Doom Metal – Page 63 – Wonderbox Metal

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!

The Order of the Solar Temple – The Order of the Solar Temple (Review)

The Order of the Solar Temple are from Canada and play Heavy Metal/Rock.

This is Old-School with elements of Classic Rock, Doom Metal and Psychedelic Rock.

The band have a very warm, laid back sound that instantly makes you feel at ease like a welcome old friend.

The singer has an excellent voice; he’s soft and exquisite, or ultra-high and maniacal, or deep and melodramatic…He has character and personality that’s for sure and puts in a stellar performance.

Coming across as a mix of Blue Öyster Cult, (who they also cover), Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Merciful Fate, this is an enjoyable way to spend 45 minutes when you’re in that retro mood.

There really is some great material here! The singer has a forceful presence and some of these riffs are just epic in scope and feeling.

I thoroughly recommend you listen to this and experience the band first-hand. May you be drawn into their world…

Favourite Track: Aeon of Horus. Everything from the vocal delivery to the tense guitars to the understated bass…a stunner of a song.

Doomed – Our Ruin Silhouettes (Review)

This is the third album from Germany’s Doomed; this is a solo affair that has produced 54 minutes of Doom Metal in the Doom/Death style.

It starts out in a very intriguing way with soft chanting and church bells. Soon after the crushing Doom makes an entrance as misty atmospherics and huge, deep, bottomless vocals dominate everything around them.

The music is slow, melodic and has a Funeral vibe. The drumming is very good in particular, and I like the way he doesn’t always go down the easy route; even though it’s slow he doesn’t always choose a simple beat to play.

The rest of the instruments are also played well, with the guitars having a good place in the mix and the artist being wise enough to know when to hold back on the heaviness and let the more subtle aspects of the sound come to the fore.

Although this particular sub-genre of music should be instantly recognisable to anyone who’s into the Doom/Death style, Our Ruin Silhouettes does what it does well, and it sounds bloody good doing it. The melodies are persuasive and the songs insistent. There is a nice depth to the tracks as additional sounds, effects and atypical melodies are all used with great results.

This is a compelling collection of songs to become absorbed in.

Favourite Track: A tough choice, but probably In My Own Abyss. An excellent riff centres the song, as eerie and haunting melodics and effects elevate it to even greater heights.

Monolith – Dystopia (Review)

This is the début album from Germany’s Psychedelic Doomsters Monolith.

This is Black Sabbath-inspired Doom Metal with a healthy Psychedelic component.

The album cover and the sound that the band have conspire to increase the overall impression of a spaced-out jam with lots of shining surfaces and dubious substances.

Dystopia is catchy and has plenty of hooks. The solos, leads and riffs are all fully realised and the bass is an important part of the overall feel of the songs.

The singer does his best Ozzy Osbourne impression but it fits the music perfectly and with the music being so laid back and glittering with Psychedelia no-one can really complain.

The most important thing about this release is the songs themselves. They’ve clearly been put together by a band who have a love of the genre and are passionate about what they do. These are class songs that will have you humming the tunes in your head for days to come.

Give them a listen and I dare you not to enjoy it.

Of Spire & Throne – Toll of the Wound (Review)

Of Spire & Throne are form the UK and this is their latest EP.

Looking for some dirty, colossally heavy Doom? Then you’ve come to the right place. Of Spire & Throne have it in spades.

This three track EP clocks in at just over 30 minutes in length and is the latest release in a growing catalogue of quality works from this band. I can only hope they get around to releasing a full album at some point in the near future as I’m sure it will be something special.

The songs here are crushing in scope and monolithic in their oppressive nature. The singer’s vocals only seem to be getting deeper over time and the guitars have never sounded better.

This is slow, uncompromising Doom that won’t be rushed for anyone and can’t be made to clean up its act. Not that we would want it to of course, as Toll of the Wound is covered in just the right amount of filth.

It’s not all about playing slow however, as the band understand and fully utilise dynamics. The build-and-release nature of Post-Metal is here translated into its Doom counterpart with the same effective results.

Like Doom? Like Of Spire & Throne.

Monolithe – Zero/II (Review)

France’s Monolithe play Doom. And lots of it.

This is a review of two releases, Zero and II, both of which are reissues.

Zero contains one new intro track, as well as the entirety of their Interlude First and Interlude Second EPs. Both have been completely remastered, as well as the two tracks that comprised Interlude Second being combined together into one long song. You can read my original review of Interlude Second here.

II is their second album, containing one 50 minute song, and has also been completely remastered.

So what’s changed? Essentially the sound is a lot fuller, well-rounded and less plastic feeling. The originals had a perfectly fine sound of course, but the songs now sound as if they are clearer, warmer and just plain better. The instruments are in a better place balance-wise and the bass seems more noticeable as well.

Monolithe specialise in epic Doom of the long variety, with lots to take in and some space-age effects added into the mix.

