October was an absolutely stacked month for great albums! It was very hard to choose just a handful below. There were so many high quality releases and I know whatever I ended up choosing I’d miss some out that deserved to be highlighted, so I’ve just gone with whatever felt right in the moment – if had to do this list again, I’m sure there would be some changes. Having said that, all of the below are superlative albums. Continue reading “Monthly Overview – the Best of October 2021”
Tag: Doom
Label Roundup: Majestic Mountain Records – Bogwife, Redscale, Jointhugger, & Grand Cadaver (Reviews)
Wonderbox Metal gets sent a lot of new music, (which is great), but there’s no way that everything can get covered unfortunately, (which is not so great). This new column hopes to redress this balance, if only slightly, by taking a look at a handful of releases that a record label has recently sent out that might have otherwise slipped through the cracks.
This time we’ll take a look at some releases from Majestic Mountain Records, which is a record label that I’ve only really just discovered via the wonderful Kal-El. I know nothing about the label, but I like what I’m hearing, so let’s delve into some of what they have to offer below… Continue reading “Label Roundup: Majestic Mountain Records – Bogwife, Redscale, Jointhugger, & Grand Cadaver (Reviews)”
Monolord – Your Time to Shine (Review)
Monolord are a doom metal band from Sweden and this is their fifth album.
After 2019’s enjoyable No Comfort, the band are back with Your Time to Shine, which contains 39 minutes of new material. Monolord know very well how to make this sort of music at this point. These five songs are satisfying and enjoyable. Combining heaviness with nuance, the songs batter your door down, before entertaining with a wealth of musical anecdotes. Continue reading “Monolord – Your Time to Shine (Review)”
Ophis – Spew Forth Odium (Review)
Ophis are a German death/doom band and this is their fifth album.
I do like Ophis’ work. 2014’s Abhorrence in Opulence and The Dismal Circle were both crushing records, and Spew Forth Odium is no different in this regard. Featuring members of Fvneral Fvkk and Todtgelichter, Ophis know their chosen art form well, and Spew Forth Odium contains 64 minutes of foul underground heaviness and gloom. Continue reading “Ophis – Spew Forth Odium (Review)”
Apostle of Solitude – Until the Darkness Goes (Review)
This is the fifth album from US doom metallers Apostle of Solitude.
Both 2014’s Of Woe and Wounds and 2018’s From Gold to Ash were very enjoyable records, so I knew I wanted in on Until the Darkness Goes‘ action. With a duration of 37 minutes it’s Apostle of Solitude’s shortest album yet, but what it lacks in quantity it makes up for in quality. Continue reading “Apostle of Solitude – Until the Darkness Goes (Review)”
Worm – Foreverglade (Review)
This is the third album from Worm, a blackened death/doom band from the US.
Foreverglade is the fetid swamp where black metal, funeral doom, and death metal meet and all drown slowly. It hard not to get caught up in the band’s rotting stench. I mean, a blackened form of death/doom? One which knows how to craft atmosphere as well as crush with brutal harsh nastiness, all tied together with very effective songwriting? Sign me up. Right now. Continue reading “Worm – Foreverglade (Review)”
Scarecrow – Scarecrow II (Review)
This is the second album from Russian doom rockers Scarecrow.
Scarecrow play a classic, old-school mix of doom, hard rock, heavy blues, prog rock, psychedelia, and proto-metal.
Scarecrow II is a 44-minute time travelling psychedelic journey into the past, with the band as very capable guides. If you think of a 70s-style rock band, with some beefy guitars, the occasional Continue reading “Scarecrow – Scarecrow II (Review)”
Indigo Raven – Looking for Transcendence (Review)
This is the debut album from French doom metal band Indigo Raven.
Featuring a member of Mourir, Indigo Raven deliver 43 minutes of doom on Looking for Transcendence, (including bonus track, a Mazzy Star cover). The promo blurb states that the “trio’s sound emerges from the Peaceville Three’s influence with a modern sludge approach”, and this is a suitable description of what you’ll find on this album. To this I’d also add a certain 80s pop sensibility that makes for songs that stick in the head. Continue reading “Indigo Raven – Looking for Transcendence (Review)”
Green Lung – Black Harvest (Review)
Green Lung are a doom rock band from the UK and this is their second album.
Green Lung play a catchy and infectious brand of doom rock. The band have an expansive sound that takes liberally from doom metal, hard rock, folk, stoner, and Gothic rock. Continue reading “Green Lung – Black Harvest (Review)”
Misanthur – Ephemeris (Review)
This is the debut album from Polish black metallers Misanthur.
Ephemeris offers a 56-minute journey into darkness. Spreading itself across a range of styles and genres, including post-black metal, dark ambient, noise, doom, jazz, and industrial, the album is a multifaceted collection of apocalyptic soundscapes brought to vibrant life by a talented act. Continue reading “Misanthur – Ephemeris (Review)”
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