Doomed For Metal Reviews

Godthrymm is a doom metal band from the United Kingdom, that formed in 2017; their latest album, “ Projections ,” is their third full-length full album; they have also released four EPs.  The band was formed by Hamish Glencross , who was in My Dying Bride and released quite a few really good albums with them.  Oh, and former Bride drummer Shaun Taylor - Steels is also a member.  Cool, huh?  So yeah, the man has immense talent.  But, for whatever reason, I’ve never been a huge fan of this band.  Why?  I can’t say for sure.  Sometimes music just doesn't stick for some ineffable reason.   All that has changed with the release of their new album, “ Projections .”  Hamish and co have finally grabbed me—and aren’t letting go.  The songwriting chops on this album, and the musicianship that allows us to hear it, is pure energy and fire. “ Projections ” dips into various styles of the doom genre, oftentimes sounding quite Gothic, parti...

Hecate Enthroned is a black metal band from the United Kingdom, who formed in 1995.  Their latest release, “ The Corpse of a Titan, a Lament Long Buried ,” is their seventh full-length album; they have also released a demo, two EPs, and four splits. This is their first album in seven years, so I expected them to make quite the statement…. but goddamn, they blew my already high expectations.  From the cover art all the way down to the last second of music in the final song, this product absolutely drips and bleeds quality.   This was obviously a labor of love with a renewed energy and focus—and the payoff is immense. I used to be a production whore back in the day…. I wanted (needed) every album to sound good.   But as the years went on, I realized there isn’t a blanket production job that fits every band/album.  Some bands, or bands within a certain genre, need a happy, shiny production and mixing job.  Other bands need something quite a bit rougher.  ...

I’ve been a fan of Faded Remembrance since their debut but have never reviewed any of their albums before so I’m honored to review their third full-length album, “ The Blessing of Downfall .” This is the album I’ve always wanted them to make, too.  Their previous two efforts, while no doubt solid, sounded so similar to Paradise Lost that if I hadn’t known who it was, I would have assumed I was listening to some sort of compilation of lost Paradise Lost songs.  “ The Blessing of Downfall ,” finally sees the one-man project of Tamás Albert finding its own sound while still honoring the influences.  Though those influences are worn on his sleeves, Mr. Albert’s outfit is all his own. So, what’s changed?  What has made this album different from the others?  Why has it grabbed me so much?  It’s because the songs are really fleshed out and fully formed. Each one has a lot of ideas and takes a methodical yet smooth approach to making sure that not only is it engag...

  Angellore is a Gothic doom/death metal band from France, who formed in 2007.  Their latest album, “ Nocturnes ,” is their fourth full-length album; they have also released two demos, two EPs, a split album and a compilation. I discovered this awesome band when I stumbled across their previous album, “ Rien ne devait mourir ,” around the time of its release in 2020.  It’s been a long six years or so but “ Nocturnes ,” doesn’t disappoint.  One aspect of Angellore I’ve always enjoyed is that they are heavy but not aggressive.  Between their usage of death girls, double bass, and a casket filled to the brim with riffs, they still retain this melodic sense of being regal that has always been part of their charm. Throw in flute, oboe, bass clarinet, cello and piano on top of all that and what Angellore has delivered with this album is a Gothic doom opus of towering might.   “ Nocturnes ,” five songs that are all unique but fit together perfectly.  ...

Welcome to the first interview I've ever done for this blog!  I can't think of a better band to do it with than Sad Whisperings !  This legendary doom metal band recently returned with a great new album called " The Hermit ." I sat down with the band’s mastermind, guitarist & vocalist Alexander van Leeuwen .  Actually, I did it through email but let’s pretend it was highly professional.  At the end of the interview, I will talk a bit about the band’s history and offer links to their pages.  Please check them out if you don’t know them, especially if you’re a doom metal fan.   So, I’ll get the two most obvious questions out of the way: Why was the band gone for so long and what inspired the return? We were gone, simply ‘cause things didn't work out at the time...no shows etc etc. What inspired us was that at once we were featured in a book ( Streams of ancient wisdom by Steve Willems ) about the scene in Holland and Belgium with a chapter and Vic R...

Oldowan Gash is a one-man black metal band from Los Angeles, California, that formed in 2016 by musician The Forlorn Spirit ( Ablazen Winds , Baphomancia, Desert Eagle ).   His latest release under this moniker, “1000 Dreams of War,” is the second full-length album; two EPs, a demo, and a compilation have also been released. Guest musician Longinus provides the drums.  There is a raw, profane energy to this album that cannot be ignored, or denied.  From the opening second to the final scream, this is a black metal album that is pure hellfire and fury.  But it isn’t just endless tremolo riffs and incoherent madness that is raw for the sake of it.  The anger, the hate, the aggression…it’s controlled with a surprisingly dedicated precision and is a musical weapon brought up from the underground as a living, breathing creature.  The songwriting is something to behold.  Each song has a lot of different part and pieces, varying degrees of extremity formed t...

Medussa is an instrumental band from Santander, Spain.  Their latest release, “ Mueran Las Ideas ,” is their fourth full-length album.   Medusa and “ Mueran Las Ideas ,’ have a sound that is hard to pin down—this could fit under the categories of rock and post to metal and prog, perhaps even doom and atmospheric. Their brand of music is very fluid, and it isn’t easy to tell what will happen next.  With that being said, none of the songs are disjointed or jarring.  The band plays with incredible synergy and offers a very natural and smooth sound, no matter where it leads to.  I’m going to speak about a few of my favorite songs on the album, but every song is a journey unto itself.  The album opens with “ Palabras ,” and I think that is a good choice for the introduction—and a great song for new fans (such as myself) of the band to start with. It begins clean and dreamy, like a post-morning daze after waking up.  As the fog begins to clear, a dee...