Doom – Page 119 – Wonderbox Metal

Season of Arrows – Give It to the Mountain (Review)

This is the second album from Season of Arrows, a doom/stoner metal band from the US.

This is an album that combines retro/70s doom metal stylings with a more contemporary stoner rock vibe.

The songs on this release merge the various influences of the band effectively, creating tracks that not only worship at the altars of old-school doom and more recent stoner, but also give nods towards post-metal and atmospheric metal in places too. Continue reading “Season of Arrows – Give It to the Mountain (Review)”

Deprive – Temple of the Lost Wisdom (Review)

This is the second album from Deprive, a one-man death metal band from Spain.

This is thickly emotive death metal, forged in the fires of the 90s metal scene. This was a time when death metal was allowed to be slower and incorporate elements of doom/death to increase the atmosphere, and this is something that Continue reading “Deprive – Temple of the Lost Wisdom (Review)”

Vrtra – My Bones Hold a Stillness (Review)

Vrtra are a black metal/post-black metal/blackened doom band from the US. This is their debut album.

Holy shit this is good! Is that an appropriate way to start a review? I dunno. Probably not, but who cares, because holy shit this is good!

This is a sickly-blackened release that contains elements of doom, death, black and post-metal within its 31 minute length. Vrtra do not respect musical boundaries, and why should they? I’ll tentatively refer to them as Continue reading “Vrtra – My Bones Hold a Stillness (Review)”

Swampcult – The Festival (Review)

Swampcult are a doom metal band from The Netherlands, this is their second album.

The Festival is a H. P. Lovecraft-themed release, completely built and fashioned around one of his stories of the same name.

This is heavily atmospheric doom metal and sees the band mixing elements of classic proto-black metal into their cauldron and Continue reading “Swampcult – The Festival (Review)”

Mares of Diomedes/Dreich – Split (Review)

This is a split between two sludge/doom bands – Mares of Diomedes from Ireland and Dreich from Denmark.

Mares of Diomedes start us off with two songs of bastard-heavy metal, lasting 13 minutes.

This is fuzzed-up and harsh, with colossal riffs drenched in distortion being unleashed like they are going out of fashion. With Continue reading “Mares of Diomedes/Dreich – Split (Review)”

Kalloused – Damn You Believer (Review)

This is the debut release from Kalloused, a UK blackened sludge/doom band.

Kalloused have a powerfully heavy sound that they still manage to insert nuance into when the need arises. This release features a plethora of textured riffs that manage to show a certain degree of subtlety and finesse even when they’re smashing your skull in.

The band have a black metal element Continue reading “Kalloused – Damn You Believer (Review)”

Interview with Slomatics

Future Echo Returns is, basically, a great album. Mixing sheer heaviness, colourful vocals, infectious melodies, atmospheric synths and a real emotional connection to the listener, I simply can’t say enough good things about this record. So I won’t bother trying – just make sure you get your claws on it and let the band sweep you away. David, the band’s guitarist, took the time to tell us all about the album, his band, and life in general…

Introduce us to Slomatics!

Hi. We’re a three piece based in Belfast, Ireland. The line up is Marty on drums/vocals/synths, Chris on guitar and I’m on guitar too. We formed in 2004, toured and put out a couple of albums and some splits. Marty joined us in 2011 and that’s really when things kicked off. Continue reading “Interview with Slomatics”

Memoirs of a Secret Empire – Vertigo (Review)

Memoirs of a Secret Empire, (otherwise known as MOASE), are a post-metal band from Portugal, and this is their debut album.

This is expansive and progressive post-metal that creates mood and feeling through instrumental songs that belie the fact that there’s only three members of the band.

Well, I say instrumental – there are some Continue reading “Memoirs of a Secret Empire – Vertigo (Review)”

Morrow – Covenant of Teeth (Review)

Morrow 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)

This 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)”