Doomed For Metal Reviews

Illwind is a doom metal band from Peru, who formed in 2022; “ The Unfolding at the End of Light ,” is their full-length debut album. Although the members of Illwind are in other such acts like Argul , Arcada , and Death Invoker , the band itself has stunned me with the dropping of this full-length.  No demos, no EPs; they just hit the scene, dropped this sledgehammer of an album down and said, “Here.  Deal with this.”  I love traditional doom as much as the next doomer, but rarely have I heard it so abrasive and dark.  The vocals may be clean, but the music is hellish and matches the cover.  Speaking of those vocals:  absolutely stunning.  Loud and emotional but with a deeper tone to them rather than a total falsetto.  If anything, they are more operatic and theatrical but without the corny texture.  The bass is fantastic—a punishing low end that is dynamic enough to bring the pain when needed but also doesn’t have any issues going a more me...

Tårfödd is a one-man black metal band from Sweden, the mastermind behind it being Simon Lindgren (also of Grimveil , who just released a great album too that I reviewed).  This latest album, “ Mörker täcker livets ljus ,” is the project/band’s sixth full-length album, in addition to several EPs and a compilation.   Although Tårfödd’s music certainly embraces many traditional aspects of black metal, their sound contains many variations of the genre.  Post, DSBM, atmospheric, and even some prog all finds their way into the sound.  “ Mörker täcker livets ljus ,” embraces these different dynamics and approaches while still retaining a sound that is firmly archaic and dark. But this darkness has an incredible depth to it and each song offers a world to get lost in.  Its abrasiveness doesn’t change the fact the album is very moving and grandiose in a way that only Tårfödd can do.  There really isn’t a band that sounds like them and this album further ceme...

Fog Wall is a death metal band from Reno, Nevada who have hit the scene with this rock-solid debut full-length album, “ Gloomweaver .”  The band is composed of Zax Brady (vocals) and Alex Malmquist (vocals, bass), also from the band SandVVitch .  Guest/session musicians are Shagrat " Quincy " Gorbag (guitars) Logan Griggs (drums) and Loretta Hewitt (Synthesizer). Lyrically, this album centers around fantasy worlds from Tolkien and From Software’s video game lineup.  Nerd death metal?  Hell yeah!   But this isn’t mere goofball video game music—this is a deadly serious album with impressive musicianship and brutal (but clever) songwriting.  Production wise, it sounds modern without being too glossy and shiny.  I like the mix a lot especially because the bass can be heard easily–which is good because this is a very bass centered album.  Bass is probably what I would say is the most important element in any rock/metal-based genre and it’s straight up...

I don't know much about industrial metal other than the big bands like Fear Factory , Ministry , and Mechina . I don't have anything against the genre (although I don't like Ministry at all)--I'm just not familiar with it. So a band like Epta7 and their album " Here Come the Freaks " is quite a bit outside my wheelhouse. With that being said, this is a solid release that's intense enough in places to make a metalhead like me pay attention. The production is super clean with a bright and shiny sheen to it. For this style, I'd say this sound/mix is exactly what is needed. I mean, this isn't black metal or hellish brutal death so I don't see how a more raw approach would benefit this album anyway. Despite being industrialized, the music is surprisingly heavy with the songs leaning towards riff based structures as opposed to random bullshit noises (which I was afraid I would hear). It is of special note that this is one of the most catchy albums I...

Destroy My Brains is one of those bands that is the antithesis to the world itself. They are up there with Primitive Man and Anaal Nathrakh for one of the most extreme and pissed off metal bands of all time. “ Wilt ,” continues that trend—and then some. This album sounds like what nonmetal heads hear when someone plays them extreme metal. For a metalhead like me (and you), all this angry noise is music to the ears. “ Wilt ,” is a filthy, dangerous album that embraces the mentality that metal shouldn't be safe or comfortable. When a boomer or normie says metal music will send you to hell, guess what? They and everyone else is already there. The world we live in is fucking insane and gets worse everyday. Destroy My Brains and “ Wilt ” doesn't turn away from this and instead steers into the skid…and exploding bodies the entire damn time. The band's core sound of “fucking a cinder block raw” remains intact. Doom, sludge, hardcore, death…whatever you want to call this or wha...

Grimveil is a black metal band with international origins, members hailing from both Sweden and Germany.  It’s actually a duo, composed of vocalist Revenant ( Order of Nosferat , Sarkrista , Siechknecht , Velmorth ) and Simon Lindgren ( Tårfödd ), who handles all the instruments. All these bands are kicking ass so I would assume Grimveil would be too–and my assumptions were correct.  This is an atmospheric black metal which represents a sound inspired by nature.  It has a somber, melancholic feel but not one that’s depressing but one born of respect from the natural world around them and a desire to delve into the earth’s manifestations.  The production is pretty much spot on.  The vocals and instruments retain the blackened tone the genre has become known for, but the mix is vibrant enough to capture the clean passages and atmospheric nuances that exist among these mid-paced stories that also feature more than a few moments of whiplash speed.  It’s a beau...

Ad Finem Omnia is a black metal band from Santiago, Chile who formed in 2020.  It’s actually a one-man project now, featuring musician Pablo Vera   Although their demo debut album, “ No Peace- No Dawn ,” featured Ricardo Araya on bass, guitars, and vocals, this second full-length album, “ Senectus Viae ,” finds Pablo handling everything after Ricard’s departure.   He has taken on the responsibilities exceptionally well—everything that made the first album great is still intact and perhaps even better.    This album has such a driving, forward-motion sound to it but also a keen sense of melancholy and atmosphere.  It’s also filled with hooks—this album is catchier that most black metal.  Obviously, I don’t mean that in a ‘pop oriented’ way but the riffs are slick as hell and the rhythms will get your head banging.  Simply put, these songs are quite memorable. The clean vocals are unique and epic, fitting alongside the blackened screams with ea...