Morrow – Covenant of Teeth (Review)

MorrowMorrow are a UK-based doom/sludge/crust band. This is their latest album.

This is one of those releases that will likely infuriate those who like music that’s easily classifiable. According to the band, they’re emo crust, and I can see why they’d say that. In my opinion, describing Morrow as a d-beat influenced crust band may be superficially correct in some ways, but there’s so much more than that going on here. They have a cello Continue reading “Morrow – Covenant of Teeth (Review)”

Spirit Adrift – Chained to Oblivion (Review)

Spirit AdriftThis is the debut album from Spirit Adrift, a one-man doom metal band from the US.

Chained to Oblivion has got some very tasty riffs on it. Oh yes. It’s a right old riff-fest, actually. The fact that these riffs combine to form songs that hit the mark with a lot of accuracy, is even better.

With a warm, heavy sound, these five tracks impress from the start, and seem to go from strength to Continue reading “Spirit Adrift – Chained to Oblivion (Review)”

Swamp Witch – The Slithering Bog (Review)

Swamp WitchSwamp Witch are a doom/sludge band from the US. This is their debut album.

Sludge heaviness mixes with psychedelic hypnotic grooves to create slow, torturous music that takes the listener on a tour through forgotten swamps, populated by hideous witches, (do you see what I did there?).

Deep growled vocals act as a guide on this foul journey, paving a path through the murk with sheer force of diseased will. Continue reading “Swamp Witch – The Slithering Bog (Review)”

Sadhus “The Smoking Community”/Agnes Vein – Split (Review)

Sadhus Agnes VeinSadhus “The Smoking Community” are a sludge/doom band and Agnes Vein are a blackened sludge band. Both are from Greece.

Sadhus “The Smoking Community” start us of with their track, Abduction, which is almost six minutes of heaviosity.

This is slow, lazy and heavy, just as sludgy doom should be. It gives a strong impression of the band on stage, heads down, peeling off heavy riffs with stoned concentration and Continue reading “Sadhus “The Smoking Community”/Agnes Vein – Split (Review)”

Svlfvr – Shamanic Lvnar Cvlt (Review)

SvlfvrSvlfvr are an Italian blackened doom metal band. This is their latest album.

What we have here is essentially a doom metal band that have fallen to darkness and embraced black metal as a secondary influence. There are some other influences detectable in their sound too, (old Anathema), and they all converge together quite nicely over these 56 minutes.

The songs on Shamanic Lvnar Cvlt have muscular guitars and plenty of dark presence. The old-school black metal influences make for a darker sound than most doom metal bands, but the traditional doom metal aspect of their sound means that they don’t wander too Continue reading “Svlfvr – Shamanic Lvnar Cvlt (Review)”

Slomatics – Future Echo Returns (Review)

SlomaticsSlomatics are a sludge/doom band from the UK. This is their fifth album.

A brief overview of Future Echo Returns – doom, sludge, psychedelia, stoner, feedback, atmosphere, synths, heaviness, riffs, leads, solos, metal, songs. More than anything this last one; this album is about songs. Damn good ones too.

In addition to the songs themselves, Slomatics are all about the Continue reading “Slomatics – Future Echo Returns (Review)”

Nekhen – Entering the Gate of the Western Horizon (Review)

NekhenThis is the debut release of Nekhen, a blackened doom solo project from Italy.

Even though this is the project’s first journey out into the world, the brains behind the outfit is obviously not lacking in ambition. According to the press blurb – ‘The album is intended as Continue reading “Nekhen – Entering the Gate of the Western Horizon (Review)”

Interview with Monolithe

Monolithe Logo

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 NightsideTemple 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)”