Doom – Page 143 – Wonderbox Metal

Obelyskkh – Hymn To Pan (Review)

This is the third album by Germany’s Obelyskkh and they play Doom that’s crushing and visceral.

They have an extremely full, heavy sound; like they’re about to birth a special kind of monster into the world.

As well as super-heavy Doom they are also adept at adding a bit of melody into the proceedings to further the depth and richness of their sound. I particularly enjoy these moments in The Ravens where it reminds almost of Agalloch.

Take the Pagan side of Agalloch, mix with some Post-Metal Neurosis elements and wrap in some demolishing Doom and you’re close to the Obelyskkh sound.

The vocals are very impressive; powerful, strong, forceful, full of charisma and with good range and variety – not a weak link to be found.

Importantly these are not just collections of riffs they are actual songs, with plenty of hooks to grab the listener and draw them close. They are, dare I say it, catchy in a lot of ways.

Each track is expertly constructed and well thought-out; designed to create a highly impressive collection of Doom that’s damn near essential for anyone with even a passing interest in this genre.

Compared to most bands this is an album that’s on another level entirely. Prepare to meet one of your new favourite bands.

Nux Vomica – Nux Vomica (Review)

Nux Vomica are from the US and play Sludge/Doom.

The songs are long and the guitars are heavy and raging, for the most part at least.

There is a healthy Crust influence to the Metallic Sludge that the band play, which gives them an extra vitality to their sound. The recording is clear and warm with a solid sound that lets everything come through the speakers just right.

The vocalist is savagery incarnate and seemingly a very angry man. He screams bloody hatred over the electrifying Metallic storm that is raging around him.

Nux Vomica certainly have anger and hatred in spades, but they also have the ability to play more restrained and considered sections, which makes the dynamics of the songs so much better than if they were just pure aggression.

This has the anger and brutality of Metallic Hardcore/Crust tempered with the epic soundscapes of the Post-Metal elite. The result is a tour de force of exciting music that should appeal to any Extreme Metal fan.

This is superlative stuff.

Beehoover – The Devil And His Footmen (Review)

Beehoover are from Germany and are a drum/bass combo specialising in a peculiar brand of Stoner Doom.

The drumming is unrestrained and energetic, while the bass is inventive and fiddly. Their music sometimes reminds me of a stripped down Tool toying with technical Stoner riffs. Complicated and simple at the same time.

The vocals are quite unusual sounding; free-form and loose and very individual; although slightly reminiscent of Mike Patton in style if not in sound. The vocals infect the complex musicianship like an afterthought that has nonetheless grown in the spaces between the notes and developed into an undeniable part of the intricate structure of the songs.

Beehoover manage to fit a lot of stuff into songs that, in the hands of other bands, might be 15 minute epics; in Beehoover’s hands though they typically last about 4-6 minutes are certainly don’t suffer due to this fat-trimming.

This is an uncommon band who provide an uncommon listening experience; they are all the better for it.

If you fancy something unusual and interesting this could be for you.

Stoneburner – Life Drawing (Review)

Stoneburner are a Sludge/Doom band from the US and Life Drawing is their second album.

The band combine aggressive Sludge with minimal Doom in a pleasing and refreshing way, taking elements of the masters such as Eyehategod and Neurosis and combing them with an eclectic mix of bands like Electric Wizard, Warhorse and even a splash of Isis on occasion.

They have a punchy, buoyant sound for a group of this type, with the guitars seemingly larger than life and ready to pop out of the speakers at a moment’s notice. For all this vibrancy however theirs is a filthy sound, mired in dirt and caked in sin.

The vocals are low-in-the-mix rumbles that sound as if something lurking just underneath the surface is threatening to break through and wreak havoc, yet is restrained by the thick, syrupy music.

The songs are free form expressions of the darker side of life where not everything works out in the end. The album cover is quite evocative and one can imagine this album chronicling the life and times of the figure in the painting. Which is possibly why the album sounds so bleak, yet with moments of uplift; even in a drab life there are moments of colour. Of course the actual lyrics are probably about something completely different, but this is my impression and it seems to fit the mood of the album.

At over 66 minutes in length this is a long and rewarding journey through a damaged life that culminates in the final, epic track The Pheonix. A moment of hope as the final curtain falls? Maybe.

Music to captivate and absorb.

Buioingola – Dopo l’Apnea (Review)

This is the début album by Italian atmospheric Doom band Buioingola.

The vocals sound like someone shouting into a bucket and are strangely effective for this. They are set to a backdrop of apocalyptic Doom that wells up with despair and loss to the point of overflow.

The darkly melodic guitars speak of a deep dissatisfaction with the way things are, while the generalised aura of suicidal fragility permeates everything. Even when the band play more up-tempo the atmosphere is still very much down-tempo. In this regard they are not dissimilar to Deinonychus with their all-pervading mood of misery.

The icy feel of the riffs seem to leech all life and energy out of the room as you’re listening to it, drawing you further into the web of negativity that the band conspire to propagate.

Sorrowful guitar melodies, distorted noise Industrial effects, Post-Metal meanderings and some Hardcore/Crust bravado all added to a Doom core and an all-encompassing air of gloom mean that this is a heartfelt journey into someone’s bleakest nightmare.

Apparently Buioingola means “darkness in my throat”. Sounds about right to me.

A recommended listen.

