a very good thing, as the band have produced an extremely good album that manages to ably differentiate itself from the ravening hordes whilst keeping quality levels high and having a lot of personality and colour.

This will probably be a bit too left of centre for some Doom fans, which is a shame as this is a remarkable release that deserves a wider audience. This is a hugely impressive album that won’t settle for being average and definitely stands out in a sea of mediocrity.

Listen with an open mind and you’ll find that Narrow House have produced quite the corker.

Essential listening.

Confrontation – Fieseler Fi 103 (Review)

Confrontation are from the Netherlands. This is their début EP and they play Death Metal.

This is Old-School Death Metal with a malignant Doom influence. Think Swedish Death Metal meets Incantation. The recording has a bit of that Swedish tone, an evil vibe and a very tasty drum sound.

The songs are lumbering, heavy behemoths of dark destructive energy and deep, inhuman growling.

There are only three tracks on this release but each song is relatively long with the whole EP clocking in at just under 20 minutes.

What I like about this band is that they take the Swedish/Old-School sound and really ramp up the Doom side of the equation. The end of the first track, for example, is a great combination of feedback drenched slow riffing, harrowing noise and deep growls.

The band know how slowness works and how to make the most of it; atmosphere, feeling – these are important to the band. The start of the second track reinforces this as we get an eerie guitar melody over a pitch-black Doom riff and slow, crawling drums. When the vocals kick in it sounds as if Bolt Thrower have slowed down more than normal and decided to take the evil route to Death Metal.

Highly enjoyable – a hidden gem of the Metal underground.

This is an impressive EP that should be listened to by fans of both Doom and Death Metal. Be sure to check them out.

John Gallow – Violet Dreams (Review)

John Gallow is from the US and this is an album of Doom Metal.

This is a Doom Metal album that’s full of Doom and has lots of Doom Metal in it. The Doom is strong and the Doom is heavy, with lots of Doom Metal making an appearance and a liberal Doom sprinkling of Doom on the Doom side.

This Doom album is of the Traditional Doom variety with Classic Doom and Old-School Doom also being represented. Black Doom Sabbath are a good Doom starting point as well as other Doom members of the Doom pantheon used as Doom influences.

Doom. Doom. Doom.

Okay, enough of that. You get the idea.

There is just over an hour of music on this album and it’s a pleasure to listen to. The man has a powerful voice and the music has a good amount of variation and interest to it.

The riffs are good, the melodies bold and memorable and the production punchy and crisp. The songs are well-written and there are plenty of interludes, solos, leads, keys, effects and even bass shenanigans to keep the listener enthralled.

John Gallow has produced an album that manages to encapsulate all of what it means to be Traditional Doom Metal whilst managing to actually sound current and relevant at the same time. It may be resolutely Old-School in source material but this is an album that can stand proud in the 21st century as a exemplar of how this kind of music should sound.

Hail!