Doom – Page 118 – Wonderbox Metal

Interview with Monolithe

French doom band Monolithe continue to impress with every new release, and latest album Zeta Reticuli is no exception. Guitarist Rémi Brochard explains a bit more about the concept behind the release, and how it fits in with Epsilon Aurigae…

Introduce us to Monolithe!

MONOLITHE is a dark/doom metal band. The band was created in 2001 by guitarist/songwriter Sylvain Bégot and has released 6 albums, one compilation and 2 EP.

What are your influences?

In the beginnings, that might be British early doom/death bands, some death metal bands and a lot of everything else, really.

Name five things you’ve listened to recently that you’d recommend

Actually, speaking for myself, I listen to prog metal a lot, with greats bands such as Circus Maximus. I also listened to the last Moonsorrow; not their best but still a great album that I highly recommend. I discovered the new Winterhorde album, Maestro, a prog black metal band which kicks ass. Also King, the last Fleshgod Apocalypse album, and a nice discovery: Carpenter Brut, a French electro project, which reminds me the movie Drive’s OST! Continue reading “Interview with Monolithe”

Temple Nightside – The Hecatomb (Review)

Temple Nightside are a blackened death metal band from Australia and this is their second album.

The first thing that attracted me to this album was the cover. Mysterious and ominous; the music naturally follows from this too. Also like the cover, the music is quite terrifying when you stop, really pay attention to it and let its dark atmospheres seep into you.

This is music that reeks of the bestial underground; the region that’s inhabited by Continue reading “Temple Nightside – The Hecatomb (Review)”

Vow of Thorns – Farewell to the Sun (Review)

Vow of Thorns are a post-black metal band from Canada, and this is their début album.

This is post-black metal with liberal lashings of the depressive and doom styles, and a taste for the progressive too.

The songs have a depressive black metal feel to them, coming from their general demeanour and the melodies used. Continue reading “Vow of Thorns – Farewell to the Sun (Review)”

Monolithe – Zeta Reticuli (Review)

Monolithe are a French doom band, and this is their sixth album.

Monolithe are no stranger to this site, having been covered previously here, here and here. This latest album is the second part, a companion release, as it were, to their last one, Epsilon Aurigae, and continues their evolution away from their original funeral doom style into uncharted territories.

Like Epsilon Aurigae, Zeta Reticuli sees the band keeping aspects of funeral doom, but adding increasingly progressive influences to their sound. It also sees them keeping the same format – three songs, 15:00 minutes each, exactly. Continue reading “Monolithe – Zeta Reticuli (Review)”

Interview with Nadja

Nadja’s stunning 41 minute album Sv is a masterclass in tense atmosphere and relentless smouldering soundscapes. As a highly prolific band that have released a plethora of quality material, Sv stands up there as one of their best pieces of work and should ideally be required listening for any discerning music fan. I had the privilege to quiz Aidan Baker, 50% of Nadja, about the release…

For those who are unfamiliar with your band – introduce yourself!

Nadja is a duo of Aidan Baker (guitars, vocals, drum machine) and Leah Buckareff (bass, vocals). We make music that has been variously called metalgaze, drone-doom, and (our preferred term) dreamsludge. This is music which incorporates elements of doom metal and industrial with the melodicism and textures of shoegaze and experimental/ambient music. Continue reading “Interview with Nadja”

Green Yeti – The Yeti Has Landed (Review)

This is the debut album from this Greek psychedelic doom band Green Yeti.

This is huge music from a huge green monster. What’s not to like?

There’s over an hour’s worth of music on here, spread across four colossal songs. And what damn good songs they are too.

The band jam out riff after riff, exploring psychedelia, doom, stoner and all things Continue reading “Green Yeti – The Yeti Has Landed (Review)”

Echoes of the Moon – Elusion (Review)

This is the third album from this one-man US atmospheric post-black metal band.

Last year’s Entropy was a jaw-dropping release that was chock-full of atmospheric blackened goodness. It was a highly accomplished album and Elusion continues the theme.

Like Entropy, this is very atmospheric and richly textured music. It has elements of psychedelic, progressive and depressive Black Metal, as well as aspects of doom and post-metal. This all manifests in well-realised songs that follow Continue reading “Echoes of the Moon – Elusion (Review)”

VIII – Decathexis (Review)

This is the second album from VIII, an Italian black metal band.

VIII have produced an ambitious release that spans 50 minutes across three sprawling, ugly tracks. This is not an album for people who like polished, shiny music. Oh no. This is the sound of dying, decay and forgotten dreams.

Decathexis sees the band playing raw, underground black metal with a mean, dispirited edge. Alongside the Continue reading “VIII – Decathexis (Review)”

Chalice of Suffering – For You I Die (Review)

This is the début album from US doom metal band Chalice of Suffering.

Across this 72 minute release Chalice of Suffering offer up their brand of misery-laden funeral doom for the delectation of listeners everywhere.

For You I Die is slow, dark and atmospheric. The songs take Continue reading “Chalice of Suffering – For You I Die (Review)”

Vanhelgd – Temple of Phobos (Review)

Vanhelgd are a Swedish death metal band and this is their fourth album.

The band’s third album Relics of Sulphur Salvation was solid, authentic Swedish death metal with chainsaw guitars and a sharp sense of melody.

On this new album the band continue to play the style that made their previous release so enjoyable, only I’d say that Continue reading “Vanhelgd – Temple of Phobos (Review)”