Abhoth are an atmospheric death metal band from Montenegro. This is their debut EP.
Keyboards are pretty much the first thing you hear upon pressing play, alongside some nicely warm-sounding drums. Then the guitars and deep, deep growls come in and you know we’re in business. Continue reading “Abhoth – Abhoth (Review)”
Vanhelgd are a Swedish death metal band and this is their fourth album.
The band’s third album Relics of Sulphur Salvation was solid, authentic Swedish death metal with chainsaw guitars and a sharp sense of melody.
On this new album the band continue to play the style that made their previous release so enjoyable, only I’d say that Continue reading “Vanhelgd – Temple of Phobos (Review)”
This is the début album from Australian Doom/Death band Inverloch.
Featuring members of the legendary Disembowelment, this is a highly anticipated release in some quarters that lives up to the lofty expectations laid upon it, for the most part.
Here we have a flawless blend of Doom and Death Metal, so much so that you could almost classify the band as one or the other, really, if the Doom aspect wasn’t quite so all-pervading.
Inverloch are heavy, nasty and clearly know what they’re doing. Also, did I mention they’re heavy? The songs chug, blast and DOOOOOM their way through the 39 minutes of ugly misery contained on this release, and it’s barely contained at that.
It’s easy to like these songs, as whether the band are playing at a snail’s pace or blasting out with furious mayhem, it’s all done extremely well.
More than just a collection of devastating riffs and deep growls, (although there’s more than enough of both), Distance | Collapsed has an emotional resonance and depth that is surprising in its effectiveness, considering how harrowing and mind-numbingly dark these songs actually are.
The riffs are ominous, unsettling and frequently more than a little bit scary. To say Inverloch are an imposing proposition is putting it mildly. There’s just something about the darkened auras that they create… In some ways these tracks are like scraping at a raw wound; you know you shouldn’t, but it just feels so damn good. Or something. Oh I dunno, just listen to Inverloch, it’s worth it in every way.
This is the fourth album from Finnish Death Metallers Desecresy.
We’ve met Desecresy before with their third album, Chasmic Transcendence.
This is Old-School Death Metal that mainly favours a mid-paced/slow assault, with morbid atmospheres and Doom/Death influences.
If you imagine a band like Bolt Thrower and add a bit of Doom/Death flourishes then you’ll have a good idea of where Desecresy are coming from. It’s a simple and effective formula that sees the band steamroll through these 35 minutes with warlike ease.
The vocals growl raggedly while the music trudges relentlessly onwards. Emotive and sinister leads provide a lot of depth for the tracks. The rhythm guitars focus on providing a murky backdrop for the songs and the drums and bass underpin everything in their own unhurried way. In fact, special note should be made of the bass, as occasionally it takes a more central role than the instrument usually does, and those bits in particular sound niiiiice.
So, with good songwriting Stoic Death is an enjoyable trip into Desecresy’s world. At this stage in their career they obviously know what they’re doing and the songs on Stoic Death are accomplished slabs of deathly darkness.
Devotees of Old-School Death Metal be sure to check this out.
Dalla Nebbia are a Progressive Black Metal band from the US. This is their second album.
This is sophisticated Black Metal that incorporates elements of the Progressive and Atmospheric sub-styles into itself, as well as some Doom/Death elements here and there.
Featuring an added violinist on most of the tracks, this is expansive and exploratory music that may have a firm base in Black Metal but refuses to be constrained by its traditional trappings.
The band are clearly talented, imaginative and ambitious, which is a fine combination. Dalla Nebbia are the kind of band that brings influences from some of the best aspects of Emperor, Agalloch, Opeth, Arcturus, Windir and other similarly lofty bands together into one place and then makes them their own.
The songs have a high emotional content that seems to come naturally to the guitars. The tracks aren’t simple, straightforward affairs either, so this rich, emotive quality is even more impressive. Background synths and effects add a further layer to the variety of riffs and melodies used, with the intention of everything being to take the listener on a Blackened journey into the dark places of the world. With Dalla Nebbia as your guide, this is a trip worth taking.
Mainly propelled forwards with traditional Blackened screams; cleans, growls and other vocalisations also appear and reinforce the impression of a varied and interesting band who are happy to do things their own way.
