Doom – Page 146 – Wonderbox Metal

Mania – Revel (Review)

Seeping out of the US; Mania play underground Black metal with added elements of, well, pretty much every other filthy, blood-caked underground Metal genre there is.

This is a very varied release, yet none of it sounds out of place and it all fits within the murky template of Black Metal. Combining everything from blackened Grind, to (grim) Post-Metal, to blasting Black, to blackened Doom, to mid-paced attack to…they manage to cover it all and do all of it well. The song Mirror is a great example of this. Within its 8 minutes we have softly-softly Post-Metal, whispered Doom, blasting screaming Black Metal and angelic high vocals. Perfect.

Variety for the sake of it can be a catastrophe but Mania are skilled enough to pull it off effectively. Combining the best of rough-and-ready underground Black with the souring epic melodic atmosphere of Cascadian Black, I find it hard to say enough good things about this album. The atmosphere conjured up on this release is just awe-inspiring. In fact, the only thing I can find to complain about is the length – next time I want more!

One of the best, most accomplished Black metal releases I have heard this year. There is nothing to not like here.

Favourite Track: Portals.

Interview with Funeral Circle

Funeral Circle play Epic Doom Metal and have recently released their rather excellent début album Funeral Circle, the review of which you can read here. I’ve had the pleasure to ask the band a few questions, the results of which you can see below.

For people who haven’t encountered you before, how would you introduce your band?

Hello, Pilgrim here. Thanks for the interview.

To answer your question – We’re a bunch of guys from Canada playing Epic Doom Metal.

Your début album is incredibly well-developed for a first release – how did the writing of the songs come about?

Thank you, I’m glad you think so! As for the song writing itself… Some of the songs were written exclusively for the album, others were written when we first formed back in 2006 and refined over time. We write songs through different means, there’s no set formula. Either a band mate will have something partially or completely written and then we’ll go from there, or we’ll just build something together from scratch during rehearsal.

What are your main influences for the band?

Off the top of my head I would say quite a diverse range of classic sounding metal bands like Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus, Mercyful Fate Isole, Solitude Aeturnus, Candlemass, Pagan Altar, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Solstice. Those were the bands that really helped us go in the Epic Doom direction when we first started off back in high school. Since then we’ve incorporated influences from more great bands and traditional folk forms of music over the years.

What are you listening to now and would like to recommend?

I’m all over the map right now, always listening to the metal classics and lots of progressive rock. Too much to recommend!

However, quite a few albums and EPs from this year are in heavy rotation as of right now. Here’s what I’m digging as of the moment – highly recommended and great records!

Procession’s To Reap the Heavens Apart, Atlantean Kodex’s The White Goddess, Argus’ Beyond the Martyrs, Borrowed Time’s debut, Gatekeeper’s Prophecy and Judgement, Cromlech’s Ave Mortis, In Solitude’s Sister, Tribulation’s The Formulas of Death, Bolzer’s Aura, Grave Miasma’s Odori Sepulcrorum, Blood Ceremony’s The Eldritch Dark, Dread Sovereign’s Pray to the Devil in Man… I’m really straining myself here, there are so many more. An insane year for heavy metal music across all genres.

Do you pay much attention to what is happening in the rest of the Doom scene?

I really try to as well as the rest of the metal scene(s) as well, but not as much as I used to. Life is particularly busy right, and right now I seem to be spending a lot more time catching up with my responsibilities to boring stuff like work when I really want to be writing music or catching up on this huge pile of records that doesn’t seem to stop growing.

But! People need to pay attention to Canadian comrades Gatekeeper and Cromlech when it comes to epic heavy and doom metal! Outstanding bands.

What does the future hold for Funeral Circle?

New releases is for certain, but we also have some plans we are going to announce in the near future… follow us on our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/funeralcircle and we’ll divulge everything in the near future!

Finally….Ozzy Osbourne or Ronnie James Dio?

It’s very close, Heaven & Hell is one of my favorite albums of all time, but the first 6 Black Sabbath albums for me are just untouchable… I’ll need a few eons to think about this.

Thanks!

Cheers and thank you once again.

Ilsa – Intoxicantations (Review)

Well, isn’t this the proverbial hidden gem. Filthy, dirty sludge Metal with elements of thrash and death ‘n’ roll mixed in. Quite simply this is brilliant.

