Old-School Doom Metal – Wonderbox Metal

Old Night – Mediterranean Melancholy (Review)

Old Night are a Croatian doom metal band and this is their fourth album.

2017’s Pale Cold Irrelevance and 2019’s A Fracture in the Human Soul were both great records, so I was pleased and surprised when Mediterranean Melancholy appeared out of the blue. I was even more surprised to find out that Old Night released another album – Ghost Light – in 2022 that had completely escaped my attention. Boo! Anyway, let’s now turn our attention to the 44 minutes of new material on Mediterranean Melancholy. Continue reading “Old Night – Mediterranean Melancholy (Review)”

Wode – Uncrossing the Keys (Review)

This is the fourth album from UK black/doom/heavy metal band Wode.

This is the follow up to 2021’s Burn in Many Mirrors, and a record I’m pleased to see appear. Uncrossing the Keys is not more of the same from Wode though. This should be expected, as each Wode album so far has found the band adding to their musical framework. Continue reading “Wode – Uncrossing the Keys (Review)”

Ceresian Valot – Uumen (Review)

This is the debut band from Ceresian Valot, an rock band from Finland.

Brought to us by ex-members of Ghost Brigade, Uumen contains 44 minutes of a hybrid alternative/progressive/post-metal/rock style that is engaging and evocative. Continue reading “Ceresian Valot – Uumen (Review)”

Structure – Heritage (Review)

This is the debut album from Structure, a solo death/doom metal band from the Netherlands.

Heritage contains 50 minutes of atmospheric death/doom. The artist behind Structure knows this style well, and Heritage is certainly an above average slab of deathly, doomy misery, and that’s putting it mildly. Continue reading “Structure – Heritage (Review)”

Tribunal – In Penitence and Ruin (Review)

Tribunal are a Gothic doom metal band from Canada and this is their second album.

Tribunal’s debut record The Weight of Remembrance was a notable release from 2023, so a new album from the band carries the freshly acquired weight of expectation. Fear not though, as across 48 minutes In Penitence and Ruin does not disappoint. Continue reading “Tribunal – In Penitence and Ruin (Review)”

Soliloquium – Famine (Review)

This is the fifth album from Swedish death/doom band Soliloquium.

It’s always a pleasure to receive a new Soliloquium album. 2020’s Things We Leave Behind and 2022’s Soulsearching both hit harder than the melodic death/doom style typically does for me. Will the 57-minute, (with bonus track), Famine continue this high quality trend? Continue reading “Soliloquium – Famine (Review)”

Onirophagus – Revelations from the Void (Review)

Onirophagus are a Spanish death/doom metal band and this is their third album.

It’s been some time since Onirophagus graced us with the crushing slab of death/doom that was 2019’s Endarkenment (Illumination Through Putrefaction), but now the band have returned. The 48-minute Revelations from the Void is a leaner beast than its predecessor, with shorter songs, (significantly so in many cases), and an increase in atmospheric malevolence that’s remarkable. Continue reading “Onirophagus – Revelations from the Void (Review)”

The Gates of Slumber – The Gates of Slumber (Review)

This is the sixth album from US doom metal band The Gates of Slumber.

Reforming after many years dormant, and now with a couple of members of the superb Apostle of Solitude in tow, The Gates of Slumber are back. Containing 36 minutes of new material, The Gates of Slumber is a powerhouse of traditional doom metal. Continue reading “The Gates of Slumber – The Gates of Slumber (Review)”

Endonomos – Endonomos II – Enlightenment (Review)

This is the second album from Austrian death/doom metal band Endonomos.

Endonomos II – Enlightenment contains 49 minutes of death/doom, although this tag is a bit misleading. Endonomos’ music is far richer and more emotive than many playing that style, and benefits from a base of traditional doom that’s unexpected. This makes Endonomos II – Enlightenment a much rarer gem than you’d normally find within the death/doom arena. Continue reading “Endonomos – Endonomos II – Enlightenment (Review)”

Ashtar – The Return of the Frozen Souls (Review)

This is the fourth album from Swiss black metal solo act Ashtar.

I enjoyed both 2015’s Ilmasaari and 2020’s Kaikuja, so wanted to check out Ashtar’s latest. Since those albums the band have become a solo endeavour, and I missed the artist’s 2023 album Wandering Through Time somehow. A little over a year since that record though and we have The Return of the Frozen Souls, which features 45 minutes of black/doom metal, (including a Samhain cover). Continue reading “Ashtar – The Return of the Frozen Souls (Review)”