This is a varied release that covers a lot of ground. It’s not something that can easily absorbed in one listen as there’s a lot going on here; each spin brings something else to your attention, and there’s a lot of quality content to notice on Felix Culpa.
Very impressive and very enjoyable. Make sure you look out for this one.
This is the third album from German Black Metallers Stellar Master Elite.
Here we have Black Metal that managers to foster an air of festering rot alongside a sophisticated malevolent darkness. It’s an intriguing combination that gives Stellar Master Elite a distincive flavour when compared to a lot of bands.
Their music has a depressive, Doom-drenched Black Metal base that’s not a million miles away from a band like Forgotten Tomb in spirit, although in reality they don’t sound too similar. The music is powerful and atmospheric without being pompous or overblown. This is very definitely epic music, but in a miserable, negativity-infused way.
The deep growling vocals consolidate the feelings of Funeral Doom/Death-gone-Black Metal. The singer’s voice is full of dark promise and has a gruff, tight character that allows it to be both brutal and compact. The screamed vocals are more typical-Black Metal, but no less effective for this. Clean vocals appear on the fourth track, adding yet another dimension to the band’s music.
Keyboards/synths/Hellsounds add a considerable amount to the already emotive Blackened dirge and it quickly becomes apparent that this is an integral aspect of the band’s music. They’re also creative and atypical in many respects, which is something I like.
This is a diverse and well-paced album, with lots to keep the listener interested and many different moods and palettes used effectively. There’s plenty of feeling thrown into the mix here, as well as a decent helping of prime-riffage. Occasionally the streamlined darkness that the band peddle brings to mind Enslaved and their sterling work in similar areas.
This is an impressive collection of long songs that successfully fuses Black Metal, Doom and all things dark and evil into 63 minutes of quality Metal.
Enjoy.
Eye of Solitude are from the UK and Faal are from the Netherlands. They have teamed up to produce this dark, malevolent split where each band contributes one track.
Eye of Solitude are a particular favourite of mine, with a slew of quality releases, (Sui Caedere, Canto III, Dear Insanity), to their name. Here they contribute a 12 minute song – Obsequies.
The track starts off with an exotic flavour; Middle Eastern-inspired music that shortly is replaced with heavy guitars in the mournful, Doom/Death style. Eye of Solitude are very good at combining the stark heaviness of Doom with the rich melodic streaks of Doom/Death.
The vocals continue to be the pitch-black growls that we know and love so much. If anything the singer’s voice seems to be getting deeper as time passes, and his performance on Obsequies is quite monolithic. Combined with the slow pace of the accompanying funeral dirge each growl becomes akin to the passing of aeons.
The middle section of the song is comprised of a piano and violin section, amiably breaking up the crushing misery of the main composition with a textured, emotive exploration of grief.
After this, the song crawls to a natural close, all emotion spent, all energy drained.
After Eye of Solitude comes the contribution from Faal. This is a track called Shattered Hope that lasts over 13 minutes. I have not heard Faal before this, but they quickly draw me in with their atmospheric Funeral Doom.
Accompanied by subtle synths, their music is bleak and suicidal, reminding of some of the older, slower material from Forgotten Tomb, only with less Black Metal and more Doom/Death; maybe kind of Forgotten Tomb mixed with Esoteric?
Dark growling vocals appear to swim in and out of the music, adding highlights to it rather than being the main focal point. Although the band have a heavy side, Shattered Hope is more about mood and substance than heaviness for the sake of it. It’s slow, miserable and easy to become absorbed in. Before you know it, the long running time is over with and you’re left with an unsubstantiated feeling of having lost something important.
A quality split of slow, mournful Doom. Press play and lose all track of time.
This is the sixth album from Finnish Funeral Doom/Death Metallers My Shameful.
My Shameful craft dark and atmospheric Funeral Doom containing elements of Death Metal that are completely bent and broken to Doom’s single-minded will. Even the faster sections carry an aura of depressive longing and tragic woe that no amount of blast beats can erase.
The songs slowly build in intensity and atmosphere using textured guitars and eerie melodies. The band do a great job of stamping their own identity on the Doom/Death template and although it’s obviously recognisable as the genre it is, My Shameful don’t sound generic or stale at all. Kudos to them.