The overall feelings and structures of the songs are composed in such a way that this is a very complete album. Each song easily identifiable from the rest and together forming one of the most enjoyable albums I’ve listened to in a while. I haven’t been able to stop listening to this the last few days.

Very insipid; the riffs crawl their way into your subconscious and refuse to dislodge. The production miraculously manages to sound both dirty and clear at the same time. The guitar tone in particular is strong and powerful. Crushing in fact.

Each track has its own character and personality, comprising of top-shelf riffs and attitude. There is no filler here; each song is its own entity and more than capable of standing on its own merits.

Snarling, vicious vocals accompany the metallic mayhem and perfectly suit the musical vision of the rest of the band. As a reference point they are sometimes reminiscent of the Darkest Hour vocalist and have the same level of passion and legibility. The singer of Ilsa gives an excellent performance in all ways.

This album is first-rate. If you are a fan of metallic sludge and like plenty of depth and longevity in your music then this will certainly be a must for you. So far, alongside the first album by Morality Crisis, this is a very strong contender for album of the year as far as I’m concerned.

Dotzauer – Deep (Review)

Italian Post-Metal band Dotzauer have released their first full length album Deep, which is a concept album about drowning. Viewed in this light the music can be seen to have a watery-feel, from a light tide to a full-on tsunami roar.

The songs ebb and flow, like waves crashing into each other before cancelling each other out and returning to calm in the aftermath. The subtleties of light and shade – the meat and veg of Post-Metal – are used to great effect by the band to create the watery soundscape that describes the last moments of someone being taken to the depths to their final resting place. Water Buries the Skyline is a good example of this where the mellow sections in particular give the impression of idling, waiting for the inevitable to happen; while the more muscular, heavy parts are more of a wild thrashing against the inevitable.

Vocals are predominantly shouted, with the singer having a good quality bellow on him. However there are also the occasional clean/cleaner vocals as well, which add a bit of variety and depth to the music.

Favourite track: Air Hunger. Starting off gentle with clean vocals the track gets progressively harsher and more frantic as time goes on, mimicking the lack of air and the desperation that this brings.

A quality album from a little known band. Time to get to know them better.

Maeth – Oceans Into Ashes (Review)

Doom? Stoner? Post-Metal? Progressive? All of the above? How are we to label Oceans Into Ashes? Ultimately all that matters is that Maeth have attempted a very ambitious undertaking here, and they have succeeded.

The songs mix all of the aforementioned genres into an intelligent and well-written whole. Long songs, short songs, all have their place contributing to a very diverse album full of ideas and depth.

Vocals are sparse and infrequent, used when necessary to highlight one part or another and then fading away once more to keep the focus on the music that Maeth so very passionately play.

Guitars are very melodic, but also not afraid to become abrasive and harsh as the song demands. Frequently changing from stoner riffs to Doom to Post-Metal, you can’t help but be drawn into their world.

Diverse, eccentric and very well-constructed. Given a chance Maeth could go very far indeed. I think we have a strong contender to fill that Isis-shaped hole in Post-Metal.

Monachus – Below (Review)

Monachus are from Sweden and play epic, spiralling atmospheric Doom. Having been a fan of their previous work, both as Monachus and as previous incarnation Icos, I was looking forward to what this release would bring.

And what they bring is sludge-y Doom with some delicious Post-Metal excellence sprinkled on top. The music twists and turns and swamps the listener in warm, post-Neurosis/Isis sounds while proudly striding forwards, forging their own legacy of brilliance for others to follow.

The vocals are top-notch and seem to only be improving with time. Greater variation and depth of voice than ever before, and real feeling that hits you deep in the gut. From gruff to clean, the singer knows what he’s doing that’s for sure.

Each of the songs on this album are finely crafted examples of the art of musical journeys; each journey slowly taking the listener to parts unknown, below what is real and safe, into places other. The album is aptly named in my opinion; with each song giving the feeling of dragging the listener down, underground, or spiralling down the whirlpool to a dark underworld.

There are four songs on this album, and at 38 minutes in length it is over far too quickly as a release of this quality could easily be longer.

Definitely a superior release, with Monachus cementing their position as one of the premier acts of this style. The future is Below.