Dread Sovereign – All Hell’s Martyrs (Review)

This is the début album from Ireland’s Dread Sovereign and they play Traditional Doom Metal.

At 67 minutes this is an epic album full of True Doom that is executed to perfection by people with an obvious mastery and love for the genre.

The singer is none other than the singer of Primordial, so you know the vocals are not going to be a let down. As usual his very characterful voice is on fine form and it adds a singular amount of personality and drama to the tracks.

The songs themselves are exceptionally well composed, with lots of stand-out moments. They have a real strength about them and feelings of grandeur and Doom majesty abound.

The album is chock full of prime riffage and they utilise both overtly catchy riffs and more subtle, insidious ones. On occasion they also use extra effects to highlight certain sections increasing the overall effect of the songs.

All Hell’s Martyrs is both a slow burner and an instant win; the best combination. It’s strong enough that it comes across straight away as an obviously special record, but it has enough depth and longevity so that it won’t simply be forgotten in a month or two. Part of this is down to the striking, expressive vocals, but it’s in large part to the master-crafted songs that are expertly put together.

Doom Metal has a new great and terrible leader. Lower your heads in reverence.

Paramnesia/Unru – Split (Review)

Paramnesia are a French Black Metal band and their half of this split is a track enigmatically named III.

This is epic, searing and mystical Black Metal with some atmospheric Post-Metal/Doom sections included in the 15 minute play time. If you think of Black Metal such as Deafheaven you’ll be in the right area stylistically.

The song is very well laid out and evokes the appropriate feelings of Blackened tragedy and remorse. The sound, and in particular the drum sound, is flawless and allows the song to shine brightly.

Unru are from Germany, play Black Metal and they contribute a song called Die Welt in der wir sterben to this release.

Unru’s offering is a real mood-builder, with melody and Post-Metal influences tempered against the harsh, icy Black Metal core. The anguished vocals slice through the music and as with Paramnesia’s track the sound is first-rate and everything flows perfectly.

The song is almost 13 minutes of involving and caustic Black Metal that draws the listener in and holds attention.

A top quality release from two top quality bands. I can’t see any reason why you shouldn’t get hold of this Split straight away. Do it now!

Taurus – No/Thing (Review)

Taurus are from the US and play experimental Drone/Doom with Psychedelia and Blackened influences.

This is genre-bending Doom full of ideas and Psychedelic darkness. The songs sound as if they have leaked from some sonic other-dimension and are strange translations of another musical language that can’t exist in its original form in our world.

Varied and strange vocals pierce the heady shroud of the music and are used as effects or instruments rather than traditional voices. A sound collage of extreme vocalisations set to unhinged music describing who knows what.

Twisting, angular rhythms and unusual soundscapes collide to produce Avant-Garde extremity and hypnotic time lapsed aural events. Taurus try to both lull and shock at the same time, producing an unexpected listening environment where transcendence is waved before you only to be snatched away and replaced with a veiled fist.

Each of these 5 songs is a nihilistic trip into other cultures that may or may not exist in our reality. It is a privilege to experience these slices of unreality and the band know this, revelling in their status as elite tour guides to places alternate.

Listen to Taurus if you have the constitution and self-confidence to explore uncharted climes and return unscathed. Enjoy reality while you have it.

Prizehog – Re-Unvent the Whool (Review)

Prizehog come from the US and play Psychedelic Doom.

Things start off trippy and relaxed, with odd chanting, much feedback and simple guitars. After that it just descends into drug-fuelled madness and mystical hysteria.

This is warped, twisted and impenetrable to the casual ear. The sounds contained herein are not of this plane of consciousness and shouldn’t be interpreted as such.

The vocals are semi-human chant-hymns that become strangely endearing the more you listen to them.

The songs are the aural equivalent of someone trying to unravel a set of hideously entangled headphones; initially you don’t know where to start, and it can be maddeningly frustrating, but as you make progress it all starts to come together and in the end you’re left deeply satisfied with a feeling of accomplishment mixed with relief.

Go Prizehog!

Disenchanter – On Through Portals (Review)

Disenchanter are a US band who play slow and monolithic Doom.

There may be only three tracks on this EP but at 31 minutes in length it has plenty of substance.

The riffs meander and roll in true Stoner fashion and the psychedelic guitars cruise over a bedrock of bass with the drums bashing alongside.

The first track Journey To Abydos – Moon Maid puts in an impressive 8 minutes or so of work before the vocals even kick in, and when they do it’s like a shot of adrenaline into the system. Prior to this the relentless guitars, seemingly coming on in waves, pushes you into a semi-trance-like hypnotic haze of psychedelic bliss, and when the singer’s powerful vocals slash through your reverie like a hot razor blade, it’s somewhat of a wake up call.

And oh what a good voice she has. Powerful and strong yet still with a feminine and gentle edge. Like a crystal clear diamond sailing through a sea of roughened musical waters.

After this rather impressive first track the remaining songs Invoke and Into Darkness do not disappoint either.

Invoke has a more sedated start like a light breeze but quickly building up into a fully-fledged storm before spending itself early. After this it starts to build momentum once more, only gradually this time. The song is an exercise is build and release, build and release, before peaking at the end. Sexy stuff.

Into Darkness is a lumbering Doom colossus with the singer’s flawless vocals soaring over the top of gargantuan riffs.

This should be eagerly snapped up by all Doom connoisseurs everywhere. A big thumbs up!