One of the key things about this band which sets them apart from others in the genre is the guitars; Rather than settle for the ever-familiar heavy rhythms with winding leads approach that so many go for, My Shameful have rhythms and riffs that are more nuanced and subtle than the norm for this style. Add some spectral effects and otherworldly sounds, mix in the expressive vocals and wrap it all up in some quality songwriting and Hollow is an album to savour.
This is haunting, strangely beautiful music that fosters a morbidly oppressive mood. Even the vocals, which are brutally evil growls, add to this feeling of ethereal heaviosity where the band seem to strike the right balance between darkness and light. It’s certainly not an equal balance, probably 85/15, but it’s one that allows them to work their Doom Metal magic.
As far as Doom/Death goes it doesn’t get much better than this.
Majestic Downfall are from Mexico and The Slow Death are from Australia. Both play Doom Metal.
This is a much longer split than the norm – 67 minutes in total with each band giving roughly half of that. It also boasts quite a striking album cover. Nice.
Majestic Downfall are first off with a crushingly heavy start to things. They play Doom Metal with a slow Death Metal influence – Death/Doom or Doom/Death, whichever you prefer.
Ready comparisons to newer bands would be the likes of Eye of Solitude and that ilk. For older bands think Paradise Lost/My Dying Bride gone full-on Doom/Death. Majestic Downfall are not a band who are totally mournful and miserable though as a lot of the riffs are more brutal or energetic and they have faster moments too.
The vocals are super-deep and the music is clear and strong. Melodies are a large part of the band’s sound and they make full use of them to produce enjoyable tracks that are largely colossally heavy but also show shading with their use of lighter sections.
With a generally more upbeat take on the genre this is a good listen and makes a decent impression.
After Majestic Downfall’s crisp energetic Doom Metal The Slow Death are like a funeral procession of depressive soundscapes. The Slow Death are a much more mournful proposition and big on proto-Gothic atmosphere.
They can be said to share similar influences and a base sound to Majestic Death but they process it in a different way and the results are therefore different as well. The Slow Death are a lot more downbeat in sound, (although they do still have upbeat moments), and the overall vibe is darker and more negative. Think a band like The Sins of Thy Beloved only with a more subtle Gothic influence.
Melodic guitars draped in misery and rotting dreams are the leading lights in this showcase of loss. The band create dirges that hold interest and have some good riffs in them.
The vocals alternate between clean, ethereal, haunting female singing and deep, dark male growls. It’s a contrast that was done to death years and years ago in the Gothic Metal style but one that’s not so popular these days. I find it makes me a tad nostalgic, even. Regardless, The Slow Death pull it off with style and it sounds almost refreshing to hear the clean female/rough male vocals trading off once again.
A top quality split from two bands who have presented two different takes on a core style. It’s especially worth getting due to the length as each band essentially contribute a mini album’s worth of material to this split.
Be sure to check this out and then track it down.
This is the third album from Doom:VS. Coming from Sweden this is a one-man project featuring a guest vocalist.
This is bleak and sombre Death/Doom Metal that’s haunting and beautiful despite, or perhaps because of, the misery and anguish it portrays.
The album slowly unveils under a cloud of desolation and heartbreak. Mournful riffs seem to slide out of hidden openings and colossal growls give a solid and forceful outlet for the emotive music.
The guitars are rich and textured, as one would expect from a release such as this. The music works well to evoke the necessary feelings of woe and despair required from this style of Metal and yet also manages to find beauty in the negativity.
There are no weaknesses with the recording and the songwriting is top notch. In fact, unless you just don’t care for this style of music you’ll be hard pressed to find any real flaws here.
Taking cues from My Dying Bride, as it’s pretty impossible not to do for this type of Metal, they also pay attention to other areas of the Metal globe and have hints of bands like Agalloch in the mix.
One of the best things about this album is that it never gets boring, stale, dull or repetitive, which is no mean feat for a genre that’s essentially slow and melodic. This is a testament to the talent of Doom:VS and the album sails by in a blur of emotive dirges.
Along with bands like Eye of Solitude and Decembre Noir, Doom:VS are one of the very best bands in the Doom/Death genre now.
Immerse yourself in their despair.
Wonderbox Metal 