Available via Alerta Antifascista Records: www.doomrock.com

Eye of Solitude – Canto III (Review)

And it begins – the start of the apocalypse is soft and gentle; slowly building and eventually giving way to a torrent of Doom so monolithic it’s almost overbearing. The sheer oppressiveness of the deep, deep vocals washing away all resistance to the new world that this depressive, bleak, yet wonderful music heralds.

First comes the Doom, and then comes the blast, but Eye of Solitude even manage to infuse blastbeats with a sense of hopelessness and despair. It may not sound like it, but for this kind of music that’s a compliment. 15 minutes in and the first song has finished. The second starts with no intro; it goes from silence to destruction in the space of a heartbeat. The sense of majesty is terrible to behold.

The nature of Eye of Solitude songs is one of a constant oppressive misery, spiked with the occasional uplifting, hopeful moment, only to have this hope removed and crushed without comment. The songs are long, the emotions deep. There is also a sense of frustration at play here; as if there is a railing and thrashing against the inevitable, before final acceptance takes place.

One of the clever aspects of this album is the simultaneous appearance of uniformity and linearity while at the same time having dynamics that are merely disguised by the highly emotive atmosphere that Eye of Solitude foster. This is a masterful stroke as it adds a layer of depth and complexity to the songs that is not always apparent on first listen – the very definition of discovering something new every time.

Based on the strength of their previous releases this is an album that I have been looking forward to, and I am very pleased to say I am not disappointed. Essential.

Coven 13 – Destiny of the Gods (Review)

Well this is an enjoyable romp of an album! Traditional Heavy Metal mixed with elements of Revered Bizarre-style Doom, 70’s psychedelic influences and some good old rock ‘n’ roll swagger for good measure.

Attitude and plain old metal fun is the order of business here. Not to imply that they are a novelty band or “jokey” in anyway. Not at all; rather they have a joyousness to their sound that I imagine would translate very well live and that their performances would be, well, fun!

Traditional song structures and strong choruses abound, as well as some nice fretwork and solid tub bashing. The vocals immediately strike the listener as the most noticeable element of the band as the sheer enthusiasm and character that they have is a welcome change – there’s no way you could accuse this singer of not giving his all. The vocals appear to be imbued with the full force of his personality in a way that is relatively rare these days. In fact the entire album sounds out of place in today’s modern metal climate in many ways as it is a very individual record with scant regard for trends and cliques, etc.

A refreshing blast from the past come to liven up the present.

Monte Penumbra – Heirloom of a Sullen Fall (Review)

A rich amalgamation of Black Metal and Doom; Monte Penumbra’s début album may be relatively short at only 35 minutes, but it is packed to the hilt with texture and interesting things going on.

Slow, doom-laden Black Metal played with skill and passion; Monte Penumbra know their art and know how to get the most out of their songs. Interesting riffs, atmospheric interludes, tempo changes; this is bleak-yet-Black Metal that hits the spot; sludge hijacked by Black Metal and bent to its will.

The vocals are varied – ranging from chants, screams to powerful almost-singing; a welcome change from the generic.

This is an enjoyable album for those times when you’re in the mood for something a bit more brooding and well-paced, thoughtful and introspective yet still drenched in Black Metal’s distinctive colours.

Funeral Circle – Funeral Circle (Review)

Funeral Circle play Epic Doom Metal. This album is all about the songs, the feeling of Doom, and the weighty guitars.

At 51 minutes it is a decent length and every track is really enjoyable. Harking back to an older time of more traditional song structures and Doom inspired themes and feeling, yet with a powerful production and sound that makes it sound contemporary, without ever sounding too polished or stale. Funeral Circle have a sound which is alive and warm, wrapping their arms around you like a comfy blanket. Only it’s a comfy Doom Metal blanket, of course.

The songs are well-crafted and perfectly judged, never outstaying their welcome or straying into pedestrian areas. The musicianship is first-rate and does justice to the songwriting, bringing each track alive. With vocals that are powerful and inspiring, the singer perfectly fits the music with a great range and depth to his voice.

This is traditional-style Doom Metal played with conviction and power. Along with bands like Pallbearer and 40 Watt Sun this is exactly what this genre should sound like in 2013. Strong harmonies, excellent vocals and everything focused on the song. A win.