Deep, bowel-shaking growls accompany the music and the band create dirge-like soundscapes that accompany the listener on a musical journey through unexpected places and wide vistas of possibilities.

If you’re unfamiliar with Monolithe these are an excellent set of releases to start with.

I heartily recommend both.

Necropoli – I (Review)

Necropoli are from Italy and play Funeral Doom. This is their début album.

This is heavy Funeral Doom Metal with a strong Death Metal foundation underpinning everything.

There is background orchestration, keyboards and effects; these are not flowery or ostentations but rather eerie and aura-enhancing.

The long songs slowly unfold with the heavy barrage of slowed down brutality mixing with Dark Ambient sounds and faint glimpses Industrial Electronica.

The colossally deep vocals drive everything forwards like a relentless taskmaster.

Akin to recent releases from the likes of Eye of Solitude, Doom:VS and Decembre Noir, this is just as bleakly emotive and atmospheric but with longer songs and a lot more brutality and harshness on display.

This album reminds of the constant onslaught of a band like Esoteric if they had more Funeral Doom influences and keyboards.

Rich, layered and with a definite gloomy texture, this is an evocative release that mixes the best of the crawling slowness of Doom and the heavy crushing nature of Death Metal.

Nearly an hour of demolishing desolation for your consideration.

Secrets of the Sky – To Sail Black Waters (Review)

This is US band Secrets of the Sky’s début album.

Secrets of the Sky play interesting Progressive Doom/Post-Metal that has a good dollup of Post-Black Metal/Blackened Doom mixed in as well. So many sub-genre labels! As you’ve probably gathered they have a fair bit going on.

The band have a firm grasp of dynamics and of the heavy/light aspects of their sound, and although the songs are of a good length, they also raise the tempo when they need to.

A very sturdy production allows the instruments to sound very solid. Everything is played proficiently and the songwriting makes the most of this.

The music is a pleasing blend of the above, already diverse, sub-genres. Doom riffs, Post-Metal meanderings, Blackened melodics and sound-walls all contribute to the feel of a very colossal album. Extra instrumentation/effects enhance the tracks on occasion adding to an already rich palette.

Largely, the band are are both heavy and dark. Wisely, however, they juxtapose this against lighter, acoustic sections, more hopeful refrains and moments of brighter atmosphere amidst the murk.

Vocally the singer grunts and screams his way over the towering guitars and iron-cast drumming. It’s not until the second song Decline that clean vocals are used for the first time; these are expertly delivered and raise the bar extremely high.

This is a highly accomplished album, all the more impressive for being their first. Highly recommended; whatever secrets the sky holds is obviously serving them well. Seek this out and learn from them.

Favourite Track: Decline. A masterwork in emotive expression and dynamic melodics.

Cardinals Folly – Our Cult Continues! (Review)

Cardinals Folly are from Finland and this is their second album of Traditional Doom Metal.

Trading in the type of Traditional Doom from the likes of Reverend Bizarre and 40 Watt Sun, they mix this blueprint with a bit of character and personality, Cathedral-style.

Cardinals Folly start the album off with a nice slow burner of a song Chant of Shadows before moving into Morbid Glory which introduces us proper to the band’s fuzzy, Old-School style.

Laid back vocals soar over the top of groovy drums and melodic guitar before settling into a nice riff; the theme may be familiar to Traditional Doom fans but the important thing is that Cardinals Folly know their stuff and the songs are enjoyable.

Sometimes the band hit upon a particularly hypnotic piece of dirge and I find myself staring into nothingness, just losing myself in the song and forgetting what I was doing.

Wait, what was I saying?

There is also somewhat of a Black Metal tinge to some of this. It’s probably not intentional, but the slightly scuzzy sound combined with some particular riffs…it’s just a shade of Black but it adds a nice feeling to the tracks when it shows.

This is an album to absorb as a whole; to let it seep and wash over you in waves of Doom.

Lumbar – The First And Last Days Of Unwelcome (Review)

Coming from the US, Lumbar play Sludge and this is their début.

On the first day, I have to say that I love the album cover. There’s something deeply satisfying about it.

On the second day, I have to say that as soon as the first song starts properly, (after a brief sample), it’s like a dark haze has been lifted and all of a sudden everything seems crystal clear.

On the third day, I have to say that the power, the majesty…the sheer awe-inspiring intensity of the strong vocals cresting above the Sludgey Doom riffs…it’s almost too much.

On the fourth day, I have to say that the lyrics and theme of the album are deeply felt and rooted in a personal struggle against illness. The vocals match this depth of feeling perfectly.

On the fifth day, I have to say that the songs are shorter than normal for a a Sludge/Doom band but this doesn’t seem to hold them back at all.

On the sixth day, I have to say that this album has it all; filthy bass; crusty riffing; morbid effects; gloriously dark variety; mega-crushing Doom.

On the seventh day, I have to say that this album is fucking brilliant.